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In La Sylphide, Alina Cojocaru displayed the sensational interpretative and technical skills that make her one of the greatest interpreters of the Romantic repertoire — as could also be seen in the excellent BBC2 broadcast of Giselle on Boxing Day. Her rendition of the title role draws upon an attentive reading of the Romantic style, filtered through a contemporary approach that bestows immediacy, readability and, most of all, credibility. Next to her, Federico Bonelli, as the lovelorn James, stood out for his diamond-like technique and a truly elegant approach to the role. The Danish artist Sorella Englund was simply stunning as Madge, the creepy fortune-teller who embodies the Romantic notion of ineluctable fate, and Ricardo Cervera was equally superb as an unusually dashing Gurn, James’s rival.
On Sunday, BBC1 broadcast the first in a series of programmes devoted to Tchaikovsky’s genius. A well-constructed documentary introduced viewers to the quintessential ballet of all times, Swan Lake. I only wish that Darcey Bussell’s sparkling and pleasantly informal narration had been matched with historical accuracy. I am all for making ballet less elitist and more accessible than it normally is. But I do not think that an informal introduction ought to be a compendium of commonplaces and gross historical inaccuracies — particularly when some of the omitted information would have been entertaining for the lay viewer.
Alas, the historically and culturally marred documentary was but a prelude to a much more hair-raising broadcast of the ballet itself. What was presented in various publications as a special recording of the work, starring Uliana Lopatkina, one of the greatest contemporary interpreters, and the Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet (one of the best companies in the world), was in reality a brutally butchered televised version. I do appreciate the constraints of time and the need to make the rather complicated story accessible. But I cannot accept the need for spoken, explanatory summaries, which interrupted and hindered the flow of this masterwork and which replaced huge chunks of the choreography. Splendid sections such as the first act waltz, the dramatically vibrant finale of the first lakeside scene — which includes one of the most breathtaking solos for the ballerina — the dramaturgically significant dance of the six princesses in act three and many others were arbitrarily removed. Which is curious, given that numerous references to exactly those moments in the preceding documentary had been made by eminent speakers.
Someone could at least have had the decency to state that an abridged version of the immortal work was being broadcast. I cannot help cringing at the idea of what will be done to The Sleeping Beauty, soon to be broadcast as part of the same series. If this is the way the BBC intends to promote dance culture, would it not be better to stick to EastEnders and forget ballet altogether?
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Also by Giannandrea Poesio
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