Napoli

A repertory staple at the Royal Danish Ballet since its premiere in 1842, August Bournonville's cheerfully silly combination of pantomime and dance retains considerable charm despite some radical revisions made by the company's artistic director, Nikolaj Hübbe, and choreographer Sorella Englund in the 2009 version, which is presented here in a 2014 revival. In the first act, fisherman Gennaro and local lass Teresina are madly in love, despite the machinations of two other suitors who try to blacken Gennaro's reputation. During a boat sailing, however, a storm comes up and Teresina is lost at sea. In the second act, Gennaro ventures to the underwater grotto where his fiancée is being held by the sea spirit Golfo, who has transformed her into a naiad (she remembers nothing of her past). Gennaro manages to awaken Teresina's memory and take her back, where in the third act the whole of Naples—having turned out for her funeral—instead celebrates the couple's marriage. This version updates the setting to the 1950s, but a greater shock comes in Act II, when the original score—a hodgepodge of numbers by Edvard Helsted, H.S. Paulli, and H.C. Lumbye—is replaced by a modern one from Louise Alenius, representing a stark shift in styles. Still, the overall result remains engaging, especially since Alban Lendorf and Alexandra Lo Sardo make such an attractive pair as Gennaro and Teresina. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release) and LPCM stereo, this colorful, unpretentious, whimsical production is recommended. (F. Swietek)