Customer Reviews

Rudolf Nureyev in Giselle [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own five of the Giselle tapes that are listed by Amazon, and this is certainly the best. There's Nureyev, of course, but on every other count this is the winner. One great advantage over the others is that it's staged and filmed as if for a movie, and is not just a taped stage production. Some people may find this a drawback and miss the proscenium and applause, but don't worry--you don't miss any of the great dancing. And this type of production makes it easier and more enjoyable to watch. As a second choice, I can recommend the Bujones version, but it's interrupted about every 10 minutes by fade-outs and fade-ins for what were obviously commercial breaks on Brazilian TV. The Alicia Alonso version is also lovely. By all means avoid the Bolshoi version. As with so many of their productions, the ballet goes beyond camp (which, let's face it, ballet always is) into kitsch of the most awful, ugly and unamusing sort. I don't care how good the Bolshoi dancing is, it can't make up for the utterly tasteless sets and costumes and tacky production values. Let us hope that they'll start catching up with the rest of the world in these respects now that communism is dead.

His talent alone is not enough to hold up this performance. Giselle is one of my favorite ballets, and when I am watching it I always think it has ended too soon. But in this version, I could not wait for it to be over. I mostly attribute that to Lynn Seymour's portrayal of Giselle. There is absolutely nothing remarkable about her dancing or her acting. So, if you love Nureyev and are willing to be bored to tears, buy this video. He saves it from getting a one-star rating from me. But if you love Giselle, then you'd best forget it.

Giselle, buscaba interpretado por Julio Bocca, mi madre es una ferviente admiradora de él.