Adam - Giselle / Carla Fracci, Erik Bruhn, John Lanchbery, American Ballet Theatre

Being of a certain age, I saw these two luminaries of ballet history perform Giselle with American Ballet Theatre in 1967 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music - a never to be forgotten evening. This DVD captures the qualities that made those performances legendary. Erik Bruhn's nobility of line and clean technique, Fracci's ravishing second act, with her melting port de bras and weightlessness, her touching and unforced first act with its beautifully acted Mad Scene, are all here. Bruhn, at about 42, was at the end of his career here while Fracci, at about 30, was at the height of hers, but they work magically together. Fracci has a beautiful face but a less than beautifully muscled body compared to other ballerinas, yet somehow, her (I believe underrated) technique infuses all Giselle's movements with beauty. I respectfully disagree with the reviewer who preferred Fracci's first act to her second act. I think her second act here is stunning - as a TIMES reviewer once put it reviewing her "Giselle", "She touched the heart as well as the eye."To me she was not "cold and distant" as characterized by a reviewer below, but out of reach, as a ghost naturally is.Not to be overlooked is the late Toni Lander's marvellous Myrthe, Queen of the Wilis - all cold purpose and fine technique - Lander, who was Bruhn's countrywoman as well as his colleague, was a wonderful dancer and Myrthe's opening solo in Act II is a very difficult one.Ted Kivitt and Eleanor D'Antuono, ABT's home-grown soloists who did eventually become principal dancers with the company, are delightful in the Peasant Pas de Deux in Act I. Both went on to dance the leading roles in "Giselle" but received scant attention because of the presence in the company of superstars like Bruhn, Fracci, Makarova, and Baryshnikov. Kivitt's and D'Antuono's earnest, well-danced performances were no match for the charisma of the foreign stars that ABT imported. It was an unfair situation but one containing some inherent truth - Kivitt and D'Antuono simply lacked the top tier presence that allowed dancers like Bruhn and Fracci to command a stage, rather than merely to dance upon it. That said, it is nice to see Kivitt's and D'Antuono's genuine talents also preserved for posterity on this DVD.That's the good news. The bad news: the self-indulgent camera antics of a moron who thought that ballet lovers would really be interested in watching Erik Bruhn do one of his first-act variations from behind a jug instead of face on, or watching Carla Fracci's floating arms as a (poorly visible) reflection in a pool, all for the sake of "atmosphere". The cameraman who did it, and the director who allowed it, should both be hanged.Well, nothing is perfect. As ballet history alone, and as a record of legendary performers in roles they were justly famous for, this DVD is worth the price and the watching time. But how wonderful it would have been if someone with intelligence and taste had been around to restrain the egoism of the cameraman!

This studio performance of Giselle by the great team of Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn, with members of the ABT and the Berlin Opera Orchestra was recorded in 1968, but it looks like it was done only yesterday! I do not know exactly how Deutsche Grammophon accomplished this feat, but the image(full screen) and sound(DTS 5.1) are absolutely at the highest standard, even by today's strict digital degree of perfection(this is shot on film with the crisp images that it imparts). The dancing itself is by some of the ballet greats of recent history and so, this qualifies also as a classic performance( I know of no other case where these two qualities come together in one recording!). Fracci and Bruhn are at their very best here, and we can see why they are so well regarded by history. Great artists are able to perform by the usual classical standards, but in an indescribable way that makes their performance unique. The choreography is also excellent and complete with the peasant pas de deux included as well as all the second act variations. The part of Hilarion, danced by Bruce Marks, is also given very extensive choreography in the second act and he dances it very well.The orchestra, conducted by John Lanchbery, plays with fantastic depth of feeling and is a wonderful feature of this DVD.The camera work is something that has not been seen before, nor after. It is very unusual and distinctive for a ballet movie, even a dance-for-camera movie. It highlights the great acting and facial reactions by a variety of occasional closeups to the point where we can at times see the pores in their skin. Do not become alarmed that this is a problem. Most(85%) of the time the camera is used conventionally, but at other times it really draws us into the action as never before! In every ballet the camera sometimes leaves out a view of the steps, and that happens here a few times, but it is done to good effect and only repetitive steps are compromised by this, so you actually are not left wondering what is happening. The coverage of the corps de ballet is superb, using a variety of shots, including floor level views and closeups of the footwork. There are even a few shots from under a transparent floor. There are also a few outdoor shots, and the entrance of the royals is one of them, showing us how they ride through the woods on horseback(real horses and hounds!); This is the most extensive version of this scene in any Giselle performance that I know of.All in all, this is certainly one of the finest versions of Giselle on DVD, and suitable for all collections, whether it is your only Giselle, or added to your collection as a classic.

Great colors, angles, music....romantic and relaxing...Ballet at i's most classical in the great Russian tradition. A must on a rainy day!

This filming as this is indeed what it is, is not what I was expecting. The ballet is very good with great expression and dance, however some of the shots are appalling and you just quickly wish to by pass them which is a shame. Makes a change from a stage production, if you can ignore the poor patchy filming.

Questa versione di Giselle parte da una scenografia indovinata. Riesce a creare un ambiente in cui la fiaba è naturale. Quelle casette contadine fiorite, in mezzo a campi e prati, non possono che ospitare bellezza e grazia. La protagonista così appare, di più ancora nella sua innocente semplicità. Tutto si attaglia mirabilmente ad una giovane Carla Fracci, sembra che il balletto fosse composto per lei. Con passo alato, pieno di grazia espressiva, intreccia ogni danza verso la sua liberazione, per amore, oltre il destino. Erik Bruhn la supporta ottimamente, assieme all’American Ballet Theatre. L’Orchestra dell’Opera di Berlino garantisce, in ogni momento, il valore antologico di questa versione.

The director's attempt to make the ballet look less like a filmed stage production and more like a cinema film was horribly misguided - there are far too many shots of people eating and drinking, plus some truly bizarre scenes in which the Wilis are reflected in non-existent water - but on the whole it's a valuable record of a legendary Giselle/Albrecht partnership, that of Fracci and Bruhn. Although Bruhn was nearing the end of his dancing career when it was recorded his artistry shines through, as do his matinee idol good looks!

Dans les années 1960, la Deutsche Gramophon filma quelques ballets parmi les plus célèbres. La qualité de l'image est donc ici excellente, car il ne s'agit pas d'une image de télévision. La chorégraphie est la version classique de « Giselle », avec de beaux costumes et décors, plus élaborés que pour une version de scène, car pouvant être filmés sous tous les angles. Malheureusement, cette réussite visuelle est totalement gâchée par la réalisation. D'abord, l'exigüité du studio empêche la caméra de prendre du recul, et les rares plans d'ensemble sont alors filmés en plongée, ce qui constitue un point de vue absurde pour la danse. Le réalisateur achève le massacre en essayant d'être moderne :- gros plans de torses, de pieds, de bras, de figurants ou de corbeilles de fruits (pendant la danse !),- quelques plans essayent pitoyablement d'être psychédéliques,- danseurs filmés à travers des fenêtres, derrière des obstacles...Bref, rien ne nous est épargné de ce qui pourrait gâcher le spectacle.C'est dommage, car il y a ici de réelles qualités. La direction d'orchestre de John Lanchbery est dynamique, et les trois principaux danseurs ne sont pas les premiers venus. Dans le rôle d'Albrecht, le danseur danois Erik Bruhn, aux jambes de cigogne, manque terriblement de prestance princière. Mais, s'il n'est pas très puissant, sa technique est solide, et il se montre très précis, et même virtuose dans ses pirouettes ou lorsqu'il enchaîne les entrechats. La danoise Toni Lander (Myrtha) saute mal, mais maîtrise fort bien le reste de son rôle.Enfin, la grande ballerine italienne Carla Fracci est une intéressante Giselle. Elle non plus ne sait pas du tout sauter, si bien qu'elle élimine purement et simplement les grands jetés et autres sauts de l'acte II, qui sont habituellement dans la chorégraphie. Cette réserve mise à part, que de qualités ! Elle a la beauté romantique qui sied au personnage, se montre une remarquable tragédienne dans la scène de la folie (hélas largement gâchée par la réalisation). Surtout, elle danse de façon très précise, avec une vraie virtuosité sur pointes. Son interprétation est plutôt dynamique, sans que celui se fasse au détriment de la fluidité.Enfin, le corps de ballet et les autres solistes sont très corrects. Ce pourrait donc être une bonne version avec une meilleure réalisation.