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This Mariinsky Theatre (formerly 'The Kirov') Don Quixote (with Makhar Vaziev as director of ballet) was filmed at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg in 2006, starring a youthful Leonid Sarafanov, who grows in stature visibly as a polished foil for the glorious Olesya Novikova, who puts in a bravura performance, full of authority, a plastique of marvellous effects. There are many and justly famous versions of this wonderful ballet, based on the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes, which was transformed into a great 19th century work, first staged for Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet in 1869. Don Quixote has maintained its pre-eminence into the 21st century as one of the great core ballets of modern times, retaining the Alexander Gorsky choreography, after Petipa, and set to the thrilling music of Ludwig Minkus. And in this performance, not for a minute are we let down. As always, the Mariinsky (under the assured artistic direction of Valery Gergiev) has delivered a beautifully balanced and elegantly conceived interpretation, full of balletic ardour and romantic intensity, skillfully staged and superbly set and costumed, and with the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre playing with splendid brio under the baton of Pavel Bubelnikov. The DVD itself (directed by Brian Large) has all the hallmarks of the Decca label: HD picture and sound of the highest quality, an informative and well illustrated 30-page booklet, with a detailed historical conspectus provided by Louise Levine, unfolding the history of the ballet (in English, French and German) and accompanied by a detailed menu, allowing the viewer easy access to any of 51 chapters spread over four Acts. What we have here, then, is a 'coup de theatre', in every sense: a performance which will gain a place in any balletomane's collection and which, because it provides so much visual and aural excitement, would serve as an ideal introduction to ballet for the young, or for those for whom the spell of the art of dance, embodied in classical and romantic ballet, has simply taken on the shape of something quite necessary to the enrichment of life. Dr Homer RiethRead full review
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