February 20, 2007
Watching this ballet is like watching fireworks: when I shut my eyes I can still see the whirling figures and spinning colours. The dancing is magical, bright, transitory, ethereal and very beautiful.
The story is well known, and unashamedly fairy-tale: Prince Siegfried, on the eve of his coming of age ball, falls in love with a girl who has been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer, Baron von Rothbart. The girl, Odette and her flock of maidens, can only be freed when the enchanted spell is broken, by the love of a man willing to die for them. The Baron transforms his daughter Odile into the likeness of Odette and presents her at the ball. Siegfried is delighted, and swears eternal love to Odile. But Odette appears at the window and the trick is revealed. Odette returns distraught to the lake where Siegfried explains and is forgiven. He fights the Baron and the lovers die in each other’s arms, freeing the maiden swans and destroying the Baron forever.
The action takes place alternately at court and by the lake, and the acts were choreographed by different people. This may contribute to the change of mood: at court we see the Prince drinking and concocting mischief with his jester (played with charm and feather-light feet by Evgheni Tkach) while by the lake the Prince must grapple with serious emotion, love and honour. Vladimir Statnii plays both sides of the Prince’s character (the handsome rascal and the smitten lover) with charm and grace. At court the Corps de Ballet dance formally, presenting beautiful national dances from around Europe; as swans they are mysterious and sylph-like. The famous dance for four swan maidens with linked arms was exceptional.
Nadezhda Schepachiova who plays Odette and Odile is especially delicate with beautiful fluidity and sudden pauses. Her despair at Siegfried’s rejection is heart-breaking and her pointe work poised and assured. She is perfectly cast. She and her flock have a lovely way of quivering their legs and slowly flapping their arms which is mesmerising and very bird-like. And her famous sequence of pirouettes when Odile is presented to the Princess Mother received well-earned applause! The other main performers convey character very effectively.
This is a very classic production of a classic ballet. At times it might benefit from a larger orchestra, and the final moments seemed to end a bit abruptly without as much build-up or tugging of heartstrings as I’d expected. But it leaves you with delight, marvelling at how beautiful the human form can be, amazed at the dedication and talent of the performers, and feeling that all ballets should have swans.
The story is well known, and unashamedly fairy-tale: Prince Siegfried, on the eve of his coming of age ball, falls in love with a girl who has been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer, Baron von Rothbart. The girl, Odette and her flock of maidens, can only be freed when the enchanted spell is broken, by the love of a man willing to die for them. The Baron transforms his daughter Odile into the likeness of Odette and presents her at the ball. Siegfried is delighted, and swears eternal love to Odile. But Odette appears at the window and the trick is revealed. Odette returns distraught to the lake where Siegfried explains and is forgiven. He fights the Baron and the lovers die in each other’s arms, freeing the maiden swans and destroying the Baron forever.
The action takes place alternately at court and by the lake, and the acts were choreographed by different people. This may contribute to the change of mood: at court we see the Prince drinking and concocting mischief with his jester (played with charm and feather-light feet by Evgheni Tkach) while by the lake the Prince must grapple with serious emotion, love and honour. Vladimir Statnii plays both sides of the Prince’s character (the handsome rascal and the smitten lover) with charm and grace. At court the Corps de Ballet dance formally, presenting beautiful national dances from around Europe; as swans they are mysterious and sylph-like. The famous dance for four swan maidens with linked arms was exceptional.
Nadezhda Schepachiova who plays Odette and Odile is especially delicate with beautiful fluidity and sudden pauses. Her despair at Siegfried’s rejection is heart-breaking and her pointe work poised and assured. She is perfectly cast. She and her flock have a lovely way of quivering their legs and slowly flapping their arms which is mesmerising and very bird-like. And her famous sequence of pirouettes when Odile is presented to the Princess Mother received well-earned applause! The other main performers convey character very effectively.
This is a very classic production of a classic ballet. At times it might benefit from a larger orchestra, and the final moments seemed to end a bit abruptly without as much build-up or tugging of heartstrings as I’d expected. But it leaves you with delight, marvelling at how beautiful the human form can be, amazed at the dedication and talent of the performers, and feeling that all ballets should have swans.