Ballet

By 1983, with the new romantic movement they'd sprung from a rapidly fading memory, the members of Spandau Ballet showed they had no intention of traveling the same path. Always ambitious, the British quintet really got down to business: Gone were the kilts, frilly shirts, and makeup – as well as the sometimes chilly electronics of their first two albums…

Parade was Spandau Ballet's follow-up to their most successful LP, 1983's True. "Only When You Leave" reached number three on the U.K. charts. The three other singles that were released do successively worse: "I'll Fly for You" (number nine), "Highly Strung" (number 15), and "Round and Round" (number 19)…

In his ballets the great Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev continues the long and famous tradition of Russian ballet music, which culminated in the immortal ballets of Tchaikovsky (Nutcracker, Swan Lake). Prokofiev’s genius for characterisation produced such classical “hits” as the Montagues & Capulets (often used in films, commercial and even sporting events!), and the Love Scene of Romeo and Juliet. Also the Cinderella-Waltz from the Cinderella Suite became an evergreen. The ballet Stone Flower is the last Soviet ballet Prokofiev wrote, and although it is little known, it contains music of great beauty and power on an equal level as the famous ballets.

The much sought-after young American cellist John-Henry Crawford joins forces with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and conductor Martin West for his latest recording, featuring Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme and Dvořák's beloved Cello Concerto.

An excellent round-up of the 15 hit singles that, between late 1980 and fall 1984, saw Spandau Ballet transcend every prediction ever levelled at their music, and establish themselves among the most versatile British bands of their era. From the utterly convincing white boy Funk of the early "To Cut A Long Story Short", "The Freeze", "Musclebound" and "Chant No 1", through the bodyswerve to ballad-ville that ushered in the age of "True" and "Gold", and onto the near-anthemic guitar pop of "Only When You Leave" and "Highly Strung", The Singles Collection suffers only from its failure to tell the tale in strict chronological fashion.

Paris Opera Ballet’s production of La Bayadère was recorded in May 1994 at the Palais Garnier in High Definition. This exceptional and critically acclaimed production of La Bayadère is the fully restored version of this classic Kirov ballet, the last work choreographed for the Paris Opera Ballet by Rudolf Nureyev before his tragic death in 1993.

Ballet is not a form for which British composers are generally known, but this CD includes four dance works by Malcolm Arnold: two of the composer's complete shorter ballets, Rinaldo and Armida and Electra, as well as suites from two of his longer ballets, Homage to the Queen and Sweeny Todd, performed with impressive enthusiasm by the BBC Philharmonic under Rumon Gamba and recorded in imposed digital sound by Chandos.

Cuban Superstar Carlos Acosta dances Romeo in Kenneth Macmillan’s timeless version of the Shakespeare/Prokofiev Classic Ballet ‘Romeo & Juliet.’ In this perennial favourite, Carlos Acosta dances alongside his regular partner, the Spanish ballerina, Tamara Rojo – a celebrated stage partnership which currently has no equal. The drama of the doomed lovers is set against the ravishing sets and costumes designs of Nicholas Georgiadis.

In November 2013, Lang Lang and the internationally acclaimed choreographer Stanton Welch teamed up to explore a new collaboration by combining a live piano recital with a live ballet performance. The result is The Chopin Dance Project. The performances took place at the renowned Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris, France, over four evenings with sixteen dancers from the Houston Ballet, one of the largest and most prestigious ballet companies in the U.S. Stanton Welch s choreography is build upon a selection of piano music by Chopin, chosen by Lang Lang for its visual nature and dance potential. The eighty-five-minute film captures the complete performance and offers an opportunity to relive an unforgettable live experience.