Genre:

Ballet

Release Date:

Jul 2009

Recorded:

1994

Number of Discs:

1

Sound:

PCM Stereo

Subtitles:

EN

Territory Exclusions:

USA

Aspect Ratio:

4:3 Anamorphic

Display:

NTSC

Catalog Number:

OAR3107D

Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet)

Viviana Durante (Princess Aurora); Zoltán Solymosi (Prince Florimund); Anthony Dowell (Carabosse); Benazir Hussein (Lilac Fairy);

Marius Petipa's demanding but enchanting choreography of Tchaikovsky's romantic fairytale The Sleeping Beauty is one of the best-loved of all classical ballets. This recording of Anthony Dowell's gloriously romantic 1994 production, with charming, dreamlike designs by Maria Bjørnson, features an all-star cast led by Viviana Durante as a charismatic Princess Aurora, Zoltán Solymosi as adelightful Prince Florimund and Anthony Dowell as awonderfully dishevelled Carabosse. The Royal Ballet, inexceptionally fine form, is beautifully accompanied by theOrchestra of the Royal Opera House, conducted by BarryWordsworth.

Reviews

"Viviana Durante, who replaces the injured Darcey Bussell, is outstanding as Aurora. Radiant and youthful, she dances with an ease and naturalness that is enchanting. She also takes astonishing risks, holding a difficult balance for an extra few seconds while maintaining immaculately clean lines." (The Evening Standard)

"Maria Björnson’s designs horrified the ballet conservatives, but visually this is the best Beauty ever. Petipa’s choreography survives mostly intact with Zoltán Solymosi’s handsome Prince and Viviana Durante’s spellbinding Aurora." (BBC Music Magazine)

"What an embarras de richesses from Opus Arte! Only a few months after releasing a DVD of a first class 2006 Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty starring Cojocaru and Bonelli...they now give us this superb performance from 12 years earlier." (Musicweb International)