George Balanchine’s wonderful evocation of the brilliance and sparkle of emeralds, rubies and diamonds opens the Royal Ballet season this Tuesday 20th September.   The ballet is a gem in its own right, and with contrasting moods and music brings the whole company on stage, at times intimate, at others grand. The French Romantic music of Fauré provides the impetus for the subtlety and lyricism of ‘Emeralds’, while the fire of ‘Rubies’ comes from Stravinsky and the jazz-age energy of New York.   Grandeur and elegance complete the ballet with the splendour of Imperial Russia and the peerless music of Tchaikovsky as the ‘Diamonds’ of this ballet crown. Through it all runs the vision and genius of the legendary ‘Mr B’, one of the greatest of all choreographers.

Jewels is available from Opus Arte in a not less sparkling performance by the Paris Opera Ballet as is Balanchine’s evocative version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with music by Mendelssohn and danced by Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Balanchine – Jewels – OA 0951 D (DVD) OA BD7011 D (Blu-ray)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – OA 0810 D (DVD) OA BD7003 D (Blu-ray)

 

 

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