In this fine 2010 celebration of Sir Kenneth MacMillan (1929–1992)—artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London from 1970 to 1977 and its principal choreographer until his death—the company with which he was so long associated offers superb performances of three of his works. Concerto (1966) is a complex, borderline abstract piece set to the three movements of Dmitry Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, in which different combinations of soloists dance against the corps in each section. Elite Syncopations (1974), performed to a series of rags by Scott Joplin, is a delightfully high-spirited divertissement in which pairs of dancers take center stage in colorful carnival garb. The Judas Tree (1992), MacMillan's last ballet, choreographed to Brian Elias' harshly modernist percussive score, is much different—a darkly ferocious piece in which a group of young toughs compete in abusing (and perhaps killing) a girl on what appears to be a construction site. With its athletic moves and atmosphere of brazen machismo, The Judas Tree plays like a warped version of one of the West Side Story dances. Nicely illustrating MacMillan's imagination and versatility, the three works and solidly mounted here, backed by splendid orchestration under a trio of conductors. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray version) and LPCM stereo, extras include brief introductions to each segment by MacMillan's widow, Deborah. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Three Ballets by Kenneth MacMillan: Elite Syncopations / The Judas Tree / Concerto
(2010) 114 min. DVD: $32.98, Blu-ray: $45.98. Opus Arte (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 26, Issue 3
Three Ballets by Kenneth MacMillan: Elite Syncopations / The Judas Tree / Concerto
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