Rating : - A Convenient Way to Own All of Tchaikovsky's Ballets
The "Russian Ballet 3-Pack" is a quick way to purchase all of the famous Tckaikovsky ballets for a reasonable price. This video bundle includes "Swan Lake" (ASIN 6304185529) by the Kirov Ballet, "The Sleeping Beauty" by the Kirov Ballet (ASIN 6304218036), and "The Nutcracker" by the Russian State Theater Academy of Classical Ballet (ASIN 6304218044). I have provided the ASIN numbers that comprise this bundle, in case prospective buyers are interested in reading the reviews of those individual titles that are extant on the product pages, as each of these tapes is also for sale separately. You can either search on the title or the ASIN number. I will attempt to summarize each of the titles comprising the 3-pack, but for those of you who enjoy my writing, you are invited visit my member page where you will find my complete reviews for all of them, as well as my reviews of many other ballet tapes.

Famous choreographer George Balanchine said, "Musically, and as a dance drama, 'Swan Lake' is undoubtedly the most popular of all classical ballets." Sadly, Tchaikovsky died thinking that this ballet was a failure, as it was taken out of the Bolshoi repertory in 1883. But, the Kirov revived it shortly after Tchaikovsky's death, and it has been very popular ever since. The Kirov revival of "Swan Lake" is famous for its breakthrough choreography, which features the corps de ballet taking part in a more active role. Customarily, they were used primarily as a scenic backdrop more than anything else. This version features Galina Mezentseva as Odette-Odile and Konstantin Zaklinsky as Prince Siegfried. They are very good together, and the Kirov corps is excellent. One problem with this production is its ending. The Tsar had an unwritten rule in his theater prohibiting certain types of endings, and the Soviets also maintained that tradition. Consequently, this ending does not totally fit the story. Nevertheless, the dancing is wonderful, and the music is beautiful.

"The Sleeping Beauty" is based off of the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Rudolf Nureyev said, "It is really a kind of 'Parsifal' of ballet and very important to the whole ballet world." This production was filmed at a live performance by the Kirov Ballet. The principal dancers are Altynai Asylmuratova and Konstantin Zaklinski. These two dancers are very worth watching, and she is quite radiant in the role of Princess Aurora. Many people have complained about the lighting in this production. At times, it bothers me also, but I still value having this title in my video collection. I acknowledge, however, that some people react more negatively to these problems than I do, and therefore I cannot recommend this individual title with complete confidence.

"The Nutcracker" is a fantasy ballet about a little girl's Christmas dreams. Celia Franca said, "The music alone--the Tchaikovsky music for 'The Nutcracker'--is worth the price of admission." Let me stress a couple of things here: (1) that this production is danced, not by the Kirov Ballet, but by the Russian State Theater Academy of Classical Ballet, and (2) that the name of this video bundle is the "Russian Ballet 3-Pack" and not the "Kirov Ballet 3-Pack." The principal dancers are Ludmilla Vasileva and Alexander Gorbatsevich. There is some nice dancing on display here--for an academy. There is also a greater emphasis in this production on dancing as much as possible, while using few props and theatrics. Sometimes, the plot gets a little bit lost along the way because of this. Consequently, American audiences may not find this production to their liking. But, presumably, those purchasing the "Russian Ballet 3-Pack" desire to see Russian productions of the Tchaikovsky ballets.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky is undoubtedly one of the greatest ballet composers ever, and this is a good way to pick up all of his fabulous works at once. You might, however, be able to improve upon these productions if you select them individually, instead of choosing a video bundle, but this will take some research on your part. Nevertheless, this makes an easy addition to a balletomane's video library.