Giselle / Dutch National Ballet by KULTUR VIDEO

The ballet, the dancers, the music were all outstanding! The only thing that I didn't like about it was the camera. Mostly, the camera work was very good. But, there were far too many tight close ups of the dancers. It was as though the cameramen didn't understand that we weren't there to see facial expressions and make-up. We were there to see artistry, footwork, choreography and it's overall pattern, plus to soak up the culture and romance of the story being cold. A couple of close ups would have been OK, but there were too many of them.

I had seen some clips of Svetlana Lunkina's Giselle. One year ago this DVD was not available in the US. I left a comment on amazon.uk. When this DVD is published with DVD region code 1, I just simply bought it. I love Svetlana Lunkina's Giselle very much. She is a natural and light dancer. She continues Ulanova's tradition to dance as a pure, innocent and light Giselle. She is the best Giselle after Galina Ulanova, Ekaterina Maximova (Bolshoi Ballet). Hope this great tradition can go on forever. In Act II Svetlana Lunkina's technique and performance is almost perfect. She is like a piece of cloud, even lighter than Alina Cojocaru. Her dancing is not to jump high, but only move as air flowing. A Beautiful Giselle!

I am very disappointed with this performance. The Act II Willis part has been truncated and I am very sorry to say it but Maria Allash is not a Myrtha, she cannot jump a foot from the ground and in addition to the two Willis variations are missing. Also the BD stars automatically, it does not give you an opportunity to adjust the settings. And when it is finished the disc goes in a loop and starts all over again.

This is a nice clean recording, especially attractive in blu-ray. I first saw the Bolshoi in 1959 at the old Met in NYC. Whatever else one may choose to say and despite their troubles over the decades since then, they seem to me consistent in their aim to put on stage a performance that is transcendent for the audience. In 1959 a sophisticated Manhattan audience was left in a such a state of excitement that no one seemed willing to leave the theatre to encounter the real world outside. Many were openly weeping, cascades of flowers were thrown on the stage. It may have had something to do with the Cold War, but we also learned that the Russians have a passion for life and love that can sweep an audience into another world. We applauded continuously for more than forty minutes, Plisetskaya came out for one curtain call after another, obviously moved by the passion of the audience response as we had been moved by the intensity of the drama she and the rest of the company had created onstage. The real world seemed pale for days after.In time I came to see in Bolshoi performances that appeared on Laser Disc a resemblence to the great films of the silent era.Ballet is, or once was the telling of a story without the words. Today dance is more an exercise in abstract motion, divorced from narration or any deep emotion. In that context the Bolshoi, the Russian approach to theatre can seem dated .However,here's nothing dated in the performance on this disc. It's a bright, clean 21st century staging, well lit, populated by a bright young cast.The folks at the Bolshoi have been attentive to what has been happening at the Paris Opera ballet. Giselle's friends are not so much peasant harvest girls as an expensively dressed chorus line. The same goes for the the attendants in the aristocraticretinue. This gives the first act an air of spectacle that may please some more than others. Svetlana Lunkina has the lookand lightness of motion that make for an appealing GIselle. Her lover is a more neutral figure.The second act is again well performed by chorus and principals but with little sense of a haunted forest populated by spirits not friendly to the two men who blunder into the scene. Maria Allash is another young dancer, whose blank expression as Myrtha suggests more a prom queen than an avenging Wili. Vitaly Biktimirov does well as the luckless Hans, who gets jilted in the first act, to then become the sole victim of twenty seven unforgiving females. This is not intended to be a negative review of the performance. The dancing is flawless if not always impassioned. The two leads seem more to live out their roles and their relationship as the second act unfolds. Lunkina has a bright future to grow into. If I have a reservation it would be with the orchestra, which often seems too comfortable with the music. Blame it on the conductor. Adolph Adam wrote a small masterpiece in a score which can powerfully underline the tragedy that takes place on the stage. It's in a class with Bernstein's music for West Side Story, which also doesn't let you off with a smile, a song and a dance.

I just have to agree with the other reviews written to date. I have six or seven versions of Giselle and this one rates high on the list of favorites for all the reasons cited by others. One to add to the library.

Sometimes, the Bolshoi can be a little stiff and formal, but this one is a little more intimate. I liked it.

very nice

Beautiful ballet. Good DVD. Arrived promptly.

This latest issue in the series of HD recordings from the Bolshoi Ballet was made in 2011 and brings their version of one of the most staple Romantic period ballets to our screens. In this case the choreography is by Grigorovich who has also created a memorable Spartacus and Nutcracker. The Bolshoi Ballet has always been renowned for their wonderful dancing, both solo and corps de ballet, so it is a pleasure to report that their return to recordings after an absence due to refurbishment has not resulted in any loss of their previous high standards.The setting is therefore completely traditional as one would expect and the stage backdrop and flats are of the previous high quality that one would also expect of this company. In Act 1 the backdrop is particularly beautifully painted and the chosen autumnal colours are picked up in the very lovely dresses and peasant clothing of the female and male members of the corps de ballet. The aristocratic court is appropriately luxurious and stylish and both the gamekeeper and Albrecht wear totally believable outfits in both acts. Giselle is delicate and waif-like as befits the story. Act 2 is appropriately devoid of light colours other than the traditional shimmering dresses of the Wilis and the mood is generally sombre throughout.Svetlana Lunkina makes a good Giselle and dances with skill and delicacy. Albrecht (Dmitry Gudanov) dances and acts his part with meaning in Act 1 and provides good support when required in Act 2. The unfortunate gamekeeper, Hans (Vitaly Biktimirov), equally acts and dances his role well and is summarily despatched by a very unforgiving Queen on the Wilis (Maria Allash) in Act 2. The Wilis rather steal the show in their famously renowned `danse des Wilis, which is performed with precision and grace.The whole production is filmed satisfyingly with an attractive blend of close and panoramic views, all of which benefit from the crispness of HD cameras. The sound is clear and full enabling all the orchestral detail to tell. It is presented in DTS-HD and stereo, my personal preferred option being for the DTS choice.This is a very good version as one would expect and comes into direct competition with the equally excellent version with the Royal Ballet on Opus Arte. Choice between the two could easily be made on the basis of personal preferences as regards individual artistes or ballet companies. In that regard I personally have a slight preference for Royal Ballet version as I find Alina Cojocaru as Giselle and Marianela Nunez as the Queen of the Wilis to be marginally more attractive as characterisations but there will be many who take the opposite view and prefer the Bolshoi version for similar reasons.Final choice therefore has to be very much a matter of personal taste with this ballet as otherwise both issues are very evenly matched. For that reason I feel that it is only fair to suggest the same 5 star grade for this performance that I gave to the other. In terms of this review please bear in mind that many purchasers often have strongly held personal preferences for particular artists/ ballet companies which, in these circumstances, must be beyond the scope of this review which can only be a general guide rather than a finite recommendation.In summary therefore, collectors interested in adding this ballet to their library of discs could choose either this Bolshoi version or the Royal Ballet version and be well satisfied with either as an 'only' choice or as part of a multiple version collection. Both offer grounds for serious consideration without a serious risk of disappointment.........................................Some dialogue from the comments section that may offer further help:An excellent Review, Ian! I had it on my Wish List, and your Review tipped the Scales in its favour!!Thank you.p.s. YOU are providing a Valued Service for True Afficionados of Music, Ballet and Opera on Blu-Ray, with your Interesting and Informative Reviews: I Rest My Case!! (see below)

Es un ballet en el que la partitura debe incidir potentemente en la tragedia que está desarrollándose ante nuestros ojos y así es en esta versión de Grigorovich (tomada en 'vivo' en 2011), que es bastante distinta de la que estamos acostumbrados en Occidente, con reducción de la pantomima y con desplazamientos de algunos números de baile, pero todo es tradicional y no una reinvención de algún atrevido coreógrafo intentando sustituir el ballet clásico por alguna mistificación moderna: cuando decimos que 'Giselle' u otra obra es un clásico, es porque es mágico y no por otra cosa. Esta versión es apropiadamente otoñal (acto I) y con un toque sombrío muy adecuado (acto II). Svetlana Lunkina tiene un gran carrera por delante y continúa la tradición de Galina Ulanova de representar una Giselle joven, pura, inocente y ligera y es probablemente la mejor desde Ekaterina Maximova. Tanto ella como los demás exhiben un baile soberbio en su precisión, atlético sin ser circense, aunque no apasionado. Dmitri Gudanov como Albrecht es aristocrático y elegante, más el caballero que el depredador seductor, y tiene sus momentos memorables con Lunkina. Tremenda bailarina es la vengadora Reina de las Willis (Maria Allash). El cuerpo de baile es excelente y arranca merecidos aplausos de la audiencia con frecuencia, pues donde aparecen prácticamente roban la escena. La orquesta del teatro del Bolshoi tiene esta partitura en sus venas y su director Pavel Klinichev tiene querencia por los tempi animados y la utilización de poco rubato y uno hubiera preferido a momentos algo más de expresividad romántica, pero ésto va a gustos. Los cámaras saben lo que hacen, el sonido es claro y rotundo y la imagen muy precisa con buenos y atractivos colores.

The choreography, music, sets and dancing were all fine, but it can't begin to compare with the production by the Dutch National Ballet in 2009, I believe. What ruined the performance for me was the idiotic audience that constantly interrupted the dancing with what can only be called a smattering of applause. They weren't even civilized enough to wait for the end of the particular dance. It was maddening.

Dès le lever du rideau, on note la simplicité zen du décor de Simon Virsaladze, une simple toile peinte.Premier personnage à entrer en scène, le Prince Albrecht, dont on ne peut pas dire que le brushing figé par la laque soit des plus naturels, est naturellement applaudi par le public du Bolchoï, toujours (trop ?) prompt à manifester son intérêt pour ce qu'il voit. Bien sûr, cela témoigne d'une réelle admiration pour la danse et les danseurs. Reste que les applaudissements entendus à l'arrière avec une installation 5.1 perturbent un peu trop souvent le message musical dans cet enregistrement.Dès qu'elle paraît en scène, Svetlana Lunkina propose une Giselle sensible mais peu expressive. Durant tout l'Acte I, sa danse est savamment contrôlée entre l'esquisse de pas et une expression plus ample. Le couple formé avec Dmitry Gudanov respire à l'unisson et sert au mieux la progression des sentiments. Le corps de ballet féminin, vêtu d'un beau dégradé de verts, lui apporte un contrepoint de qualité au long de cette première partie du ballet. Passons sur le collier de "perles" bling bling en verroterie 1er prix de chez Lidl, avec des "perles" grosses comme des balles de ping pong, qu'offre Bathilde à Giselle.Dans l'acte 2, côté décors, on frise le ridicule quand de petites lumières blanches et bleues se mettent à clignoter façon guirlande de Noël. On se demande alors ce qui peut bien épouvanter ce pauvre Hans dans cette manifestation qui tient davantage du mauvais goût que d'une forêt romantique hantée par les Wilis, ces jeunes filles mortes avant leur mariage. Heureusement l'effet est de courte durée et entre Myrtha.Maria Allash exprime la froideur qui caractérise le personnage sans aucun problème mais il lui manque une qualité essentielle : le don de nous transporter dans cet univers fantastique qui nimbe l'Acte II de Giselle. Plus de lié dans les mouvements apporterait sans doute une qualité supplémentaire au personnage. En outre, les retombées de sauts ne sont pas spécialement gracieuses. Bref, on ne retiendra pas grand-chose de cette incarnation banale.L'apparition de Giselle est en outre assez décevante. En effet, il y a bien peu d'imagination dans ce simple placement rapide de la danseuse devant la tombe. Comment alors imaginer qu'elle en sort ? Quoi qu'il en soit, le visage diaphane de Svetlana Lunkina nous fait oublier cette déconvenue, comme la précision technique demandée par la démonstration qui suit.L'arrivée romantique de Dmitry Gudanov revêtu d'une grande cape noire nous présente un danseur dont l'expression convainc bien mieux ici que son Albrecht de l'Acte I trop "amidonné". De plus ses qualités de partenaire renforcent ce sentiment par les très beaux portés qui scellent les retrouvailles avec Giselle. La triste fin de Hans, fort bien dansée en dépit de la surenchère d'énergie déployée, rappelle le traitement des rôles de "méchants" par Grigorovich.Pavel Klinichev dirige l'orchestre du Théâtre Bolchoï avec efficacité et l'introduction au second acte présente de bien beaux timbres. Mais il manque à cette direction la poésie requise pour nous émouvoir au-delà de l'académisme de l'écriture. De plus, on remarquera parfois de façon fugitive, un léger flottement quant à l'attention portée aux danseurs.De fait, tout n'est pas parfait dans cette Giselle du Bolchoï, mais les qualités et l'interprétation remarquable de Svetlana Lunkina méritent qu'on s'y arrête. Lunkina est une grande Giselle…Il n'en demeure pas moins que si ce spectacle constitue une superbe démonstration de virtuosité, l'émotion en est trop souvent absente. C'est académique, mais froid. Or, "Giselle" est un ballet PANTOMIME !Pour une version tout aussi bonne techniquement parlant, mais en plus "humaine", il faut se tourner vers la Scala de Milan et Svetlana Zakharova ou le Royal Ballet de Londres, surtout dans la captation de 2006 avec Alina Cojocaru et de splendides décors.

« Giselle » est sans doute le ballet le mieux servi par le film ou le DVD. Aux trois excellentes versions récentes par la Scala (avec Svetalana Zakharova), le Royal Ballet (Alina Cojocaru) et l'Opéra de Paris (Laëtitia Pujol) vient ainsi s'ajouter cette version du Bolchoï, qui me semble les égaler, avec des qualités différentes.Voici d'abord les quelques points sur lesquels ce spectacle pourrait être légèrement critiqué :- la chorégraphie est presque entièrement celle (classique) de Coralli, Perrot et Petipa, sauf dans quelques intermèdes du premier acte, où la main moderne de Youri Grigorovitch a ajouté une touche anachronique (l'entrée de Bathilde et de sa suite conviendrait davantage aux Capulet chez Prokofiev...)- les décors de Simon Virsaladze, réduits pour l'essentiel à des toiles peintes, sont assez réussis et évocateurs, mais ne peuvent rivaliser avec la splendeur que propose (par exemple) le Royal Ballet. Et les costumes semblent au premier acte un peu trop simples (ainsi, le collier qu'offre Bathilde à Giselle est tout bonnement grotesque, et ressemble à un alignement de boules de Noël !),- enfin, les deux principaux danseurs manquent un peu de charisme et d'expressivité purement dramatique, et sont en-deçà, pour ce qui est du théâtre (important dans ce ballet-pantomime), de leurs homologues de Paris, Londres ou Milan.Mais si le Bolchoï reste un cran en retrait sur le plan théâtral, il est vraiment au premier rang pour la danse. Tout ici est une magnifique démonstration de grand style classique. Chaque geste, chaque position de la tête ou des bras, tout semble travaillé et réfléchi pour atteindre la plus grande expressivité. Ainsi, le corps de ballet est remarquable de bout en bout (malgré d'infimes pertes de synchronisation). Le pas de deux des jeunes paysans, souvent fastidieux, est ici charmant, et dansé avec beaucoup de finesse. Mais surtout, le deuxième acte est sublime de fluidité et d'élégance. Dès l'apparition de Maria Allash (Myrtha), on est totalement conquis : hiératique et glaciale, elle est parfaite dans ce rôle difficile.Dimitri Gudanov (Albrecht) est très bon, et se montre un solide partenaire pour Svetlana Lounkina. Celle-ci, danseuse introvertie, mais au style très pur, se montre de plus en plus impressionnante au fil du ballet, et aucun mot ne saurait décrire la légèreté inégalable de son interprétation au deuxième acte.Enfin, dernier point nullement négligeable, le spectacle est filmé en haute définition par l'excellent réalisateur Vincent Bataillon, qui reste une bénédiction pour la danse filmée, et sait ne jamais charcuter un spectacle comme trop souvent ses confrères maldoués ou simplement ignares.