This short piece was, and remains, one of Roland Petit's most famous and iconic ballets. It is indeed a masterpiece, which even today packs a powerful emotional punch. Its unique finale, with Death leading away her new subject over the rooftops of Paris, is unforgettable. It's a pity that this 1967 version does not include the rooftops scene, it could have been stellar.
Rudolf Nureyev (as the unhappy young man) and Zizi Jeanmaire (as the vicious and callous lover who drives him to suicide) excel in one of the best performances it has been my pleasure to see. I'm also convinced that Jeanmaire remains THE ultimate performer for the female lover part. (Watch out for the scenes where her character hugs herself in sensual delight while debasing her toy-boy opponent. It is genuinely chilling.)
It is a strange thought that Jeanmaire, who was such a sensitive and accomplished ballerina, also performed in singing and dancing music hall numbers - some of them tolerable, others cheesy and grating. (If you've never seen these numbers, try and keep it this way. Your sanity will thank you.) Yet at the same time one gets the impression that she truly cherished and respected her art. The human soul is infinitely complicated...
Rudolf Nureyev (as the unhappy young man) and Zizi Jeanmaire (as the vicious and callous lover who drives him to suicide) excel in one of the best performances it has been my pleasure to see. I'm also convinced that Jeanmaire remains THE ultimate performer for the female lover part. (Watch out for the scenes where her character hugs herself in sensual delight while debasing her toy-boy opponent. It is genuinely chilling.)
It is a strange thought that Jeanmaire, who was such a sensitive and accomplished ballerina, also performed in singing and dancing music hall numbers - some of them tolerable, others cheesy and grating. (If you've never seen these numbers, try and keep it this way. Your sanity will thank you.) Yet at the same time one gets the impression that she truly cherished and respected her art. The human soul is infinitely complicated...
