DVD Videos

Essential Ballet comprises two contrasting gala performances, showcasing the great Russian principal dancers of our time in excerpts from the most popular ballets. The first was a glittering occasion in 1992 at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, where the Kirov Ballet and Opera were welcomed back to the West, in the presence of Princess Diana.

The second was an extraordinary open-air gala staged in the same year in Red Square itself, witnessed live by tens of thousands of Russian ballet fans and televised worldwide.

Specials:

•THE TRANSFORMATION REVEALED - Behind-the-scenes secrets of the spectacular Christmas tree scene

•Producer Sir Peter Wright on the production and Sir Anthony Dowell on the role of Herr Drosselmeyer

•Fixed wide shots of the Snowflakes and Transformation scenes

•24 page illustrated booklet with synopsis in English, French and German

PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9

LENGTH: 133 MINS

SOUND: DOLBY SURROUND / LPCM STEREO

SUBTITLES: FR/DE

This volume of the NAXOS MUSICAL JOURNEY first transports you to Verona, the city of Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet, as evoked in Tchaikovsky's romantic "Fantasy Overture." Visit the dramatic ruins of the Arena, then on to Florence to thrill to the sight of the legendary Duomo. Visit the famed Uffizi and Pitti palaces with their art masterworks. Wander through the Villa Bonciani, where Tchaikovsky actually lived. In Naples, see the great sculptures of the Archaeological Museum or experience the spectacular view of Vesuvius, across the Bay of Naples. These are the sights and stories of Italy conjured in the timeless music of Tchaikovsky.

Joan Rodgers is one of the best loved British sopranos and is equally established in opera, in concert and as a recitalist . She has appeared in recital throughout Europe and the USA including London, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Moscow and New York, and in concert with conductors including Solti, Barenboim, Mehta, Harnoncourt, Mackerras, Ashkenazy, Salonen and Rattle. She is a regular guest at the BBC Proms. Operatic engagements have included the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, and Glyndebourne in Britain, Paris, Munich, Brussels, Amsterdam and Vienna in Europe, and the Metropolitan Opera, New York.