STUNNING
R. Houck | USA | 09/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am only a minor fan of ballet. However, this performance was truly moving.
Ballet must communicate its story without using dialogue. The choreography and expressive dancing fully succeeded here. The dancers' movements were both strikingly athletic and gracefully delicate and the costumes and scenery were extremely effective in setting the period atmosphere. Aram Khachaturian's music was lush, beautiful and sometimes poignant, well performed by the theater orchestra.
The Romans, led by Crassus, are obviously the bad guys. Having the Roman soldiers march in a goose-step like the Nazis was extremely expressive. Also, in some of the scenes the motions of the aristocratic Romans were more fluid and graceful than those of Spartacus' slave followers, who were more primitive and athletic. This powerful visual symbolism was used to show the class differences between the antagonists.
Phyrigia danced with heart-breaking grace, expressing feminine beauty at its loveliest. Her love scenes with Spartacus were beautifully erotic.
All technical aspects of this dvd were first rate.
This production grabbed my attention from start to finish. Highly recommended."
AS PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY IN MINNESOTA: AWSOME!
Charles D. novak | minneapolis, minnesota USA | 09/22/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is truly worth the price tag even though you may not be a big fan of ballet, this performance will make one out of you. This is just superb on every level. I have the old Bolshoi production which was filmed on a soundstage. Try as they might, they couldn't bring the soundtrack up to modern expectations. The laser disc version came close. I was thrilled to see this new 1990 production on DVD with sound as spectacular as the dancing. The music of this ballet can stand alone. I have it on CD. It's one of the best works by Khachaturian. Add the fantastic dancers and colorful sets and you've got a dynamite production. I highly recommend this one!"