The Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky / Sheherazade, La Spectre de la Rose, The Polovtsian Dances, The Firebird

Rating:
Summary: No one will ever be a second Nijinsky, but wonderful dancing
Review: Vaslav Nijinsky's dance career was short and troubled, but his effect on dance profound. His elevation was legendary, as well as his androgyny. After Nijinsky, male dancers were no longer expected to be stiff "attendants" but virtuosos in their own right.
Nijinsky, as well as his main choreographer Michael Fokine, and his partner Tamara Karsavina, all started their careers at the Imperial Ballet (now the Kirov Ballet). So it's fitting that the Kirov releases a program devoted to Nijinsky pieces.
Scherherazade is a bit of a fluff piece -- Rimsky Korsakov's score is very familiar, and the story is basically a preview of the Arabian Nights. A sultan finds out his wife is having an affair, slaughters her lover, and the wife kills herself. Svetlana Zakharova's incredible plasticity and sensuality of movement are in itself a joy to watch. Emotionally, she's a bit too overtly sexy and cold for my taste -- I would have liked someone who was more mysterious and exotic. Farukh Ruzimatov as Scherherazade's lover was fantastic. His sinewy, almost feline grace are a fitting tribute to Nijinsky.
Spectre a la Rose was well-danced by Igor Kolb and Zhanna Ayupova. Ayupova is properly dreamy, although she doesnt remember to keep her eyes closed. Kolb was a great Spectre, until the famous leap out the window. Kolb sets himself a bit too carefully, and ruins the magic spell of the spectre. A disappointing ending to a very well-danced ballet.
Polovtsian Dances was IMO choreographically the most disappointing. Borodin's music is lovely, but the ballet as a whole failed to become a single coherent vision. (Not surprisingm, as it's an extract from the opera Prince Igor).
Finally, the Firebird, with Diana Vishneva and Andrey Yakovlev. For me, just this Firebird is worth buying the entire dvd. Diana Vishneva is the ballerina that puts the "Fire" in "firebird." It'd be hard to imagine a better performance today. She seems born to play the part -- with her glamorous, bird-like features, and even slightly crooked legs. With a flick of her wing (to suggest fire) or a kick of her long legs, Diana owns the stage. I also have a performance by Nina Ananiashvilli, and Ananiashvilli is more lyrical, less dangerous. But Diana is a STAR -- like all stars, she demands attention even if shes not actually dancing. And when she dances! The sheer enthusiasm of her dancing is a joy to behold. The staging for the Firebird is surprisingly fussy, but I guess this is keeping within the spirit of the Russian folktale. Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, after all, werefamous for their expensive, painstaking sets.
It would have been interesting if the Kirov had tried to replicate some of Nijinsky's more controversial works like The Afternoon of the Faun but overall with 110 minutes of dancing and a budget price this dvd is a must-get! As usual, Kultur breaks down the chapters into large chunks, which makes it inconvenient to replay individual parts of each ballet.