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87 of 89 found the following review helpful:
 Great Dancing but the sound is Out of Synch!Jul 21, 2004
By Ballet Boy
"Isis14"
Don't waste your money. Unfortunately, this long awaited DVD was transferred badly and the sound in part one is out of synch by several counts. Suzanne Farrell and Merrill Ashley are dancing off the music and it is very annoying. It is unbelievable that something like this could happen when you take into consideration that Balanchine was probably the most musical choreographer that ever lived. Never pedantic, always magical. I did inform the Balanchine Trust. They were surprised and are looking into it. They are aware that the transfer was done incorrectly. The company that produced the DVD, Nonesuch was also called but did not respond. Wait until it?s fixed unless you like dancing 4 counts behind the music.
57 of 64 found the following review helpful:
 Suzanne Farrell returns in TziganeJul 08, 2004
Worth it for Suzanne Farrell's abondoned return to the fold in Tzigane - the moment in the coda when she bends back into Martin's supporting arm is worth the price of admission. Weakness: they omit the Rudies section of Jewels supposedly because Heather Watts was not happy with her performance. Nice to see Kay Mazzo again. Wish they would release Serenade and Duo Concertante, the initial programs of the Great Performance Balanchine series.Included:
Tzigane: Farrell/Martins Andante from Divertimento No 15 w/ Ashley, Calegari, Pillarre,
Saland, Spohn, Bennett, Casttelli, Weiss The Four Temperments w/Cook, Luders, Neary, Ashley, Duell Selections from Jewels
Emeralds: Ashley, Ebitz, Bourne, Duell, Watts, von Aronldingen, Lavery Diamonds pas de deux: Farrell/Martins Stranvinsky Violin Concerto: Mazzo, von Arnoldigen, Martins, Cook
22 of 23 found the following review helpful:
Don't buy it!Jan 25, 2007
By John Gray Hunter Jr.
"smartalex"
YES....let this and the other 1 star review stop you from buying this DVD. The works on it are masterpieces, but the lousy inexcusable tech problems do not deserve your hard earned money! The music is off by maybe a second, but c'mon....this isn't American Bandstand. It's BALLET...precision is the rule. I would hope you would care enough to mind, whether you've seen the ballets before or not.
"The 4 Temperaments" is the best of Balenchine. A piece of perfection to fantastic music by Hindeminth. The choreography actually enhances the already brilliant score. But if dancers are not dancing to the beats, it is ruined and that's what you have here. It is unwatchable!
13 of 14 found the following review helpful:
out-of-sync problem still not fixedSep 12, 2005
By Überfan
I recently bought this DVD, and the out-of-sync problem is still not fixed. The problem is blatantly noticeable with "Tzigane", no less because of the telltale hand-slap just before the end of the ballet. With "The 4 Temperaments", it's rather like a niggling pain that just gets on your nerves. I've also written to Nonesuch, but as with the other reviewer, they haven't responded. Having said all that, however, I would still highly recommend it if only because it is still a valuable record of NYCB in its golden age. Farrell in "Diamonds" is peerless. The other alternative would be to get it on VHS, which doesn't have the out-of-sync problem.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth . . .Jan 15, 2008
By Jane
"Skunkchild"
I remember the PBS television broadcast of these ballets and recall that the audio synch problem existed. It could be a result of the original audio dubbing and perhaps cannot be fixed. Yes, it compromises the full enjoyment of the performances but is unlikely to be fixed after all these years. Even a slightly marred record of Suzanne Farrell and others in Balanchine performances supervised by him when he was alive should not deter you. Nobody seems to mind that he slightly altered the choreography to suit the television medium. Give it a break and appreciate that the fact that you can see the artists for whom the ballets were created.
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