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Majestic and Luminous Giselle

V. Stasov | 01/14/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a remarkable document of the great Bolshoi partnership of Mikhail Lavrovsky and Natalya Bessmertnova. An ideal match physically and temperamentally, Lavrovsky and Bessmertnova are splendid as the tragic lovers. Son of the great Soviet choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky who created Romeo and Juliet for Ulanova, Mikhail Lavrovsky has a beautifully proportioned physique, with grace, power and a captivating musical, dramatic style.

There are unfortunately few opportunities to view this great couple. Their art was captured here and in Romeo and Juliet, but this Giselle is the superior document. Lavrovsky is convincingly princely, and has an indelible stage presence and virility that match other immortal dancers from this tradition, like Vasiliev and Baryshnikov. The ethereal Bessmertnova seems light as a feather but displays unparalleled steely strength and perfection, especially in the treacherous second act.

This is my favorite Giselle. There is another phenomenal version with Makarova and Baryshnikov, but it has yet to see the light of day on DVD. In spite of all the competition, I still find this performance with Lavrovsky and Bessmertnova to be the most beautifully danced of all Giselles I've seen so far. The color is weak and the sets minimal, but this performance is on a very high level artistically."