The Sleeping Beauty . La Belle Au Bois Dormant . Dornröschen

Released in the mid-1970s, this recording of Tchaikovsky’s 'The Sleeping Beauty' represents a significant entry in Decca’s ambitious project to document the composer's major ballet scores under the baton of Richard Bonynge. Bonynge, a champion of the Romantic ballet repertoire, sought to restore the drama and nuance often overlooked in smaller-scale concert performances by utilizing the National Philharmonic Orchestra to achieve a lush, expansive sound that honored the original Russian theatrical traditions.

The production is notable for its attention to orchestral color and rhythmic precision, aiming to balance the symphonic complexity of Tchaikovsky's writing with the fluid requirements of a dance-focused narrative. Upon its release, the recording was praised by critics for its vivid stereo imaging and Bonynge's dedicated, balletic approach to the score, which cemented the set's reputation as a standard-setting interpretation for both serious ballet enthusiasts and orchestral collectors.