Adam - Giselle / La Scala
by Alexandre Tarta
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DVD details
Actor: Alessandra Ferri, Isabel Seabra, Massimo Murru, Maurizio VanadiaDirector: Alexandre Tarta
Cinematographer: Bernard Girod
Editor: Alain Zerbib
Producer: Fran?ois Duplat
Writer: Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges
Writer: Th?ophile Gautier
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-01-16
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Adam - Giselle / La Scala
DVD Review: Admirable and sublime Giselle!
Summary: 5 Stars
Alessandra Ferri made an admirable performance starring the well known ballet. Her amazing contour, the sheerness, sweeping flair, emotive feature is supported by his formidable partner as well as the admirable choreography and overwhelming musical accompaniment.
I recommend it without reserves.
DVD Review: A triumph for Ferri--and Giselle
Summary: 4 Stars
Key to any superior performance of Giselle is a ballerina who knows how to act, and Ferri's acting (and dancing) illuminates not only Giselle but the entire ballet, letting us believe this peasant girl could love, forgive and redeem her royal cad. Her partner is not quite up to her standard, especially in his dancing, though this does not undermine the spirit that she has instilled in the ballet. The music is splendidly played by La Scala's orchestra, and, in general, this Italian production demonstrates again that the quality of lightness is essential to the successful portrayal of this difficult ballet. DVD Review: Tragic Camera work. Ferri still shines.
Summary: 4 Stars
The tragedy is that the most beloved moment of Giselle, when the Wilis cross each other like ships sailing in the night, (their long skirts fanned in a that stunning arabesque...) is utterly destroyed by the camera work. You cannot watch this scene unfold or be griped by the subtle crescendo, because the camera cuts over to the right, then back out, then a clip of a few ballerinas taken from the orchestra pit, and before you know it, you've missed it all. I purchased the DVD for love of this scene; what a shame.
Sometimes the beauty is the whole, not the parts, particularly when the Wilis dance. With so many stray close-ups, you really never come away with that sense that the Wilis embody one mind with 2-dozen pairs of toe shoes (which is part of what makes them so endearing). Likewise, in a pas de deux, when dancers cross each other and execute mirrored steps, having the camera zoom in one only one of them takes away the entire effect. Alessandra and the villager soloists are exceptional dancers. Albrecht, Myrtha and the Wilis are just mediocre in terms of talent. Nonetheless, being one of most recent version of Giselle on DVD (1996), the picture and sound and quality are superior to performances recorded in the 1960s, -70s or -80s. It contains a few nice touches, like the way Albrecht & Giselle stand close and almost kiss in Act I, and the way they embrace each other as part of the choreography coming out of a lift in Act II. This is the only version where Giselle's weak heart is portrayed prior to the mad scene. Also unique and poignant are the cold glares Albrecht receives 1) from his betrothed Bathilde and 2) from Giselle's mother upon the discovery of his deceit. Typically, Giselle's feeling of betrayal and humiliation is the only one presented, so this performance gains a great deal of substance by having Albrecht face the others whom he's cheated. You may want to own this version simply because of Alessandra Ferri (2nd cousin to Gumbi)!
DVD Review: A very solid recommendation
Summary: 4 Stars
If one is looking for a solid, traditional GISELLE, this is a good choice. The production is very beautiful, the sound is quite good and the performance of Ferri is lovely. I have some reservations about some of the camera work - for example in the important first moments of Giselle's mad scene, the camera cuts to a reaction shot of her lover and the court, and there are some other odd choices like that. Some of the Wili scenes would benefit from a wider camera shot as well. But given what is available on DVD, this is as fine a choice as you will find.DVD Review: Giselle In La Scala
Summary: 5 Stars
This 1996 production of the Romantic classic "Giselle" ballet was staged and performed for the opera theatre La Scala in Milan, Italy. The production stars Allesandra Ferri in the title role. This version is one of two I've seen that I feel are quite good as far as visually and choreography. There is another one which is obscure with another A-list ballerina who is more into character, especially in Giselle's Mad Scene and Death Scene. The dancers in this production are doing an excellent job and Allesandra Ferri as Giselle is suitable. What most grabs me abou this production is the visuals. The scenery and sets, costumes and the shots of La Scala's auditorium, with its lights, golden tiers and plush red carpets. La Scala is mostly an opera house but now and then they have ballets performed on stage. Giselle was originally a German fairy tale or folk tale. The male dancer Jules Perrot, who was the ballet instructor at the Paris Opera Ballet in the 19th century, decided to put the story into a ballet and choreographed the dances. Soon, it was enjoying great successes and all the lead ballerinas of the day were dancing the role. The role is still a very juicy and career-boosting opportunity for ballerinas today. Giselle tells the story of a village girl who is engaged to a village man. Her mother is the operator of a country inn. When Albrecht, a prince, comes to the village and the surrounding forest to hunt, he falls for Giselle. He does not reveal his identity and Giselle is under the impression he is a wealthy hunter. Hilarion, Giselle's husband-to-be, is jealous and bitter that Giselle has fallen for Albrecht. Hilarion soon tears off the mask of Albrecht's disguising. Not only is he a prince, but he is engaged to marry an aristocratic lady. When Giselle learns of the deception, she becomes insane and dies. That is only Act 1. Act 2 deals with Albrecht's mourning of Giselle and his encounter with the Willis, the ghosts of women dressed in white gowns the young virgins who died before their wedding day. They are lead by Martha or sometimes called Myrtha, the Queen of the Willis. Giselle is among them. When they threaten to kill Albrecht, Giselle intervenes and saves him. But they can never be together as they inhabit different worlds - Albrecht the world of the living and the day and Giselle the world of the dead and the night. The ballet was considered the first true Romantic ballet-blanc, originating the tradition of ballerinas in the corps wearing white. Later, this would be seen in La Bayadere and most prominently in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
Description of Adam - Giselle / La Scala
The internationally acclaimed Italian prima ballerina Alesandra Ferri stars in La Scala's gloriously traditional new production of this much-loved classic, the most celebrated ballet of the Romantic era. Massimo Murru takes the role of Albrecht, whose duplicity drives Giselle to madness and causes her to die of a broken heart. Choreographed by Patrice Bart of the Paris Opera Ballet, this production recreates in Angelo Sala's sets and costumes the designs of the great Alexexandre Benois, famous for his work with Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. 110 minutes.Educational DVDs
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