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| Giselle | |
|---|---|
 Carlotta Grisi as Giselle, 1841 | |
| Choreographed by | Jean Coralli Jules Perrot |
| Composed by | Adolphe Adam |
| Libretto by | Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges Théophile Gautier |
| Based on | Heinrich Heine's De l'Allemagne Victor Hugo's "Fantômes" from Les Orientales |
| Date of premiere | Monday 28 June 1841 |
| Place of premiere | Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique |
| Original ballet company | Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique |
| Characters | Giselle Albrecht Hilarion Myrtha Bathilde Prince of Courland Berthe Wilfrid Peasants, Nobles, Wilis |
| Designs by | Pierre Ciceri (scenery) Paul Lormier (costumes) |
| Setting | Rhine Valley Renaissance |
| Created for | Carlotta Grisi |
| Genre | Ballet-fantastique |
| Type | Romantic ballet |
Giselle; or, The Wilis is a romantic ballet in two acts. Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier wrote the story of the ballet. They based it on a short prose passage in Heinrich Heine's De l'Allemagne. They also used Victor Hugo's poem "Fantômes". Adolphe Adam wrote the music. Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot designed the dances. Carlotta Grisi danced the role of Giselle in the first production. The scenery was created by Pierre Cisceri.
The story is set in Germany during the Renaissance. Giselle is a peasant girl. She falls in love with Albrecht. He is a nobleman pretending to be a peasant boy. Giselle is shocked to discover Albrecht is going to marry the princess Bathilde. Her heart breaks. She goes mad (insane, crazy) and dies. One night, she rises from her grave. She wants to protect Albrecht from the Wilis. The Wilis are the ghostly spirits of dead girls. They force men to dance to their deaths.
The ballet was first performed in Paris on Monday 28 June 1841 at the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique. It was a great success. It was staged almost at once by other ballet companies in Europe, Russia, and the United States. Grisi was declared another Taglioni. Taglioni was the age's greatest ballerina. Ballet historian Grace Robert writes "Giselle ... is the archetype of the ballets of the romantic age".[1]
- ↑ Robert 1949, p. 156