The Merry Widow

John Lanchbery, longtime principal conductor of England's Royal Ballet and later music director of the Australian Ballet, adapted the music from several operas for ballet, including Franz Lehár's ever-popular 1905 operetta, presented here by the National Ballet of Canada. The plot hews to the sung version fairly closely: John Meehan plays Count Danilo, who's assigned to save his native Pontevedria from financial ruin by wooing wealthy widow Hanna Glawari (Karen Kain). Meanwhile, a baron's young wife, Valencienne (Yoko Ichino), has a fling with handsome soldier Camille (Raymond Smith). Since the ballet is, of course, wordless, it helps to know the story beforehand, but even those who don't will still enjoy Ronald Hynd's scintillating choreography, which is well executed by both the principals and the troupe in colorful costumes on lavish sets. On the musical side, Lehár's famous tunes are played with panache by the National Ballet Orchestra under the capable baton of Ermanno Florio. Taped for TV broadcast, this 1987 production doesn't boast sterling audiovisual qualities (although the LPCM stereo sound is adequate), but it does serve as a solid complement to Lehár's original, which is available in numerous DVD versions (see review in VL-11/03). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)