Editorial Review:

Description:
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Choreographed and staged by Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa. Restaged by Patricia Ruanne

The Sleeping Beauty remains, as Rudolf Nureyev often called it, the ‘ballet of ballets’. It is the most accomplished and the most brilliant, as well as one of the most spectacular of the 19th century, and the most representative of the ‘noble’ style of classical dancing. Rudolf Nureyev's version, which he created for the Opera Ballet in 1989, was recorded at the Opéra Bastille in 1999, in a new production (sets and costumes) created by his faithful collaborators, Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino, who had already produced Swan Lake, Romeo And Juliet And La Bayadère.

Princess Aurora: Aurélie Dupont
Prince Désiré: Manuel Legris
King Florestan: Vincent Cordier
The Queen: Nathalie Quernet
Catalabutte: Laurent Queval
The Lilac Fairy: Béatrice Martel
Carabosse: Nathalie Aubin
Princess Florina: Delphine Moussin
Bluebird: Benjamin Pech
Puss In Boots: Stéphane Elizabé
White Cat: Laetitia Pujol
Orchestre De L’Opéra National De Paris
Conductor: David Coleman. Sets: Ezio Frigerio. Costumes: Franca Squarciapino. Directed By Pierre Cavassilas.

The ballet is one of the essential ballets for students and lovers of ballet. Nureyev's input and influence is remarkable. The principal dancers are exceptional as is the Corps de Ballet. A wonderful performance. Our grandaughters (8, 6, and 4) couldn't get enough of it!

Average Rating:

Rating: - An Australian Observation
The ballet is one of the essential ballets for students and lovers of ballet. Nureyev's input and influence is remarkable. The principal dancers are exceptional as is the Corps de Ballet. A wonderful performance. Our grandaughters (8, 6, and 4) couldn't get enough of it!

Rating: - Does not meet my expectations
This version of Sleeping Beauty was a deep disappointment to me bacause it devated from the origional dance of the many versions I have enjoyed during the years. This version had many extra scenes that did not add to the story.

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Rating: - Stunning.
A lavish production that takes away one's breath. I especially liked the way that the dancers danced with joined hands. The part where the maids were knitting and dancing at the same time was fascinating. My wife did not believe that they were actually doing that. I do. Of course, I love his music.

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Rating: - Phenomenal
This ballet is gorgeous. The costumes and sets are meticulous and lovely, as is the dancing. The only complaint I have is of the camera work (which is often a distraction ballet recording, in my opinion). Over all, this is a wonderful production; Dupont's Aurora is lovely and delicate without being too girly, and her technique is impressive without being garish.

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Rating: - Unfortunately, It was disappointing...
I've always loved Sleeping Beauty and my favorite part of the ballet has always been the variations in the last act (Just FYI, there is no Red riding Hood in this version and interesting enough "Puss" of Puss and Boots is not a cat??) I don't want to say the Paris Opera version of this ballet was bad, but the choreography is not at all the same as any version I've ever seen, for the most part. There are (and I couldn't believe it) 24 lilac fairy attendants! Overall, there are just too many people in this version and it was far too busy, choreographically. Rudolf certainly is to be commended for being ambitious enough to put this many people on stage at one time, but it was just too busy for me. The dancing overall was good (there were 2 fairies that stood out and Aurora and the prince were phenomenal) but other than that, the dancers didn't really WOW me. Overall a good production, but not great. And I usually love the Paris Opera ballet. Oh and I really didn't like Carabosse and really, REALLY disliked the fact that the Lilac Fairy was not one of the other fairies, but instead a 'character' role, very much like carabosse. Just weird and not at all like the classic.
Sorry, I'm a sucker for classics, so if you are too, this one isn't for you.

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Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet)

Tchaikovsky, Petipa - Swan Lake / Kirov Ballet, Yulia Makhalina, Igor Zelensky

Romeo and Juliet (Royal Ballet)- Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn

Minkus - La Bayadere / Guerin, Hilaire, Platel, Paris Ballet