Chopin - Die Kameliendame (Lady of the Camellias)

Buy This Item Chopin - Die Kameliendame (Lady of the Camellias) by Deutsche Grammophon  Available from Amazon  $18.97  on 11-28-2008     This story is based on an autobiographical novel by Dumas and has been performed under many names: Lady of the Camellias,Armand and Marguerite, and La Traviata, to mention a few. This ballet version was done as a movie back in 1987 by John Neumeier and was previously released on VHS. This DVD transfer by Deutsche Grammophon is fantastic! Both the sound and picture are as good as it gets. The choreography is purely classical and is very complex and ambitious. The dancing is almost nonstop for two solid hours! The pas de deux are some of the most romantic in the repertoire, and many intense solos are included. The quality of the dancing is unbelievable and some of the best the Hamburg Ballet has ever come up with. There are some lighter moments, with delightful comic elements, including some with a cabaret flavor. But the overall feeling is that of 19th century gothic gloom. <br />The sound also includes intentional stage noises, like the flowing of fabric and footsteps and other incidental sounds, which adds to the sense of realism. There is also some creative use of lighting. <br />The music in this version consists entirely of various pieces by Chopin, both solo piano and piano and full orchestra. The music is also flawlessly performed. <br />This is a very moving ballet experience and should appeal to all lovers of classical ballet. Reader Reviews Chopin's beautifully performed music was not composed for ballet and one has the sense that it is being drafted against its will into storytelling. Neumeier says he considered using the music Verdi composed for this story (La Traviata), but rejected the idea for some unexplained reason. Balanchine once said that Verdi is "dansant"--dance-able-- from beginning to end. My feeling was that Chopin's music here is too rich and complex to serve the purposes of narration. Why don't these wonderful dancers sit down and listen to the Chopin concert and then perform a ballet? I felt I was attending two separate performances simultaneously.

Chopin - Die Kameliendame (Lady of the Camellias) Available from Amazon Price: $18.97 Updated on 11-28-2008.

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