Organiser: NTOB
Place: arTurbina / Grand Hall
2 Reprises of the Ballet
First Premiere:
The Giselle ballet was first put on stage at the Opera of Paris on 28 June 1841.
It was first performed in Albania on 14, 15 December 1988.
Ballet master: Agron Aliaj (People’s Artist)
Set Design and Costumes: Shaban Hysa
Assistant ballet master: Albert Janku (Merited Artist)
Characters and interprets of the year 1988:
Giselle: Mukades Erebara, Albana Sulejmani
Albrecht: Ludmill Çakalli, Ilir Kerni
Hilarion: Pëllumb Agalliu, Leonard Xhokaxhi
Bathilde: Albana Gjergji
Myrtha: Mariola Fejzo, Lindita Ahmataj
Bathilde’s Father: Eqerem Hoxha
Pas de deux: Domenika Ndreca, Renis Kaceli, M.Fejzo, Enkel Zhuti
Albrecht’s squire: N.Mesiti, D.Romano etc.
The Giselle Ballet’s libretto is built on the motifs of an ancient German legend on Wilis, young betrothed women who died before marriage.
Synopsis
Act I
A quiet village. In a house surrounded by forests and vineyards, Berta lives with her daughter Giselle, the most beautiful girl in the village. It’s time for the wine harvest. Villagers have gathered for the harvest. A group of villagers lovingly greet Giselle. Meanwhile, Prince Albrecht and his squire enter the hunters’ hut and Albrecht comes out later dressed as a peasant. This is noticed by the local gamekeeper, Hans. Albert walks towards Giselle’s house. Wilfrid (Albert’s squire) tries to stop him, but Albert forces him to knock and leave as he hides behind the house. Giselle comes out and is surprised to see no one. She starts to dance. Suddenly Albert comes up to her, runs after her, grabs her by the hand and warmly embraces her. Their dance turns into a love dialogue.
Giselle jokingly expresses her suspicion of Albrecht’s sincerity. The flower the petals of which she is removing one by one shows that Albrecht “does not love me”… Albrecht takes another flower and proves the opposite. Giselle calms down and continues to dance with Albert.
Hans approaches the girl and tells her not to trust Albert’s words, but she thinks Hans says this out of jealousy and does not comply.
The villagers return from the grape harvest and celebrate the occasion. The girls beg Giselle to dance with them. Albert charmingly follows her dance and crowns Giselle as the Harvest Queen.
Hunting fanfares are heard in the distance and a party of noblemen seeking refreshment following the rigors of the hunt enters the stage. It is the nobility of the neighbor village lead by the Duke of Courland and his daughter Bathilde, who is engaged to Albrecht. Princess Bathilde is captivated by Giselle’s beauty and presents her with a golden necklace. Meanwhile the princess asks Giselle if she is betrothed.
Sincere Giselle says her lover was just there and tries to find him in the meantime to introduce him. At the end of the celebration, Hans appears, insisting on convincing Giselle that Albrecht is not the one he says he is. Albrecht opposes Hans, who is forced to substantiate his claim to Albrecht’s truth. Hans shows everyone Albrecht’s sword he had hidden in order to look like a peasant and tells them about his deception. Albrecht attempts to kill Hans with the sword. Concerned, Giselle asks Albrecht for an explanation.
Hans calls once again the nobles of the neighboring village that had already left. The hunters come on stage with Princess Bathilde and her father. The princess is amazed at Albrecht’s peasant outfit, which justifies it by saying he was hunting. Meanwhile Giselle intervenes between Albrecht and the princess and tells her that he was the person she wanted to introduce to her and who had sworn eternal love.
Princess Bathilde announces that she is betrothed to Albrecht. Giselle falls into a state of despair, removes the necklace from her neck and collapses. When she regains consciousness, it seems to her as if flowers are dancing in front of her, alerting her to adversity. She reminisces the moments of love with Albrecht and when she sees the sword she tries to kill herself, but Hans stops her in time. She looks for her mother, but doesn’t recognize her. Her heart stops beating.
Act II
Some time has passed, and Albrecht, seized with remorse, returns to the village. Suddenly it seems to him as the whole square is filled with girls dancing under the moonlight along with the queen of the wilis, Myrtha. It seems to him as if Giselle, the simple peasant girl who knew how to love and keep her love pure, is near. The two approach and dance together. The wilis ask to separate them but they do not leave each other. Albrecht sees Hans being punished by all the wilis, as he is considered as the cause of the disaster that has taken place by them, and Giselle who defends and seeks forgiveness from the judgment and punishment of Myrtha and the other girls. The simple figure of this girl stands magnificently as a symbol of the triumph of love. In the meantime, a new day dawns.
The visualization disappears. Albrecht is left alone on stage with a red rose in his hand.