PROGRAM NOTES Giselle WILLIAM INTRILIGATOR, Music Director & Conductor

Home , Adolphe Adam, Carlotta Grisi, Giselle, Swan Lake, Swan Lake (1895)

SAT April 2 at 7:30pm SUN April 3 at 2:00pm Heritage Center University of Dubuque PROGRAM NOTES Giselle WILLIAM INTRILIGATOR, Music Director & Conductor

Adolphe Adam, Giselle

Premiered at the Paris Opera on June 28, 1841, Adolphe Adam’s ballet Giselle about a fragile young girl’s love that exerts its power beyond the grave remains more than 170 years later one of the cornerstones of classical ballet. With its spooky supernatural plot of vengeful Wilis — the spirits of jilted young women — it epitomizes the Romantic era, while glorifying the ethereal image of a prima ballerina floating weightlessly across the stage en pointe.

The world of ballet was undergoing a revolution in Paris during the early part of the 19th Adolphe Adam century. In 1832, La Sylphide, about the fatal love between a woodland sylph and a b. 1803 Paris, France young Scotsman, had thrilled the French public. It featured the Italian/Swedish ballerina d. 1856 Paris, France Marie Taglioni, who elevated the technique of en pointe (toe) dancing to a sustained artistic style rather than an occasional stunt; Taglioni also delighted audiences with her shortened costumes featuring the now traditional ballet-length skirt that exposed the legs.

Giselle exploited all these innovations and introduced to Parisians another legendary prima ballerina, the Italian Carlotta Grisi, for whom the title role was created. And it also featured an ill-fated love story, conceived by the French Romantic poet Théophile Gautier. Gautier had read Heinrich Heine’s De L’Allemagne (“From Germany”), which told of the cruel Wilis: spirits of young women who had been jilted by their lovers and arose from their graves at midnight to take their revenge by forcing men to dance until they died. He combined this ultra-Romantic tale with Victor Hugo’s poem Fantômes about a frail young Spanish girl whose passion for dance brings about her death.

Gautier brought this ballet concept to the Paris Opera, where it was immediately accepted. Jules-Henri Vernoy de St. Georges, an experienced ballet librettist, created the ballet’s scenario in a mere three days. The Opera’s administrators tapped Adolphe Adam, a prolific composer of operas and ballets, to write the musical score, which he reportedly accomplished in three weeks, commenting “I composed the music in high spirits. I was in a hurry and that always fires my imagination.” (Adam was also the composer of the beloved Christmas song “Cantique de Noël, known in English as “O Holy Night.”)

Giselle was a triumph at its premiere for all concerned —praised for its gorgeous, danceable music, its moving plot, and for Grisi’s incarnation of its lovely, vulnerable heroine. It swept Europe and became a particular favorite of the Russian Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. Today it ranks with Swan Lake as one of the most popular of all story ballets and one of the supreme tests of the ballerina’s art.

The Ballet’s Scenario

Act I The ballet opens on a sunny autumn day in Germany in the middle of the grape harvest. Duke Albrecht of Silesia has fallen in love with a beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, and disguised himself as the humble “Loys” in order to woo her. Unbeknownst to her, he is already betrothed to Bathilde, the daughter of the Duke of Courland. The gamekeeper Hilarion is also in love with Giselle and tries to warn Giselle that Loys cannot be trusted. Giselle’s mother, Berthe, also tries to discourage the romance because she knows Giselle has a weak heart and fears for her safety. A party of nobles out on a hunting expedition visit the village as the vintage harvest is being celebrated. Among them is the Duke of Courland and Bathilde. Albrecht hurries away to avoid being recognized. Giselle is enchanted by Bathilde’s beautiful gown, and the charmed noblewoman rewards her dancing with a necklace. Courland and Bathilde retire to Giselle’s cottage for refreshment, and the hunt continues. Shortly after, Hilarion has found Albrecht’s sword and presents it to Giselle and all the villagers as proof that he is really a nobleman. To prove the charade, Hilarion sounds the hunting horn, and the Royal party returns to the village. Bathilde and Adolphe Adam Courland are surprised to see Albrecht dressed as a villager. Albrecht feigns amusement, CONTINUED and kisses Bathilde’s hand in acknowledgement of their relationship. Giselle is horrified by Albrecht’s betrayal and driven mad with grief. After an extraordinary solo dance, she collapses and dies in Albrecht’s arms.

Act II It is near midnight in the forest outside the village. Hilarion is mourning at Giselle’s grave, but is frightened away by the arrival of the Wilis, dressed like brides in white gowns, led by their merciless queen, Myrthe. They summon Giselle’s spirit from her grave and induct her into their band before disappearing back into the forest. Albrecht arrives seeking Giselle’s grave; he is deep in mourning for her and overcome with remorse for his betrayal. Giselle’s spirit appears, and after witnessing his deep remorse, she realizes that he did, indeed, love her. Filled with forgiveness, she gives Albrecht the magical blossoms that reveal her unearthly existence. She disappears, and Albrecht rushes after her. Meanwhile, the Wilis have found Hilarion and force him to dance until he is nearly dead; then throw him in the forest’s pond to drown. Then they turn on Albrecht and condemn him as well. Giselle pleads for his life, but Myrthe is implacable. Albrecht is forced to dance until sunrise while Giselle tries to sustain him. But as the sun rises, the power of the Wilis is broken and they vanish. The broken-hearted Albrecht survives. Giselle, her love having triumphed over the Wilis, bids him a tender farewell and returns to rest peacefully forever in her grave.

Musical Highlights Adam’s score was very innovative for its period in that he created recurring themes or leitmotifs to represent the three main characters — Giselle, Albrecht, and Hilarion — as well as the supernatural Wilis. The first act is filled with beautiful examples of traditional dance styles, such as the quadrille, the waltz, and the tarantella. Its most stunning sequence is Giselle’s dance of grief and madness, which features the lovely, poignant theme associated with her and superb solo writing for violin and flute. The ballet’s finest musical moments come in Act II, where the Wilis’ eerie music conjures the menacing supernatural world. A haunting oboe solo accompanies Albrecht’s arrival at Giselle’s grave. This is followed by a beautiful, sorrowing duet featuring violin and cello as Albrecht dances with Giselle’s spirit. A magnificent viola solo accompanies Giselle’s great Adagio as she pleads with the Wilis to spare her lover. At the ballet’s close, violin- topped music of heartbreaking sorrow accompanies Giselle and Albrecht’s dance as they bid each other farewell forever.