Sunday, February 17, 2013

Giselle - A Chronicle Of Joy

By Haywood Hunter


As the story of Hamlet is to the theater, Giselle is to ballet. Historically significant, audiences see it time after time to experience its interpretation by new generations of ballerinas. Each time, they vow that they have seen something different that they had not picked up on before at a previous viewing.

A unique take on the love triangle, the ballet is about a young, beautiful peasant girl who dies of a broken heart after learning that the wealthy nobleman, Albrecht, with whom she has fallen head over heels in love, is actually engaged to marry someone else. Hilarion, a gamekeeper who is in love with Giselle, is found agonizing at her grave by a band of ghosts. These are the spirits of young women who sadly died before their wedding days. They come out of their graves at night to seek out men whom they the torture to death.

It was the practice of the Wili to use their abundant beauty to attract vulnerable young men and force them to dance until they died of exhaustion. Hilarion, they pursued and then threw him to his death in a lake. Albrecht, to whom the band of bitter spirits turn their attention after disposing of Hilarion, fares somewhat better. The spirit of the peasant girl is summoned from her grave. She protects him from the Wili until daybreak, when they go back to their graves to rest until night falls again. Giselle forgives her lover and goes back to her grave where she may now rest peacefully for eternity.

The ballet was first shown in Paris in June 1841. It came to London in 1842 and travelled to Russia, Italy and the USA. It has been released as a film in 3D.

The role demands technical precision, dramatic acting skill as well as outstanding grace. For this reason, it is one of the most coveted roles in ballet. It was created for Carlotta Grisi by dramatist Theophile Gautier. It has been played by many other accomplished ballerinas including Anna Pavlova, Alicia Markova and Svetlana Zakharova.

Gautier was inspired by the story of the Wilis, which was written by poet and novelist Heinrich Heine. Gautier pictured it in his mind as a ballet. He worked with the composer, Adolphe Adam and choreographer, Jules Perot.




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