简介：Acompilationofperformancesincludingextractsfrom'Raymonda','RomeoAndJuliet'and'SwanLake'.AlsoaninterviewwithMayaPlisetskayaaboutherlifeandcareer. ThisDVDhastwoparts.Thefirst,71minuteslong,called“InPerformance,”isavisualretrospectiveofMayaPlisetskaya’scareer;anassemblageoffilmclipshighlightingthevirtuosityofherdancingandvarietyoftherolessheassumed.Shewasanoutstandingdancer,combiningtechnicalbrilliancewithakeenunderstandingofthecharacterssheplayed.Plisetskayanotonlyhadcharisma,shehaddramaticflareandstagepresence.Blessedwithanextremelyflexiblebody,shewascapableofbendingbackwardstoaremarkabledegree,afeatusedtogreateffectwhencombinedwithhighleaps.Inherrolesasaswan,OdetteandTheDyingSwan,shecouldproducearipplethatundulatedthroughthelengthofherarmseffectivelycreatingtheillusionofbeatingwings. PlisetskayagraduatedfromtheMoscowBolshoiBalletSchoolin1943,whenshejoinedtheBolshoiBalletasasoloist.Twoyearslater,shebecameaBallerinaanddancedthestandardballerinaroles,includingRaymonda,Odette/Odile,Kitri,Juliet,andPrincessAurora.Intheearly1960s,PlisetskayawashailedprimaballerinaassolutaoftheBolshoi.JuliaLukjanova,intheaccompanyingbooklet,describesPlisetskayaasthe“MariaCallasoftheballet.”UnlikeCallas,Plisetskayahaslivedalonglife,andbychangingthedirectionofhercareer,hasenjoyedalongprofessionallife.PlisetskayawasinstrumentalinexpandingtheBolshoi’srepertoiretoincludemodernandexperimentalworks,someofwhichareglimpsedinthisvideo. Withtheexceptionofthreeworks(theBachPrélude,Saint-Saëns’sTheDyingSwan,andRavel’sBoléro),glimpsesareallweget,leavingtheviewerbeggingformore.Thesnippetsfromthefull-lengthballets,mostfilmedbeforeanaudience—afewonsoundstages,revealdancingonanextraordinarylevel.Thefilmqualityvariesfromacceptabletoquitegood;somesegmentsareinblackandwhite,othersincolor.Thepictureisfullscreen(NTSC4:3),andalthoughthesoundformatisdescribedasPCMstereo,manysegmentsaremonophonic. ThesecondpartoftheDVD,titled“InConversation,”isalengthy(53minutes)auralmemoirbyMs.Plisetskayaandherhusband,composer/conductorRodionShchedrin.Additionalclipsofherdancingareincluded,aswellasanumberofstillphotographsofeventsandpeopleinherprofessionalandpersonallives.SheandherhusbandtelloflifeintheSovietUnion,howshewasstalkedbytheKGB,howherfatherwasmurderedandhermotherimprisoned,andhowshewasdeniedaninternationalcareerbytheSovietgovernment.Shchedrin’soutpouringofdevotionandaffectionforhiswifeisatouchingfinaletothisveryinterestinginterview. Thetwosections,thedanceretrospectiveandtheinterview,areaccessedseparatelyfromthemainmenu.Thedanceportionisdividedinto12chapters;theinterviewhas19chapters.Subtitlesfortheinterviewareavailableinfourlanguages(English,German,FrenchandSpanish).Bothpartsarepleasurestowatch.Thefilmclipsofherdancing,manyofwhichareregrettablybrief,allowustoglimpseherextraordinarytalent;theconversationisinterestingandit,too,leavestheviewerwishingformore.Ifyouloveballet,spendingtwohourswithMayaPlisetskayaisavalentine.…