Marco Spada or the Bandit's Daughter

For many opera and ballet lovers, Daniel Francois Esprit Auber is not the first name to come to mind, yet he was a prolific and successful composer of more than 40 operas and was the Paris Conservatory Director, from 1851 until his death in 1871. Even for today standards he lived a long life, 89 years. Born in 1782, he was contemporary of an overwhelming amount of the finest composers that ever lived, many of whom, have him in high esteem. Together with Boildieu, Adam and Herold, he was part of the generation of great composer of opera comique and contributed with Rossini and Meyerbeer to the creation of French grand opera. Despite those facts, much of his work have felt into oblivion, with just a few of his work performed nowadays.This ballet was written in 1857 based on an opera comique with the same name, that Auber composed in 1852, on a text by Eugene Scribe, who collaborated with him in at least twenty operas. Some find the story plain silly, a pickpocketer with a double life among nobility. The lack of interest of this text, may rush us to forget, that Scribe is the original writer of Le philtre, the play that Felice Romani adapted to write Donizetti opera buffa par excelence, L’ elisir d’amore.We, hard core opera and ballet lovers know that both genres are the kingdom were the impossible is the reality and would rather die or kill before admitting, but just sometimes among us, within the fraternity, never to the uninitiated, that opera and ballet are based on childish or far-fetched stories. After all who cares, we love them both for the sheer of glorious singing and mesmerizing dancing.Pierre Lacotte did the revival of this ballet in 1981, for Nureyed in the title role. But Lacotte is an ace of the trade, he designed these gorgeous costumes and also the elegant scenography, voila!! I would rate this ballet 6 starts because despite the text, is full of beautiful music and a lot of bravura dancing. It the first time I see the fascinating Eugenia Obraztsova, she dances the role of Angela, Marco Spada’s daughter. She never lost a beat and her razor sharp dancing full of stamina, together with her sweet smile, is a dream. Olga Smirnova as Marchesa Sampietri pass de deux are spectacular.Semyon Chudin and Igor Tsvirko are fantastic in their roll of Prince Federici and Count Pepinelli.Finally David Hallberg is…well David Hallberg, he had a lot of fun and Russians love him.Get your copy, if you are nuts about ballet, you will never regret it!!!

What can one say about a mediocre ballet with great dancers performing?David Hallberg is splendid as the Bandit, reaching new heights thanksto his experience of the Bolshoi. Olga Smirnova seems as brilliant as she's reputedto be (we have to wait until June to see her in America). The other principalsare very fine. The story is ridiculous, and the choreography completely lackingin genuine feeling. How can a great ballet company produce such nonsense?

This ballet provides an opportunity for a superb dancer, which David Hallberg is, to express a character who alternates between a good and an evil persona. In many ways this is similar to the usual practice of having a single ballerina dancing the roles of both Odette (the white swan) and Odille (the black swan) in the ballet Swan Lake. In both ballets the dancer has to portray their two personas differently, so that the audience can tell from the style of their movements whether at any instant they are Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde (so to speak). Without words, using only their body, it's quite a challenge for a dancer to pull this off convincingly. I felt that David Hallberg, the first American to be a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet (and also simultaneously with American Ballet Theatre) did so in this Bolshoi production.

Pierre Lacotte Marco Spada reconstitution of lost choreographies of romantic ballets is splendid, very 1900 century ballet style. The ballet is full of difficult technical foot work, very similar to the style of August Bournonville. Now about the Blu-Ray edition of Marco Spada, it is the best filmed in all the aspects of all the Bolshoi Ballet HD live BD issued by BelAir Classiques Phatelive. The cast is superb: Hallberg, Chudin, Tsvirko, Smirnova and Obraztsova and even the minor roles are danced by excellent dancers that later on became principal dancers of the Bolshoi. I enjoyed it immensely from beginning to end.

Buy it and enjoy! Classical ballet, excellent cast, plentiful and gorgeous dancing, beautifully accompanied by the music, excellent technical digital mastering (I still don't like the amount of compression needed to fit 2h of 1080p material uncompressed onto a blu-ray disk but that is technology limited at the moment).

A fine evening at the ballet. There is a fine cast, headed by David Hallberg, a truly great dancer. The music is listenable, the camera work is fine, and the story pure fluff.

Well Done Quirky Ballet, Family likes this one! Blu-Ray makes a difference!

Pierre Lacotte is well known as a ‘reconstructor’ of 19s century ballets. He staged Marco Spada first time in Italy with Nuriev who at the time was alive and well. I will focus only on the main points related to the production of this ballet at the Bolshoi. I am not a big fan of Lacottes’ choreography in general, and do consider the latest trend at the Bolshoi of very flashy productions of questionable taste. Despite of that, unlike many other ballet recordings I have, I am sure I will watch this disc again, and gain. The ballet is interesting, very engaging, and totally succeeds despite of a rather mediocre score. David Hallberg demonstrates very fine technique as Marco Spada, the bandit, and ability to stay in a character. Next to him you can see two sensations of the Bolshoi – magnetic superstar Evgenia Obraztsova (formerly of Mariinsky Ballet), and amazing Igor Tsvirko. Russian ballet school traditionally rather neglects the acting aspect of a production. Considering this, I was pleasantly surprised that Hollberg, Obraztsova, and Tsvirko proved themselves as a very gifted actors, and not just a ballet virtuosos. This is definitely one of the finest productions at the Bolshoi. The videography is very good, but I reduced a contrast of my TV for the picture to look more natural.

Marco Spada, von Bolschoi getanzt, hat in mir die Liebe zum Ballett geweckt, als ich schon älter als 70 war; Pina Bausch schaffte das nicht. Es steht in einer Reihe mit:(Aber Vorsicht, es gibt noch andere Balletthäuser.)La Fille du Pharaon (Pugni)La Fille mal Gardée (Grigorovich Company)The NaijadesLe Corsaire (Adolphe Adam)Cinderella - (Prokofjew)Giselle - (Adolphe Adam)Esmeralda - (Pugni)The Golden Age (Shostakovich)Im Internet gibt es unscharfe, klanglich verbesserungswürdige Aufführungen, die nach einiger Zeit auch wieder gelöscht werden. Zumindest kann man Probesehen.

マルコスパーダは、ストーリーが荒唐無稽でツッコミどころが満載ですが、男性も女性も色々なタイプの踊りがたくさん詰まっていて、みなさんとても上手で、美術も衣装もとても素敵なので、「心に余裕があるときに」見ると、けっこう楽しめます。マルコスパーダの山城で、知事令嬢（スミルノワ）がマルコスパーダの娘（オブラスツォーワ）にダンスを教えながら一緒に踊るシーンがあります。薄いモスグリーン色のドレスのスミルノワと、薄いピンク色ドレスのオブラスツォーワ。二人ともワガノワ育ち（オブラスツォーワのほうが学年は上）ですが、スミルノワは百合の花みたいにすっきりと、オブラスツォーワは芍薬の花みたいに柔らかく、同じ振付なのに異なる雰囲気で踊ってくれるので、見比べるのが楽しいです（←贅沢な楽しみ！）。知事令嬢のお部屋で、侍女たちが鏡台の前にとても大きな真っ白なシーツをふんわりと広げて、その中でスミルノワが優雅に舞うシーンは、映画のワンシーンのように印象深く残ります。マルコスパーダの娘はパパ大好きでパパと踊るシーンがけっこう多いですが、オブラスツォーワは、パパとのパドドゥ・恋人とのパドドゥ・山賊の仲間との群舞を、きちんと体の使い方も表情も変えて踊り分けているので、その違いを見るのも楽しいです。もう一つ、私がとても気に入っているのは、この知事令嬢はとても侍女たちと仲良しなのです！バレエ作品の中でも、オーロラ姫やガムザッティ王女に友達はいたかしら・・スワニルダもキトリも一応友達はいるけれど、本当に仲良しなのかしら・・。この知事令嬢と侍女たちは、一緒になって護衛隊長をからかったり、常に女子力（？）満開でうきうきとしていて、周りに恵まれた幸せそうなお嬢様を見られるのが心地よいです。以下、わかりにくい人間関係の補足をします。知事令嬢には、結婚相手の最有力候補としてフェデリチ公がいますが、フェデリチ公は、「山に絵を描きに行っているんだ」と言い訳をしながら、山城に住むマルコスパーダの娘のもとに通い、軽い遊び相手として（？）仲良くしていたようです。知事令嬢は、お父様の部下（←仕事は有能で伯爵の身分もある）とも、からかいながら楽しく過ごしており、これも知事公認（？）のようです。知事としても、自分の信頼できる部下に娘を預けるなら安心ということでしょうか。知事邸宅の舞踏会では、フェデリチ公と知事令嬢が一番最初に堂々と踊りますが、残念ながら知事の部下と知事令嬢は踊らせてもらえません。その後に踊ったマルコスパーダ父娘ペアを見て、フェデリチ公は、マルコスパーダの娘も意外にしっかりしたお嬢さんだなと見直したのだと思います。そしていきなりマルコスパーダの娘にプロポーズし、断られ（←山賊になると決意）、直後に知事令嬢にプロポーズし、受け入れられます。（←この展開が早すぎますが、こういう話です・・）知事の部下が、いよいよ本気を出して婚約支度中の知事令嬢の部屋に入りこみ、いつのまにか二人ともさらわれ、探しに行ったフェデリチ公もさらわれ、山賊の隠れ家でみんな大集合。（←要するに最後は大集合させたかったのでしょう。）フェデリチ公は、マルコスパーダの娘の山賊姿にまた心奪われ、マルコスパーダが死に際に「おれの子じゃない」と嘘をついてくれたおかげで、フェデリチ公とマルコスパーダの娘がゴールイン。知事令嬢は、つり橋効果（←危機を共有すると仲良くなるという心理）のおかげで（？）、お父様の部下と安定感ある幸せを選んでゴールイン。この話の教訓は、女性は多面性を見せると男性の心を惹きつける、男性はダメ元でも一途に押し切れば女性を射止められる、でしょうか・・・いやいや、教訓などはなく、いろんな場面をいろんな踊りで楽しませてくれる、極上エンターテイメント・バレエです！

I have just written a Power Point Presentation on the restoration of the Bolshoi It is one of the most fantastic places on earth for the performing arts, ballet in particular. Everyone who loves ballet knows the Bolshoi has its own unique style that other companies just can not emulate. I love the Royal Ballet BUT the BOLSHOI is my first love.Having said that Marco Spada is a unique ballet experience that in my opinion even surpasses their latest above excellent production of Sleeping Beauty.... you have to buy that it is perfection in every way!!! But Marco Spada is so rarely produced as there are so many lead dancers each trying to outdance the other for prime position.The lush beauty and complexity of it all in my opinion can only be compared to a sublime piece of Bach with dances rather than harmonies weaving in and out of each other in a way that will delight the eye.This is a MUST SEE BALLET for anyone who likes traditional CLASSICAL ballet with phenominal sets and really beautiful costumes. Treat yourself before Christmas!

"Ce qui est beau et respectueux existera toujours "disait Pierre Lacotte ;Marco Spada , encore un ballet qui nous rappelle une délicieuse élégance d'un autre temps. Ballet monté à l'Opéra de Romeen 1982 avec Rudolph Noureev et Ghislaine Thesmar , le voici remonté à nouveau au Bolshoi toujours par notre véritabledentelier du passé ; la technique du bluray nous permet de redécouvrir un ballet somptueux, avec une pléiade de danseuses et danseurs étoiles de haute volée ; le corps de ballet du Bolshoi n'est pas en reste et s'impose aujourd'hui comme un modèled'excellence quasiment sans rival au monde, tout au moins dans le grand répertoire romantique ;Une fois de plus Pierre Lacotte y est pour beaucoup avec toutes ses exigences , mais quel résultat !Les étoiles ont beaucoup travaillé avec lui ; il connaît bien en particulier Evguenia Obraztsova , débordante de féminité ;sa métamorphose en reine des bandits au troisième acte donne une autre dimension à son personnage de belle ingénuedans lequel elle n'a guère de mal à convaincre .Le Bolshoi joue à fond le jeu du ballet romantique à grand spectacle pour éblouir et enchanter le spectateur pendant 2 heures .Si on aime , il faut se procurer cet enregistrement les yeux fermés ;Enfin , je pense à tous les passionnés de la danse romantique :réenregistrer les ballets comme Giselle , la Belle au bois-dormant , le lac des cygnes ,Don Quichotte , c'est bien et même très bien, mais vu le nombre de versions actuelles et récentes sur le marché, ne serait-il pas plus judicieux d'enregistrer des oeuvres moins connues du grand public comme Ondine monté au Marinsky par le même Pierre Lacotte ou encore Esmeralda donné il y a quelques années au Bolshoi . A méditer ...

Ballet exquis à voir pour amateur de danse classique. La qualité de la danse est semblable à celle du ballet de l'Opéra National de PARIS