ploplisphilin's channel

Much thanks for posting this for us!--BPP

You have a beautiful understanding of the music!

Very charming. The rhythm of the film matches the music well.

Adorable!

I still find these "films" chillingly eerie since I never expected to see Nijinsky "alive."

I think Sills might have said that she didn't care for the role because one just had two arias and then a long sit between them. I agree with all of you in that Dame Joan had a very big voice and yet was able to move it so brilliantly through the coloratura. No one like her, for sure, for a magis...

She really had beautiful long lines. I wonder why Mr. B. didn't snatch her up, or was Tallchief already firmly entrenched. The pas de deux is a bit reminiscent of Mr. B.'s Firebird pdd. I think Taras also choreographed a Firebird.

Well, at least we know what inspired the Coneheads' skull shapes.

What a delight to see fouettes performed correctly--for once.

Yes, lovely. (I have the ICA Classics DVD of this.) Markova is a miracle--there is absolutely no obvious effort in her jumps. What a tight studio space for recording!!! I am hoping they release her Giselle. (Paired with this is Nerina's Giselle with Fadeyechev.)

She is one of the very few divas who can successfully sing all four.

Whenever I'm feeling blue and just want to get away from this dreary world, I put on my VHS of this performance. When Sibley bourrees to the footlights at her entrance to the Ball, I get a big lump in my throat--she is so exquisite. Dowell is superb technically and a a very sympathetic partner. A...

Oooh! Thanks for this. How different Balanchine looks in a tiny studio!

I never knew this existed. Believe it or not, I learned this choreography from Mme. Tallchief when I danced for Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet. I'll never forget performing it in the mirrored ballroom of Symphony Center with a group from the Chicago Symphony for a fund-raising gala. Much thanks! "Mar...

The end of an era! (We should have been listening to Bizet "Symphony in C" remembering the original title of Balanchine's ballet "Palais de Cristal." LOL. Love the nostalgic Elgar though!) Thanks, nick.

Trebs--cloudy. Meade--lightning clear.

Heavenly!!!!

So very intriguing! A bit of entertainment history come alive. Much thanks!

I too adore Crespin in her studio recording of these songs, but Crespin is supposed to be perfect--because she is a native speaker of French! Baker achieves wonderful effects inspite of her training. She is also an incredible Berlioz Didon--in French and in English.

Very classic interpretation--just needs a bit more of her own insight. Maybe over many years.

Well, it is always delightful to see Terrabust and Schaufuss even in this confusion of parts of two ballets. The corps de ballet is also lovely.

My first "Giselle" was with Fonteyn & Nureyev, and I thought it was so boring. Then I saw Fracci & Bruhn, and I finally understood. Fracci, even in this horrible setting is magical. The very best of her Giselle is captured in the beautiful film "The Ballerinas" in which she acts the parts of many...

So charming. Love the giant dancing dolls and Mme. Dessay's interpolated notes of a different key. She really was the best at this role. Where was this production?

Nureyev--awful! I just recently transferred my VHS tape of the Lynn Seymour to DVD and his acting was so hammy and unsympathetic and that ridiculous variation he created for himself in act one. Very big ego on display. Poor Lynn! I think she was the only one he could convince to film with him--an...

Thank you for this! It shows off several lovely traits I always associate with Fonteyn: 1. sharp, clear conclusions to musical/choreographic phrases, 2. her constant eye contact with her partner that establishes a "chemistry" between the two dancers, 3. the lovely lift of her chin and face to the...

He was hired by Covent Garden Opera to play a totally nude executioner at the end of the opera "Salome" by Richard Strauss. He toted in the head of John the Baptist and then, at the end, molested Salome to death.

Loved it. You can still see that it is really 'La Goulue" in her face and expression! Remarkable.

Yes, it was Ballet Theater. Dolin had two other choices for Markova's replacement: Hightower and Kaye. Both declined; Alonso agreed. She had five days rehearsal. After her successful debut, she returned to smaller roles because Markova was prima ballerina. It was in 1943 that Markova had to have...

Maybe as the first Mrs. de Winter in a flashback. LOL.

Yes, Goddard is certainly interesting. I have even seen a test by Lucille Ball!!!! Leigh was just so beautiful and that tang of Brit accent adds so much to the aristocratic side of Scarlett.

I just read about these films in Baronova's bio. Amazing to see them! Thanks. That stage did not have much depth! Scary tight space. LOL. Always a challenge!

The little excerpt of the solo by the girl in white doesn't exhibit the delightful syncopations Kyra N. did.

"a la seconde arabeque"="a la besque" (LOL)

I hope he is practising saying "No! No! No!" to a constant diet of heavy roles that people want to see him. Keep it light, Jonas!

@robertdonkers--I was referring to Angela Gheorghiu ("her") and not Mme. Scotto.

HAHAHA! I typically pastel/watercolor interpretation of this dance! Only the Russians really can do this exciting dance right. (Maybe more Vodka instead of Cabernet in the diet?! LOL.)

Lopokava was a very "mischievous" creature on stage and particularly off-stage according to that bio--perfect for characters of great vivacity and killing flirtatiousness on-stage. I have been doing a lot of reading on dancers and choreographers from the Diaghilev era and am thinking of doing a l...

You may be right. The cap is so wrong, especially.

The finale to Stravinsky's "The Firebird" is from 1:37 to the end.

The arms and epaulement are really weak, and the fouette technique is scary.