Khachaturian;Aram Ilich Sparta

*If you're reading this review, I assume you have already read the one I wrote about the 1977 film-version of the Spartacus ballet (starring Vasiliev), entitled "A Problematic Film: some remedies". If not, I urge you to read that one first. You can locate it and my reviews about other videos of this ballet in my archives by clicking on my name above.

I am overjoyed that the live 1990 complete performance of the Grigorovich/Bolshoi Spartacus has been reissued on DVD. Incidentally, this was the first Spartacus I ever saw. And interestingly, I got the complete companion CD to this performance before I got the video. So, by the time I purchased the video--which was in VHS format--I already knew the music by heart. As a result, the visuals only added to the enjoyment, and it certainly clarified what some of the sounds I heard were. For example, the crackles at the beginning of Act I turned out to have come from the thrashing of the whips on the floor by Crassus' henchmen.

So, what of the performance? Well, although none of the original cast-members were still performing at this late date, the younger generation proved that it was every bit the successor. The stars in this performance were: Irek Mukhamedov as Spartacus, Lyudmilla Semenyaka as Phrygia, Alexander Vetrov as Crassus, and Maria Bilova as Aegina.

True, Mukhamedov was no Vasiliev; he was about 30 at the time of this performance and was already a tad slower than Vasiliev when he was at that age; note that Vasiliev had to wait till he was about 37 before his legendary film-version was shot--albeit, poorly shot. However, what Mukhamedov lacked he made up for with his athleticism. I would like to call the reader's attention to the leap sequence that he does near the end of Act II, Scene 1, in which the final leap looks like a, for lack of a better term, spinning flying-roundhouse-kick (Vasiliev does a version without the roundhouse in the '79 and omits it entirely in the '77)--that's a mouthful! And he does it lightning-fast (regaining his former speed there, momentarily)--incredible! Sounds martial-art-like? That's how it looked. A friend of mine said of Mukhamedov as being more of an acrobat than a dancer. In any case, Mukhamedov danced the role with aplomb throughout. Semenyaka, the former Kirov dancer, fitted nicely into the Bolshoi company. She dances as Phrygia flawlessly. She nearly matches Bessmertnova in technical brilliance, but is more expressive than the latter.

The two baddies here are also excellent. Granted Vetrov's interpretation is coarser than Liepa's, but he brings to the role his own inimitable style--certainly a far better Crassus than Gabovich ('79 Vasiliev and '84 Mukhamedov) ever was. To me, Bilova was the best Aegina in all of the videos (she danced the same role in the '84 Mukhamedov version). She is slender and statuesque. And her movements are clean and precise, which can't be said for Golikova ('79 Vasiliev). Even Timofeyeva ('77 Vasiliev) was no match.

Also, the corps de ballet gives an excellent performance as usual.

Finally, as I've already raved elsewhere, the '90 version beats all others in picture and sound quality hands down! The DVD version is even better in that respect. For once, you are able to see the background, and what do you know? It ain't always black! And you will hear Khachaturian's complete score (as modified by Grigorovich and Zhuraitis) in stereo. Get this quick!

FOOTNOTE:

1) In the video you will see Grigorovich come onto the stage and take several bows during the final curtain call.

2) The booklet that comes with the DVD states that Lyudmilla Semenyaka was trained at the Moscow Ballet School, when, in fact, she was trained at the Leningrad Ballet School.

I am only a minor fan of ballet. However, this performance was truly moving.

Ballet must communicate its story without using dialogue. The choreography and expressive dancing fully succeeded here. The dancers' movements were both strikingly athletic and gracefully delicate and the costumes and scenery were extremely effective in setting the period atmosphere. Aram Khachaturian's music was lush, beautiful and sometimes poignant, well performed by the theater orchestra.

The Romans, led by Crassus, are obviously the bad guys. Having the Roman soldiers march in a goose-step like the Nazis was extremely expressive. Also, in some of the scenes the motions of the aristocratic Romans were more fluid and graceful than those of Spartacus' slave followers, who were more primitive and athletic. This powerful visual symbolism was used to show the class differences between the antagonists.

Phyrigia danced with heart-breaking grace, expressing feminine beauty at its loveliest. Her love scenes with Spartacus were beautifully erotic.

All technical aspects of this dvd were first rate.

This production grabbed my attention from start to finish. Highly recommended.

This is truly worth the price tag even though you may not be a big fan of ballet, this performance will make one out of you. This is just superb on every level. I have the old Bolshoi production which was filmed on a soundstage. Try as they might, they couldn't bring the soundtrack up to modern expectations. The laser disc version came close. I was thrilled to see this new 1990 production on DVD with sound as spectacular as the dancing. The music of this ballet can stand alone. I have it on CD. It's one of the best works by Khachaturian. Add the fantastic dancers and colorful sets and you've got a dynamite production. I highly recommend this one!

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