CHOPIN: La Dame aux Camélias - Ballet de L’Opéra National de Paris (2 DVDs)

Agnès Letestu (Marguerite Gautier); Dorothée Gilbert (Prudence Duvernoy); José Martinez (Des Grieux); Delphine Moussin (Manon Lescaut); Eve Grinsztajn (Olympia); Stéphane Bullion (Armand Duval)

Ballet de L’Opéra National de Paris

Based on the Alexandre Dumas novel that also inspired the stories of Verdi's La Traviata and Hollywood's Moulin Rouge, John Neumeier creates a riveting dance drama around the famous woman of lore, La Dame aux camélias. The passionate tale of Marguerite Gautier and Armand Duval unfolds ingeniously through a drama-within-a-drama as they meet at the theatre during a performance of Manon Lescaut. So begin their romantic adventures in Paris, brought to life by Neumeier's intense and refined choreographic language. Chopin's ravishing music highlights this exceptional neo-classical ballet, featuring the star dancers of the Paris Opéra Ballet. This lavish production, filmed live at the Palais Garnier in High Definition and full surround sound, is all about love, passion, danger and glorious dancing from one of the best ballet companies in the world.

"John Neumeier has created a ballet in which emotions go crescendo...Agnès Letestu, the great dramatic heroine, triumphs in this ballet danced to music by Chopin." (Le Figaro)

"A full length ballet which does justice to the Dumas novel on which La traviata is more loosely based. John Neumeier's poetic choreography is blessed with Agnès Letestu’s Marguerite." (BBC Music Magazine)

"This production of Neumeier's ballet La Dame aux Camélias is a glorious achievement, beautifully captured on DVD under the expert direction of Thomas Grimm. It is also a traditional narrative ballet at its best: the romantic, tragic love story is eloquently told, the costumes are gorgeous, the dancers excellent, Chopin’s music is luminous and Neumeier's choreography is as ever beautifully original yet purely classical in its discreet but stylish elegance. If you like the great classical ballets of the past, like Giselle or Swan Lake, if you love John Cranko's amazing story ballets, like Onegin or The Taming of the Shrew; then you will adore John Neumeier's La Dame aux Camélias. I simply loved it and would recommend it whether one is a hopeless romantic or not!" (Musicweb International)

Extra features
Illustrated Synopsis. Cast gallery. Flashback to the Lady of camellias.