Search - Chopin - Die Kameliendame (Lady of the Camellias) on DVD

A Ballet Movie Classic Of Intense Romantic And Dramatic Emot

J. M WILINSKY | teaneck, NJ United States | 08/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This story is based on an autobiographical novel by Dumas and has been performed under many names: Lady of the Camellias,Armand and Marguerite, and La Traviata, to mention a few. This ballet version was done as a movie back in 1987 by John Neumeier and was previously released on VHS. This DVD transfer by Deutsche Grammophon is fantastic! Both the sound and picture are as good as it gets. The choreography is purely classical and is very complex and ambitious. The dancing is almost nonstop for two solid hours! The pas de deux are some of the most romantic in the repertoire, and many intense solos are included. The quality of the dancing is unbelievable and some of the best the Hamburg Ballet has ever come up with. There are some lighter moments, with delightful comic elements, including some with a cabaret flavor. But the overall feeling is that of 19th century gothic gloom.
The sound also includes intentional stage noises, like the flowing of fabric and footsteps and other incidental sounds, which adds to the sense of realism. There is also some creative use of lighting.
The music in this version consists entirely of various pieces by Chopin, both solo piano and piano and full orchestra. The music is also flawlessly performed.
This is a very moving ballet experience and should appeal to all lovers of classical ballet."

Superlative dancing to exquisite music

J. M WILINSKY | 03/09/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone who loves ballet and enjoys fine music should see this video. Marcia Haydee portrays the consumptive leading lady with such touching vulnerability that she breaks a viewer's heart. Ivan Liska is refered to as an actor, but he is a fine male dancer, youthful and virile. The transfer to video of this John Neumann piece, which was choreographed for the stage in Germany, is first class. All of the supporting characters are wonderful, and the story line is as clear as crystal.What can one say about the music? One would think that Chopin was still alive and worked with Neumann to score the piece especially for his choreographic designs and book.I have seen this ballet on stage, and I loved it all over again, but this video should be in every ballet lovers collection."

Best Ballet Ever

J. Pilgrim | 08/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the greatest ballets of all time by one of the most phenominal ballet companies. I have yet to see a better performance to date. Plus, it has been impossible to find this version until now. If you only take the time to see one ballet, let this be it."

DVD version ruins John Neumeier's vision. Get VHS to experi

J. Pilgrim | 04/30/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Die Kameliendame aka The Lady of the Camellias is a breathtaking ballet choreographed by John Neumeier and performed with the amazing talents of Marcia Haydee, Ivan Liska, and the Hamburg Ballet. I purchased the VHS version by KULTUR several years ago. With VCR technology phasing out and my VCR eating my copy of Die Kameliendame, I thought I'd purchase it on DVD. Horrendous decision! DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHONE, the company responsible for the transfer to DVD, destroyed what was once a beautiful ballet and turned it into CHARLIE CHAPLIN meets cheap Kung-fu. The technology used for the transfer sped up the whole film making it void of any emotion that was present before their tampering.

The video quality is great and the audio quality is vastly superior than the VHS version but it does NOT justify what they did to the ballet! Kudos to the choreographer, dancers, and musicians! Shame on the DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHONE company for ruining this artistic treasure!"