Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5750 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2005-10-04
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 117 minutes

Customer Reviews

Exciting Performance with Innovations
American Ballet Theatre's Swan Lake, as presented on PBS' Dance in America series, is a must-have for any serious ballet lover. The settings & costumes are fresh and new. The age-old story of love, betrayal, and redemption is set to Tchaikovsky's lush score with some new music and a new scene. Of course the cornerstone of any ballet is the dancing. Gillian Murphy is absolutely remarkable as Odette/Odile, soft and vulnerable as the Swan Queen in acts 2 & 4 and hard, brilliant, dazzling as Odile in act 3. Angel Corella's Prince Siegfried is a perfect match for her. He is a brilliant dancer and a good actor, although I would have liked to have seen what Ethan Stiefel could have done with the part. The chemistry between Murphy & Corella is palpable. However, I have an old VHS of Swan Lake with Natalia Markova & Ivan Nagy, and I must say there has never in my opinion been a danseur noble to compare with Nagy. He was Siegfried incarnate.

Herman Cornejo also shines in the small role of Benno, Siegfried's friend, and he and the two female dancers (whose names I confess I don't know) make the first act trio a joy to watch. Georgina Parkinson is just right as the queen mother, stern yet loving. Victor Barbee is wasted in the small role of the master of ceremonies. In his younger days, he was an outstanding Rothbart.

One very unexpected pleasure in this ballet was Marcelo Gomes, who did such a fine job in Le Corsair as the villainous pirate, as the human Rothbart. He was wisely given a dance with the four princesses in which he is so handsome and seductive that they are putty in his hands--and he has an effect on the queen as well! I give him a standing ovation. Brilliant!

Rothbart's dance and a prologue in which we see him seduce the human Odette are two welcome additions, although I wish the prologue had been a little longer.

I have two minor complaints. First of all, the princesses were generically costumed. None of them had an of the flavor of their native countries in their dress. This is, however, not really important, just something I noticed.

Secondly, however, I saw no need to have another dancer as the demon Rothbart complete with green skin and huge, curving horns. One Rothbarth would have been perfect; two is a joke.

I strongly recommend this DVD to any lover of Swan Lake. It's one you'll treasure.

Another Swan
I have many different versions of this ballet - each one has its own characteristics and charm. This one is not the best I have seen but it does has certain points that make it slightly different from others, and makes it interesting. It also is slightly American as it worries about rights of the individual and in ways being "politically correct". It is disappointing that a large chunk of act III is missing, but overall the dancing is good, costumes beautiful and presentation innovative and enthralling.

I'm no expert...
... but i love this Swan Lake! Unlike some other reviewers, i had no problem with the chemistry between Angel Corella (Siegfried) and Gillian Murphy (Odette/Odile). Perhaps i was distracted by their dazzling technique and musicality. I've subjected countless friends to "you've gotta see this" sessions. Some were wowed by the cool theatrical trick in the first act that transforms the evil sorcerer into the charming Rothbart (played by the charismatic Marcelo Gomes). Others couldn't believe that Gillian Murphy would toss a few multiple turns into her 32 fouettes. But the part that got ME was the downright dangerous lift that Angel Corella and Gillian Murphy executed not just once, but three times (she's waaaay past her center of gravity, hanging upside down).Amazing acrobatics aside, i found this performance just plain solid from start to finish. Murphy and Corella are both very complete dancers (both have great extension, beautiful lines, excellent balance, strong jumps, centered spins, etc.). If Murphy seemed a bit "cold," Corella more than made up for it with an expressive interpretation of his role.All that said, i have but one complaint: Like some of my fellow reviewers, i was saddened to see the fourth act shortened to a nub (it was likely axed because the full fourth act represents untold hours of rehearsing for the corps). What a pity: Some of the score's most evocative music was wasted as Siegfried (Angel Corella) stood around, looking majestic. No single interpretation of this classic ballet will please everyone. If you're a staunch traditionalist, this version may disappoint. But if you want to see ABT and its gifted stars at their brilliant best, give this DVD a shot: The dancing is superb and the staging is both creative and beautiful.