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I had only seen this Nureyev production once before at Opera Bastille in December 1994 with the Kirov's Altynai Asylmuratova as a guest star partnered by Laurent Hilaire. As expected, Nureyev has beefed up the role of Prince Siegfried, who even has an extra solo full of jumps in the white Act 2 (before Odette's solo), in addition to his melancholy solo at the end of Act 1 which Nureyev choreographed in the 1960s and which was in the old Royal Ballet version prior to the present Dowell production. I have to say that whilst I have always liked the dreamy romantic solo Nureyev choreographed for Siegfried in Act 1, I find this Act 2 solo totally out of place in Act 2.

Also I have reservations about Nureyev's innovation of mirroring the double role of Odette/Odile with the dual role of the tutor Wolfgang and Rothbart danced by the same male dancer, which introduces a Freudian subtext. I found Rothabart's presence very obtrusive in the Black Swan pas de deux, as he has more partnering of Odile to do than in other productions. Strangely, I do not recall seeing a phantom of Odette appearing in the middle of the Black Swan pas de deux as in other versions.

Nevertheless, Nureyev retained Odette's mime passage early in Act 2 which is not in the Kirov production, and the sacrosanct Petipa/Ivanov choreography in this act. Nureyev completely rechoreographed the final Act 4, and his choreography here is quite interesting. The corps de ballet of swans is divided into quartets, alternating and gradually moving to the right side of the stage like a wave in a memorable passage. And the final pas de deux for Odette and Siegfried, before Rothbart snatches Odette away and ascends up the night sky, is quite moving.

In the Black act, the dancers wear proper character shoes for the national dances, instead of dancing en pointe like in some productions. However Nureyev's choreography is not superior to the authentic choreography in the Kirov production. The Mazurka and Czardas as danced by the Kirov Ballet (the only company in the world that has the right character dancers for this Black Act) are really a wonder of the world - the exhilaration is unforgettable.

My favourite of Nureyev's own choreography in this ballet is in Act 1. His eye-filling waltz was gorgeously danced in this performance. And Nureyev's Polonaise is danced only by male dancers, who are divided into four quartets. There is a noble harmony in this Polonaise which bespeaks of gentility and graciousness.

In the leading roles that night were Elisabeth Maurin and Manuel Legris. Legris was a fine Siegfried. But I have seen him in an even more superior technical form as Basilio in Nureyev's "Don Quixote" last December, and as the soloist in Jerome Robbins' "A Suite of Dances" in April.

Maurin, who has such beautiful feet en pointe, was a moving Odette. And in Odette's solo, her weighty ronds de jambe en l'air in the beginning effectively conveyed Odette's desperation. Maurin's Odile was competent.

Laurent Novis was the tutor Wolfgang/Rothbart. In the Act 1 pas de trois, Benjamin Pech dazzled with his double tours en l'air in both directions, each of which ending in a perfect fifth position. Clairemarie Osta and Delphine Moussin were Pech's partners. And the pas de quatre of the four cygnets was grandly danced; the four cygnets really covered a lot of ground with their pas de chats. The corps de ballet of swans was magnificent, second only to the incomparable corps of the Kirov Ballet.

The sumptuous Gothic interior of the Palace, which opens out onto the lake in the white acts, was designed by Ezio Frigerio. The tasteful costumes were designed by Franca Squarciapino. It was this same team who designed "La Bayadere", Nureyev's last production for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1992. Vello Pahn was an excellent conductor for this performance.