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

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.

THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO RECORDED GISELLE I HAS SEEN SO FAR. EXCELLENT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IF YOU LOVE THE GISELLE BALLET LIKE I DO.

Excellent! This is a great example of why I like the American Ballet better than the Bolshoi. When the Bolshoi makes a movie, they just set up a camera or three in front of the stage, and you get no more than the audience gets. And you listen to the audience applause every so often, to let you know you should admire that particular bit. The American Ballet -- and the British -- make a movie of it, with different camera angles, including close-ups, and sets that could not be contained on a theater stage, and even a few special effects. Theyre still telling a story in music and dance, but they take advantage of what film can do. Also, the costumes are so much better. Again, they tend to go beyond what would be effective on a stage.

We just bought this DVD. Images are beautiful and sound quality is excellent. Carla Fraccis dancing is superb. At times, the filming adds value e.g. by including snapshots of forests and lakes. At times, the rapid-cut editing and the close-ups are a bit disturbing. In spite of those minor grudges, we warmly recommend buying this beautiful DVD.

Note that this 2005 Deutsche Grammophon release of the 1968 ABT Fracci/Bruhn Giselle conducted by John Lanchbery is the identical production previously available on the now-withdrawn Polygram issue. Amazon reviews shown at either entry pertain equally to both releases. There is no need to pay an inflated price for an out-of-print copy of the earlier Polygram release.

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.............!

Absolutely fabulous! It must be one of best versions of Giselle! Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn were both sensational dancers, I guess thats the reason for this filmed Giselle.

I thought it would be little more Modern ballet. Instead, theres an awful lot of traditional dancing around, and then everyone dies. Then they dance some more.

I detest this film. What should have been a glorious opportunity to capture Fracci and Bruhn in their signature partnership is ruined by the meddlesome and ignorant direction of Hugo Niebeling and David Blair. Giselle is a ballet; ballet is about dance; dance should be the focus of attention. We should have unobstructed views of the dancers dancing. Instead, we get shots through villagers eating and talking, shots from above, shots from the side, shots through machinery, shots reflected in pools, and so on - absolutely infuriating, unartistic, and puerile. What a shame and a sham! What a colossal misunderstanding of art!

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