Maya Plisetskaya & Alexander Bogatyrev
Ballet and Orchestra of The Bolshoi Theatre, Alexander Lazarev
World Premiere Recording on DVD.
Set Design by Valery Levental, Costume Design for Maya Plisetskaya by Pierre Cardin & Ballet Master and Staging by Maya Plisetskaya.
The Seagull is an amazing and touching ballet performance in two acts based on the play of the same name by Anton Chekhov. It tells a moving love story about young people reflecting on their human existence and the art of theatre acting. The romantic and artistic conflicts of the four characters are beautifully choreographed by Maya Plisetskaya who also dances as the main character Nina Zarietchnaya. Plisetskaya is ranked among the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Her superior choreography is brilliant, with strong images and excellent dancers whose performance gives a breathtaking adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play. The accompanied music of Rodion Shchedrin amplifi es the moving story. With his music the pre-eminently Russian composer shows his passion for Russian folklore and folk music, Russian poetry and literature. Furthermore Shchedrin succeeds in synthesising traditional and new forms by using every contemporary technique of composition including aleatoric and serial. This production shows the ballet performance live from the historic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow 1980. Due to the high professional level of the dancers and musicians it is a unique and very enjoyable experience for the spectators and a historical document of the outstanding dancer Maya Plisetskaya as well.
BONUS: Interviews with Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin. Introduction to the ballet and choreography.
Sound Format: PCM STEREO
DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC
Picture Format: 4:3 (Ballet) / 16:9 (Bonus)
Running Time: 85 mins (Ballet) / 30 mins (Bonus)
FSK: 0
Languages : RU, GB, DE, FR, ES, IT (Bonus)
“…I found myself surprisingly moved and involved. Plisetskaya has found a credible choreographic idiom closer to expressive mime than full-blown classical ballet, and though her astonishingly lithe and supple body manages convincingly to transform her middle-aged self plausibly into a shy, ardent girl... and there's a bravado about the whole enterprise which sweeps one's reservations away.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2010
