Swan Lake (Complete ballet choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev recorded in 2005)

G :-

All Regions - Widescreen 16:9 Anamorphic - LPCM Stereo / DTS 5.1 Surround - Colour - 146 Minutes - NTSC

Agnès Letestu, a feminine and warm Odette, and José Martinez, a convincing, pale, vulnerable prince Siegfried, are the stars of this deeply passionate, 'dream' version of Swan Lake. Rudolf Nureyev's interpretation of Tchaikovsky's lyrical ballet, far from being a clichéd stereotype of this celebrated masterpiece, is an exposé of astonishingly powerful and recognisable human emotions. Under the inspired and clear-cut musical direction of Vello Pähn, this production of one of the jewels of the Paris Opéra Ballet's repertoire brilliantly displays the meticulous precision, technical prowess and pure, unmannered style of the company's unrivalled female corps de ballet, eliciting an ethereal, intense beauty captured for DVD in High Definition video and superb surround sound.

'…their [Agnès Letestu & José Martinez] dancing was sensational, and Letestu in particular was magnificent. She was soft, lyrical yet aristocratic as Odette, as befits her slender, long-limbed body and her mime scene was of intense beauty. … Letestu is outstanding as Odile, both in her technical prowess and artistic interpretation.' Culture Kiosque

"…Wolfgang, the Prince's tutor (danced by Karl Paquette)… a sinister manipulator who doubles as the evil sorcerer, von Rothbart, and finally carries off swan queen Odette in an unhappy end. So Paquette's evil genius regularly makes up a Pas de Trois with José Martinez's unhappy prince and Agnès Letesty - mesmerising as she eloquently mixes mime and dance on Odette's first appearance and, as black swan Odile, all brilliant mechanical smiles switched off when the prince isn't looking."
(BBC Music)