Your Basket is Empty
All the enchantment of Christmas Eve comes to life in The Royal Ballet's family favourite The Nutcracker - a perennial pleasure for children and adults alike. Accompanying it is The Royal Opera's magical realization of Hänsel and Gretel - Humperdinck's spine-tingling opera of the famous fairy tale. Both performances are filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.
Diana Damrau and Angelika Kirchschlager star in the acclaimed 2008 production of Humperdinck’s famous fairytale opera, in the company of two of Britain’s most revered musical figures: Thomas Allen, playing the role of the Father, and the legendary conductor Colin Davis. Directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser combine their characteristic wit and a dash of deliciously dark comedy with the opera’s fairytale charm. Humperdinck’s music mixes catchy folk-like songs with sumptuous instrumental colour, making the result as tunefully approachable, musically memorable and visually delightful as opera gets.
See our full collection of ballet DVDs and Blu-rays
Composer:Engelbert Humperdinck
Hansel: Angelika Kirchschlager
Gretel: Diana Damrau
Gertrud: Elizabeth Connell
Peter: Thomas Allen
Witch: Anja Silja
Sandman: Pumeza Matshikiza
Dew Fairy: Anita Watson
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Colin Davis 2009
Stage Directors: Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier
Plus: Illustrated synopsis & animated cast gallery/ Interview with Colin Davis/Fairytales feature/Cinema trailer
Picture: 16:9
Running Time: 138 mins
Sound: 5.1 DTS Surround / PCM Stereo
Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT
This all-time ballet favourite, in which young Clara is swept into fantasy adventure when one of her Christmas present comes to life, is at its most enchanting in Peter Wright's glorious production - as fresh as ever in its 25th year. Tchaikovsky's ravishing score, period designs by Julie Trevelyan Oman (including an ingenious magical Christmas Tree), an exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy (Miyako Yoshida) and chivalrous Prince (Steven McRae) and vibrant dancing by The Royal Ballet make for a captivating performance.
Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
The Sugar Plum Fairy: Miyako Yoshida
The Prince: Steven McRae
Drosselmeyer: Gary Avis
Clara: Iohna Loots
Hans-Peter / The Nutcracker: Ricardo Cervera
Artists of The Royal Ballet.
Choreography:Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Koen Kessels 2009
Plus: Cast gallery / Rehearsing at White Lodge / Peter Wright tells the story of The Nutcracker
Picture:16:9
Sound: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 (5.0)
Duration: 127 mins
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Format: NTSC
Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/ES
