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GISELLE

Ballet by Adolphe Adam /Dedicated to the 90th anniversary of prof. Peter Lukanov/

Duration 2:00 Intermission 1
GISELLE
GISELLE

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Ballet to the music By Adolphe Adam

Libretto
Т. Gautier and J. Saint-Georges
Choreography
J. Coralli, J. Perrot, М. Petipa
Edition
L. Lavrovsky

Staging and directing
Petar Lukanov
Set designerХудожник на декор
Radostin Chomakov
Costume designer
Tsvetanka Petkova-Stoynova
Répétiteurs
Maria Ilieva, Yasen Valchanov
Stage manager
Riolina Topalova

With the participation of soloists, orchestra and corps de ballet of the Sofia Opera

“Giselle” – a bright representative of romantic ballet

The ballet historians call “Giselle” – an apotheosis of romantic ballet, and rightly so.

The idea for the ballet “Giselle” came from the French writer Théophile Gautier, who suggested that Adolphe Adam write the music. At the beginning of 1841, the composer was ready, and the premiere on 28 June 1841 at the Paris Opera was not late. The success was so great that it turned “Giselle” into an apotheosis of romantic ballet once and for all. After Paris, “Giselle” was performed in London, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Milan, New York, all over the world, all the time …

Synopsis

Act I
A village in Lorraine. It is grape-harvest time. Giselle is in love with Albert who recently appeared in the village. In vain the gamekeeper Hans is warning her that the young man wasn’t sincere towards her. Very soon he also finds proves for that – the count’s hat of Albert in the hunter’s hut rented by him. To the village are coming nearer noble hunters. Everybody welcomes with hospitality the Duke, his daughter Bathilde and their suite. The fallen in love with Giselle gamekeeper reveals Albert’s fraud – he is a count and soon he was going to marry his fiancée Bathilde. Giselle cannot stand that, she runs mad and dies.

Act II
It is night time. Hans comes to Giselle’s grave. His grieve is inconsolable. Out of the moon rays emerges Myrtha’s shadow evoking to dance the Wilis – virgins who died before their weddings. They are carrying away Hans with their dance. He cannot tear himself away of the dance and perishes. Albert who is also deeply grieving for Giselle comes to her grave. Hans’s faith is expecting him too, but Giselle saves him. Her love inspires strength to him and he dances with the Wilis until dawn. The shadows of the Wilis, Myrtha and Giselle get melted. Albert remains to live with the pain for his lost love, stronger than death.

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