Giselle - A Chronicle Of Forgiveness, Love And Tragedy

Written By Admin on Selasa, 18 Juni 2013 | 01.13

By Haywood Hunter


Giselle is to ballet what Hamlet is to the theatre. Historically important in its own right, audiences flock to it so they may see it interpreted afresh by a new corps of ballerinas. Enthusiasts swear that every time they go, they always see something that they had missed on previous occasions.

A unique take on the theme of the love triangle, Giselle is the story of a young peasant country girl who perishes of a broken heart upon learning that the wealthy Albrecht, with whom she has fallen in love, was bethrothed to another woman. Hilarion, a commoner who is in love with the peasant girl, is seen mourning at her grave when he is surprised by the Wili, the ghosts of young women who had not lived to see their wedding days. They fill their nights for eternity by torturing men to death.

It is the normal practice of the Wilis to use their beauty to capture the attentions of young men and them force them to dance until they drop dead. Hilarion, they chase relentlessly until they toss him to his death in a lake. Moving on to serve a similar fate to Albrecht, they are thwarted by the ghost of the peasant girl. She forgives Albrecht, who is spared by the Wilis at dawn when they return to their graves until the following evening. Giselle may now rest eternally in peace.

The ballet was first staged in Paris in June, 1841. The following year, it appeared in London in March of 1842. It was later presented in Russia, Italy and in America.

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.

The story f Giselle was inspired by Henrich Heine's tale of the Wilis. Gautier envisioned it as a ballet. He worked with choreographer, Jules Perot and composer, Adolphe Adam.




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