Nutcracker [Blu-ray]

When one thinks of the ideal ballet, this comes to mind...
The Nutcracker, in Yuri Grigorovich's production, as performed by the Bolshoi Theater, has to be one of the most perfect ballets. With charming sets and costumes by the genius Simon Virsaladze, Tchaikovsky's renowned score, and the stunning dancers of the Bolshoi Theater, Grigorovich creates an aesthetically, emotionally, and musically perfect ballet. It's as if Tchaikovsky's ideas for the ballet were carried over for a century, until they found their home in Grigorovich's choreography. Personally, as a fan of ballet, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker has actually become somewhat of a banal eyesore, with virtually thousands of versions of the ballet in existence. This is the one of very few that I enjoy, and I believe the only one that I'm genuinely excited to see.
The music is played exquisitely, and the dancers are all perfect: in technique, musicality, and artistry. Nina Kaptsova is a charming and convincing Marie, somewhat reminiscent of the brilliant Ekaterina Maximova (available on...

Brilliant!
I now have three Blu-rays of the Nutcracker (Mariinsky and Covent Garden are the others), and it is hard to tell which is the best. This latest version is very traditional and very different to the equally good, but more Russian Mariinsky release, brilliantly performed and staged. The dancers almost defy gravity and the Prince and Drosselmeyer are quite exceptional. I found Masha in the Mariinsky very special too and the Covent Garden is a well rounded performance with Miyako Yoshida a wonderful Sugar Plum Fairy. Whichever you get you will enjoy and frankly I have no regrets about owning the lot. Only the San Francisco version failed to hit the right spot, too quirky for my taste. I do wish these Russians would give us more on Blu-ray, DVD is history after viewing this lot! A quite wonderful disc that can be viewed endlessly!

Sparkling Staging of a Bolshoi Classic
This is a 2010 performance of the popular Grigorovich version, featuring an all adult cast(with one notable exception! See if you can find the very talented child) and great energetic choreography for which Grigorovich is well known and appreciated.(This DVD does NOT contain the same performance that was live steamed to theaters, as some seem to believe; The ballerina doesn't fall in the Indian Dance in the performance featured on this DVD.) The first act is danced by adults in the children's roles and there is robust choreography for everyone, including Drosselmeyer. The Mouse King also does some impressive dancing and this version contains the usual battle between the mice and the Nutcracker Prince with his army.
In this version, the young girl is called Marie(normally, she is Clara) and she dances the final pas de deux with the Prince in the last act. In other versions, it is the Sugar Plum Fairy who dances it(in case you are wondering exactly who the Sugar Plum Fairy is, she...

Click to Editorial Reviews