Giselle – Russian State Ballet & Opera House

The astonishingly good Russian pit-orchestras seemed like an ensemble of fine soloists: violin, oboe, cello, harp and horn. They gave real body to Adam’s thin score and some forceful effects in the drama of Act 2. This classic ballet needs a spark of inspiration to bring it alive. Giselle (Natalia Suprun) came into her own when tragedy loomed and Albrecht (Roman Mironov) too stepped up to express his remorse. The gamekeeper (Andrei Potapov) really drove the narrative and gave the most effective performance, reacting as if spontaneously to the dramatic chords that expressed the Wilis’ spite. That’s the spark we wanted!

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne, 5 December 2014

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