Credits
Libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint Georges, Théophile Gautier, and Jean Coralli
Choreography by Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli, and Marius Petipa as revised by Nikita Dolgushin
Musical Director and Conductor: Karen Durgarian
Choreographer: Nikita Dolgushin
Set and Costume Design: Vyacheslav Okunev
Lighting Design: Alexander Kibitkin
Ballet Master: Mikhail Messerer
Assistant: Evgenia Kostyleva
Dedicated to the memory of Nikita Dolgushin
2 hours 15 minutes
one intermission
Premiered on 21 April 2016
Performed on tour to Budapest, Hungary (2019)
“Giselle, ou les Wilis” is a production that became the symbol of romantic ballet of the XIX century and remains popular in our day. Young Giselle finds out about her beloved one’s betrayal and dies frantic with grief. She becomes one of the Wilis — the undead brides who enter the world of living at midnight looking for new victims among men to dance them to death.
The Novosibirsk opera and ballet theatre (NOVAT) presents the ballet as revised by Nikita Dolgushin, one of the brightest performers of Albert’s part in the history of this ballet.
Act I
A Young Count is in love with Giselle. As he is in a peasant wear Giselle takes him for a lad from a neighboring village. A gamekeeper, who is also in love with Giselle, tries to persuade her that her beloved one is not who he pretends to be. But Giselle refuses to listen to him.
The Gamekeeper sneaks in a cabin where the young Count changes into peasant clothes and finds his sword with Count’s crest on it. The Sound of a horn heralds that the hunters are approaching. The Count’s fiancée and her father are among them. A noble lady is fascinated by Giselle and gives her a necklace.
The Gamekeeper appears in the midst of the peasants’ festivity. He accuses the Count of his lies and shows the sword as a proof. Giselle doesn’t believe him. Then the Gamekeeper blows the horn and Count’s betrothed comes to the fore of the abashed Count. Giselle shocked by her beloved one’s deceit, loses her sanity and dies.
Act II
Midnight. The Gamekeeper comes to visit Giselle’s grave. The Wilis are rising from their tombs and he runs for his life to escape them. Anyone who comes to the cemetery is forced by the Wilis to dance until the lone traveler falls dead. The Queen of the Wilis summons Giselle’s ghost from the grave: from now on she is one of them. The Count comes to visit Giselle’s grave. Seeing the young man’s sorrow and penitence, Giselle forgives him. The Wilis are chasing the Gamekeeper and having captured him throw the young man into the lake. Now the same fate awaits the Count. In vain Giselle begs the Wilis to let her beloved one go but they are dispiteous. From afar the chime is heard. The Wilis lose their powers as the dawn breaks. The Count is forgiven and saved. Giselle vanishes with the first rays of the morning sun.