Glazunov: Raymonda, Op. 57

Original sets OREST ALLEGRI, PËTR LAMBIN and KONSTANTIN IVANOV (1898)

Recreated by ELENA KINKULSKAYA and BORIS KAMINSKY

Original Choreography by MARIUS PETIPA (1898)

Choreographic revival SERGEI VIKHAREV

Original costumes IVAN VSEVOLOŽSKIJ (1898)

Recreated by IRENE MONTI

The last great work from the glorious era of the Imperial ballets has never before been performed by the La Scala ballet. Its La Scala premiere marks the most faithful version of Raymonda yet to the original, which met with triumphant success in St. Petersburg in 1898.

Based on a medieval legend, with ladies, knights, crusaders and Saracens, cathedrals and castles, the libretto had all the ingredients needed to spark the imagination of the young Alexander Glazunov in his first ballet score, and the infinite wisdom of Marius Petipa, who complemented it with an enormously rich and endless succession of dances, classical variations, exotic dances and character dances, with a grandiose finale, pantomime, lyrical pas de deux and a heavily featured corps de ballet. Drawing on notation from the Harvard archives, original designs housed in the St Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Theatre Library, La Scala presents the last great work from the glory days of the Imperial Ballet.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Running Time: 154 mins

FSK: 0

Original sets OREST ALLEGRI, PËTR LAMBIN and KONSTANTIN IVANOV (1898)

Recreated by ELENA KINKULSKAYA and BORIS KAMINSKY

Original Choreography by MARIUS PETIPA (1898)

Choreographic revival SERGEI VIKHAREV

Original costumes IVAN VSEVOLOŽSKIJ (1898)

Recreated by IRENE MONTI

The last great work from the glorious era of the Imperial ballets has never before been performed by the La Scala ballet. Its La Scala premiere marks the most faithful version of Raymonda yet to the original, which met with triumphant success in St. Petersburg in 1898.

Based on a medieval legend, with ladies, knights, crusaders and Saracens, cathedrals and castles, the libretto had all the ingredients needed to spark the imagination of the young Alexander Glazunov in his first ballet score, and the infinite wisdom of Marius Petipa, who complemented it with an enormously rich and endless succession of dances, classical variations, exotic dances and character dances, with a grandiose finale, pantomime, lyrical pas de deux and a heavily featured corps de ballet. Drawing on notation from the Harvard archives, original designs housed in the St Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Theatre Library, La Scala presents the last great work from the glory days of the Imperial Ballet.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, dts-HD Master Audio 5.1

Picture Format: 16:9

Resolution: 1080i FULL HD

Running Time: 154 mins

Blu-ray Disc: 25 GB (Single Layer)

FSK: 0

Directed by FRANÇOIS ROUSSILLON

Choreography and Stage Direction by RUDOLF NUREYEV after Marius Petipa

Set & Costume Design by NICHOLAS GEORGIADIS

When Nureyev took up the position of Artistic Director of the ballet of the Paris opera in 1983, his words to the dancers of the ensemble so rich in tradition were, “Don’t talk, work”, and only two months later he presented his magnifi cent new production of Marius Petipa’s oriental ballet Raymonda. This production was of great importance both for Nureyev and for the ensemble, because it was his first choreography as newly-appointed director of the Paris ensemble. It laid the foundation for his personal relationship as choreographer, teacher and director with the dancers. There could not have been a better ballet than Raymonda to show to advantage the qualities of this ensemble, which is one of the foremost in the world of ballet. It is not only the three leading parts which are shown to advantage in numerous pas-de-deux, in a dramatic sword duel and in dream scenes, but there are also impressive solos for a dozen other dancers as well as many spectacular ensemble scenes, among them the splendid Hungarian dances, an exciting Spanish dance, a wonderful polonaise and fascinating pas-de-quatre and pas-de-six.

The documentary by François Roussillon examines the various aspects of this ballet, which has become a classic in the repertoire of the ballet ensemble of the Paris opera through Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography. Nureyev’s innate talent for dancing and the perfection of his rehearsal work made Raymonda one of the greatest masterworks of ballet history.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1 (Raymonda) / + DTS 5.1 (Swan Lake, Giselle)

Picture Format: 16:9

DVD Format: 3 x DVD 9 / NTSC

Subtitles Bonus: GB, DE, FR, ES, IT (Swan Lake)

Running Time: 392 mins + 13 mins

Bonus (Swan Lake)

FSK: 0

Following the sensational success of its first DVD box, Arthaus Musik now presents its second exclusive collection, which brings together four further classics from the Russian ballet repertoire: Glazunov’s Raymonda, Prokofiev’s The Stone Flower and Ivan the Terrible and Khachaturian’s Spartacus.Together they offer all the necessary ingredients for a superb evening of ballet: enchanting sets, rousing ensembles and a female lead dancer who seems to hover above the stage. Recorded in the venerable Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, all four productions are accompanied by the Bolshoi Orchestra – a further guarantee of Russian passion par excellence.