The Bolshoi Ballet: Romeo and Juliet

If there was a list of ballets that belonged on a non-Tchaikovsky greatest ballets list Romeo and Juliet would be on there, though I would put Giselle and Coppelia above it. This Bolshoi production is truly enchanting stuff though the Nureyev and Fonteyn production is my first choice from the DVDs available. The DVD doesn't do the production, which actually has nothing to complain about, justice, with some of the camera work looking a little dated and darkly-lit. The costumes and sets are traditional and elegant. Prokofiev's beautiful and dramatic music is beautifully played and conducted musically and sensitively. The choreography is so good you will be left in a trance, especially at the end of Act 1, and the dancing of it is done with poise and grace. Natalia Bessmertnova is a poignant Juliet and places her arm and leg lines perfectly, while Mikhail Lavrovsky's Romeo is dashing, youthful and with powerful jumps. In support, Yuri Papki was a perfect Mercutio being witty and loyal, and the Tybalt of Vladimir Levaschev had authority and cunning with smoothness of movement.

All in all, a wonderful production that was deserving of a better DVD. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I'm not a ballet connoisseur, but I watched this version and the 1984 version of Romeo and Juliet with Alessandra Ferri, and the latter is so much better.

The dancing was fine, but the story was almost non-existent. It seems as if all the characters came out at the beginning with about 50 extras and you had to guess who was who. Was that Tybalt or Mercutio? Is that Lord Capulet or Lord Montague? And forget about identifying Benvolio and some of the other lesser characters.

Then there were dance numbers that did nothing to advance the story. For example, between the "balcony" scene and the wedding scene there is a long dance routine with extras. Nothing else happens.

And the DVD quality is poor: the camera seems out of focus or degraded from repetitive copying.

Go with the 1984 version instead.