Jump to content

Upcoming DVD/Blu-ray Releases


Recommended Posts

Does Lady MacMilillan  have any say in the matter of which performances are released on DVD? If she does have some say  in the matter perhaps she thought that Dupont's performance of Manon was of more general interest,

 

Since the DVD in question is being issued by the Opéra, there is a completely straightforward explanation here, no need to blame Lady MacMillan. Dupont have been for 2 decades a darling of Madame Lefèvre (to the detriment of some stunning dancers of the company who were never recorded on DVD despite the fact that they were a lot more interesting), and now she is directing the company herself.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 1.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

There wasn't - unfortunately.

My brain at fault, sorry. Dd and I saw Lamb and Muntagirov live at the ROH when Lamb stood in for an injured Cuthbertson.

 

I distinctly remember seeing a live cinema broadcast in 2014 though, because the close ups of Gary Avis' terrifying gaoler were amazing. Anyone remember who danced Manon?

 

Edited to add: Found it - Nuñez and Bonelli. http://www.roh.org.uk/showings/manon-live-2014

 

I asked ROH via Twitter if they would release it on dvd to be told "no demand". :(

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They refused to issue the recent Nunez/Muntagirov Giselle as well - and they could hardly claim 'no demand' for that! There was a positive clamour for it.

I remember. At least they could justifiably say there are already two recent-ish Giselles on DVD, one with Cojocaru and one with Osipova. They don't have that excuse with Manon. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There wasn't - unfortunately.

I think I'm getting confused between the live cinema relay on the 16th Oct 2014 with Nunez and Bonelli and the performance on 5th Oct when Lamb replaced Cuthbertson dancing with Muntagirov. Such details apart I agree with the general feeling that we need a new Manon recording. Presumably we must wait for the next run. If so, while I am a great fan of Osipova, I hope it will be with a different Principal - Either Lamb, Cuthbertson or Nunez though by then it could well be Hayward!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the DVD in question is being issued by the Opéra, there is a completely straightforward explanation here, no need to blame Lady MacMillan. Dupont have been for 2 decades a darling of Madame Lefèvre (to the detriment of some stunning dancers of the company who were never recorded on DVD despite the fact that they were a lot more interesting), and now she is directing the company herself.

The point about the relationship between Madame Levevre and Dupont is interesting and explains a lot. However, my understanding is that Lady MacMillan continues to exercise firm control over what is performed/recorded of the MacMillan works, irrespective of the performing or recording company -  if so Floss's point holds and I'd be surprised if the Paris Opera Performance or the Belair Classiques Manon release could have happened without her approval.

Edited by David
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are making a good point, David. I understood FLOSS' comment, however, differently, namely that Lady MacMillan could be the one who made the decision which recent recording of Manon to choose for being issued on DVD. I find this unlikely. This is very different from giving an approval when approached by a party intending to issue such a recording for sale. In fact, denying an approval would require some serious reservations about the quality or integrity of the production that is supposed to bear her late husband's name.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are making a good point, David. I understood FLOSS' comment, however, differently, namely that Lady MacMillan could be the one who made the decision which recent recording of Manon to choose for being issued on DVD. I find this unlikely. This is very different from giving an approval when approached by a party intending to issue such a recording for sale. In fact, denying an approval would require some serious reservations about the quality or integrity of the production that is supposed to bear her late husband's name.

 

Yes - you're quite right of course.

Edited by David
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i was not suggesting that Lady M did not like the RB's performances of Manon, if that were the case she would have withdrawn the company's right to perform it as she did when the Mariinsky corrected all of MacMillan's choreographic "faults" rendering the work totally unrecognisable in performance. As far as I can see there is no likelihood of that happening as the company often performs one of his full length works when it tours which makes it a sort of living advertisement for the ballets.

 

I was not suggesting that Lady M had any malign influence over which ballets the RB issues on its DVDs merely that if she does have some say over which of her late husband's ballets appear on DVD she might have been making a  hard commercial decision in this case. Having thought about it again it is not that long since the Rojo, Acosta recording was issued so perhaps it is thought that insufficient time has elapsed since the last DVD of the ballet was issued..If the company sticks to its performance cycle then Manon will be danced again during the 2017- 18 season.Perhaps a new recording will be issued then.

 

As a general comment while I understand the commercial reasons for issuing the performances of star dancers on DVD I think that it is a great shame that we are more likely to see their performances preserved for posterity than those of great interpreters.

Edited by FLOSS
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

As a general comment while I understand the commercial reasons for issuing the performances of star dancers on DVD I think that it is a great shame that we are more likely to see their performances preserved for posterity than those of great interpreters.

 

I agree to the extent that there is too much recording of some dancers. But surely there are 'star dancers' who are also great interpreters?

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am really sorry that no DVD exists of Sylvie Guillem as Manon (provided it was directed properly). I hold my memory of her performances in this role as amongst the finest I ever saw. That would be a real marriage of great interpreter and true star.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree to the extent that there is too much recording of some dancers. But surely there are 'star dancers' who are also great interpreters?

 

I would even go further and risk to say that some of those much recorded dancers are not so "star", while some of the ones never recorded were actually greater stars to public and professionals alike.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i was not suggesting that Lady M did not like the RB's performances of Manon, if that were the case she would have withdrawn the company's right to perform it as she did when the Mariinsky corrected all of MacMillan's choreographic "faults" rendering the work totally unrecognisable in performance.

 

Ugh, please don't remind me.  Manon as Classical ballet :(

 

I was not suggesting that Lady M had any malign influence over which ballets the RB issues on its DVDs merely that if she does have some say over which of her late husband's ballets appear on DVD she might have been making a  hard commercial decision in this case. Having thought about it again it is not that long since the Rojo, Acosta recording was issued so perhaps it is thought that insufficient time has elapsed since the last DVD of the ballet was issued..

 

IIRC, that was one of the three ballets released under Decca's "Acosta" contract?  Not that I'm altogether complaining, since it recorded Rojo's Manon for posterity, but one might then think there was more reason to release another recording on Opus Arte.

 

Existing recordings: Penney/Dowell - RB; Australian Ballet; Rojo/Acosta - Royal Ballet; Paris Opera Ballet.  Am I missing any others?

 

As a general comment while I understand the commercial reasons for issuing the performances of star dancers on DVD I think that it is a great shame that we are more likely to see their performances preserved for posterity than those of great interpreters.

 

Quite.  Give me the great interpreter any day - or maybe the first cast of a new ballet - rather than a big name who may be ill-cast.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would even go further and risk to say that some of those much recorded dancers are not so "star", while some of the ones never recorded were actually greater stars to public and professionals alike.

 

I would agree with that more in an historical context but you have to remember that the video/DVD is a fairly modern innovation and I think it is catching up with demand now.  Personally I'm always more interested in the actual ballets as there are a number that remain unrecorded.  As for the cast, everyone has a preference but no one is going to film umpteen versions just to please the fans, commercially it wouldn't make sense.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would agree with that more in an historical context but you have to remember that the video/DVD is a fairly modern innovation and I think it is catching up with demand now.  Personally I'm always more interested in the actual ballets as there are a number that remain unrecorded.  As for the cast, everyone has a preference but no one is going to film umpteen versions just to please the fans, commercially it wouldn't make sense.

I agree MAB. All I'm asking for from Opus Arte/ROH is a little consistency - they're seemingly happy to release multiple versions of some ballets within a relatively short timeframe, but not others.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose in the RB's case it's also a question of how frequently they're prepared to do a cinema broadcast - and how many potentially DVD-suitable casts they can produce.  After all, Nutcrackers, Swan Lakes and R&Js come around much more frequently than things like Manon and Fille (which I note isn't being broadcast this year, either).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does a DVD have to be linked with a cinema recording?  How about a DVD showcasing the young talent in the Royal Ballet?  An evening of ballet of opera length could even include excerpts from some rarities  from the RB repertoire and maybe they could try something less familiar, say Bounonville's Jockey dance,( I bet Campbell and Sambe would be a hoot in that), throw in a couple of barn stormers like the Corsair and Don Q pas de deuxs and you might create something very popular.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure it doesn't, but I can't really see it getting made without a cinema or at least big-screen broadcast behind it, or the costs would be prohibitive, wouldn't they?  And much as we may admire some of the RB's current young talent, I can't see the general public being interested in what to them will still seem like non-entities.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see the NYCB performance of Balanchine’s Nutcracker with Megan Fairchild, Jaoquin, Teresa Reichlen and Daniel Ulbricht has been listed for release on 11th Nov - described as the performance on 14th Dec 2011 at the David H Koch Theatre.

Edited by David
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Presumably that was the one screened in cinemas at Christmas a few years ago?  I don't think the cinema at Westfield produced anything as fancy as a cast sheet, so I can't check.

How was it - were you impressed? It's a full price disk and I have so many Nutcrackers on my shelves! And I am promising myself that I will splurge if Opus Arte issue the RB cinema relay on 8th Dec with Hayward as Clara and Cuthbertson as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Edited by David
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

This morning I emailed the Royal Opera House shop on unrelated business and thought I would drop in a reminder about the demand for a DVD release of the Nunez/Muntagirov Giselle. To my surprise, they replied saying that a DVD of this performance is scheduled for release March 2017.

 

This may already be common knowledge, but as a long time lurker on this forum I know how much some here have wanted a DVD and thought I would use my first post to share my excitement! I guess people power does work sometimes.

 

They also said that Anastasia will be released next year, but no release date yet.

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This morning I emailed the Royal Opera House shop on unrelated business and thought I would drop in a reminder about the demand for a DVD release of the Nunez/Muntagirov Giselle. To my surprise, they replied saying that a DVD of this performance is scheduled for release March 2017.

 

 

Brilliant. That really is welcome news. Thank you Saodan.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This morning I emailed the Royal Opera House shop on unrelated business and thought I would drop in a reminder about the demand for a DVD release of the Nunez/Muntagirov Giselle. To my surprise, they replied saying that a DVD of this performance is scheduled for release March 2017.

 

This may already be common knowledge, but as a long time lurker on this forum I know how much some here have wanted a DVD and thought I would use my first post to share my excitement! I guess people power does work sometimes.

 

They also said that Anastasia will be released next year, but no release date yet.

 

 

 

Hello Saodan and thanks for joining up to give us this good news!  I hope we will hear more from you.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone bought/seen the recently released dvd of Elizabeth with Acosta & Yanowski and if so, is it worth the money? I missed it live but am dithering over whether to buy the dvd as an early Christmas present. For myself! It looks rather good and something a bit different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone bought/seen the recently released dvd of Elizabeth with Acosta & Yanowski and if so, is it worth the money? I missed it live but am dithering over whether to buy the dvd as an early Christmas present. For myself! It looks rather good and something a bit different.

I've bought it but haven't got round to watching it yet.

 

This was the best deal I could find - £18.50 plus £1 postage

 

http://www.mdt.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=Elizabeth+Ballet+Zenaida+Yanowsky&t=general&order=most_viewed

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw it on stage and loved it.  Yanovsky as Elizabeth and Acosta in a variety of roles are at their very, very best in it.  It's an unusual work with actors as well as dancers.  Best new ballet in the past twelve months by a country mile in my view.  For fans of either or both of these dancers it's a 'must buy'.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...