Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37529 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-01-29
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: AC-3, Classical, Colour, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 126 minutes

Synopsis
Minkus' ballet performed at the Teatro Alla Scala in 2006 and featuring Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle.

Customer Reviews

Weak La Bayadère with starry leading couple
With "La Bayadère" Milan's La Scala completes its Svetlana Zakharova/Roberto Bolle classical trilogy. Even more as with the previous releases in this series ("Swan Lake" and "Giselle", both published by TDK) the main reason for acquiring this DVD will be the presence of the two stars.

Filmed live at La Scala in May 2006, the company can be seen in Natalia Makarova's well-known staging of Marius Petipa's "La Bayadère", among others danced by London's Royal Ballet (and also available on a TDK DVD, starring Altynai Asylmuratova, Irek Mukhamedov and Darcey Bussell). As in the Royal Ballet's version the traditional sets are by Pier Luigi Samaritani, the costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend.

The company of La Scala proves competent, if nothing more. The female corps de ballet does a commendable job in the Shades Act, but the absence of noteworthy demi-soloists constitutes a serious handicap, as does the generally fast conducting of David Coleman. Moreover, by casting corps member Isabelle Brusson in the crucial role of Gamzatti, the dramatic development is seriously unbalanced. Understudy Brusson obviously wasn't ready yet for so challenging an assignment.

Bolshoi Ballet guest star Svetlana Zakharova, in one of her signature roles, easily dominates the performance, dramatically as well as by the quality of her dancing. As a supreme adagio ballerina, her appearance in the Kingdom of the Shades act, serene and cool, reveals the choreography in all its glory. La Scala's own Roberto Bolle is her likeable if never too exciting Solor.

Directed by Tina Protasoni for video and TV the fast multi-camera editing and unnecessary close-ups of faces during or at the ending of a movement are ultimately annoying. Otherwise, image and sound quality are top-notch.

In short, all admirers of Svetlana Zakharova and/or Roberto Bolle will rush to purchase this DVD, others will look for their Bayadère elsewhere.

It's all about Svetlana!
Third time lucky sums up my feelings. Roberto Bolle is a waste of time, as he contributes nothing. Finally, after her extremely disappointing Swan Lake and Giselle, she comes up with a performance to equal her Fille du Pharaon. Natasha's influence was visible from the start and is the principal reason for Svetlana's success. I am not complaining about the very dark video, as it effectively concealed most of the lacklustre dancing. One has to wonder, if this is the best cast La Scala can come up with for a video, just how dreadful must their regular evenings be? I've seen some pretty dire Solors and Gamzattis, but these rank as two of the worst. Svetlana earned those 4* all by herself.