Paris
National Opera  |
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Ballets
Giselle
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Ballet in 2 acts which takes place in a little village of Rhine valley. It is Théophile Gautier’s story which has been inspired of Willis legend in De l’Allemagne, book written by Henri Heine. |
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| Act 1: Giselle, a young girl, peasant, with a flimsy health, is enamoured with a handsome man that she thinks from a modest condition. His name is Albrecht but he is in fact an already married prince. Being in love of Giselle, he has hidden his rank to avoid she refuses his advances. Hilarion, a young man of the village, also enamoured of Giselle, is very jealous of Albrecht. He discovers by chance the truth about Albrecht and decides to say all to Giselle. He does it in the presence of the wife of the prince and all the court that participated to a game hunting in the vicinity. Hearing the betrayal of those she loves, Giselle becomes crazy and dies in the arms of her mother. |
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| Act 2: Giselle is now a Willi, ghost of a young woman dead after the betrayal of her promised. All the Willis have in common the hate of men. They leave during the night in the forest, and if a man ventures himself there, he will undergo their retribution, they will be heartless. The scene takes place in the glade where Giselle is buried. Albrecht comes to collect himself. Giselle’s spirit appears. They dance together until the Willis stop them. They flee. Hilarion appears, is surrounded by the Willis, is thrown in a lake and dies. Giselle and the prince come back. The Willis want to Albrecht death but Giselle refuses. Finally, the force of their love goes past maleficent creatures’ powers: Albrecht condemned dancing until exhaustion is saved by the sunup. Spirits disappear and Albrecht stays lonely, in his despair, separate for evermore of Giselle. |
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| Created on the 28th of June 1841 at Paris Opera, Giselle is considered as the symbol of the romantic ballet. | |
