| | |  | Ballets & Classics | Home » » » Lacotte - La Sylphide / Aurelie Dupont, Mathieu Ganio, Melanie Hurel, Jean-Marie Didiere, Ermanna Floria, Paris Opera Ballet | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Pierre Lacotte, Dupont, Ganio, Hurel, Didiere | | Format:
| Classical, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, French, Spanish | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Tdk DVD Video | | Run Time:
| 127 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| June 21, 2005 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 11 reviews |
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 Just to clarify a misconception...Jun 22, 2009
Balletomanes, boys, and girls: I don't want to disillusion you, but what you see in this DVD is NOT the original choreography by Filippo Taglioni of La Sylphide as performed in Paris in 1832. Taglioni's documentation of his work, for reasons unknown, has not survived. Contrary to what Pierre Lacotte (who is an otherwise delightful gentleman) would have you believe, the POB's "re-creation" is 95% Monsieur Lacotte's invention, and 5% based on documentation (critiques, engravings, etc.) from the period.
The style is far too sophisticated for the early 19th century (compare it with the more mime-intensive Danish version), and the technical demands of the choreography are too ambitious versus what even the best dancers would have been able to accomplish over a century and a half ago.
Nonetheless, Pierre Lacotte has given us a delightful piece of work, proving himself to be a far superior (albeit less prolific) choreographer to his contemporary and fellow POB "alumnus" Patrice Bart.
p.s. - hooray for Effie!
In summary, a five star piece of dance and drama, but I must knock one star off because of "truth in advertising" issues.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A common man's point of view.Aug 02, 2008
This ballet definitely rates a five star review. It is the first ballet I have purchased staring Aurelie Dupont and I must say she is quite beautiful in this type of period ballet. I did not like her in the POB production of Sylvia. Delibes - Sylvia / Aurelie Dupont, Manuel Legris, Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Jose Martinez, Paris Opera Ballet I should say I didn't like that production (not her).
We seem to be drawn to the macabre in our story telling of old. I wouldn't want my child to have ever been told the early versions of The Sleeping Beauty for instance, where she is ravaged by the one waking her instead of being roused from her deep sleep. And of course there is Snow White who must have her heart cut out of her chest and given to her step mother in a box. And by the way, why are step mothers so often depicted as villains? Again in La Sylphide our delicate little fairy is going to have to die. Not for a very good reason, I might add. An old Crone has her feelings hurt because someone wouldn't let her tell his fortune. So, the innocent little fairy has to die. It's as bad as killing off Hilarion when it was Albrect who deceived Giselle. It wasn't the Sylph who refused to have her fortune told, but James. The danseure, Mathieu Ganio playing James, is only twenty years old but is a very capable dancer and partner for Aurelie Dupont. He is as handsome as she is beautiful and they are a very nice couple together.
More to the point of this review, however. The story is well told in dance as well as setting. There is good lighting and fabulous color in the sets and especially in the costuming. The time period lent itself well to the flow of skirts on both men and women. I hope the men don't mind my calling the kilts skirts, but as I said, very beautiful and colourful (we'll use their spelling). The stage was absolutely filled with all that colour. The outdoor scenes in the forest were also well done with human sized fairies flying about and seeming to hover in the trees. Even there in the night scenes the lighting was good, and the fairies were easily seen as they moved about. In the final scene when the other fairies lifted the Sylph to fly her off to her heaven or wherever Sylphs go, I never did see the wires used to lift them. That was very well done. The most touching moment in the ballet for me is when the Sylph bends over to pick up her little wings after they had fallen off by the magic of the deadly scarf that James wrapped around her. You might just shed a tear or two when she dies, as I usually do, but even though I know it's just a fairy tale, I get emotional. James is quite pathetic too, as he realises he has just caused the death of the one he loved the most, and the old crone gloats not only over James' loss of his beloved Sylphide but also Effie, his fiance, to Gurn.
I thought it was a very beautiful ballet and I'm glad I own it. Another thing you will like on this DVD is the bonus material which tells the history of this ballet and it's famous dancer-choreographer Marie Taglioni.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Nice, But Not My SylphideJul 30, 2007
I first saw this ballet on Great Performances: Dance in America on PBS about 20 years ago, performed by the Pennsylvania & Milwaukee Ballet & hosted by Peter Martens. He presented the ballet as originally performed by the Royal Danish Ballet with the original choreography & music. I taped it and watch it frequently, so I was delighted to be able to obtain a DVD version--or so I thought. This is NOT the same. For those who haven't seen the original, it must be thrilling. But I just prefer the music, the costumes, the staging, etc, as I saw it originally. The original music is wonderful. Effie & the other girls wore character shoes, not pointe shoes. The company danced a wonderful reel. Jeffrey Gibler (now a ballet master with the Pennsylvania Ballet) was a charming, somewhat naive, adorable Gurn. I got no feeling at all about the Gurn in the Paris version, but I couldn't help but love Gibler's Gurn. Melissa Podcasy & Marin Boireu, now ballet masters with the Carolina Ballet, were absolutely fantastic as the Sylph and James. Lisa Sundstrom was such a charming Effie that it was hard to believe that James could ever leave her, even for the Sylph. To me that was the definitive Sylphide. This one doesn't come close to its charm.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
An exquisite productionMar 19, 2007
As a former professional ballet dancer, I can say, without hesitation, that the Paris Opera Ballet's presentation of this beautiful period ballet is exquisite. Aurelie Dupont's performance as La Sylphide is perfect...she floats through the choreography conveying absolute weighlessness. This landmark ballet ushered in The Romantic Period in dance, music and art in Euorpe and it also was also marked the dawn of ballerinas dancing en pointe.
Her technique is flawless and her interpretation of this 19th century ballet makes it almost possible to believe you are watching it as it was originally presented in 1832. I am always amazed by the extent to which this company goes to get all the details exactly right...the sets, the costumes, the special effects and or course, the dancing, are executed to perfection. This is but another in a series of performances which the Paris Opera has put to DVD and I for one want to collect each and every one of them.
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Wow! Your jaw will drop. A trip back to 1832!Jul 23, 2006
This production is spectacular. The choreography is stunning; the performances are even better. Aurélie Dupont doesn't merely dance the lead role; she IS La Sylphide. She is magical, dazzling. Her technique is brilliant, and her style is mesmerizing. It feels like the year is 1932. There are no mediocre dancers in this performance. I watch a lot of ballets on DVD, and this one really stands out. If you have a soft spot for Romantic ballets, like Giselle, this is one you'll want to watch over and over. I purchased it on a whim, and while the other ballets I ordered are great, La Sylphide is the crown jewel of my collection. I'm a fan of American Ballet Theatre, and as good a company as ABT is, Opéra National de Paris very much out does them this time. By the way, the synopsis is given in French before each act. You can select English subtitles (though I can't get them to work), but if you can read French, it's fun to review the story in French. The synopsis helps you recall the details of the story so you follow along better. Bottom line: you won't regret picking this DVD. Five stars don't do it justice.
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