Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season 2016/17: The Sleeping Beauty (2017)

Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season 2016/17: The Sleeping Beauty: With Claire Calvert, Kristen McNally, Vadim Muntagirov, Marianela Nuñez.

“Have loved ballet ever since seeing u0026#39;Swan Lakeu0026#39; at six years old. u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39; (along with Tchaikovskyu0026#39;s other two ballets u0026#39;Swan Lakeu0026#39; and u0026#39;The Nutcrackeru0026#39;) is among the greats in the ballet repertoire. This may sound very clichéd, but to me itu0026#39;s a very deserved distinction for a ballet with a timeless story, characters that one wonu0026#39;t forget in the long run and Tchaikovskyu0026#39;s magnificent music.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOnce this production of u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39; is released on DVD, it in my mind will be a strong contender for the best version available. It is certainly one of my favourite productions of u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39;, one of my favourite productions of any ballet and of the Royal Opera House Live Cinema transmissions for me u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39; is in the top 5. A much needed remedy after u0026#39;Il Trovatoreu0026#39; left a bad taste in my mouth (almost as much as u0026#39;Guillaume Tellu0026#39; did). It is a true beauty of a production in every sense and is very likely to leave even the most cynical of viewers spellbound.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVisually, the production is gorgeous, one of the most visually beautiful and ideal productions of u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39; personally seen. The costumes are colourfully lavish, with the one for the King and Queen, Aurora and Carabosse standing out, and the settings alone are like stepping into a fairy-tale, a feeling you should have with u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39;. Lighting is also fabulous, both opulent and atmospheric.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eChoreographically, itu0026#39;s nigh-on perfect. Not only is the choreography intimate and graceful (Rose Adagio, Bluebird variation and the fairy dances) as well as witty (Puss in Boots and the White Cat, Red Riding Hood) and suspenseful (the entrance of Carabosse and the finale of Act 1), the storytelling is always cohesive and the character relationships and essence of the story never gets lost. The dancing of it has so much warmth and personality, none of it is clinical, cold or over-thought.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMusically, itu0026#39;s very much the same. The orchestra do the music justice with controlled legato lines, soaring lyricism, poignant pathos, haunting intensity and rousing stylishness. The conducting lets the drama breathe and nuanced while also giving it urgency and intensity and it is accommodating.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDancing and the performances are some of the best and uniformly superb of any viewed production of u0026#39;The Sleeping Beautyu0026#39;. Particularly worthy of praise are Marianela Nunezu0026#39;s stunningly enchanting, peerlessly danced and expressively acted Aurora (one of the most challenging roles in the ballet repertoire and she makes the notoriously difficult Rose Adagio look effortless). An exquisitely danced, charming and powerfully charismatic Prince in Vadim Muntagirov, who is the perfect and sympathetically trusting dance partner and the chemistry between him and Nunez was pure magic. And the near-definitive Lilac Fairy of Claire Calvert, what was done with the character was a revelation with the character rarely having had that much complexity before.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eKristen McNally has a whale of a time as Carabosse, playing with gleeful relish and a sinister presence, one will be scared of her and wouldnu0026#39;t want to mess with her. The King and Queen are performed with great dignity and emotion. The rest of the fairies are beautifully cast, especially those for the Woodland Glade and the Golden Vine. The Puss in Boots and White Cat, Bluebird and Princess Florine and Red Riding Hood and Wolf variations are performed with grace and wit, while the Apotheosis really rouses the spirits.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall, utterly beautiful and spellbinding, fellow u0026#39;Sleeping Beautyu0026#39; fans must not miss it if you didnu0026#39;t catch it when it was broadcast in cinemas earlier this year and once it becomes available. One of the easiest 10/10s given in recent memory. Bethany Cox”