Giselle

Giselle is a really wonderful ballet, haunting and moving. Along with Coppelia it is a great ballet if you want something different to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty or The Nutcracker. And this is a really beautiful performance of it. The camera work is at times awkward and seems to have been shot from the orchestra pit rather than from an audience perspective, so there are a few scenes that were lacking in that extra amount of intimacy. I have seen worse though, at least it doesn't make the mistake of pointing the camera at random objects(2003's production of Wagner's Tannhauser, I'm looking at you!). Besides the colour and image quality here are very bright and clear. The sound is very good also. The production from a costume and set point of view is gorgeous, the scenery is charming almost like looking at a painting and hauntingly atmospheric in the second act. The costumes are bold and full of colour, the stand out was in the first act during the Village scenes, while the Corps-De-Ballet's costumes are wonderfully regal the production did a great job with making Alessandra Ferri stand out among them. Adam's music is just beautiful in every sense of the word, and the La Scala orchestra really do it real justice partnered by the authoritative but musically shaped conducting. I also loved that the score here is uncut. The choreography is really impeccable, with difficult moves and technique made to look easy. The Willis were especially well done. And it doesn't feel cold or detached emotionally either. The dancing has no faults either. Alessandra Ferri is the main attraction as Giselle, and she is wonderful, she is very graceful in her movements and the innocence, love and outwordliness of Giselle are nailed by Ferri in this production. Of the other performers, Myrtha stands out, she is also very accomplished technically and commands the stage seamlessly. In conclusion, really beautiful despite the camera work. 9/10 Bethany Cox