Prima ballerina Karen Kain leads an outstanding cast in this studio recording of Glen Tetley’s probing dance drama, based on Schnitzler’s play La Ronde, which scandalised the public when it was premiered in 1903. It shows a linked series of sexual encounters exposing the decaying morals of Vienna at the turn of the nineteenth century. Set to Erich Korngold’s Sinfonietta, Tetley’s translates La Ronde into a stunning series of pas de deux, danced by ten characters, ranging from a prostitute to a count.
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.