Two Frederick Ashton ballets in one exquisite evening performance. Principals Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae dance Ashton’s Rhapsody, created for the Royal Ballet in 1980 by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lesley Collier, with spectacular choreography to suit the dancers’ star reputations.

Lauren Cuthbertson and Vadim Muntagirov lead a charismatic cast in Ashton’s poignant and heart-warming reflection on Love, The Two Pigeons, based on an old French folk tale and first performed on Valentine’s Day 1961. These two ballets by the company’s founder choreographer capture the Royal Ballet’s famous skill and distinctive style. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in the rapturous Rachmaninov and Messager scores.

‘… Steven McRae… cutting tremendous shapes in the air, wrapping the score round himself…’ - Financial Times ★★★★★

Extra features:
Includes an introduction to Rhapsody, an introduction to Two Pigeons, exploring the choreography of The Two Pigeons and a cast gallery.

Cast:
Rhapsody:
- Natalia Osipova
- Steven Mcrae
The Two Pigeons:
- The young girl: Lauren Cuthbertson
- The young man: Vadim Muntagirov
- A gypsy girl: Fumi Kaneko
- Her lover: Ryoichi Hirano

Running time: 118 minutes
Sound format: LPCM & DTS Master Audio 5.1