| | |  | Synchronized Swimming | Home » » » Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake [DVD Video] | | | | | | | Description: | | SWAN LAKE - DVD Movie | | | Product Details: | | | Format:
| Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Video Artists Int'l | | Run Time:
| 141 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| March 11, 2008 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 8 reviews |
| | | | Used and New: | | | |
| All | |
| $23.45 | New | | | $23.47 | New | | | $25.91 | New | | | $26.01 | New | | | $26.01 | New | | | $26.07 | New | | | $26.35 | New | | | $26.42 | Used
- Mint | | | $26.44 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- Mint | | | $26.54 | New | | | $27.36 | New | | | $27.57 | New | | | $28.34 | New | | | $28.34 | New | | | $29.19 | New | | | $30.00 | Used
- Mint | | | $31.18 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | | | $31.49 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | | | $33.83 | New | | | $37.43 | Used
- Good | | | $38.35 | New | | | $38.35 | Used
- Mint | | | $45.93 | New | | | $94.47 | New | |
| New | |
| $23.45 | New | | | $23.47 | New | | | $25.91 | New | | | $26.01 | New | | | $26.01 | New | | | $26.07 | New | | | $26.35 | New | | | $26.54 | New | | | $27.36 | New | | | $27.57 | New | | | $28.34 | New | | | $28.34 | New | | | $29.19 | New | | | $31.18 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | | | $31.49 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | | | $33.83 | New | | | $38.35 | New | | | $45.93 | New | | | $94.47 | New | |
| Used | |
| $26.42 | Used
- Mint | | | $26.44 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- Mint | | | $30.00 | Used
- Mint | | | $37.43 | Used
- Good | | | $38.35 | Used
- Mint | |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 8 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 found the following review helpful:
Plisetskaya's LegacyApr 19, 2008
By Luigi Tchai
"Pietro"
I was surprised to get a msg from Amazon asking me to write a review for this Swan Lake. Obviously, I must be one of the early buyers and perhaps there has not been a rush of buyers and reviewers. It puzzled me because Maya Plisetskaya is arguably the greatest dancer of our generation. Some compare her position in ballet to Maria Callas' in opera, unequaled and unchallenged in their respective spheres.
However, for people who may not be familiar with Plisetskaya, I can understand the price tag could be a "show stopper". Maybe she's not current enough for the younger ballet enthusiasts. I would suggest watching a few clips on Youtube of Plisetskaya dancing in her prime to convince them what a phenomenon Maya Plisetskaya was and still is.
I was fortunate to have seen her perform Swan Lake in San Francisco in 1959, the first time she was allowed to leave the Soviet Union to tour with the Bolshoi. She was in her early 30's by then. This DVD is a 1976 performance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Swan Lake at the Bolshoi. Maya Plisetskaya was 51. Think about it.
For the sake of comparison, I viewed her earlier version taped in late 1950's with the Bolshoi. Trying very hard to be objective, I really couldn't see she had lost anything. Unbelievable! With age, she had deepened her emotional expressiveness a great deal, especially in Act 4. You could see the Swan Queen was so wounded even physically that you couldn't withhold your emphathy. I also liked the "happy ending" that the Russians favor over the sad one. When she stepped in front of the prince to protect him from getting killed, timed perfectly to the music, it was overwhelmingly moving.
The taping of this performance was not world class as the cliche goes. There were moments I'd like to put my hands around the necks of the lighting designer, the sound technician, and a few in the audience (for some very inconsiderate coughing). What clots! But the audience (in the Kremlin Palace Theatre, not the Bolshoi) was super enthusiastic. Maya was getting flowers thrown to her feet starting at the end of the Act II curtain calls.
Yes, the corps de ballet and the principal dancers and soloists all showed up to play this evening. Also, Bogatirev dancing the prince was wonderful. Fluid, lyrical, handsome with a great body. The corps was precise, beautiful, and held their lines straight as a ruler. I had again compared them to the Swan Lake of the Royal Ballet and the recent ABT performances. I have to give edge to the Bolshoi.
No, this may not be the Swan Lake for the ages. But for the dancing and the occasion, I could not rate it less than 5 stars. Most of all, it was for Maya Plisetskaya, a teasure to last for our days.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Special Swan LakeApr 21, 2008
By Titus orange
I bought this DVD a few days ago because I had never seen Maya Plisetskaya dance and I'd read so much about her I just had to see what she was all about. I'm glad to say she is fantastic. I have a lot of Swan Lake DVD's and Maya's Odette/Odile is one that stands out. She really creates characters like I've never seen before. Beautiful dancing and drama. On the down side, the lighting of the stage was not very good. Much of the background was in darkness and only the person(s) dancing had light on them. I like to see everything on the stage so I was disappointed with the lighting. I'm still glad I have this recording of Maya Plisetskaya. Now I'll be looking for more of her on DVD.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
A tribute to Maya Plisetskaya.Jun 23, 2010
By Thomas E. Ascher
Despite poor lighting, marginal sound, a lack of sets and mind numbing assaults on the choreography of Petipa and Ivanov by Yuri Grigorovich, Maya triumphs. By this performance, in 1976 when Maya was 51, she had performed Swan Lake over 800 times. For those of us who have followed her career, admired her art, and come to love her, this is a heart warming momento. Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly at all, she still dances with the same charm and charisma that she possessed 30 years earlier. No, she does not still do Odiles 32 fouettes or some of the other more athletic variations of her earlier career. But she still exhibits the same grace, delicacy and charm. The audience must have had the same memories, as they applauded her over and over, hardly letting her finish an act without stopping the action with standing ovations. This is not a DVD to become enmeshed in the story of Swan Lake. It is a backdrop to celebrate 100 years of Swan Lake at the Bolshoi and to commemorate the contributions and fortitude of Maya. It is also a transitional piece, exhibiting many of the up and coming Bolshoi hopefuls. Of interest is that in some scenes, other ballerinas are in the background mimicking Maya's movements. Perhaps this is a bow to the role of Maya as a teacher and model for those who come after her. I thoroughly enjoyed this celebration and I am delighted to add this disc to my collection.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Swan Lake Maya PlisetskayaJan 25, 2010
By Ali Hassan AYACHE
The VAI will be presenting a historical version of the ballet Swan Lake. Music by Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petipa (First and Third Act) and Lev Ivanov (Second and Fourth Act), is one of the most popular ballet repertoire. The Russians love it, the cold war did everything to show their superiority, including the arts through ballet. The presentation, recorded in the Kremlin and not the Bolshoi, shows that the Russians have the best in dance, but fail in other areas.
The corps de ballet and soloists of the Bolshoi are of exceptional category. Dance to near perfection. Who is used to watching modern versions may notice the style of the communes, but for the time was what was best in the field of ballet.
Plisetskaya was already a star, had 51 carnivals in 1976, the year of recording. His dancing is magnificent, his actions are precise, his strength is in their hands. Float with its turns. Even with advanced age for a dancer, can make a Odete / Odile passionate and sensual. When enters the stage and took the fourth position of the Swan, the applause of the audience in the theater radiate eternal 30 seconds. The dancer does not disappoint, their pas de deux is a lesson in technique and virtuosity. Balance and delicacy in equal measure, complement the great performance of this ballet diva.
The video lose many interesting scenes and show others unnecessary. The image is poor. The light is trivial monochrome and static. The costumes are rudimentary, the simple scenarios. The 70's already had costumes and scenery are most advanced in Western opera. The sound is of poor quality, a guy coughing repeatedly throughout the second act on. Palms interrupt at any moment the function, seems to present the Brazilian public.
The Soviets could have the best corps de ballet in the world, made it through hard training and dedication too. But they could not produce a satisfactory quality video. Compared with western recordings from the same period, his work seems amateur. Why communism sank.
O selo VAI apresenta uma versão histórica do balé O Lago dos Cisnes. Musicado por Tchaikovsky e coreografado por Marius Petipa (Primeiro e Terceiro ato) e Lev Ivanov (Segundo e Quarto ato), é um dos balés mais populares do repertório. Os russos o adoram , na guerra fria fizeram de tudo para mostrar sua superioridade, nas artes inclusive, através do balé. A apresentação, gravada no Kremilin e não no bolshoi, mostra o que os russos têm de melhor em matéria de dança, mas falham em demais quesitos.
O corpo de baile e os solistas do bolshoi são de excepcional categoria. Dança que beira a perfeição. Quem está acostumado a assistir as versões modernas pode estranhar o estilo dos comunas, mas para a época era o que melhor existia em matéria de bailado.
Plisetskaya já era uma estrela, contava com 51 carnavais em 1976, ano da gravação do vídeo. Sua dança é magnífica, seus passos são precisos, sua força está nas mãos. Flutuam com seus giros. Mesmo com idade avançada para uma bailarina, consegue fazer uma Odete/Odile apaixonada e sensual. Quando adentra ao palco e assume a quarta posição do Cisne, as palmas da platéia irradiam pelo teatro por eternos 30 segundos. A bailarina não decepciona, seus pas de deux são uma aula de técnica e virtuosi. Equilíbrio e delicadeza, na medida certa, complementam o grande desempenho dessa diva do balé.
As virtudes da gravação acabam por aí. As tomadas do vídeo são infantis, perdem muitas cenas interessantes e mostram outras desnecessárias. A imagem é pobre. A luz é banal, monocromática e estática. Os figurinos são rudimentares, os cenários simples. A década de 70 já apresentava figurinos e cenários mais avançados em teatros ocidentais. O som é de péssima qualidade, um camarada tosse insistentemente todo o segundo ato em diante. As palmas interrompem a todo instante a função, até parece o público brasileiro atual.
Os soviéticos podiam ter o melhor corpo de baile do mundo, faziam isso através de treinos árduos e dedicação excessiva. Mas não conseguiam produzir um vídeo com qualidade satisfatória. Comparados com gravações ocidentais, da mesma época, seu trabalho parece amador. Por isso que o comunismo afundou.
Ali Hassan Ayache
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Wonderful Document of Incredible PerformancesJun 14, 2011
By Lesley M. Schultz
"msthoth"
I would have to agree with many of the previous reviews, that the quality of the photography and sometimes the sound isn't all that great, and that the lighting is not adequate to capture the performances as well as it should. That being said, it's an incredibly beautiful performance and worth putting up with the disappointments in sound, photography and lighting, to appreciate. Maya Pleitskaya is miraculous as Odette. As the white swan she is so delicately fragile; her long slender arms more evocative of the flutter of soft graceful wings, than any dancer I've ever seen. The scenes with the prince and Odette are achingly tender and beautiful, both before and after the encounter with the Black Swan. As Odille (the Black Swan) she impresses with her confidence, grace and power in subtler ways than younger dancers but its a primer for them too. It isn't necessary to hose the stage with super-powers and athletic pyrotechnics get the effect you want. Dead Solid Perfect is just as good and frequently better. The dancer who dancers the part of Prince Sigfreid more than looks the part and does brilliantly. I was really pleased to have purchased this for my collection and I think you would be too.
See all 8 customer reviews on Amazon.com
| | |
|
![Cirque Du Soleil - Corteo (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515xeHC4GEL._SL75_.jpg "Cirque Du Soleil - Corteo (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]")