Nacho Duato’s ballet Jardi Tancat is based on the lyrics of old Catalan folk songs, set to music and sung by María del Mar Bonnet. Its theme is the joy and pain of working the land and it is danced by three couples who continue to sow, plant, reap and thresh in proud defiance of their barren surroundings. In this programme, a performance of Jardi Tancat is preceded by an introduction in which the Spanish dancer/ choreographer talks about his work. There is film of rehearsals for the ballet and Duato is also seen preparing for the lead role in Jiri Kylián’s L’Histoire du soldat.
Silent Cries
Jiri Kylián uses Claude Debussy’s dreamlike Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune for this stylised portrayal of a process of self-discovery and acceptance. He created the solo work in collaboration with his wife, the dancer Sabine Kupferberg, who performs in this studio recording.
The Merry Widow
Prima ballerina Karen Kain stars as the widow Hanna Glawari in this specially-staged recording of Ronald Hynd’s three-act ballet, set to the music of Franz Lehár, adapted by John Lanchbery. This dazzling production captures perfectly the gaiety and elegance of Parisian high society at the turn of the nineteenth century, the setting for Lehár’s charming tale of political and amorous intrigue. The other principal roles are danced by John Meehan, Raymond Smith and Yoko Ichino.
Ballerina
This four-part series is presented by prima ballerina assoluta Natalia Makarova. It focuses on the many aspects of the female role in classical ballet, including the way a great ballerina reaches the pinnacle of her art, how she builds up a special relationship with a partner, the great roles created for her and the handing-on of knowledge and skills. Each film contains extensive dance extracts, shot on location throughout Europe with leading dancers and companies.
L’ enfant et les sortilèges
Jiri Kylián’s fantasy ballet about a naughty boy is set to an opera by Maurice Ravel, which the composer based on a libretto by Colette. Angry because he does not want to learn his lessons, the boy destroys his books and vandalises the room he is in. But his surroundings come to life, seeking revenge, and he finds himself in some tricky situations before the restoratio of normality. Lorin Maazel conducts the Orchestre National de Paris and a fine cast of young singers, and the enchanting scenery and costumes are by award-winning designer John MacFarlane. A short introduction by Kylián is included in this studio recording.
Wildlife
Wildlife is the result of an inspired artistic collaboration. Richard Alston’s choreography is danced to an exotic score, specially composed by Nigel Osborne, on a set dominated by spectacular moving kites by painter Richard Smith, lit by Peter Mumford who creates dramatic effects of light and shade. Recorded in studio, Wildlife is a strikingly original example of modern dance at its best. An introduction in which Alston, Osborne, Smith and Mumford talk about working together is available.
Family Portrait The Cullberg Ballet
Birgit Cullberg’s ballet to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor Op. 50 is set in the 1860s and concerns four people locked in a complex family conflict – a father (Niklas Ek), a mother (Eva Evdokimova), their daughter (Liselott Svalberg) and her beau (Håkan Mayer). Conflicting emotions make them virtual strangers to each other, but they are bound together by a profound love. Chromakey techniques allow the dancers to move in and out of Impressionist paintings by Manet, Monet, Turner and others.
Sergeant Early’s Dream
British, Irish and American folk tunes inspired choreographer Christopher Bruce to create this exuberant, yet poignant, ballet which takes as its theme the migration of people to the ‘New World’ in America. In this studio recording, a series of dances recalls the lives, loves and hardships left behind in the old world and expresses the sadness of tearing up roots to re-plant them in a land that will inevitably develop a culture of its own.
Intimate Pages
This Christopher Bruce ballet is set to Leoš Janácek’s String Quartet No. 2. The composer wrote this piece in 1928, the last year of his life, inspired by his unconsummated love for a young married woman, to whom he wrote over six hundred letters, Bruce’s lyrical work expresses both the joy and the anguish that are present in Janácek’s music. The designs for this studio recording are by Walter Nobbe.
The Dream Is Over
Christopher Bruce’s ballet, specially-choreographed for television, is set to music by John Lennon and performed by soloists of the Cullberg Ballet. The piece has a biographical theme and includes scenes recalling Lennon with his family, breaking out of his working class background, falling in love and eventually dying at the hands of an assassin. The songs used are Mother, Working Class Hero, Love, Well, Well, Well, Look at Me, Don’t Believe It, My Mummy is Dead and Imagine. A documentary introduction to this programme is also available.