Giselle

Reginaldo Oliveira / Adolphe Adam

Ballett

Synopsis

Adolphe Adam’s ballet “Giselle” tells a poetic story, unfolding between reality and the netherworld. It centres on love, loss and forgiveness. In the second act, the audience encounters the mysterious Wilis – nocturnal ghosts described as both eerie and seductive by Heinrich Heine in the 1835 work “The Wilis”, which provided the literary inspiration for the libretto. The Wilis are young women who have died before their wedding day and who roam the earth at night to charm lonely wanderers and dance with them until the men perish from exhaustion. This grim folk legend was first combined with the lyrical music of a romantic ballet in “Giselle”.

“Giselle” is considered one of the first ballets that used dancing en pointe not merely as a technical sensation but as a poetic means of expression: Especially in the famous “White Act”, the seemingly weightless pointe work conveys the impression of an entranced, unearthly world.

The main character’s complex development – from an innocent youth to a tortured soul to a reconciliatory, almost transcendent figure – has made this classic work one of the most frequently interpreted ballets in theatre repertoires.

Adolphe Adam (1803–1856) was a French composer known primarily for his operas and ballets. He became famous throughout Europe with his opera “Le Postillon de Longjumeau” (1836). Adam wrote more than 50 operas and numerous ballets – among which “Giselle” (1841) is one of the most famous.

Head Choreographer Reginaldo Oliveira teams up with stage and costume designer Thomas Mika to give the work a modern look. While the content has been adapted, the ballet’s poetic atmosphere remains intact – not least through the musical interpretation of the Mozarteum Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Leslie Suganandarajah.