Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Recommended Posts

I received my copy of the new Bolshoi Giselle dvd in the mail the other day and watched it. During another topic I discussed my dislike of Simon Virsaladze's Raymonda designs. I sort of feel the same way about his Giselle, although it is better than the Raymonda.

I have never seen Mediterranean Spanish style shingles on houses in a Giselle production before. Maybe this version is set in Spain or Italy. I think of Giselle as a Northern European story, so I was surprised to see that. During the second act we see cheap multi-colored Christmas lights twinkling to let us know that Myrtha and the Willis are coming. I was shocked how cheesy it looked. This is the Bolshoi! Christmas lights from WalMart should not be the signal for Myrtha! LOL Bathilde always gives Giselle a necklace, but in this version she gives her tacky disco ball Mardi Gras beads from the looks of it. This has got to be the ugliest necklace in any Giselle production ever. It really looks like a complete joke. I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought I was in New Orleans trying to catch beads!

One of the worst camera moments is that when Giselle starts the Spessivtseva variation, the camera is not showing her feet during the first balance. That was irritating. Otherwise, most camera angles did not bother me.

Svetlana Lunkina was great for the most part, although she is ultra serious. Even her bows at the end are so serious. I think this works both for and against her in this role. Giselle is a very sensitive character, so she should be somewhat serious, but I like the first act Giselle to have a bit more love of life and more happiness. I think her Mad Scene had the same ups and downs. At moments she seemed madder than most Giselles and at other moments too thought out and contrived. I can not fault her dancing though. It was wonderful. Her seriousness also keeps her from seeming otherworldly and strong in the second act (strong in defending Albrecht against Myrtha). I have to say that I would still see her in a heartbeat if she were dancing Giselle near me (this is a top notch dancer worth seeing), but for a dvd we always hope to be totally transported.

Dmitry Gudanov gets better and better as the show progresses. In his solo variation during the 2nd act he really turned it on.

I feel like Gudanov and Lunkina excelled at making Giselle look like she's actually flying in this video. This part of the video is really magical. The effect is wonderful. Lunkina continues this when she does the thing where Giselle is hopping sort of in a backbend (maybe someone else knows the official term for this move).

The peasant odd was very nice. I especially liked Chinara Alizade. Andrey Bolotin was pretty good too but not quite as good as Alizade, I thought.

One big disappointment is Myrtha's entrance. She sort of does the walk/dance thing that happens in ballet when crossing the stage. No bourees as she enters. Overall, Maria Allash is a decent Myrtha but not commanding or threatening or scary, but she does dance well. I suspect Griogorovich is to blame for the absence of bourees at her entrance. Does anyone know? When she leaves at the end of the ballet she bourees, so Allash can bouree just fine.

Cristian (CubanMiamiBoy) showed me the Alicia Alonso Giselle (which I later bought) where Giselle holds a flower and Albrecht leaps and grabs it. This is done instead of the more common version in which flowers are thrown on the ground and he just picks them up. Well, Cristian told me that many years ago the great Albrechts would leap as Giselle throws the flower into the air, and they would catch the flower in mid-air. This Bolshoi version looks like they were trying to do this, but Gudanov wasn't able to time the leap with the flower or maybe she simply throws it and he doesn't catch it in the Bolshoi version, but to me it looked like a holdover from times gone by b/c when she threw it up in the air it looked for a second like he might run and jump and grab it. Maybe one day we will see something that spectacular! That would bring down the house!

Anyway, I enjoyed the video overall. I don't know if it should ever be someone's only Giselle. But it is enjoyable. A good, solid performance but not transporting.....I notice that new videos are often very well priced when you pre-order. I got this for around $20 on Amazon. I think once it comes out the price actually goes up. But even at $29.99 (the current price I see listed) it is still cheaper than most seats in the house. This is how I condone buying another dvd.

Link to comment

I have never seen Mediterranean Spanish style shingles on houses in a Giselle production before. Maybe this version is set in Spain or Italy. I think of Giselle as a Northern European story, so I was surprised to see that.

I haven't seen this DVD, so I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing, but you see the red tile roofs all over central Europe. Google-image for cities like Prague or Tallin and you'll see them.

Link to comment

I have never seen Mediterranean Spanish style shingles on houses in a Giselle production before. Maybe this version is set in Spain or Italy. I think of Giselle as a Northern European story, so I was surprised to see that.

I haven't seen this DVD, so I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing, but you see the red tile roofs all over central Europe. Google-image for cities like Prague or Tallin and you'll see them.

Okay, I take your word for it. I lived in Germany and Austria 20 years ago and even visited Prague and I don't remember those tiles, but I might not have paid close attention. I associate those tiles more with Italy where I noticed them everywhere, but my memory may be faulty. My sister died suddenly (in the U.S.) when I was living in Austria, and so I have never been back to Europe, but for a while I was going almost every year. I've never experienced the Euro and only knew the different currencies. That's how long it's been, so I am sure my memory is wrong.

So I will backpedal and apologize to Simon Virsaladze since I doubted his knowledge of roof shingles! LOL I don't mean to pick on his designs. But I don't agree with some of his choices.

Link to comment

I just rented the dvd of "Giselle" with Svetlana Lunkina and Dmitry Gudanov and have only watched from the entry of Giselle in the second Act several times.

What a *Gorgeous* performance Svetlana Lunkina gives !

A very fine performance from Dmitry Gudanov as well.

I'll probably be buying this dvd as soon as possible.

Link to comment

Svetlana Lunkina was great for the most part, although she is ultra serious....I have to say that I would still see her in a heartbeat if she were dancing Giselle near me....

I feel like Gudanov and Lunkina excelled at making Giselle look like she's actually flying in this video. This part of the video is really magical. The effect is wonderful. Lunkina continues this when she does the thing where Giselle is hopping sort of in a backbend (maybe someone else knows the official term for this move).

Birdsall, I certainly can understand how you might feel about the "ultra serious" expression that she maintains through much of the video that I've been watching anyway, from her Act II entrance to the ending. For me, I've tried to watch every second of what her face is doing and the slightest nuance can take on the greatest meaning. Again I have to remember that this is a video and not the live performance.

She has been performing "Giselle" for about ten years that I know of, and why she chose this particular interpretation for a performance that she might assume will be an historic document of her career is extremely interesting.

I think that this performance is all about subtleties and nuances and you really have to hang in there with every aspect of what she is doing. It's a gorgeous poetic effort overall, in my opinion, with a great deal of warmth and sensitivity to be found with a very careful viewing.

At the curtain call she eventually loosens up somewhat. At her curtains calls that I've seen she shows herself to be extremely warm and grateful for the enthusiastic receptions that she's always given. It's all part of a bigger picture, perhaps.

[spelling and typo correction made later]

Link to comment

From where did you rent this?

From Amazon. Go through the procedure enabling you to buy the dvd and it will offer you the option of renting it for immediate viewing on the internet for three days at $4 total.

It's now a little different for some reason. When you get to the page where you can purchase the video look at the horizontal list of choices near top of page starting with "Movies & TV". Go right and click on "Amazon Instant Videos", then enter "Giselle Bolshoi" in "Search" box at top of page and this should give you the option to rent. Only a few videos seem rentable.

Link to comment

Hmmmm...well if she's at NBC - maybe they will make more appearances at Kennedy Center and NYC in the future? That's not a cross-country flight for Birdsall to make from the SE region.

LOL Have I complained about flying across the country before? I b@#$ch about everything, but I don't remember at the moment. I do hate flying though, but it is the fastest way to get places.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...