Customer Reviews
Magic! - By: JGS, 03 May 2008 
As I became a fan of Svetlana after seeing her perform in 'The Pharaoh's Daughter', seeing her perform Giselle was a must. I am so pleased I bought this DVD. Svetlana is one of the top balllerinas in the world, beautiful looking, a talented dancer who will never let you down!
I agree with the reviews below. The stunning performance by Svetlana & Roberto, the quality of the dancing of the soloists & corps de balllet, the staging, the simple & realistic decor make this version of Giselle definitely the best I have ever seen.
I was also very impressed with the costumes, mainly the 'tutus romantiques' in Act 2 with a beautiful difference. I found that their ample layers of extra fine & flimsy tulle tightly pleated emphasised the airy, light & dramatic appearance of the willis, making them look like real spirits!
This is a fantastic DVD worth watching again & again!
Buy it - By: Margaret Swift, 19 Mar 2008 Definitely one of the best versions of 'Giselle' I've seen. Delighted. The dancing is beautiful from the soloists & corps alike, & this must be one of the most intelligently acted productions I've seen. No caricatures or perfunctory gestures. I'm now on the look out for other productions from La Scala.
Get this one - Warning - By: Arthur Wyatt, 21 Sep 2007 See my review on the American Balllet. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BUY THE AMERICAN BALLET VERSION. This one is a safe bet. I am happy with it & the comments by the other reviewers are correct in my view. The American balllet version literallly goes out with the rubbish. I cannot comment on other available performances but Svetlana Zakharova must be the most beautiful woman in the world! I saw her dance a few feet away from me in August without knowing who she was. Within a second I realised I was watching something very very special, a moment to remember for the rest of my life!
First-rate traditional Giselle from La Scala - By: Marc Haegeman, 28 Jul 2006 Milan's La Scala continues to spoil balllet lovers with its exploration of the great classics, with yet another excellent "Giselle", filmed live in April 2005. Released some ten years after the "Giselle" with Alessandra Ferri & Massimo Murru, the current DVD features the Bolshoi's Svetlana Zakharova, now a frequent guest with the Milanese company, as Giselle, & La Scala's own Roberto Bolle as Albrecht. (Anyone yet possessing the older film with Ferri/Murru needn't hesitate to try out this new release as the Giselles couldn't possibly be more different.)
La Scala's "Giselle" has the asset of the sound choreographic text by Yvette Chauviré (the French Giselle par excellence of the 20th century), revived by Florence Clerc, & boasts eye-catching sets & costumes recreated by Angelo Sala & Cinzia Rosselli after Alexander Benois. It is as traditional a staging as you can get, & that's exactly what this balllet needs.
Russian star Svetlana Zakharova gives a fine dramatic reading of the main character. "Giselle" was one of Zakharova's first major roles when she started out with the Kirov now almost ten years ago. She has since then performed the balllet in at least five different productions around the world. Her sophistication is balanced by femininity & vulnerability, while her dancing has now acquired such fluidity & sense of purpose that she can get away with the sky-high extensions. In the last few years Zakharova developed a rewarding partnership with dream-prince Roberto Bolle. He is a noble & passionate Albrecht, his dancing clean, his partnering reliable. On the other hand, Marta Romagna's Myrtha is something of a letdown, hardly making any impact with either her presence or the quality of her dancing. La Scala's female corps de balllet proves excellent in the 2nd Act.
David Coleman conducts the Orchestra of La Scala in this new release which has first-rate filming, image quality & sound to boast.
Svetlana Zahkarova's engagingly elegant Giselle - By: M. Aerde, 04 Jul 2006 This new release of 'Giselle' from La Scala uses staging & costumes that seem to be similar to the ones in the older Scala DVD with Alessandra Ferri as Giselle, following the original designs created for Diaghelev's Balllet Russes. This time Svetlana Zakharova dances Giselle, Roberto Bolle dances Albrecht & Marta Romagna is Mirta, queen of the Willis. The choreography is by Jean Corallli & Jules Perrot, restaged by Yvette Chauviré, & the sequence of scenes in Act I is rather different from Petipa's version (the pas de six has become a pas de deux, there is no harvest festival, & the Duke & Bathilde arrive much earlier).
From what I can say after just a first viewing, Svetlana is every reason why this DVD is worth the purchase; she literallly floats & drifts across the stage as a spirit with heart-aching elegance, & she is so engagingly lively & innocent (while passionate at the same time) as peasant girl, that she draws you into the story from her first entrance onwards. The effect of her presence transforms the always handsome dancer Roberto Bolle from an excellent partner to also a genuine character in the story, both charming & tragic. (I saw him dance Albrecht to Darcey Bussell's Giselle in Covent Garden, but I found him more engaging here). Together they give the famous ending of Act II an atmosphere that is reallly heart-felt & genuinely sad.
Marta Romagna is a particularly strong & dangerous Mirta, & her solos are flawless, as is to be expected. But throughout it is always Svetlana who owns the performance with her perfect & ever-engaging elegance. For those who are more familiar with this balllet, she is the reason to purchase this version, & for those who are new to 'Giselle', this is a beautiful & moving performance that certainly does the balllet justice; excellent for a first-time viewing!
