Adam - Giselle / Carla Fracci, Erik Bruhn, John Lanchbery, American Ballet Theatre

This is a good video. The dancing is great! My only problem with it is that since it is made for video, the director gets a little artsy and takes away a bit from the dancing with his creative touches. I was also disappointed that the credits are very limited. The only dancers credited at all were the principals and soloists. Still worth the purchase.

This studio performance of Giselle by the great team of Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn, with members of the ABT and the Berlin Opera Orchestra was recorded in 1968, but it looks like it was done only yesterday! I do not know exactly how Deutsche Grammophon accomplished this feat, but the image(full screen) and sound(DTS 5.1) are absolutely at the highest standard, even by todays strict digital degree of perfection(this is shot on film with the crisp images that it imparts). The dancing itself is by some of the ballet greats of recent history and so, this qualifies also as a classic performance( I know of no other case where these two qualities come together in one recording!). Fracci and Bruhn are at their very best here, and we can see why they are so well regarded by history. Great artists are able to perform by the usual classical standards, but in an indescribable way that makes their performance unique. The choreography is also excellent and complete with the peasant pas de deux included as well as all the second act variations. The part of Hilarion, danced by Bruce Marks, is also given very extensive choreography in the second act and he dances it very well.

I used to love watching Carla Fracci dancing Giselle in the theatre often with Erik Bruhn or Ivan Nagy but not this sorry mess. Shot in a studio the first act set resembles the ABT first act but the second act looks like a one set fits all from an old Omnibus TV presentation. The director seems to have seen Godards Breathless and never gotten over it. Instead of seeing the dance and complete steps the choreography comes at the viewer as a series of jump cuts from different angles often with people or stage props between the viewer and dancers; like bursts of machine gun fire. Such wasted opportunity. Perhaps a silk purse cannot be made from a sows ear but this ill conceived video proves the reverse can be easily done.

The dance performance is good. Video production is VHS quality, muddy and dark. It is too bad they couldnt remaster and clean up the video quality. Disappointing on DVD. No chapter divisions or random access to scenes.

After reading all the glowing reviews I was sorely disappointed in this adaptation of my favorite ballet. The director seemed to think adding story lines. filmed like Van Dam action scenes would give the ballet to a different viewpoint. Instead it just serves to distract from a great dancing experience. Pass it up.

Carla Fracci died recently, and this DVD is a great example of her work! A great performance by everyone, and an extra highlight is seeing Fracci up close; so beautiful and expressive.............!

I reviewed this yesterday and am only writing this because that was not quite correct. This is a movie which I hadn’t realized when I ordered it. The scenery, costumes are so elaborate they take aware from the gorgeous impact that actual ballet has had on me so many times. The filming of it is totally different than seeing it in person...

Excellent for any ballet lovers collection. This is a collectable item. Beautiful. Also excellent condition and handled in timely manner by seller. Thumbs UP!

I want my money back! what an awful Giselle! Poor Carlotta Grisi is probably doing turns

I would have to agree with those that wrote that the Direction of this film is abysmal and detracts from the outstanding dance performances of Fracci and Bruhn. However, any time you have the opportunity to see Carla Fracci in Giselle, take it. I saw Fracci dance this many times on stage and no one can touch her as Giselle. Certainly, there were others like Makarova who were technically better dancers but no one can match Fracci when it comes to capturing the spirit of Giselle. True, there were some misplaced attempts on the part of the director to make this more realistic, a truly absurd notion when were talking about a woman who dies of madness and keeps her lover from being danced to death by vengeful spirits. If youve had the pleasure of seeing Fracci in person, this film may disappoint but she is non the less the quintessential Giselle.