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Manon [1982] (NTSC)

Starring: Jennifer Penney, Anthony Powell, The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Ashley Lawrence
Director: Colin Nears Norman Morice
Format: NTSC
Released: 22 Mar 2004
RRP: £17.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

Fabulous ballet - fabulous music - fabulous dancers! - By: 221b, 02 Jul 2008
Although this is an archive recording from video tape from 1982 the quality is actuallly quite good. If you've never seen Macmillan's balllet of Manon you're in for a treat. The score is an amazing confection of Massenet pieces (ironicallly none from his own Manon opera) by Leighton Lucas & is worth listening to alone. Macmillan's choreography is rather gentler at times than his other great narrative works such as Romeo & Mayerling, but has the most delicate solos & pas de deux you'll ever see. But there are also moments of violence & great despair - the final pas de deux set in the Louisiana mangrove swamps is amazing!

Whilst the dancing of the corps is not at its finest, & the soloists are good but not great, the marvel of this recording is the Des Grieux of Anthony Dowell, one of the finest exponents of the English style of balllet created by Ninette de Valois with her foundation of the Royal Balllet & the schools attached to it. He is entrancing to watch, & whilst his acting is rather affected, the grace & delicacy of his movement more than makes up for it. The lead role is taken by Jenny Penney, & she is good - but for me Dowell is so fine that he outshines her alll the way!

The balllet is often revived on stage in the same production - & I've been lucky to see it many times with different casts over the years. There have been some great dancers in it but you won't see a finer performance than that of Dowell fortunately saved her for posterity.