Search - Minkus: Paquita on DVD

A rechoreographed Paquita

Jose Brito | Estoril,Portugal | 02/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Extremely enjoyable,Martinez and Letestu seem to enjoy every step of this beautifully rechoreographed ballet,following the "esprit de l'époque",by Pierre Lacotte who pays a tribute to Petipa whose original choreography had survived only in the "grand pas ". The music score is as light as a bird singing,so being a powerful anti-depressive musical medicine!Thanks to the devotion of this unique choreographer who revives and gives back to the stages forgotten ballets,we have for instance Coppelia,La Fille du Pharaon(a jewel!) La Sylphide( music by Schneitzhoeffer and inspired by the one Filippo Taglioni created for his daughter Maria Taglioni,four years before Bournonville would choreograph a second La Sylphide,this time on Lovenskiold's music),Ondine(yet to be released by the Kirov,God knows when)and several others he did for various Opera Houses and are not on DVD.
In order to compare Lacotte's Grand Pas with the original (Petipa) buy the Kirov Classics and watch last item - Paquita's Grand Pas,danced by Igor Zelensky,Yulia Makhalina and Larissa Lezhnina - absolutely outstanding."