TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake (complete ballet), Blu-ray (2010)
Conductor: Vladimir Fedoseyev
Zurich Ballet/ Zurich Opera Orchestra
Producer: Francois Duplat
Choreographer: Heinz Spoerli
Cast = Odette/Odile: Polina Semionova/ Prince Siegfried: Stanislav Jermakov/ Rothbart: Arsen Mehrabyan/ Queen: Karin Pellmont
Studio: Bel Air Classiques 455, 2010 [Distr. by Naxos]
Video: 16:9 1080i Color
Audio: PCM Stereo 2.0, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 130 minutes
Rating: ***1/2
Choreographer Heinz Spoerli says in the notes to this release that he felt he “owed” his company this ballet, apparently not a staple in Zurich. He also says that the production is almost too large for his company, and therein lies the strength of this effort. This is not a large-scale Swan Lake, with a mile-wide stage and a cast of thousands. Instead it is small-boned, geared for the intimacy of a television production (which it was) and gives us a lot of close-up action. But here’s the rub—it still feels like a big production, and that is where the skill of the choreography and felicities of the set design come in.
There is not much to the sets—this is very bare-boned, but the coloration and use of light and shadow give the small stage the illusion of vastness. There are many elements of traditional choreography that one can enjoy here, from the traditional swan-like movements of the ballerinas to the highlighting of the dramatic action through gesture and clear-cut delineation of characters. Overall the ballet is given in fine form, with some wonderful dancing and solo work. Polina Semionova is terrific in the title role, and I see nothing to deter anyone from enjoying this production.
The letdown for me is the music. While the traditional slow-down dance tempos are taken, Fedoseyev seems to let the orchestra lose momentum and lack propulsion. I noticed several times when he was obviously following closely the action on the stage that the orchestra seemed uncertain and not together in some of the closing chords, and also was not consistent in sustaining the music at appropriate levels when the tempos really came to a halt. The Zurich orchestra, while not having the sheen and sweep that Ormandy so memorably brought to this music, plays well generally and is certainly able to negotiate this score. The sound is very good also, though the best surround in the world cannot make up for a lack of orchestral finesse.
I enjoyed this very much despite the caveats, and anyone wanting a Swan Lake that makes the most of what its raw materials are without seeming pretentious and also able to affect the emotions—and that looks great in Blu-ray—will find much to enjoy.
— Steven Ritter
