Delibes - Coppelia / Giezendanner, Ganio, Lacotte, Paris Ballet

Rating:
Summary: Half a Coppelia is better than none...
Review: I bought this DVD expecting to see another brilliant performance by the Opera National de Paris. As I watched it, though, I wondered why it seemed so much like a student production until I read the booklet...it IS a student production. With the exception of Dr. Coppelius, the Burgomeister, and someone called "la Mere" (presumably Franz's mother), none of the dancers in this production are over the age of 17, and all are students at the Ecole de Danse of the ONdP.

The result of this is a mixed bag. 16-year-old (in 2001) Charline Giezendanner is a charming Swanilda, but she is lost amid the chaos of Act 1, the main purpose of which seems to be to give everybody in the school a chance to be on stage. The czardas and the famous mazurka are so crowded that one wonders how they manage to keep from maiming each other, and the dancers skip offstage with a bizarre "wave-to-mommy-and-daddy" move that works for Disney shows, but not classical ballet. There is also a noticeable absence of partnering in Act 1 (and in the whole ballet for that matter); Swanilda and Franz interact mainly in mime, and the "Ballade de l'Epi", in which Franz usually tries to convince Swanilda of his love for her, becomes mostly a solo for Giezendanner. Maybe this is a good thing; Mathieu Ganio is woefully miscast as Franz, and his character comes off as a smirking, shallow jerk rather than a feckless but good-hearted flirt. Even his first display of mime seems to indicate that he really doesn't like Swanilda all that much, and you have to wonder what she sees in him. He also doesn't dance much except for a brief solo, which for some bizarre reason has been placed smack in the middle of the "Theme slave varie" (the dance for Swanilda and her friends). I have to say I was horribly disappointed in Act 1.

Act 2 is a vast improvement. Unfettered by the hordes of young etudiantes around her, Giezendanner comes alive here and shows us what she can really do. There are some wonderful comic moments between Giezendanner and Pierre Lacotte (Dr. Coppelius), accompanied by great dancing by Giezendanner (her "Bolero" is a real treat). Thankfully, Ganio spends most of Act 2 leaning on a table. The ending is a bit strange --- half the village files into Coppelius's workshop for a mazurka reprise --- but I suppose the ballet had to end somewhere since Act 3 has been deleted. There is also a fascinating bonus documentary about the students of the Ecole de Danse, most of which is subtitled in English although some of the studio chatter has been overlooked.

Overall? Well, it's a GOOD Coppelia, but not a GREAT one. I found myself fast-forwarding through a lot of Act 1, but Act 2 is much better. I gave the review four stars for the second act, but the first act only deserves three.

Rating:
Summary: Paris Opera Ballet School -- A wonderful treat!
Review: We took a chance with this one, and what a score!! The Paris Opera Ballet School did an enchanting version of Coppelia. They included only acts I and II (no wedding scene), which seemed perfect! As a bonus, there is a documentary about the school, itself, which was fantastic!