Stevie

9 minutes ago, David said:

Thank you Stevie. As you say the Ashton Collection is just another Opus Arte re-packaging of previously released material and like you I already have it all. The Nutcracker trailer is attractive (thnx)  but doesn't really tell us a great deal and I'm still in two minds.  I have so many Nutcrackers on my shelves and I'm reluctant to lash out on another version unless I know it's exceptional. And I'm already committed to releases of the RB's Woolf Works and  the new Swan Lake next year, to say nothing of some very attractive opera and concert disks. Decisions, decisions! I do so need to win the lottery!  

Yes, I am the same, nine Nutcracker's on Blu-Ray and two more on DVD. The Ashton stuff is a good deal for those who don't already have it though. From what I have seen of BCU, it should be a good production. I have their Carmina Burana on DVD and it is excellent, they are a good company. 

That's what it says. I copy and pasted it from web page. I have them all already, so not of interest to me. I suppose if anyone hasn't then its an economic way of buying them.

Here's the web link.

Tamara Rojo - Marguerite and Armand (2013) 
Sergei Polunin - Marguerite and Armand (2013) 
Natalia Osipova - Rhapsody
Steven McRae Rhapsody & The Dream 
Marianela Nuñez - Symphonic Variations 
Vadim Muntagirov - Symphonic Variations & The Two Pigeons 
Lauren Cuthbertson - The Two Pigeons 
Zenaida Yanowsky - Marguerite and Armand (2017) 
Roberto Bolle - Marguerite and Armand (2017) 

We may gather from the title that a Vol 2 could be expected

34 minutes ago, David said:

 

I don't know anything about the BCU Nutcracker and haven't been able to find any reviews. Can anyone help please. Is is worth a punt?

David, here s the trailer :

Three new releases announced on DVD/Blu-Ray. 'Ashton Collection, Vol 1' on 28/12/18 and a 'Nutcracker' from Ballet Company of Ukraine on 11/01/19 and Stuttgart Ballet in Cranko's 'Romeo & Juliet', also on 11/01/19

On 27/11/2018 at 17:40, Timmie said:

It does say "The Royal Ballet performs Tchaikovsky’s magnificent classical ballet in a brand-new production by young choreographer Liam Scarlett, with sumptuous and evocative designs by John Macfarlane." and "Starring the Argentinian ballerina Marianela Nuñez in the hugely challenging dual-role of Odette/Odile, with Vadim Muntagirov as Prince Siegfried".

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/xmas18tv/bbctwo

 

Edit: since this has gone over a page break I am adding that is for a TV showing not a DVD. Don't get too excited about the DVD release yet .

So it is the most recent production and looks like its the full production with extras as well. Also says it's BBC2 on this link. 

A notice for Christmas treats just announced and it says 'Swan Lake' from the Royal Opera House on BBC Four. Doesn't say which day, but we usually get the Ballet on Christmas day. So hope its the complete production and not just 'the making of' documentary, like we had with The Nutcracker.

On 11/11/2018 at 17:50, Mary said:

It was good to see the Bolshoi's La Sylphide- a ballet I haven't seen for years, with the most beautiful woodland set from Peter Farmer. We were told that Johann Kobborg was watching this, his production, from a cinema in London.

 

Worth it anyway for Semyon Chudin with his lovely line, impeccable feet and that lopsided smile.

Does anyone know what went wrong in the interviews? Anna Balukova (Madge) was being interviewed by Katie Novikova , but with her eyes constantly in the wings and a growing sense of unease, and then she cut the question short rather brusquely, it seemed, and dashed off.

A bit disconcerting.

It looked like she was being called from the side, she was turning her head to listen to someone.From what she said, I assumed it was her dresser or someone of importance getting her ready for the next  act. She was on first in the next act.

15 hours ago, Stevie said:

Who knows, just quoting the reply when I asked them the question. It can be said that there have been many live streaming in cinema which didn't result in a DVD release. Could public response influence the outcome ?

15 hours ago, Stevie said:

Who knows, just quoting the reply when I asked them the question. It can be said that there have been many live streaming in cinema which didn't result in a DVD release. Could public response influence the outcome ?

Just found the response from ENB, Adam Lawford. He refers to the very high, up front investment for releasing DVD and Blu-ray. I suppose they have Market research capability and so have considered the potential returns as a risk. Even in this forum, some members have said they were interested in purchasing the Bernstein Centenary and some are not. I was wondering if anyone knows the size of this forum membership, if not the number of members who would invest in Akram Khan's Giselle on DVD.

8 hours ago, Anna C said:

 

No! Why stream it in cinemas then? 

Who knows, just quoting the reply when I asked them the question. It can be said that there have been many live streaming in cinema which didn't result in a DVD release. Could public response influence the outcome ?

14 minutes ago, Two Pigeons said:

My copy of Onegin arrived on Saturday and I spent a wonderful afternoon with a bowl of fruit luxuriating in seeing a proper copy of one of my very favourite ballets.  OK, I have seen better casts over the years but Onegin himself at a distance was pretty reminiscent of Hugh Jackman which is always a plus.  As a counterbalance Lensky reminded me of Nick Clegg.

 

However, there was the unexpected bonus of seeing the greatest of all Tatianas, Marcia Haydee, appearing as her nurse.  This rather added to the sense of the ghosts I have seen in the role but, what the heck, there is no such thing as a bad Onegin on my view!

 

I do have a bootleg copy of Haydee from about 1975 which is an object lesson in how to play the role.  She wasn't Cranko's muse for no reason.  But any DVD of the ballet, even with a less than totally satisfactory cast, still offers many pleasures and it is great to have it, especially as we had all thought one would never appear.

 

I haven't seen this ballet, just the Opera, so look forward to giving it a try. I did try the ballet based on the same story, Tatiana, but it does not have the Tchaikovsky music, so I didn't rate it very highly.

12 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

Yes 7/11 it was, and indeed Ms Saito. She’s was wonderful. As was the whole cast.

I bet the sandwich and drink was wonderful as well.😅 Bad news from ENB is they say there is no intention to release the DVD.😢

47 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

Re who danced Giselle, I’m wracked with guilt and shame. I arrived just in time , was.up in the gods,  didn’t get a programme then, drink and sandwich took priority, and at the end not a programme seller or cast list in sight...I have failed miserably!

If it was 7/11, it was Aki Saito. The other dates were by Nancy Osbaldeson and Juliet Burnett.

Programme :- https://www.operaballet.be/giselle

Theres no such thing as failure if you were just delayed.

35 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Gosh Vanartus you said that without hitting your keyboard!!

Got to be quick, photons replicate faster than the speed of light.

3 hours ago, Sophoife said:

 

Which Giselle did you see please? 

Akram Khans Willis, the most creepy creatures you would wish not to meet. Certainly not an encounter for a lone male on a dark night. Nothing fluffy about these ladies, they mean business.

2 hours ago, Angela said:

With all that talking about 4K UHD and Blue Ray I feel rather outdated with my veeery old ballet recordings, made some 20, 30 years ago with the old VHS recorder or carefully dubbed from VHS to VHS and then copied to DVD - and yet I treasure them so much, because there are some performances that have never been released on DVD, that will never be broadcast again. Of course I'm happy about all those new recordings, the recorded ballet repertoire gets bigger with every DVD - but on the other hand, I watch recordings not for the quality of technology, but for the quality of the performance, and often as a benchmark for the interpretations of today. And if the picture on TV wobbles, it wobbles.

 

Lets remember the big success for the 'Woolf Pack', showing how working in teams can achieve results, ending in resounding 'howls' of delight when John the 'Woolf' watcher spotted its arrival.

I think you will find them a big improvement on the old VHS. I once attended a lecture called 'The Future of Adventure', which made me think. It depended on the individual, whilst one persons adventure could be climbing Everest, another was a walk on the fells, they both gave the same satisfaction to that person. Its all about what you are happy with and enjoy, but also about having choices.

If you can buy your DVD's in PAL format, they are better resolution than NTSC, although many classical are only issued in NTSC.(American Format).

You enjoy your DVD's, I still enjoy mine as do millions of others, despite now buying blu-ray and thinking about possible future move to UHD.😄

9 minutes ago, Colman said:

Since you can get a decent DVD/Blu-ray player for £60 or so now I’d be inclined to wait for UHD players to drop in price. Certainly that’s the calculation I did replacing my disc player as part of a system upgrade. 

Mine two, its not that we cant afford them, but it is moving so fast that the prices are sure to drop and right now we could pay a fortune for something that has become obsolescent by the time the prices have fallen. Let them iron out all the  teething problems first. At the moment quite happy with performance of my Yamaha. Not a lot of features, but an excellent build. Including isolation of incoming vibrations from other electronics.

57 minutes ago, Timmie said:

Now UHD has been mentioned, has anyone (looking at you Stevie ) spotted any 4K UHD ballets yet? I see there are some operas but haven't noticed any ballets. I don't have a 4k TV (yet) but my Blu Ray player died recently so replaced with a UHD player for a bit of future proofing.

I have only ever seen it as a showroom display. They were showing 'Red Sparrow' and it was a stunning presentation. Its an example of where home entertainment is moving and 

18 minutes ago, Timmie said:

Now UHD has been mentioned, has anyone (looking at you Stevie ) spotted any 4K UHD ballets yet? I see there are some operas but haven't noticed any ballets. I don't have a 4k TV (yet) but my Blu Ray player died recently so replaced with a UHD player for a bit of future proofing.

I have only ever seen it in a showroom demo. It was 'Red Sparrow' they were showing, not a full ballet. I learned that it may be 10 years before 4k  would be televised, but told that an influx of 4k video was coming. I had a whispered message to hold back, because the prices would certainly come down. I trust that your UHD video can still play DVD and Blu-ray. It appears that availability will come with mass marketing and reduced purchase prices. That appears to be just around the corner. One Forum says that most TV sets in Sweden are already 4k and no more expensive. We can only watch and wait.

On 12/10/2018 at 13:15, Jan McNulty said:

Francesca Hayward has collaborated on a range with Lululemon.  Expensive but maybe for a treat...

 

 

42 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

But just  adding  "if one prefers not to"  simply constructs a truism,  that you don't have to own a Player if you don't want to. The rationale for  your point, however, as to there no longer being a need for a Player  was contained in your full sentence which also states  "these products are severely challenged by trending towards online streaming".   I don't agree that to be the case at present, for the reasons I gave, and unless and until streaming covers everything one may wish to watch ballet-wise, that is otherwise on a disc, one will still "need" a Player.  

Nothing new added to the debate and I have nothing new to add.There will always be differing opinion to which all are entitled. People will make their own decisions on what suits them best. We can only hope that  debate helps in that decision making process.

9 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Ahem.  I did not - and certainly didn't claim that Blu-Ray players are obtainable for under £20.  I merely pointed out that, given the number of older ballet recordings available on DVD which are, I would think, unlikely to be available for streaming, dance lovers might want to have a DVD/Blu-Ray player anyway, which is pretty much what you are saying above.

 

Incidentally,  the new TV I bought about 3 months ago has SCART, AV, HDMI, USB and I can't remember what else connectivity.  It does mean that there's no need to buy a high-spec player if all you're wanting to do is watch older, lower-quality DVDs.

Many TV,s are now being produced without SCART connections. This is because SCART will not carry sufficient DATA for UHD resolution. Just check that your TV also has HDMI connection. You will certainly need that if you want to take advantage of high definition Blu-ray /UHD. Some models are still on sale with SCART and HDMI for the interim period. I have an old Panasonic which has both. If there is no SCART  on your TV, or HDMI, you can buy and adaptor, but it will not allow you to view UHD. Good luck.

It appears that Richard has selectively missed out the vital words from this quote  'there is no longer a need to own a DVD or Blu-Ray Player', which are, 'if one prefers not to'. This was in reference to one member in this thread, who said the she did not own a DVD and Blu-Ray player and was kindly told she could go buy one for under £20. Certainly not for me, I personally have three blu-ray players and two DVD player in the house. Hardly someone who would claim that there is no need for one. There would appear to be a definite need in my house with over 200 Ballet DVD's and blu-rays taking up one cupboard, some of the boxed sets, many dance documentaries, 168 Operas in another, 42 Orchestral, 78 shows and concerts and innumerable films. Hence my reference to storage space for this format.

The relevant Netflix items I could see are First Position, Ballet 422, Restless Creature, A Ballerinas Tale, La Dance POB, which all of interest to followers of Ballet. There are probably others, but I only noticed those because I have them on DVD. 

Not many years ago, the needs for a VHS player in the household was essential. The charity shops will no longer take VHS free, since no one buys them. Technology is advancing in media entertainment at such a rate, that not only the public have difficulty in keeping up, the relevant legislators around the World cant keep up nor agree with each other. The UK legislator has taken a different route to the EU and found itself challenged by the UK High Courts, who are supposed to be there to administer the legislation, not impose it. Ballet lovers are all part of this, not isolated nor a special case.

We don't know what we will happen next February with Woolf Works, members can  only follow the News, others will make it.

On 05/11/2018 at 17:05, John Mallinson said:

Please don't answer that. This site is not in the business of promoting illegally acquired videos.

 

There are many sites, which legally stream or hire ballet. Some free, some to pay, depending on whether Royalties are due and other considerations. Netflix for Arts lovers are a big one, Amazon Prime are expanding into the market all the time. There are also many Arts companies that legally stream their production, albeit with a nominal fee. Marguee TV, is a recent addition.

It appears to be the way things are trending, with on line entertainment technology moving so fast. I, like many traditionalist, with cupboards full of DVD 's and blu-rays, bursting at the seams and with no intention of keeping up with the times, have to get rid of one DVD before I can buy another. 

There is no longer a need to own a DVD or blu-ray player for home entertainment, if one prefers not to and these products are severely challenged by trending towards online streaming.

For those who would prefer to buy  DVD or blu-ray player, don't waste your money buying anything under £20. For that price, it will only have a SCART socket and UHD TV's are now being supplied with only HDMI connections. It required an HDMI cable for the highest resolution. So unless you don't mind low resolution and are not concerned about compatibilty with a future TV, you will need to fork out considerably more than than £20 for a DVD or Blu-Ray player.