The Little Mermaid

There's no trace of Disney in this adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's famous tale from John Neumeier, director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet. Built upon a modernist score by Lera Auerbach, Neumeier has refashioned the classic fable of love into a dark psychological drama of romantic obsession, even introducing Andersen himself into the plot as a character called The Poet, whose homoerotic feelings toward a recently married friend are expressed through the figure of the mermaid who sacrifices her tail to the sea witch in order to travel on land in pursuit of the prince she's saved from drowning. But the mermaid can only watch helplessly as her beloved proposes to a princess whom he mistakenly believes is his rescuer. Now, the mermaid must struggle with the decision of whether to kill the prince to regain her original form. In this splendid 2011 staging (featuring imaginative scenic, costume, and lighting design) by the San Francisco Ballet, Neumeier's choreography—blending traditional ballet, modern dance, and drama—is beautifully realized by Yuan Yuan Tan (The Mermaid), Tiit Helimets (The Prince), Lloyd Riggins (The Poet), Sarah Van Patten (The Princess), and Davit Karapetyan (The Witch), while Martin West conducts the score with sensitivity. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on Blu-ray) and PCM stereo, extras include an introduction by Neumeier, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and an illustrated booklet. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)