| | |  | Ballets & Classics | Home » » » Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Collier, Dowell, Royal Ballet Covent Garden | | | | | | | Description: | | Fantasy and magic are the essential ingredients of The Nutcracker, and Tchaikovsky’s imaginative score helps bring to life the fantasy world of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s enchanting story of "The Nutcracker and The Mouse King." Gennady Rozhdestvensky is the guest conductor who "drew ravishing playing from this most ravishing of Tchaikovsky’s ballet scores." (Guardian) Though the original scenario for The Nutcracker was considered to be fatally flawed, this magical work has survived to become one of the firmest favorites in the ballet repertory. This production by the Artistic Director of Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, Peter Wright, with the help of Tchaikovsky ballet expert Roland John Wiley, attempts to rescue from far-flung archives surviving evidence of the original Ivanov/Sergueyev staging, combined with some captivating modern stage effects. | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Michael Coleman, Lesley Collier, Jonathan Cope, Anthony Dowell, Joan Fontaine | | Director:
| John Vernon | | Format:
| Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Kultur Video | | Run Time:
| 99 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| April 15, 2003 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 12 reviews |
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| $3.62 | New | | | $9.99 | New | | | $16.42 | New | | | $16.43 | New | | | $16.50 | New | | | $19.64 | New | | | $19.65 | New | | | $21.81 | New | | | $23.75 | New | | | $23.96 | New | | | $24.56 | New | | | $26.99 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | | | $52.37 | New | | | $76.00 | New | |
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Qualifies Handily As A Foremost Claimant For The Best Filmed Performance Of The Nutcracker Ballet.Mar 12, 2009
Tchaikowsky's Nutcracker has, over the past century, become a fundamental Christmas season entertainment staple, in the event quite appropriate, since the work's action takes place upon Christmas Eve, but as the ballet has proved to be such a popular affair to all ages, it is a welcome diversion during any time of year. This rendering, shot with videotape for BBC Television before a very appreciative live matinee audience at Covent Garden, is abounding with first-class stage design, costumes, and special effects, all of which join with a good deal of splendid dancing by members of the Royal Ballet to make for a most engaging film. The original linear choreography created by Lev Ivanov (1892) has been employed, when applicable, by Peter Wright, Artistic Director of the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, whose researches within dance archives revealed a large amount of material that is used here for the staging methods of the piece, while additionally providing attendant and highly creative movements that often focus upon comedic elements intrinsic within the original work, without eschewing its well-known storyline requirements. A cardinal reason for most balletomanes to view the film will naturally center upon the technical credits of Anthony Dowell, soon to be named Director of the Royal Ballet, and here performing as The Prince, and his highly able partner, Lesley Collier, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and although sporadic raggedness may be found throughout from members of the Corps, the four specialty numbers performed in the Land of Sweets (Spanish, Arab, Chinese, Russian) are engaging as is as well the acting by all, notably Julie Rose as Clara and Guy Niblett as Clara's companion, The Nutcracker himself. Dowell's perfection of line is seen here to good effect, especially in his cool and light partnering of Collier during their pas de deux, this perhaps most beautiful of all romantic pieces, and a meet showcase for the skills of the pair, with the ballerina's port de bras being exceptional. Mention must additionally be made of the elegantly detailed designing by Julia Trevelyan Oman, efficient lighting from John B. Read, and the musicological augmentation by Tchaikowsky authority Roland John Wiley, along with proficient conducting of Gennady Rozhdestvensky who is minutely conversant with Tchaikowsky's score. While there can be no denying the artistic impact of several other filmed performances of Nutcracker, this effort will be the most emotionally pleasing to many viewers.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A Christmas thing!Feb 08, 2008
I enjoyed this DVD very much much. It makes a nice edition to my Christmas viewing. It is like you are really there, at Covent Garden, and viewing the live performance!
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 In defense of Sir Anthony DowellFeb 19, 2007
Dowell is more than just "a noble" dancer; he is princely and he is/was the best actor on a ballet stage, ever. There was no need for candy canes and Christmas paraphernalia, as along as the fairy and her prince portrayed that high and beautiful an ideal of the married couple.
The subsequent production of the Nutcracker is superior however, in my mind. The the two sections of the ballet, apart and disconnected in the prior, more classical version (Balanchine's included) are finally unified through an oniric, ambiguous vision that pays what it is due to the romanticism of E.T.A. Do we owe this to Sir Anthony as well?
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
A pretty good performanceDec 22, 2005
A great deal of review has already been done on this ballet; with the reviewers giving grades to this production that range all the way from one star to five stars. I have recently viewed this production (the laserdisc version!) and wish to provide another angle to the reviews.
I give it 4 stars; which is pretty good to me. I give 5 stars only to the greatest works. This is not the greatest, but it is still quite good. Some reviewers who give it very low scores seem to forget that this performance of the Nutcracker was filmed live- in late January 1985 (I imagine it was a special performance as it was danced over a month after Christmas)- in fact there are some nifty views of the audience during this performance. A live performance cannot be edited easily as there is only one "take", yet at the same time it provides a much more authentic look to the production.
Most, if not all of the other performances of the nutcracker cited by the reviewers are actually assembleges of various performances over a period of days. Therefore comparing this live production to them is not fair. The other performances are good, yes, but one must realize what is actually being shown on the DVD, Laserdisc, or videotape.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
The Original Version of "The Nutcracker"Mar 08, 2005
"The Nutcracker" was first staged for the Russian Czar's Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg by choreographer Lev Ivanov (choreographer of the famous 'lakeside scene' in "Swan Lake") in 1892. The ballet was originally meant to be choreographed by the great 19th century ballet master Marius Petipa (creator of "Don Quixote", "La Bayadere", "The Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake" among others), however he fell ill before rehearsal began and the responsabilty of the dances was given to his assistant, Lev Ivanov. Petipa commissioned the ballet from Tchaikovsky in 1891 after thier earlier success with "The Sleeping Beauty". Petipa wrote down detailed instructions in a 'bar for bar' manner. Tchaikovsky fullfilled his task with one of the ultimate master works of theater. The ballet was not a phenominal succes at its 1892 premiere, like its predecessor was, due largly in part to the un-dramatic libretto, not typical of the time. It was revised countless times in Russia, though it has never become the staple it is in the West.
Here we have the Royal Ballet's revival and restoration of the original staging, as close to it as possible anyhow. The principals are exquisite: Leslie Collier as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Anthony Dowel as her Suitor. Collier is precise and quite the little powerhouse. Dowell is Noble and beautiful as her elegant suitor. The staging is great, and the choreography is well done with much taste. The national dances in the second act are obviously not true to the original (Im sure the original creators would have done a better job!) in many respects they do not fulfill their potential. But over all this production is a good interpretation of this ballet. For a more impressive second act, the New York City Ballet's production of Balanchine's "Nutcracker" (with Mcauley Culkin) is a great companion. Four Stars!
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