Does anyone think Khatchaturian's 'Spartacus' fits in this category? The Knipper link,somehow,led me to it. Khatchaturian's scenario is so big and on such a grand scale,yet allot of the music is so kitsch And let's face it the score is desperately uneven,to say the least. Yet,looking at the Bolshoi ballet strutting their stuff,for me,at least, he somehow manages to bring it off. All,all those bare muscular torso's,not to mention the make up,costumes and sets straight out of an old Hollywood biblical epic are just asking for ridicule,('camp',is a good word for it),yet somehow or other that's what makes it so good,in a ridiculous,tacky,portentous kind of way. As an admirer of Khatchaturian's best work,I really do think 'Spartacus' is magnificent in an awful kind of way. (Although,it has to be said that the best bit's of 'Spartacus' are on a higher level of inspiration than Knipper's Fourth).
Mind you,allot of that is due to the skill of the choreographers and the dancers. Indeed,looking at the video's made me realise that Khatchaturian's 'Spartacus' really does need to be seen AND heard,in order to be fully appreciated.
