SUMMER SONATA – A FESTIVAL OF OPERA, BALLET AND CONCERT FILMS

Spartacus (92 min; dvd)
Ballet by Yuri Grigorovich
With Vladimir Vasiliev, Natalia Bessmertnova, Maris Liepa, Nina Timofeyeva (The Bolshoi Ballet 1977)

Music: Aram Khachaturian 
Conductor: Algis Zhuratis

“The inherent cinematic approach in Grigorovich’s staging of Khachaturian’s score falls perfectly in place. Vladimir Vasiliev, as the slave who leads an unsuccessful revolt against the Romans, dances and acts at a heroic level that is the performance of a lifetime. …. It is also one of the best dance films ever made.” Anna Kisselgoff (The New York Times)

Introduced by Samaresh Chatterji

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