Fairytale Ballets - DVD

This special collection includes three Royal Ballet performances of Tchaikovsky's beloved masterpieces Anthony Dowell's majestic production of the beautiful and romantic tragedy Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty in it's detailed re-creation by Monica Mason of the landmark 1946 production, and Peter Wright's classic production of the quintessential Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker. These spectacular and iconic ballets present the virtuosity and skill of the whole Company. InchOsipova was riveting throughout... [Golding] demonstrates real brilliance and prowess.Inch (Swan Lake - The New York Times) Inchfresh and reinvigorated - Nutcrackers come and Nutcrackers go but the Royal Ballet's version is a hardy perennial. Peter Wright's version of Lev Ivanov's original 1892 ballet has undergone changes since it's debut in 1984 but it remains the one by which all others must be judged. Francesca Hayward dances like a dream child as Clara, expressive, musical and guileless and is ably partnered by Alexander Campbell as Hans-Peter.Inch (The Nutcracker - The Stage) InchIf you want spectacle at the ballet then this Sleeping Beauty is for you. Based on the opulent production that reopened the Royal Opera House after the Second World War, Monica Mason and Christopher Newton's staging is a sumptuous homage to the splendour of the French court of Louis XIV. With so much richness on stage, in costumes, sets and the sheer number of courtiers and fairytale characters, the view from the stalls is full to bursting.Inch (The Sleeping Beauty - The Times)

Fantastic storylines abound in opera, but these grand musical settings of much-loved fairytales embrace the imaginary, giving free rein to dreams. The Royal Opera's acclaimed Hansel and Gretel combines the directors' characteristic wit and knack for dark comedy with the story's enduring charm. Glyndebourne's recounting of the quick-witted fox's escape into nature balances the opera's whimsy and mysticism. Opera North's enchanting staging of Jonathan Dove's 21st opera is a wittily inventive feast for the eyes and ears, shining new light on Collodi's original tale, by turns magical and dark. InchWhat an inspired and exciting opera this is. Gorgeous characters, a busy story rich in incident and an exhilarating mix of music. Delight follows delight.Inch (The Stage - The Adventures of Pinocchio) InchNot only was the production a great one to attend as a first opera, but the [video] is perhaps as good an introduction to opera as one could hope for, a success on almost every front.Inch (Musicweb International - Hansel und Gretel) InchLucy Crowe's glowingly sung Vixen... Tom Pye's Hockneyish designs are evocative of a world of childish wonder, with animal costumes which cleverly suggest human characteristic.Inch (The Daily Telegraph - The Cunning Little Vixen)

Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes, Frederick Ashton, Beryl Grey; Sadler's Wells Ballet (Royal Ballet). Choreography by Petipa. Music by Tchaikovsky. Conducted by Robert Irving from a TV Broadcast of December 14, 1955. Black & white.