Is_Giselle_a_Typical_Romantic_Ballet

The purpose of this essay will be to comment on whether or not Giselle (1841) is a typical Romantic ballet. This will include a detailed breakdown of this work which will then make it clearer and give an insight into why it’s a typical romantic ballet as well. The ballet Giselle is a famous 2 part ballet choreographed by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli. It also contained a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam. Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier got their inspiration to create this from a poem by Heinrich Heine. This ballet is set in Germany, Rhineland of the middle ages during the grape harvest. This was considered to be a picturesque romantic place so it appealed to the romantic minds of Paris. The set alone tells us that Giselle is a typical romantic ballet as it features some of the elements of romanticism. Act 1 presents the cottage of Giselle and her mother Berthe who are seen on the side, and on the other side is the cottage of Duke Albrecht of Silesia, a nobleman who has disguised himself as a peasant named Loys. Wilfrid who is his squire advises Albrecht not to flirt with Giselle as he is already taken and about to get married. Albrecht dismisses his advice and this then leads to Giselle falling deeply in love with him. A man named Hilarion who is a gamekeeper in the ballet is also in love with Giselle and warns the girl against trusting Albrecht as he is a stranger but Giselle refuses to listen. Albrecht and Giselle dance a love duet, with Giselle picking the petals from a daisy to divine her lover's sincerity. This first meeting is where we are introduced to the first leitmotif which is a love motif it happens just as Albrecht meets Giselle the orchestration here has a very deep tone and then changes to a very light tone and this happens throughout the whole time Giselle and Albrecht are speaking to each other. These tones show a conversation and represent Albrecht and Giselle so we can identify who they are through the music this happens constantly in the ballet. The couple are then interrupted by Giselle's mother who worries about her daughter's fragile health and then brings her back into the cottage. Horns are heard in the forest and Loys then runs away from the scene. A hunting are now introduced and refreshments are served. Among the hunting party are Bathilde and her father. Giselle returns to the scene and dances for the party, and receives a necklace from Bathilde. When the party leave Loys then reappears with the grape harvesters and a celebration begins. Giselle and the harvesters dance but the celebration is brought to a stop by Hilarion because he has investigated into the Duke's cottage and has found Loys (Albrecht’s) horn and sword. The horn is then sounded and the hunting party returns. The truth about Loys (Albrecht) disguise is revealed and Giselle starts to go mad and then dies. The fact that all this happens in the first act over one day tells us automatically that it’s a romantic ballet as this is a popular feature among throughout romantic ballets at the time. The second act is set in a forest at night in a moonlit glade near Giselle's grave they would use blue gas light to create this moonlight on stage. At this point Hilarion is grieving Giselle's death and He is frightened from the glade by the Wilis which are female spirits who have jilted before their wedding day. They rise from their graves at night and seek revenge upon men by dancing them to death. Giselle is then summoned from her grave and welcomed by supernatural creatures that then quickly disappear. Albrecht enters searching for Giselle's grave and she appears before him. He begs for her forgiveness as he is ashamed and haunted at what he has done to her. Giselle’s love is still strong for Albrecht and she quickly forgives him and the two have a duet together. Giselle cannot be seen as a typical Romantic ballet as the orchestration is very unique and was paid a large amount of attention to. The musical score also helps this. Usually the choreographer doesn’t help the composer in romantic ballets and this is why it might not be seen as a typical Romantic ballet. Giselle features 2 acts this structure of having 2 acts in a ballet also proves that Giselle is a typical romantic ballet as this happened in many other romantic ballet’s. Hilarion enters pursued by the Wilis who throw him to his death in a nearby lake. The Wilis then surround Albrecht and sentence him to death. “The fact that this encounter turns violent may perhaps be viewed as enactments of mortals’ fears of the diabolical forces that seemed to lurk just beneath the surface of everyday existence another subject frequently treated in romantic works of art” (ROH programme 2011) . He begs to be spared but the Queen of the Wilis refuse and then Giselle protects him from the Wilis when they force him to dance. The next day and the Wilis start to go back to their graves and Giselle's love saved Albrecht. By Giselle not adopting the ways, ideals and the feelings of vengeance and hatred that make the wilis who they are Giselle is then freed from being with them and goes back to her grave in peace. To conclude Giselle might not be viewed as a typical ballet because it is the only ballet that has survived throughout the ages and has stood the test of time. It still includes the original plot of the ballet and the mime sequences are still very much intact. The reason for this is because the story is universal; it includes universal themes and still has relevance in our day and age. The ballet Giselle has many reasons for why it can be a typical romantic ballet and why it can’t, but ultimately I believe the reasons more lead towards the fact that it is. Bibliography Marcel, Brion (1966). Art of the Romantic Era. Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Arkin, L.C. & Smith. (2997) National Dance in the romantic ballet. Hall, G (1961). Giselle: the story of the ballet. London: ballet books. Guest, I (2008). Jules Perrot: Master of the romantic ballet. London: Dance books ltd. Guest, I (2008). The romantic ballet in Paris. London: Dance books ltd. Linda. (2011). Giselle. Available: http://www.theballetbag.com/2011/01/11/giselle/. Last accessed 21st mar 2011 Kirstein, L (1985). Four centuries of ballet. Dover publications.