Illusions : Like Swan Lake

Illusions : Like Swan Lake

Created in 1976 by John Neumeier for the Hamburg Ballet “Illusions like Swan Lake” transposes the magic of Petipa and Ivanov ballet in the castles of Ludwig II of Bavaria. This sensitive king, obsessed by the swan symbolic, drowned himself in the lake of Berg Castle.

Following this background, the American choreographer created relevant links between Prince Siegfried from the ballet, Louis II and Tchaikovsky. As a tormented man, the composer was also fleeing reality. Conceived as a deep mise en abyme, the ballet describes withdrawal that relentlessly leads to madness.

Soloist Jiri Bubenicek stars as the King with Anna Polikarpova as Odette, Elizabeth Loscavio as Natalia and the Corps de Ballet of the Hamburg Ballet.

Unavailable on video for many years this edition is filmed by John Neumeier. It contains interviews and personal off-commentary of the ballet by the choreographer.

Illusions : Like Swan Lake [DVD]

Music : Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

The King : Jiri Bubenicek
The Shadow : Carsten Jung
Natalia : Elizabeth Loscavio
Odette : Anna Polikarpova
Claire : Silvia Azzoni
Alexander : Alexandre Riabko
The Queen Mother : Anna Grabka
Prince Leopold : Lloyd Riggins
Siegfried : Jacek Bres
Speaker : Peter Dingle

Hamburg Ballet

Choreography : John Neumeier

Sets and costumes : Jürgen Rose

Hamburg Symphonic Orchestra
Solo violin : Stefan Czermak

Conductor : Vello Pähn