La Bayadère ballet. Music by Ludwig Minkus orchestrated by John Lanchbery. Choreographed by Natalia Makarova after Marius Petipa. Recorded 2009 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Tamara Rojo (Nikiya), Carlos Acosta (Solor), Marianela Nuñez (Gamzatti, the Rajah's daughter) Gary Avis (The High Brahmin), Christopher Saunders (Rajah), Kenta Kura (Maghaveya, the Head Fakir), Genesia Rosato (Aya, Gamzatti's servant), Valeri Hristov (Solor's friend), and José Martin (The Bronze Idol). Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani, Francesca Filpi, and other artists of the Royal Ballet are the D'Jampe Dancers.  Other dancers are Yuhui Choe, Iohna Loots, Emma Maguire, Samantha Raine, Helen Crawford, Nathalie Harrison, Hikaru Kobayashi, Laura McCullough, Johannes Stepanek, and Lauren Cuthbertson. Valeriy Ovsyanikov conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (concert masters are Peter Manning and Peter Schulmeister). Set designs by Pier Luigi Samaritani; costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend; lighting by John B. Read; revival staging by Olga Evreinoff; ballet master was Christopher Saunders; ballet mistress was Ursula Hageli; principal coaching by Alexander Agadzhanov and Olga Evreinoff; dance notator was Anna Trevien; film direction by Ross MacGibbon; film produced by Ferenc van Damme. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

Romeo and Juliet ballet. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. Libretto by Leonid Lavrovsky and  Sergei Prokofiev. Staged 2009 by Monika Mason at the Royal Opera House based on original choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky as later revised by Kenneth McMillian. Stars Tamara Rojo (Juliet), Carlos Acosta (Romeo), José Martín (Mercutio), Thiago Soares (Tybalt), Yohei Sasaki (Benvolio), David Pickering (Paris), Christopher Saunders (Lord Capulet), Elizabeth McGorian (Lady Capulot), Laura Morera (Head Harlot), Sian Murphy (Junior Harlot), Isabel McMeekan (junior Harlot), Gary Avis (Escalus, Prince of Verona), Christina Arestis (Rosaline), Sandra Conley (Nurse), Alastair Marriott (Friar Laurence/Lord Montague), and Francesca Filpi (Lady Montague). Boris Gruzin conducts the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. Designs by Nicholas Georgiadis; lighting by John B. Read; directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon; produced by Francesca Kemp. Released 2009, disc has 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: A+

Romeo and Juliet ballet. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. Libretto by Leonid Lavrovsky and Sergei Prokofiev. Staged 2012 at the Royal Opera House based on choreography by Kenneth MacMillian. Stars Lauren Cuthbertson (Juliet), Federico Bonelli (Romeo), Alexander Campbell (Mercutio), Bennet Gartside (Tybalt), Dawid Trzensimiech (Benvolio), Valeri Hristov (Paris), Christopher Saunders (Lord Capulet), Christina Arestis (Lady Capulet), Gary Avis (Escalus, Prince of Verona), Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani (Rosaline), Kristen McNally (Nurse), Christopher Newton (Friar Laurence/Lord Montague), Sian Murphy (Lady Montague), Leanne Cope, Elsa Godard, Elisabeth Harrod, Emma Mcguire, Romany Pajdak, Sabina Westcombe (Juliet's Friends), Itziar Mendizabal, Laura McCulloch, Samantha Raine (Three Harlots), James Hay, Paul Kay, Ludovic Ondiviela, Andrej Uspenski, James Wilkie, Valentino Zucchetti (Mandolin Dance). Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Lighting design by John B. Read; staging by Monica Mason and Christopher Saunders; Ballet Master Christopher Saunders; Ballet Mistress Ursala Hageli; coaching by Lesley Collier and Jonathan Cope; directed for film by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: B+

Giselle ballet. Music by Adolphe Adam to libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges & Théophile Gautier. Choreography by Marius Petipa. Staged 2006 by Peter Wright at the Royal Opera House. Stars Alina Cojocaru (Giselle), Johan Kobborg (Count Albrecht), Marianela Nuñez (Myrtha), Martin Harvey (Hilarion), Richard Ramsey (Wilfred), Sandra Conley (Berthe), David Drew (Duke of Courland), Genesia Rosato (Bathilde), Alastair Marriott (Leader of the Hunt), Laura Morera, Ricardo Cervera, Gemma Sykes, Victoria Hewitt, Bennet Gartside, Kenta Kura (Pas de Six), Deirdre Chapman (Moyna), and Isabel McMeekan (Zulme) as well as artists of the Royal Ballet. Boris Gruzin conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Sergey Levitin).  Design by John Macfarlane; lighting by Clare O'Donoghue based on Jennifer Tipton; staging by Christopher Carr; TV direction by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2009, disc has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: A-

Nutcracker ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Original choreography by Helgi Tomasson. Performed 2007 by the San Francisco Ballet at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. Stars Elizabeth Powell (Clara), Davit Karapetyan (Nutcracker Prince), Damian Smith (Uncle Drosselmeyer), David Arce (Mouse King), Yuan Yuan Tan (Snow Queen), Pierre-François Vilanoba (Snow King), Vanessa Zahorian (Sugar Plum Fairy), Maria Kochetkova (Grand Pas de Deux Ballerina), Nicolas Blanc (Chinese Man); and Sarah Van Patten (Genie). Martin West conducts the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. Set design by Michael Yeargan; costumes by Martin Pakledinaz; lighting by James F. Ingalls; projection designs by Wendall K. Harrington. Directed for film by Matthew Diamond; Audio Producer was Adam Abeshouse; Executive Producer was Havid Horn. Disc has especially valuable extras. Released in 2009, disc has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: A+

Mayerling ballet. Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan. Music by Franz Liszt as arranged and adapted by John Lanchbery. Performed 2009 at the Royal Opera House.  Stars Edward Watson (Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary), Mara Galeazzi (Baroness Mary Vetsera, Rudolf's mistress), Iohna Loots (Princess Stephanie, Rudolf's wife), William Tuckett (Emperor Franz Josef of Austria, Rudolf's father), Cindy Jourdain (Empress Elisabeth, Rudolf's mother), Sarah Lamb (Marie Larisch, Rudolf's ex-mistress), Elizabeth McGorian (Baroness Helena Vetsera, Mary's mother), Steven McRae (Bratfisch, Rudolf's driver and entertainer), Ursula Hageli (Archduchcess Sophie, mother of Franz Josef), Laura Morera (Mitzi Caspar, a high-class prostitute and Rudolf's regular mistress), Gary Avis (Colonel Middleton, lover of the Empress), Sergei Polunin, Bennet Gartside, Yohei Sasaki, Thomas Whitehead (four Hungarian officers), Elizabeth Sikora (Katerina Schratt, a friend of the Emperor),  Paul Stobart (Alfred Grünfeld, a pianist), Alastair Marriott (Count Taafe, Prime Minister), Johannes Stepanek (Count Hoyos, Rudolph's friend), Romany Pajdak (Princess Louise, Stephanie's sister), David Pickering (friend of Rudolf), Sian Murphy (Princess Gisela, Rudolf's elder sister), Francesca Filpi (Princess Valerie, Rudolf's younger sister), Leanne Cope (Princess Valerie as a child), Mara Galeazzi (Mary Vetsera as a child); Michael Stojko (Rudolf's valet), Ernst Meisner (Count Larisch), and other artists of the Royal Ballet. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Associate Concert Master Ania Safonova). Designs by Nicholas Georgiadis; scenario by Gillian Freeman; lighting by John B. Read; staging by Grant Coyle, Monica Mason, and Monica Parker. Produced and directed by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

Ondine ballet. Choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton to a score by Hans Werner Henze. Performed 2009 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Miyako Yoshida (Ondine), Edward Watson (Palemon), Genesia Rosato (Berta), Ricardo Cervera (Tirrenio), and Gary Avis with Mara Galeazzi, José Martin, Helen Crawford, Samantha Raine, Brian Maloney, Sergei Polunin (Act III Divertissement) and other artists of the Royal Ballet. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Mannig). Solo piano by Robert Clark. Designs by Lila de Nobili; lighting by John B. Read; staging by Christopher Carr and Grant Coyle; ballet mistress Ursula Hageli; principal coach Jonathan Cope; directed for TV by Ross McGibbon. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A