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Ballet giselle summary mariinsky. The history of the creation of the ballet Adana "Giselle"

In the best examples of French ballet music, three natural qualities are always especially pleasing to the ear: melody, endowed with clarity of outlines and graceful turns - everything is in moderation, everything is figurative, everything is plastic; rhythm - on the one hand, flexibly responding to human steps, revealing characters and movements, and on the other hand, deeply rooted in French folk dance culture with its realistic reflection of centuries-old life - life, customs and customs; the third property is the coloring, colorfulness of music, the ability to give the movements of the orchestra the impression of a lively change of phenomena in their color and light.

Three or four composers of France of the last century, with a special poetry of feeling and refinement of skill, combined in their leisure time devoted to ballet musical theater(all three were not only composers of ballets), a keen understanding of the laws of combinations of plasticity and the weight of sounds with the laws of human dance. They managed to create indisputably convincing images of musical and choreographic works of various genres, but mainly in the field of romantic legend and poetic everyday comedy.
I mean, of course, the composer of Giselle and Le Corsaire - Adolphe Adam (1803-1856), a particularly excellent master in the field of French comic opera, then Leo Delibes (1836-1891), composer of the finest taste and poetic sense of man as a plastic phenomenon, author lyric operas(including "Lakme") and unsurpassed ballets: "Coppelia" (1870) and "Sylvia" (1876), as well as the outstanding French symphonist Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) with his colorful and cheerful Javotte (1896) and, finally, Georges Wiese (1838-1875), who so sensitively felt the vital nerve folk dance in the music for "Arlesian" and in the melody and rhythm of "Carmen".
Among all the ballets mentioned above, Adam's Giselle is older than all, and all of the above qualities are felt in this unfading score with each resumption of the ballet with the same vivacity and courage. And in the first everyday-dramatic stage of the legend, and in the second - its romantic stage, in such a touching, yet another version folk tales about love stronger than death”- the composer achieves by the simplest, but that's the point, with a deep thoughtful selection, as if by refined means, bright, strong impressions (for example, Giselle's drama in the finale of the first act). How masterfully the characters are convex, how laconic the situations, how flexible in their simplicity and unpretentiousness the tunes of the dances and at the same time how elastic they are, giving support to the movements, how sincerely sensitive the lyrical moments, but with what sense of proportion they are formed, and how strict the drawing of these melodies with all their tender responsiveness!..
However, the best praise that can now be expressed to the skill of the composer of Giselle and music is to recall one remarkable entry in the diaries of P. I. Tchaikovsky. In the midst of his work on the composition of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" in May 1889, under the 24th, he finds it necessary to note: "Diligently read the score of the ballet" Giselle "Adan ...". And Tchaikovsky was one of the finest connoisseurs and connoisseurs of French musical culture and ballet.
B. Asafiev

About the content of the ballet

The ballet "Giselle" is based on the old poetic legend about "jeeps" - brides who died before the wedding, retold by Heinrich Heine.
At midnight, the legend says, the jeeps come out of their graves and dance, as if trying to prolong their girlish dances and games, which death so cruelly interrupted. Woe to the traveler who meets them - obsessed with a vengeful feeling, the jeeps involve him in their round dance and circle around in dances to exhaustion until he falls dead.
The theme of this legend served as the basis for the libretto of the ballet "Giselle", composed by T. Gauthier and J. Saint-Georges. The premiere of the ballet "Giselle, or Willis" took place on June 28, 1841 at the Grand Opera.

"Giselle, or Willis"

Ballet in two acts

Libretto by J.-A.-V. Saint-Georges and T. Gauthier. Ballet staged by J. Coralli, J. Perrot, M. Petipa

Characters

Duke (Prince) of Silesia Albert, dressed as a peasant
Prince of Courland
Wilfried, Albert's squire
Hilarion, forester
old peasant
Bathilde, the duke's fiancee
Giselle, peasant girl
Bertha, mother of Giselle
Myrtha, Lady of Willis
Zulma and Monna - Mirta's friends
Retinue, hunters, godmothers, peasant women, Wilis

Action one. The scene depicts one of Germany's sunny valleys. In the distance, over the hills, vineyards. The mountainous road leads to the valley.
Scene one. The grape harvest is in progress in the hills of Thuringia. It's getting light. The peasants are heading to the vineyards.
Scene two. Hilarion enters, looks around as if looking for someone. He looks lovingly towards Giselle's hut, then angrily at Loyce's hut. His rival lives there. If it were possible to take revenge on him, that would be happiness! The door to Lois' hut mysteriously opens. Hilarion hides to watch. What will happen?
Scene three. The young Duke Albert of Silesia, hiding in the clothes of a peasant under the name of Lois, leaves the hut, accompanied by the squire Wilfried. It can be seen that Wilfried persuades the duke to abandon his secret plans, but he resists. He points to Giselle's hut; under this thatched roof lives the one he loves, to whom all his tenderness belongs. He orders Wilfried to leave him alone. Wilfried hesitates, but the duke's imperious gesture - and he, bowing respectfully, leaves.
Hilarion is amazed to see that a well-dressed nobleman is so respectful towards a simple peasant, his rival. Suspicions arise in Hilarion's head, which he will try to find out.
Scene four. Lois - Duke Albert - approaches Giselle's hut and softly knocks on the door. Hilarion is still peeping. Giselle immediately comes out and hurries to hug her lover. Delight, happiness for both lovers. Giselle tells Loyce her dream: she was tormented by jealousy for the beautiful lady whom Loyce fell in love with and preferred to her. Embarrassed, Lois reassures Giselle: only he loves her, only she will love forever.
- If you deceived me, - the girl says, - I would die, I feel. - And she puts her hand to her heart, as if to say that her heart often hurts.
Lois comforts her again with hot caresses.
Giselle plucks daisies and tells them about Loyce's love. Fortune telling is happy, and she is again in the arms of her beloved.
Hilarion can't stand it - he runs up to Giselle and reproaches her for such behavior. He was here and saw everything.
- What do I care, - Giselle answers cheerfully, - I don’t blush for myself: I love him and will love him forever ... - She laughs in Hilarion’s face and turns away from him.
Loyce repels the forester and threatens him, forbidding him to pursue Giselle with his love.
- All right, - says Hilarion, - we'll see who will take ...
Scene five. The girls, heading to the vineyards, call Giselle to work. It's getting light, it's time to go. But Giselle only raves about dancing, fun and keeps her friends. More than anything, after Lois, she loves dancing. Giselle invites the girls to have fun instead of going to work. She starts dancing. Her gaiety, liveliness, captivating and dexterous dance, interspersed with Loysu's caresses, are irresistible. Soon the girls join Giselle. They have abandoned their baskets, and their dance quickly turns into unrestrained noisy fun. Bertha, Giselle's mother, leaves the hut.
Scene six.
- Are you going to dance forever? she says to Giselle. - In the morning ... In the evening ... It's just some kind of misfortune ... Instead of working, think about the household ...
- She dances so well! says Lois Berte.
- This is my only joy, - Giselle answers, - and he, - she adds, pointing to Lois, - is my only happiness!
- Here! Berta says. - I am sure that if this girl died, she would become a vilisa and would continue to dance even after death.
- What do you want to say? - the girls exclaim in horror and huddle one to the other.
Then, to the sounds of gloomy music, Berta begins to depict the appearance of the dead, who have risen from the coffin and started a common dance. The horror of the girls reaches its limit, one Giselle laughs. She cheerfully tells her mother that it is impossible to fix her - dead or alive, she will dance forever.
“But this is very harmful for you,” says Bertha. - Not only your health, maybe your life depends on it! .. She is very weak, - Berta turns to Lois. - Fatigue, excitement is very harmful to her; the doctor said they could be fatal.
Lois is embarrassed by Bertha's words, but reassures the kind mother. And Giselle takes Lois's hand and presses it to her heart, as if saying that she is not afraid of any dangers with him.
A hunting horn blows in the distance. Lois is worried about this and gives a lively sign - it's time to go to the vineyards. He drags the girls along with him, while Giselle, at the insistence of her mother, goes home. She blows a kiss to Lois, who leaves with everyone else.
Scene seven. Left alone, Hilarion considers his intentions. By all means, the forester wants to unravel the mystery of his opponent, to find out who he is... Convinced that no one sees him, Hilarion sneaks into Lois's hut. At this moment, the sound of the horn approaches, and huntsmen and beaters appear on the hill.
Scene eight. Soon, on horseback, accompanied by a large retinue of ladies, cavaliers and hunters, with falcons on their left hands, the prince appears with his daughter Bathilda. The hot day has tired them, they are looking for a comfortable place to rest. The huntsman points the prince to Bertha's hut; he knocks on the door, and Giselle appears on the threshold, accompanied by her mother. The prince cheerfully asks for shelter; Berta offers to enter her hut, although it is too wretched for such a nobleman.
Meanwhile, Bathilde calls Giselle; she views it and finds it charming. Giselle tries with all her might to be a hospitable hostess; she invites Bathilda to sit down, offers her milk and fruit; Bathilde is subdued by her good looks, removes the golden chain from her neck and gives it to the girl, completely embarrassed, but proud of such a gift.
Bathilde asks Giselle about her work, entertainment. Oh, Giselle is happy! She has neither grief nor worries; Work in the morning, dance in the evening.
“Yes,” says Bertha to Bathilde, “especially dancing, she is obsessed with them.
Bathilde smiles and asks Giselle if her heart has begun to speak, if she loves anyone.
- Oh, yes, - the girl exclaims, pointing to Lois' hut, - the one who lives here! He is my lover, my fiance! I'll die if he falls out of love!
Bathilda is keenly interested in the girl... Their fate is the same: she, too, is getting married, to a young and beautiful nobleman! She promises to give Giselle a dowry: she likes the girl more and more ... Bathilde wants to see Giselle's fiancé and goes with her to the hut, accompanied by her father and Bertha, and Giselle runs to look for Lois.
The prince gives a sign to his retinue and asks to continue the hunt; he is tired and wants to rest a bit. When he wishes for everyone to return, he will blow his horn.
Hilarion appears at the door of Lois' hut, sees the prince and hears his orders. The prince and his daughter go to Bertha's hut.
Scene nine. While Giselle is looking at the road and looking for her lover, Hilarion comes out of Loyce's hut, holding a sword and a knight's cloak in his hands; finally he found out who his rival is! Noble! Now he was convinced - this is a disguised seducer! Hilarion holds a sword in his hands and wants to expose his opponent in the presence of Giselle and the whole village. Then he hides Loyce's sword in the bushes, waiting for the villagers to come to the feast.
Scene ten. Lois appears in the distance. Looking around carefully, he makes sure the hunters are gone.
Giselle notices him and runs towards him. At this moment cheerful music is heard.
Scene eleven. The procession begins. The grape harvest is over. A wagon adorned with vines and flowers moves slowly. Behind her are the peasants and peasant women of the whole valley; in their hands are baskets full of grapes. According to the old custom, little Bacchus is solemnly carried on a barrel. Everyone surrounds Giselle. She is chosen as the queen of the holiday and put on a wreath of vine leaves and flowers. Lois admires the beauty of the girl even more. Crazy fun soon takes over everyone.
Grape harvest festival. Giselle pulls Loyce into the middle of the crowd and dances with him in rapture. Everyone is dancing. In the finale, Lois kisses Giselle. At the sight of this kiss, the rage and jealousy of the envious Hilarion reach the limit. The forester rushes to the center of the circle and announces to Giselle that Loyce is a deceiver, a seducer. Disguised nobleman! The frightened Giselle answers Hilarion that he dreamed all this and he does not know what he is talking about.
- Oh, did you dream? - continues the forester. - So see for yourself! - And he shows those around him the sword and cloak of Lois. - This is what I found in his hut... I hope this is convincing evidence.
Albert in a rage rushes at Hilarion; he hides behind the peasants.
Sudden news struck Giselle with a terrible blow. Reeling from grief, ready to fall, she leans against a tree.
The peasants froze in amazement. Lois runs to Giselle, thinking that he can still refute the accusation, and tries to calm her down, assuring her of his love. She is deceived, he claims, for her he will always be Loys, a simple peasant, her lover, her fiancé.
The poor girl is so glad to believe... Hope returns to her heart; trusting and happy, she allows the treacherous Albert to embrace her. But then Hilarion recalls the prince's order given to his retinue to return at the sound of the horn. He grabs the horn of one of the prince's associates hanging on a tree and blows loudly. Having heard the prearranged signal, all the hunters come running, and the prince leaves Bertha's hut. Hilarion points them to Albert, kneeling before Giselle.
The retinue, recognizing the young duke, respectfully greets him. Seeing this, Giselle can no longer doubt the truth and understands what grief has befallen her.
Scene twelve. The prince approaches Albert and, immediately recognizing him, asks what strange behavior and the Duke's unusual attire.
Albert gets up from his knees, amazed and ashamed by the sudden meeting.
Giselle saw everything! She no longer has any doubts about the betrayal of her beloved. I burn her without limit. She makes an effort and backs away from Albert in horror. Then, finally destroyed by the falling blow, Giselle runs to the hut and falls into the arms of her mother, who leaves the door with the young Bathilde.
Scene thirteen. Bathilde, touched and sympathetic, quickly approaches Giselle and asks about the reason for her excitement. Instead of answering, she points to Albert, embarrassed and killed.
- What I see? Duke in a similar outfit! This is my fiancé! says Bathilde, pointing to her wedding ring.
Albert approaches Bathilde and tries in vain to delay the fatal confession; but Giselle heard everything, understood everything. Incredible horror is reflected in the face of the poor girl; everything is in a turmoil in her head, a terrible and gloomy delirium takes possession of her - deceived, perished, dishonored! The girl loses her mind, tears flow from her eyes ... She laughs with unnatural laughter. Then he takes Albert's hand, puts it on his heart, but immediately pushes it away in horror. Grabbing Royce's sword lying on the ground, at first he mechanically plays with it, then he wants to fall on the sharp blade, but the mother pulls out the weapon. All her soul can still cling to is dance; she hears the melody to which she danced with Albert... She begins to dance with ardor, with passion... But unexpected grief, cruel shocks have exhausted the fading strength of the girl... Life leaves her... Mother bends over her...
The last breath escapes the lips of poor Giselle... She casts a sad look at the shocked Albert, and her eyes close forever!
Bathilde, generous and kind, bursts into tears. Forgetting about everyone, Albert wants to revive Giselle with hot caresses ... He puts his hand on the girl's heart and feels with horror that the heart no longer beats.
He grabs his sword and wants to hit himself. The prince restrains and disarms Albert. Berta supports the body of her unfortunate daughter. Albert, distraught with grief and love, is taken away.
The peasants, the retinue of the prince and the hunters crowd around the dead girl.
Action two. The scene depicts a forest and a lake shore. Among the dampness and coolness grow reeds, sedges, forest flowers and water plants; birches, aspens and weeping willows all around, bending their pale foliage to the ground. To the left, under a cypress, is a white marble cross on which the name of Giselle is inscribed. The grave is drowning in thick grass and flowers. The blue light of the bright moon illuminates this cold and hazy picture.
Scene one. Several forest rangers converge along the deaf paths; they are looking for a convenient place to lie in wait for game, and head for the shore when Hilarion comes running.
Scene two. Hilarion is horrified.
- This cursed place, - he says to his comrades, - it hung in the circle of dances.
Hilarion shows them to the grave of Giselle... Giselle, who danced forever. He calls her name, pointing to a wreath of vine leaves, which was put on the girl during the holiday and which now hangs on the cross.
At this moment, midnight strikes in the distance - an ominous hour, when the vilis, according to folk legends, gather for their nightly dances.
Hilarion and his comrades listen with horror to the strike of the clock; trembling, look around and wait for the appearance of ghosts.
- Let's run! Hilarion says. - Wilis are merciless; they seize the traveler and make him dance until he dies of fatigue or is swallowed up by this lake.
Fantastic music sounds; the foresters turn pale, stagger and, engulfed panic fear, scatter in all directions. They are pursued by suddenly appearing wandering lights.
Scene three. The reeds slowly move apart, and a light Myrtle, the queen of Wilis, flies out of the damp plants - a transparent and pale shadow.
With her appearance, a mysterious light spreads everywhere, which suddenly illuminates the forest, dispersing the night shadows. It always happens as soon as Wilis appear. On the snow-white shoulders of Mirta, two transparent wings tremble, with which the vilisa can hide like a gas blanket.
The ghostly vision does not remain in place for a minute, flying up to the bushes, then to the branches of the willow, fluttering here and there, running and examining its kingdom, which it takes over again every night. She bathes in the waters of the lake, then hangs on the branches of a willow and swings on them.
After the pa performed by her, Mirta plucks a branch of rosemary and touches every bush, tree with it.
Scene four. At the touch of a flowering wilis wand, all flowers, bushes, grasses open, and wilis fly out of them in turn, surrounding Myrta, like bees their queen. Myrtha spreads her azure wings over her subjects and thus gives them the signal to dance. Several vilis alternately perform dances in front of their mistress.
First, Monna, an odalisque, dances an oriental dance; behind her Zulma, the bayadère, performs a slow Hindu dance; then two French women dance a minuet; two German women waltz behind them...
In the finale, two wilis are dancing - girls who died too early, not having time to satisfy their passion for dancing. They furiously indulge in her in their new, so graceful appearance.
Scene five. A bright beam falls on Giselle's grave; the flowers growing on it straighten their stems and raise their heads, as if opening the way for the white shadow they guarded.
Giselle appears wrapped in a light shroud. She heads towards Mirta; she touches her with a branch of rosemary; the shroud falls... Giselle turns into a vilisa. Her wings appear and grow... Her feet glide along the ground, she dances, or rather flutters, through the air, like her sisters, remembering and joyfully repeating the dances that she performed before (in the first act), before her death.
Some noise is heard. All Wilis scatter and hide in the reeds.
Scene six. Several young peasants are returning from a holiday in a nearby village. An old man is with them. They are all merrily walking around the stage.
Almost everyone has already left when strange music is heard - the music of the wilis dance; the peasants, against their will, are seized by an irresistible desire to dance. Wilis immediately surround them and captivate with the bliss of poses. Each of them, wanting to keep, charm, dances its own national dance... The captive peasants are already enchanted, ready to dance to their death, when the old man throws himself in their midst and warns with horror of the impending danger. The peasants are fleeing. They are pursued by the vilis, who watch with anger the disappearance of their victims.
Scene seven. Albert enters, accompanied by Wilfried, a faithful squire. The Duke is sad and pale; his clothes are in disarray; he nearly lost his mind after Giselle's death. Albert slowly approaches the cross, as if concentrating elusive thoughts. Wilfried begs Albert to leave, not to stop at the fatal grave, with which so much grief is associated ... Albert asks him to leave. Wilfried tries to argue, but Albert orders him to leave so firmly that the squire can only obey. He retires, but with the firm intention of again trying to lead his master out of these ill-fated places.
Scene eight. Left alone, Albert gives in to despair; his heart is torn with grief; he bursts into bitter tears. Suddenly he turns pale; his attention is attracted by a strange vision before him ... Albert is amazed to recognize Giselle, who looks at him lovingly.
Scene nine. Seized by madness, in the strongest anxiety, he still doubts, not daring to believe his eyes. Before him is not the former dear Giselle, but Giselle-wilis, a girl in a new, terrible guise.
Giselle-wilisa stands motionless in front of him and beckons him with her gaze ... Confident that this is only a deception of the imagination, Albert quietly, carefully approaches her, like a child who wants to catch a butterfly on a flower. But as soon as he holds out his hand, Giselle runs away from him. Like a shy dove, she flies away and, sinking to the ground, again looks at Albert with a look full of love.
These transitions, or rather flights, are repeated several times. Albert is desperate; he tries in vain to catch the wilis, which sometimes rushes over him like a light cloud.
Sometimes she sends him affectionate greetings, throws him a flower plucked from a branch, sends him a kiss. When he thinks that he is already holding her, he disappears and melts like fog.
Full of despair, Albert kneels down near the cross and begins to pray. As if attracted by this silent grief, breathing such love for her, the vilisa flies to her beloved. He touched her; intoxicated with love, happy, he is ready to embrace her, but she slips away and disappears among the roses; in Albert's arms there is only a grave cross.
Extreme despair seizes young men; he gets up and wants to leave these sad places, but then a strange sight catches his eye. Being unable to tear himself away from him, Albert is forced to witness a terrible scene.
Scene ten. hiding behind weeping willow, Albert sees the appearance of the unfortunate Hilarion, pursued by the vilis.
Pale, trembling, half dead with fear, the forester falls under a tree and begs the distraught pursuers for mercy. But the queen of the vilis, touching him with her wand, forces him to get up and repeat the dance, which she begins to perform. Hilarion, under the influence of magic spells, against his will, dances with the beautiful vilisa until she passes it to one of her friends, who passes it on to everyone else in turn. As soon as the unfortunate man thinks that the torment is over and his partner is tired, she is immediately replaced by another full of strength, and he has to make new inhuman efforts to dance to the beat of the accelerating music. In the end, he staggers and feels completely exhausted from fatigue and pain. Gathering the last of his strength, Hilarion seeks to break free and run away; but the wilis surround it in a wide round dance, which then gradually narrows, and whirl in a fast waltz. Magic power makes Hilarion dance. And again, one partner replaces another.
The legs of the unfortunate victim, enclosed in these thin deadly nets, begin to weaken and buckle. Hilarion's eyes close, he sees nothing else... but continues to dance furiously. The queen of the wilis seizes him and whirls him in a waltz last time; the unfortunate waltz again alternately with everyone and, having reached the shore of the lake and thinking that he is holding out his hands to a new partner, flies into the abyss. Wilis, led by Mirta, begin a joyful bacchanalia. But then one of the vilis discovers Albert and leads him, stunned by what he saw, into the middle of a magical round dance.
Scene eleven. At the sight of a new victim, the Wilis are delighted; they were already rushing around their prey, but at the moment when Mirta wants to touch Albert with a magic wand, Giselle runs out and holds the queen's hand raised over her lover.
Scene twelve. “Run,” Giselle says to the one she loves so much, “run or die, die like Hilarion,” she adds, pointing to the lake.
At the thought of impending death, Albert freezes in horror. Taking advantage of his indecision, Giselle takes his hand; movable magic power, they head towards the cross, and the vilisa points to the sacred symbol as the only salvation.
Mirtha and the Wilis pursue them, but Albert, protected by Giselle, reaches the cross and grabs it. At the moment when Mirta wants to touch Albert with a magic wand, a rosemary branch breaks in her hand. Terrified, both she and her friends freeze.
Embittered by the failure, the Wilis circle around Albert, trying to attack him, but each time they are thrown back by an unknown force. The queen wants revenge on the one who stole her prey. She extends her hand over Giselle. The wings of that one open, and she begins to gracefully and passionately dance. Standing still, Albert looks at her, but soon the beauty and charm of the vilisa dance involuntarily attracts him, and this is what Mirta wanted. Albert leaves the cross - salvation from death - and approaches Giselle; she stops in horror and begs him to return, but the queen touches her with her hand, and Giselle is forced to continue her enticing dance. This is repeated several times. Finally, carried away by passion, Albert leaves the cross and rushes to Giselle... He grabs the magic branch of rosemary and dooms himself to death in order to unite with the Wilis and never leave her!
As if wings grew on Albert; he glides along the ground, flutters around the vilis, which sometimes still tries to stop him.
However, Giselle's new essence soon wins, and the vilisa joins her lover. They begin a quick aerial dance; partners seem to compete in lightness and dexterity; sometimes they stop, hug each other, but fantastic music gives them new strength and new passion.
The Wilis join their dances and surround them in blissful groups.
Mortal fatigue begins to take hold of Albert. He is still struggling, but his strength is gradually leaving him. Giselle approaches him, her eyes full of tears; however, at the gesture of the queen, she is again forced to fly away. A few more moments - and Albert will die from fatigue and exhaustion ... And suddenly it starts to get light. The first rays of the sun illuminate the silvery waters of the lake.
The night disappears, and the stormy, fantastic round dance of the vilis subsides. Seeing this, Giselle is once again full of hope for Albert's salvation.
Under the clear rays of the sun, the whole round dance seemed to melt, droop; first one, then the other tends to the bush or flower from which it first appeared. So with the dawn of the day night flowers wither.
Giselle, like her sisters, experiences the ill effects of the day. She quietly leans on Albert's weakened hands and, carried away by inevitable fate, approaches her grave.
Albert, realizing what is waiting for Giselle, carries her away from the grave. He lowers her to a mound covered with flowers. Albert kneels and kisses Giselle, as if wanting to give her soul and bring her back to life.
But Giselle points out to him the already shining bright sun, telling him that he must submit to his fate and part forever.
At this time, loud sounds of a horn are heard in the forest. Albert listens to them with fear, and Giselle - with quiet joy.
Scene thirteen. Wilfried runs. A faithful squire leads the prince, Bathilda and a large retinue. He led them to Albert in the hope that they would succeed in taking the duke away.
Seeing Albert, everyone freezes. He rushes to his squire and stops him. But the moments of the Wilis' life are running out. Flowers and herbs have already risen around her and almost covered her with light stems ...
Albert returns and stands, struck with surprise and grief - he sees that Giselle is slowly sinking deeper and deeper into her grave. Giselle points Albert to Bathilde, who is kneeling and holding out her hands to him imploringly.
Giselle seems to be asking her lover to give his love and loyalty to this meek girl... Here is her last wish, her request.
With a last sad "sorry" Giselle disappears among the flowers and herbs that completely hide her.
Albert is heartbroken. But the command of the Wilis is sacred to him... He plucks a few flowers that have just hidden Giselle, lovingly brings them to his lips, presses them to his heart and, weakening, falls into the hands of his retinue, holding out his hand to Bathilda.

Ballet "Giselle" - summary. Libretto The two-act ballet "Giselle" is a fantastic story created by three librettists - Henri de Saint-Georges, Theophile Gauthier, Jean Coralli and composer Adolphe Adam, based on a legend retold by Heinrich Heine. How an immortal masterpiece was created

The Parisian public saw the ballet Giselle in 1841. This was the era of romanticism, when it was customary to include elements of folklore and myths in dance performances. The music for the ballet was written by the composer Adolphe Adam. One of the authors of the libretto for the ballet "Giselle" was Theophile Gautier. Together with him, the well-known librettist Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and choreographer Jean Coralli, who directed the performance, also worked on the libretto of the ballet Giselle. The ballet "Giselle" does not lose its popularity to this day. The Russian public first saw this story about tragic love in 1884 at the Mariinsky Theatre, but with some adjustments made to the production by Marius Petipa for the ballerina M. Gorshenkova, who performed the part of Giselle, who was then replaced by the great Anna Pavlova. In this performance, not only choreographic skills are important for the ballerina, but also dramatic talent, the ability to reincarnate, since the main character in the first act appears as a naive girl, then turns into a suffering one, and in the second act she becomes a ghost. Libretto of the ballet "Giselle" In his book "On Germany" Heinrich Heine included an old Slavic legend about the vilis - girls who died from unhappy love and rise from their graves at night to destroy young men wandering in the night, thus they avenge their lost lives. It was this legend that became the basis for the libretto of the ballet Giselle. Summary of the production: Count Albert and the peasant woman Giselle love each other, but Albert has a bride; the girl finds out about this and dies of grief, after which she becomes a vilisa; Albert comes at night to the grave of his beloved and he is surrounded by Wilis, he is threatened with death, but Giselle protects him from the wrath of her friends and he manages to escape. T. Gautier is the main developer of the libretto; he reworked the Slavic legend for the performance of Giselle (ballet). The content of the production takes the viewer away from the place where this myth originated. The librettist moved all the events to Thuringia. Characters of the production The main character is a peasant girl Giselle, Albert is her lover. Forester Illarion (in Russian productions of Hans). Berta is Giselle's mother. Albert's fiancee is Bathilde. Wilfried is a squire, the Queen of Wilis is Mirta. Among the characters are peasants, courtiers, servants, hunters, vilis.

T. Gauthier decided to give ancient myth cosmopolitan character, and with its light hand countries, customs and titles not found in original story, were included in Giselle (ballet). The content has been adjusted, as a result of which the characters have been slightly changed. The author of the libretto made the main character Albert the Duke of Silesia, and the father of his bride became the Duke of Courland. Act 1 Ballet "Giselle", a summary of scenes 1 to 6 The events take place in a mountain village. Berta lives with her daughter Giselle in a small house. Lois, Giselle's lover, lives nearby in another hut. Dawn came and the peasants went to work. Meanwhile, the forester Hans, who is in love with main character, from a secluded place watching her meeting with Lois, he is tormented by jealousy. Seeing the passionate hugs and kisses of lovers, he runs up to them and condemns the girl for such behavior. Lois chases him away. Hans vows revenge. Giselle's girlfriends soon appear, and she starts dancing with them. Berta tries to stop these dances, noticing that her daughter has a weak heart, fatigue and excitement are dangerous for her life.

The ballet "Giselle", a summary of scenes from 7 to 13 Hans manages to uncover the secret of Lois, who, it turns out, is not a peasant at all, but Duke Albert. The forester sneaks into the duke's house and takes his sword to use as evidence noble birth opponent. Hans shows Giselle Albert's sword. The truth is revealed that Albert is a duke and he has a fiancee. The girl is deceived, she does not believe in Albert's love. Her heart gives out and she dies. Albert, mad with grief, tries to kill himself, but is not allowed to do so. Act 2 Ballet Giselle, summary of scenes 1 to 6 of Act 2 After Giselle's death, she turned into a vilisa. Hans, tormented by remorse and feeling guilty for the death of Giselle, comes to her grave, the vilis notice him, circle in their round dance, and he falls dead.

"Giselle" (full name "Giselle, or Wilis", fr. Giselle, ou les Wilis) is a pantomime ballet in two acts to music by Adolphe Charles Adam. Libretto by T. Gauthier and J. Saint-Georges.

History of creation

In 1840 Adan, already famous composer, returned to Paris from St. Petersburg, where he went after Maria Taglioni, a famous French dancer who performed in Russia from 1837 to 1842.

Having written in St. Petersburg for Taglioni the ballet " Sea robber”, in Paris he began working on the next ballet, Giselle. The script was created by the French poet Theophile Gauthier (1811-1872) according to an old legend written down by Heinrich Heine - about the vilis - girls who died from unhappy love, who, turning into magical creatures, dance to death the young people they meet at night, avenging them for their ruined life. In order to give the action a non-specific character, Gauthier deliberately mixed countries and titles: referring the scene to Thuringia, he made Albert the Duke of Silesia (he is called a count in later versions of the libretto), and the father of the bride a prince (in later versions he is a duke) of Courland. Jules Saint-Georges (1799-1875) and Jean Coralli (1779-1854), a well-known librettist and skilled author of many librettos, took part in the work on the script. Coralli ( real name- Peracchini) worked for many years in the Milan theater La Scala, and then in the theaters of Lisbon and Marseille. In 1825 he came to Paris and from 1831 became the choreographer of the Grand Opera, then called the Royal Academy of Music and Dance. Several of his ballets were staged here. Thirty-year-old Jules Joseph Perrault (1810-1892) also took an active part in the production of the ballet.

An extremely talented dancer, a student of the famous Vestris, he was extremely ugly, and therefore his ballet career failed. Contradictory information has been preserved about his life. It is known that he spent several years in Italy, where he met with a very young Carlotta Grisi, who, thanks to his studies, became outstanding ballerina. For Carlotta, who soon became his wife, Perrault created the party of Giselle.

The premiere of the ballet took place on June 28, 1841 on the stage of the Paris Grand Opera. The ballet masters borrowed the idea of the choreographic composition from La Sylphide, staged by F. Taglioni nine years earlier and for the first time presenting the romantic concept of the ballet to the public. As in "La Sylphide", which became a new word in art, in "Giselle" the cantileverness of plasticity appeared, the form of the adagio improved, the dance became the main means of expression and received poetic spirituality.

The solo "fantastic" parts included a variety of flights, creating the impression of airiness of the characters. In the same vein, the dances of the corps de ballet were decided with them. In "earthly", non-fantastic images, the dance acquired a national character, heightened emotionality. The heroines went up to pointe shoes, their virtuoso dance began to resemble the work of virtuoso instrumentalists of that time. It was in Giselle that ballet romanticism was finally established, the symphonization of music and ballet began.

A year later, in 1842, Giselle was staged on the stage of the St. Bolshoi Theater French choreographer Antoine Tityus Dochi, better known as Tityus. This production largely reproduced the Parisian performance, with the exception of some modifications in the dances. Six years later, Perrot and Grisi, who arrived in St. Petersburg, brought new colors to the performance. The next edition of the ballet for Mariinsky Theater performed in 1884 by the famous choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910). Later, Soviet choreographers in different theaters old performances resumed. The published clavier (Moscow, 1985) reads: "Choreographic text by J. Perrot, J. Coralli, M. Petipa, revised by L. Lavrovsky."

Pa-de-de. Original version by Perrault, Coralli, Petipa, edited by Lavrovsky

Plot

Young Giselle lives in a small village. Count Albert has fallen in love with a young commoner and comes, dressed in a simple dress, to her. The girl loves him. But the forester Hans, who is jealous of Albert, is in love with her.

Girlfriends have fun with Giselle, a rich cortege appears. Albert's fiancee is there. She is captivated by Giselle's beauty and dance and gives her a golden chain. Albert leaves with the cortege. Hans finds rich hunting tackle and opens Giselle's eyes to who her lover is. With grief, the girl goes crazy and dies.

Scene of Giselle's madness performed by Galina Ulanova

Giselle finds herself among the Wilis - girls who were once deceived by their lovers.

They kill their former lovers dancing. The Wilis Queen greets Giselle. Air dancing Wilis, as if floating through the air! Hans comes to Giselle's grave. But the girls entice him, make him dance to the point of exhaustion, and then throw him into the water. But here came Albert, tormented by conscience.

Adagio performed by Svetlana Zakharov and Shklarova

The Wilis Queen wants to punish him. Giselle herself comes to the defense. She dances with him until dawn. when the Wilis disappear, thereby saving their beloved.

The production of "Giselle" appeared on stage ballet theater during the heyday of romanticism. Her role in the formation of this trend in art is very significant. T. Gauthier, J. Coralli and J. Saint-Georges are the creators of the libretto of the ballet "Giselle", a summary of which we will consider in this article. The production demonstrates the authors' appeal to their favorite romantic theme - mysticism. Adolphe Charles Adam - French composer. He is also one of the creators of the romantic ballet.

Exposition of images

The article will present a summary of the ballet "Giselle". The plot is based on the events taking place in the village. It is located among the mountains, surrounded by forest and vineyards. The peasants are going to the grape harvest. They pass by the house where the peasant woman Bertha lives, and her friends greet her daughter Giselle. Prince Albert and his squire Wilfried appear. They head to the hunting lodge and hide there for a while. From there, the prince comes out already in peasant clothes. This scene is witnessed by the unnoticed forester Hans.

Love affair

Albert goes to Bertha's house. The squire tries in vain to dissuade his master from any intentions. The prince pushes the servant away and knocks on the door, then hides. Giselle, coming out to knock and not finding anyone, dances, then is about to leave. Albert appears, but the girl, as if not noticing him, goes to the house. The prince touches her hand and hugs her tenderly. Their subsequent dance turns into a love scene. Albert confesses his love, but Giselle, jokingly, expresses her doubts about this. She reads on the petals of a flower. As a result, having received the answer "does not like", she is very upset. Then Albert guesses on another flower. Fortune telling ends with the answer "loves." The girl is calm and happy. They are dancing again.

Further, retelling briefly the content of the ballet "Giselle", we will mention the forester Hans. He appears unexpectedly, asks the girl not to trust the words of Albert and assures her of his devotion. Hans has no doubt that Albert will only bring her grief and disappointment.

Albert is furious. He chases the forester. The girl justifies Hans' act with jealousy. Then, even more tenderly and passionately, she continues her dance with Albert.

The next scene begins with the return of Giselle's friends from the vineyards. There is general fun and dancing. Albert watches the girl admiringly. Flattered by his attention, she invites him to take part in this fun, which he does with pleasure.

Berta comes out of the house and reminds her daughter that she has a heart condition. Therefore, it is unhealthy for her to dance so much. The fun is over.

Notable guests

The sounds of hunting can be heard in the distance. The appearance of new characters makes the action more intense. Elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen appear. Among them, the Duke of Courland with his daughter Bathilda, Albert's fiancee. The hunt has made everyone excited and tired, and they dream of rest and food. For rest, the duke chooses Giselle's house. Berta and her daughter went out to meet the guests. Bathilde is fascinated by the beauty and spontaneity of the main character. The same, in turn, admires the elegant toilets of the guest. A dialogue takes place between them, in which Bathilde asks the girl about her favorite pastime. She replies that she loves to dance. As a token of her sympathy, Bathilde gives the simpleton a present. This is a luxury gold chain. Giselle is very happy, but this causes her confusion. Distinguished guests disperse to rest. Bathilda's father went to Bertha's house.

exposure

Giselle and her friends persuade Bertha to let them dance. Berta reluctantly agrees. Giselle is happy. She performs her very best dance. Albert joins her. Suddenly, the forester Hans appears. Roughly pushing them aside, he accuses Albert of dishonesty and deceit. Everyone around is perplexed, they are outraged by the act of the forester. Then, as proof of his accusations, Hans shows everyone Albert's weapon, which he found in the hunting lodge. It is decorated with jewels, which testifies to its noble origin. This shocked Giselle. She demands an explanation from a new acquaintance. The prince tries to calm the girl, and then snatches the sword from Hans's hands and rushes at him. Wilfried arrived on time and did not allow his master to commit the murder. Hans the forester starts blowing his hunting horn. Alarmed by the signal, distinguished guests emerge from Bertha's house. Among them is the duke with his daughter Bathilda. Dressed in peasant clothes, Albert causes them bewilderment. He, in turn, tries to justify his act.

tragic denouement

Giselle sees how noble guests respectfully greet Albert, how respectfully the duke's servants are with him. She has no doubt that she was deceived. The prince then turns to Bathilde, kissing her hand. Giselle runs up to her rival with the words that Albert swore to her his love of fidelity. Bathilde is outraged. She shows Giselle her wedding ring, indicating that she is the real bride of the prince. Giselle is desperate. She rips off and throws the golden chain given by Bathilda. Sobbing, she falls into her mother's arms. Not only her friends, but also noble guests sympathize with her.

Albert tries to calm Giselle. He says something to her. However, the girl does not listen to him, her mind is clouded with grief. She remembers his oaths, promises, divination, dances. Seeing Albert's sword, she tries to kill herself. But Hans takes the weapon from her hands.

Her last memory is fortune telling on daisies. Giselle is dying.

Instead of an epilogue

We continue our acquaintance with the content of the ballet "Giselle". Further, the action takes place in the village cemetery. Hans came here, but, frightened by the mysterious sounds, he ran away.

Willis - brides who died before the wedding, lead their round dance. At a sign from their mistress Mirta, they surround Giselle's grave, from which her ghostly figure emerges. With a wave of Mirta's hand, she gained strength.

Albert appears at the cemetery, accompanied by his squire. He is looking for where the girl is buried. Suddenly he saw her figure and rushed after her. Several times this vision appeared and disappeared, as if melting in the air.

Meanwhile, the jeeps are chasing Hans and, having overtaken him, vengefully push him into the lake.

Albert should be their next victim. He unsuccessfully begs the ruthless Mirtha for mercy. Giselle appears. She intends to protect her lover and save him from certain death. Together they dance their last dance. Then the ghost of the girl disappears into her grave, and the round dance of the jeep surrounds Albert. The ringing of the clock announces the end of the night. With the dawn, the jeeps disappeared. The retinue of the prince appears, sent in search of his master. Giselle's ghost appears for the last time. Albert's return real world completes the ballet "Giselle".

Giselle in Russia

The premiere of this ballet in Russia took place in 1842. It was staged at the Mariinsky Theater in 1884. The production of the ballet Giselle at the Mariinsky Theatre, the content of which makes everyone empathize, was a huge success.

The main meaning of the plot is the idea eternal love which is stronger than death.

Nowadays, a huge number of spectators visit the theaters of Russia, including the Mariinsky, and the content of the ballet "Giselle" is of interest to people of different generations.

The two-act ballet "Giselle" is a fantastic story created by three librettists - Henri de Saint-Georges, Theophile Gauthier, Jean Coralli and composer Adolphe Adam based on a legend retold by Heinrich Heine.

How was the immortal masterpiece created?

Libretto of the ballet "Giselle"

In his book “On Germany”, Heinrich Heine wrote an old Slavic legend about the vilis - girls who died from unhappy love and rise from their graves at night to kill young men wandering in the night, thus they avenge their ruined lives. It was this legend that became the basis for the libretto of the ballet Giselle. Summary of the production: Count Albert and the peasant woman Giselle love each other, but Albert has a bride; the girl finds out about this and dies of grief, after which she becomes a vilisa; Albert comes at night to the grave of his beloved and he is surrounded by Wilis, he is threatened with death, but Giselle protects him from the wrath of her friends and he manages to escape.

T. Gauthier - the main developer of the libretto, he reworked the Slavic legend for the play "Giselle" (ballet). The content of the production takes the viewer away from the place where this myth originated. The librettist moved all the events to Thuringia.

Production characters

The main character is a peasant girl Giselle, Albert is her lover. Forester Illarion (in Russian productions of Hans). Bertha is Giselle's mother. Albert's fiancee is Bathilda. Wilfried is a squire, the mistress of the vilis is Mirta. Among the characters are peasants, courtiers, servants, hunters, vilis.

T. Gautier decided to give the ancient myth a cosmopolitan character, and with his light hand of the country, customs and titles that are not in the original story were included in Giselle (ballet). The content has been adjusted, as a result of which the characters have been slightly changed. The author of the libretto made the main character Albert the Duke of Silesia, and the father of his bride became the Duke of Courland.

1 action

Ballet Giselle, summary of scenes 1 to 6

Events take place in a mountain village. Berta lives with her daughter Giselle in a small house. Lois, Giselle's lover, lives nearby in another hut. Dawn came and the peasants went to work. Meanwhile, the forester Hans, who is in love with the main character, is watching her meeting with Lois from a secluded place, he is tormented by jealousy. Seeing the passionate hugs and kisses of lovers, he runs up to them and condemns the girl for such behavior. Lois chases him away. Hans vows revenge. Giselle's girlfriends soon appear, and she starts dancing with them. Berta tries to stop these dances, noticing that her daughter has a weak heart, fatigue and excitement are dangerous for her life.

Ballet Giselle, summary of scenes 7 to 13

Hans manages to reveal the secret of Lois, who, it turns out, is not a peasant at all, but Duke Albert. The forester sneaks into the duke's house and takes his sword to use as proof of his rival's noble birth. Hans shows Giselle Albert's sword. The truth is revealed that Albert is a duke and he has a fiancee. The girl is deceived, she does not believe in Albert's love. Her heart gives out and she dies. Albert, mad with grief, tries to kill himself, but is not allowed to do so.

2 action

Ballet "Giselle", a summary of scenes 1 to 6 from act 2

After her death, Giselle turned into a vilisa. Hans, tormented by remorse and feeling guilty for the death of Giselle, comes to her grave, the vilis notice him, circle in their round dance, and he falls dead.

Ballet "Giselle", summary of scenes 7 to 13 from act 2

Albert is unable to forget his beloved. At night he comes to her grave. He is surrounded by Wilis, among whom is Giselle. He tries to hug her, but she is just an elusive shadow. He falls to his knees near her grave, Giselle flies up and allows him to touch her. The Wilis begin to circle Albert in a round dance, Giselle tries to save him, and he survives. At dawn, the Wilis disappear, and Giselle also disappears, saying goodbye to her lover forever, but she will live forever in his heart.

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