Explore the dreamlike world of Rudolf Nureyev's interpretation of the much-loved The Nutcracker. This 1968 colour recording is a golden opportunity to watch a great historical performance from The Royal Ballet, featuring the illustrious pairing of Rudolf Nureyev and Merle Park alongside many other legends of the Company, such as Lesley Collier, Wayne Sleep, Stanley Holden and Leslie Edwards.
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Herr Drosselmeyer/The Prince: Rudolf Nureyev
Clara: Merle Park
Dr Stahlbaum: Leslie Edwards
Frau Stahlbaum: Betty Kavanagh
Fritz: Keith Martin
Shepherd Dancer: Lesley Collier
Louisa: Ann Jenner
Grandmother: Gerd Larsen
Grandfather: Stanley Holden
The Nutcracker: Wayne Sleep
The Rat King: Ronald Plaisted
Artists of The Royal Ballet
The Covent Garden Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: John Lanchbery
Choreography & Production: Rudolf Nureyev
Designer: Nicholas Georgiadis
Composer: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Picture: 4:3, Colour
Sound: LPCM 2.0 Mono
Fomat: NTSC
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Duration: 96 mins
Year: 1968
The performances still stand up very well... [Nureyev and Park] emerge on stage as a believable couple with a genuine bond and as attentive and intuitively sympathetic dancing partners (the latter is best demonstrated in their justly celebrated performance of this Nutcracker’s Act 2 Grand pas de deux)." MusicWeb International
"Originally relayed by the BBC, part of the fun of this is spotting dancers who appear alongside Nureyev and Merle Park, and who would later have highly successful careers of their own." Dancing Times