Coppelia

Coppélia, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Léo Delibes, opened at the Paris Opera in 1870 and has remained in the repertory ever since. Based on a tale from E.T.A. Hoffman, the story concerns the beautiful doll Coppélia (a creation of the puppet-maker Dr. Coppélius), who distracts the young peasant Franz from his true love, Swanilda. When the mischievous Swanilda discovers her rival's true identity, she plays a trick that confounds the men folk and ultimately lands her man. This delightful production, which reproduces scenery and costumes from the original, has been mounted to showcase the talents of students from the Paris Opera Ballet School, and features a charming group that performs with youthful exuberance and remarkable sophistication. But caveat spectator: although billed as “close to the original 1870 Léon production,” the fine print states that this is “a ballet in two acts,” which means it follows the more modern custom of altering the third act, or, in this case, entirely eliminating it. Those who believe that less is more will be pleased with this sprightly production, while those who want the full monty, so to speak, would do well to select one of the full-length versions (such as the Royal Ballet mounting) which clock in at almost twice the time. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM stereo, the disc also includes an interesting but overlong documentary about the dance school. A strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)