This Bolshoi Ballet Sleeping Beauty lives up to the company’s storied reputation. The production is imaginative and colorful, while the dancing is fabulous. Nina Semizorova dances Princess Aurora (the title character) with exquisite grace, and in the heartbreaking finger-pricking scene, with moving passion. Aleksei Fadeyechev bounds about heroically as Prince Désiré, while Nina Speranskaya’s Lilac Fairy exudes the shimmering goodness of Glenda in the Wizard of Oz. Nearly stealing the show is Yuri Verov, whose uproarious drag portrayal of the evil fairy Carabosse has all the hallmarks of high vaudeville.
The Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, which by now must have this music in its DNA, plays with thrilling virtuosity throughout. Conductor Aleksandr Kopilov paces the music briskly, though not without sensitivity. As expected in a live performance he employs the usual theater cuts, mostly repetitive passages, though in some instances whole numbers. Maybe this would be an issue for an audio-only recording, but here it serves to keep the story moving. The 1989 production lacks the brightness and vivid color we are accustomed to today, but it’s perfectly viewable. The stereo sound is midway between broadcast and CD quality. While this may not be a disc for videophiles, Tchaikovsky/Bolshoi ballet fans will find much to enjoy. [9/27/2005]
