Giselle Tickets

Mariinsky Teatre Primorsky Stage, Vladivostok, Russia

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Important Info

Type: Ballet

City: Vladivostok, Russia

Duration: 2h 10min

Acts: 2

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Cast

Performers

Choose the date to see the peformers

Overview

Giselle is one of the first and the most beautiful French romantic ballets. It is based on quite a popular story of that time – a story about an aristocrat deceiving a poor girl who dies and returns from the heavens to her unfaithful lover as a mythical creature (a similar theme was used in Mermaid by Alexander Dargomyzhsky and Undine by Albert Lortzing). But Giselle gained its unfading fame not only due to the popular romantic motif of the two worlds, the way the authors implemented the idea was unique.

Giselle was brought to life by the famous Italian ballerina Carlotta Grisi. Even the story of making this ballet masterpiece is like a captivating novel. Teophile Gautier, a French poet, was bewitched by the beautiful Italian ballet dancer. Together with Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean Coralli they wrote the libretto of Giselle. Adolf Adam who adored ballerinas created an incredibly exquisite and ethereal music score with dramatic themes portraying characters and a through-line development of the story. But the key figure of this artistic alliance was choreographer Jules Perrot. Being a student of the famous god of dance Auguste Vestris, Perrot coached young Carlotta Gisi and choreographed her part in the ballet. This role absorbed all new elements of a swiftly developing dance technique, reaching the highest levels of mastery. That’s why today this role is still a dream role for all prima-ballerinas.

In the Romanticism era, the art of ballet was called the art of flying. Jules Perrot, taking the legendary elevation technique from his teacher Auguste Vestris, taught it to his gifted students Marie Taglioni Carlotta Grisi. It was then ballerinas got on points which allowed them to be more authentic in portraying mythical unearthly creatures.

The history of the production of Giselle is also quite intriguing. The original version of the ballet that was triumphantly performed in the best theatres of that time, stayed in the Mariinsky repertoire due to Marius Petipa. It was Petipa who managed to preserve Perrot’s version inspired by Carlotta Grisi, who worshipped female beauty on stage mounting the prima-ballerina in the chorus like a diamond. By the beginning of the twentieth century, this version of the ballet was lost for France and then made its glorifying return to Paris with Anna Pavlova performing the leading role. Today Mariinsky Theatre’s Giselle is considered a model and sets a reference for other theatres.

Nadezhda Koulygina

The prolific opera and ballet composer Adolphe Adam composed the music. Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot created the original choreography. The role of Giselle was intended for Carlotta Grisi as her debut piece for the Paris public, and she was the only ballerina to dance it at the Paris Opera for many years. The traditional choreography that has been passed down to the present day derives primarily from the revivals staged by Marius Petipa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. One of the world's most-often performed classical ballets, it is also one of its most challenging to dance.

History

Premiere of this production: 28 June 1841, Salle Le Peletier, Paris, France

Giselle is a romantic ballet in two acts. It was first performed by the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique at the Salle Le Peletier in Paris, France on 28 June 1841, with Italian ballerina Carlotta Grisi as Giselle. The ballet was an unqualified triumph. Giselle became hugely popular and was staged at once across Europe, Russia, and the United States. The traditional choreography that has been passed down to the present day derives primarily from the revivals staged by Marius Petipa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg.

Synopsis

Act I
Count Albrecht, in love with the peasant girl Giselle, keeps his noble status a secret from her. Giselle’s other admirer Hans, a woodsman, tries to warn her that Albrecht is not who he claims to be, but Giselle doesn’t want to hear him. Left alone, Hans enters the hunter’s cottage and removes Albrecht’s sword with bears his noble coat of arms.

The sounds of a horn announce the arrival of a hunting party, amongst whom the Count’s betrothed – Bathilde and her father. They stop to seek rest in the village. The Count’s fiancée, charmed by Giselle’s innocence and beauty, gives the girl an expensive necklace. The hunting party retires and the peasants begin a celebration of their own to mark the harvest. At the height of the festivities Hans appears. He accuses Albrecht of lying and shows the Count’s sword as proof. Giselle refuses to believe it. Then Hans blows the hunting horn and before the embarrassed Count his fiancée appears. Giselle is in despair. She loses her reason and dies.

Act II
It is midnight. Hans has come to Giselle’s grave. The Wilis appear – the ghosts of brides who died before their weddings – and frighten him. They emerge from their graves with a passion to dance the way they could not when still alive and anyone who happens to be in the graveyard at the time must dance till they drop dead. Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, summons Giselle’s soul from her tomb and initiates her into their order. Count Albrecht comes to his beloved’s grave. His grief and despair touch Giselle. She forgives Albrecht.

The Wilis force Hans to dance until he is exhausted and, spinning round, throw him into the lake. The same fate awaits Albrecht. Myrtha forces him to dance. Giselle begs Myrtha to set Albrecht free but Myrtha is unmoved. Dawn breaks. With the rise of the sun the Wilis lose their power. Albrecht is saved. Giselle bids farewell to her beloved – this time forever...

Act I

The ballet opens on a sunny autumnal morning in the Rhineland during the Middle Ages. The grape harvest is in progress. Duke Albrecht of Silesia, a young nobleman, has fallen in love with a shy, beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, despite being betrothed to Bathilde, the daughter of the Duke of Courland. Albrecht disguises himself as a humble villager called "Loys" in order to court the enchanting and innocent Giselle, who knows nothing of his true identity. With the help of his squire, Albrecht hides his fine attire, hunting horn, and sword before coaxing Giselle out of her house to romance her as the harvest festivities begin.

Hilarion, a local gamekeeper, is also in love with Giselle and is highly suspicious of the newcomer who has won Giselle's affections. He tries to convince the naive Giselle that her beau cannot be trusted, but she ignores his warnings. Giselle's mother, Berthe, is very protective of her daughter, as Giselle has a weak heart that leaves her in delicate health. She discourages a relationship between Giselle and Loys, thinking Hilarion would be a better match, and disapproves of Giselle's fondness for dancing, due to the strain on her heart.

A party of noblemen seeking refreshment following the rigors of the hunt arrive in the village, Albrecht's betrothed, Bathilde, among them. Albrecht hurries away, knowing he would be recognized and greeted by Bathilde, exposing him as a nobleman. The villagers welcome the party, offer them drinks, and perform several dances. Bathilde is charmed with Giselle's sweet and demure nature, not knowing of her relationship with Albrecht. Giselle is honored when the beautiful and regal stranger offers her a necklace as a gift before the group of nobles depart.

The villagers continue the harvest festivities, and Albrecht emerges again to dance with Giselle, who is named the Harvest Queen. Hilarion interrupts the festivities. He has discovered Albrecht's finely made sword and presents it as proof that the lovesick peasant boy is really a nobleman who is promised to another woman. Using Albrecht's hunting horn, Hilarion calls back the party of noblemen. Albrecht has no time to hide and has no choice but to greet Bathilde as his betrothed. All are shocked by the revelation, but none more than Giselle, who becomes inconsolable when faced with her lover's deception. Knowing that they can never be together, Giselle flies into a mad fit of grief in which all the tender moments she shared with "Loys" flash before her eyes. She begins to dance wildly and erratically, ultimately causing her weak heart to give out. She collapses before dying in Albrecht's arms. Hilarion and Albrecht turn on each other in rage before Albrecht flees the scene in misery. The curtain closes as Berthe weeps over her daughter's body.

In the original version, taken up again recently by a production of the ROB, Giselle stabs herself with Albrecht's sword, which explains why her body is laid to rest in the forest, in unhallowed ground, where the Wilis have the power to summon her. Most modern versions are sanitized and have edited out the suicide.

Act II

Late at night, Hilarion mourns at Giselle's forest grave, but is frightened away by the arrival of the Wilis, the ghostly spirits of maidens betrayed by their lovers. Many Wili were abandoned on their wedding days, and all died of broken hearts. The Wilis, led by their merciless queen Myrtha, dance and haunt the forest at night to exact their revenge on any man they encounter, regardless of who he may be, forcing their victims to dance until they die of exhaustion.

Myrtha and the Wilis rouse Giselle's spirit from her grave and induct her into their clan before disappearing into the forest. Albrecht arrives to lay flowers on Giselle's grave and he weeps with guilt over her death. Giselle's spirit appears and Albrecht begs her forgiveness. Giselle, her love undiminished unlike her vengeful sisters, gently forgives him. She disappears to join the rest of the Wilis and Albrecht desperately follows her.

Meanwhile, the Wilis have cornered a terrified Hilarion. They use their magic to force him to dance until he is nearly dead, and then drown him in a nearby lake. Then they spy Albrecht, and turn on him, sentencing him to death as well. He pleads to Myrtha for his life, but she coldly refuses. Giselle's pleas are also dismissed and Albrecht is forced to dance until sunrise. However, the power of Giselle's love counters the Wilis' magic and spares his life. The other spirits return to their graves at daybreak, but Giselle has broken through the chains of hatred and vengeance that control the Wilis, and is thus released from their powers and will haunt the forest no longer. After bidding a tender farewell to Albrecht, Giselle returns to her grave to rest in peace.

Venue Info

Mariinsky Teatre Primorsky Stage - Vladivostok
Fastovskaya St, 20

The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre was opened on October 18, 2013. This is the most modern theatre in the Far East and one of the youngest theatres of Russia. It was projected and constructed by the example of the Opera Theatre in Goyang (South Korea) as a part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in 2012. The building was designed as "a cube in a cube" and constructed with the usage of modern technologies. For better sound transmission only natural materials were used for construction. Specialists from Japan and South Korea used to come to the theatre to give consultations.

Primorsky Stage is famous for its unparalleled acoustics that is achieved through the following factors: the horseshoe shape of the Grand Hall, which creates a perfect space for the sound to travel through; the inner walls of the hall, covered with custom-made wooden plates that reflect and absorb the sound (the same technique is used in the world’s most contemporary opera houses); and the unique cable-stayed ceiling that was made without any metal.

Primorsky Stage has several auditoriums. The Small Hall (312 seats) is designed for a chamber music concert, and it showcases nights of romantic songs as well as short scenes from ballets. The Parterre (orchestra level) is levelled with the stage, opening up space. The Grand Hall of Primorsky Stage is used for large-scale opera and ballet productions, with the capacity to house 1,390 people. The Summer Stage is designed for outdoor performances and orchestra chamber concerts.