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Description:
A disaster at its 1877 premiere, the fantastical Swan Lake was revived in 1895 and has since established itself as the most popular ballet ever. Daniel Barenboim, conductor of this sumptuous performance at Berlin's Staatsoper Unter den Linden (of which he is artistic director and general musical director) says "Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is a masterpiece that transcends its time!" The production uses choreography adapted and subtly modernized by Patrice Bart from the 1895 staging, which combined with elegant costume and set design results in a very traditional and thoroughly engaging evening's entertainment. Barenboim ensures that Tchaikovsky's score is a romantic delight, the ensemble dancing is highly polished, Oliver Matz passionately intense as Prince Siegfried, Steffi Scherzer making an enchanting fairytale heroine. The DVD's generally excellent anamorphically enhanced picture is almost completely free of grain, a slight soft focus in mid and long shots probably more attributable to the live production being shot on video rather than any fault in the transfer. Mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, the sound mix is sensibly tied to the screen, the rear channels used to enhance live ambience, subtly establishing an effective sense of "being there." While the only "special feature" is a plot synopsis, the superior booklet also provides a synopsis, notes on Tchaikovsky and the writing of the ballet, the performance, and the performers. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk
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