25 replies to this topic

[DSanderson]

Over the weekend, I watched the POB La Sylphide (TDK) and was absolutely delighted by the performance. I'll leave it to the experts to go into the finer points, but I thought Aurelie Dupont and Mathieu Ganio were excellent.

The DVD comes with a bonus feature "La Syphide Rediscoved" that includes interviews with Pierre Lacotte, Aurelie Dupont, and Mathieu Ganio.

Has anyone else had a chance to watch this?

Dana

[Mrs. Stahlbaum]

I just got my copy, too. I absolutely loved it. I bought it, not expecting too much. All I knew about La Sylphide was that it was not to be confused with Les Sylphides and that it had kilts and sylphs in it. I figured it was a necessary part of my ballet education to see it even if I wasn't going to fall in love with it. I was wrong.

I am not really qualified to comment on the finer points of the dancing either, but it looked good to me. I was impressed with Aurelie Dupont who was a beautiful sylph and so different from her portrayal of Kitri (which I also loved). I loved all the flying around the stage and I understand that the Paris Opera is a particularly good stage to accomodate the flying.

The whole production just seemed very magical and romantic to me.

[art076]

I understand, though, that this is not the Bournonville version but rather the Lacotte version. Can anyone elaborate on the differences between the two versions, and if the difference makes the DVD any less worth buying?

[Estelle]

Here is a link to a previous thread (in the "Ballet history" forum) about Taglioni's and Bournonville's versions of "La Sylphide":

http://ballettalk.in...topic=18917&hl=

[DSanderson]

The whole production just seemed very magical and romantic to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Magical and romatic - that's the perfect way to describe it, in my opinion. For the most part, I've been very impressed with all the Paris Opera Ballet videos I've seen, even the somewhat maligned Romeo and Juliet.

[Estelle]

DSanderson (welcome on Ballet Talk, by the way ! ), have you seen the 1972 POB video of Lacotte's production of "La Sylphide" (Paul Parish mentioned it in the thred I linked) ? It is a bit old, but Thesmar's dancing is quite marvellous (I haven't seen the Dupont-Ganio version yet).

[bart]

Thanks, DSanderson. I've wanted to see a non-Danish Sylphide for quite a while. Just ordered it from the Amazon link on Ballet Talk.

[atm711]

I have a copy and it's a very handsome production. I only wished they had two more experienced dancers in the leading roles---this, I understand, was the first time for both of them. (after viewing it, I went scurrying back to view my clips of Bruhn and Fracci . I really prefer Bournonville's version. The POB version rambles on too much in Act 2---at times, I didn't know if I was watching the Willies in Giselle or Les Sylphides. The beautifully staged ending of the ballet is worth the price of the DVD---the Sylphide is carried aloft in a hammock of white gauze, held by two Sylphs....Ah.....

[Alexandra]

The beautifully staged ending of the ballet is worth the price of the DVD---the Sylphide is carried aloft in a hammock of white gauze, held by two Sylphs....Ah.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As a Bournonville partisan I have to jump in and say -- they do that in Denmark, too.

I haven't seen this DVD but I'll put it on my list. It's a shame they didn't film Platel; there's a smidgeon of her dancing on the "Etoiles" DVD and it made me want to see more.

I don't care for the Lacotte reconstruction -- or reimagining, really, since he had to make up a lot of iit -- but the older filming, with Theismar and Denard, has Effy and the Scots girls on pointe, which just wouldn't have happened in 1832. The whole "point" of the Sylph being on pointe is that she was otherworldly.

[chrisk217]

The whole "point" of the Sylph being on pointe is that she was otherworldly.

I see your point, but can we really go back to the time when the audience was "pointe-innocent"? We have seen so much pointe work that we now consider it a quite normal part of ballet language.

I have also ordered this. The Thesmar Derard Sylphide is one of my favorite videos and I can't wait to compare the two...

[DSanderson]

DSanderson (welcome on Ballet Talk, by the way ! ), have you seen the 1972 POB video of Lacotte's production of "La Sylphide" (Paul Parish mentioned it in the thred I linked) ? It is a bit old, but Thesmar's dancing is quite marvellous (I haven't seen the Dupont-Ganio version yet).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the welcome, Estelle! This new La Sylphide video is the first I've seen, and I look forward to tracking down the older one. Paul Parrish's description is certainly intriguing.

Dana

[Marc Haegeman]

The whole "point" of the Sylph being on pointe is that she was otherworldly.

I see your point, but can we really go back to the time when the audience was "pointe-innocent"? We have seen so much pointe work that we now consider it a quite normal part of ballet language.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We don't really need to go back to anything, do we? The Bournonville version doesn't have the girls on pointe and it's considered "normal" there.

It's great to have this DVD-release of the POB, but it's a shame it wasn't filmed a few years earlier when we could have had Elisabeth Platel or Monique Loudières in the title role and Manuel Legris as James. I remember when this film was shot, last summer, the company wasn't in its best form.

[Joseph]

I can't wait to get it!

[Estelle]

It's great to have this DVD-release of the POB, but it's a shame it wasn't filmed a few years earlier when we could have had Elisabeth Platel or Monique Loudières in the title role and Manuel Legris as James. I remember when this film was shot, last summer, the company wasn't in its best form.

Oh, I regret so much having never seen Loudières and Legris in that ballet (and also in many other ballets)... And I only saw Platel in her farewell performance, and it was a great evening. It is a good thing that the POB seems to want to film more performances now, but it's a pity that a whole generation of dancers isn't shown much in videos (e.g. almost nothing with Elisabeth Maurin, only "Les Noces" and Gamzatti for Platel, only Pétrouchka and R & J for Loudières, etc.)

[chrisk217]

We don't really need to go back to anything, do we?  The Bournonville version doesn't have the girls on pointe and it's considered "normal" there.

I just meant that the effect of pointe on a modern audience cannot be the same. That is true of the Bournonville Sylphide also.

It's great to have this DVD-release of the POB, but it's a shame it wasn't filmed a few years earlier when we could have had Elisabeth Platel or Monqiue Loudières in the title role and Manuel Legris as James. I remember when this film was shot, last summer, the company wasn't in its best form.

I'm not so sure about this but, I remember having heard of a Platel and Legris Sylphide film existing. Has anyone heard of this or is my memory playing tricks?