La Esmeralda, Staatsballett Berlin

By Margaret Willis, 13 April 2011

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Deutsche Oper, Berlin on 9 April 2011

Esmeralda, La (Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa, Yuri Burlaka)

Staatsballett Berlin

Iana Salenko, Esmeralda

Rainer Krenstetter, Gringoire

Mikhail Kaniskin, Phoebus

Beatrice Knop, Fleur de Lys

Marian Lazar, Quasimodo

Michael Banzhaf, Frollo

Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Anton Grishanin, Conductor

A new Albrecht makes a polished Giselle shine even brighter

Deborah Weiss, 7th March

A last minute injury to Natalia Osipova does not mar the magic of Sir Peter Wright's Giselle as Marianela Núñez steps in to partner Patricio Revé.

****1

A Valentine’s Day Giselle in Atlanta: Romantic excellence

Rebecca Ehrhardt, 14th February

A lovely production of Giselle by the increasingly good and ever-growing Atlanta Ballet.

****1

The RB: Peter Wright’s Giselle is as near perfection as you can get

Amanda Jennings, 14th February

Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle was given a well-deserved, thunderous ovation on opening night. A near perfect rendition of the ballet from all quarters of the Company was deeply satisfying.

*****

National Ballet of Japan’s Giselle: a triumphant London debut

Graham Watts, 24th July

National Ballet of Japan offer a 21st-century remake of this 19th-century Romantic classic with impeccable performances.

*****

American Ballet Theatre: Super-Giselle lives up to the hype (mostly)

Ivy Lin, 21st June

ABT's Giselle was the kind of glamorous, old-school ABT night of yore. You sensed the entire company leveled up for the occasion. One hopes that Smirnova will return in the future.

*****

National Ballet of Japan's revival of Giselle: a dramatic return

Naomi Mori, 10th April

National Ballet of Japan has revived their production of Giselle, ahead of their tour to the Royal Opera House in London, replicating the triumphant success it had in 2022.

*****

More reviews...

Margaret Willis

Margaret studied ballet in Moscow for five years and later was a member of London City Ballet. A reviewer since 1978 for many newspapers and magazines including Dancing Times and Dance Magazine, Margaret is a specialist on Russian Ballet, and has written books on Russian Ballet and Carlos Acosta.