The ballet was composed by
Adolphe Adam with the libretto by Theophile
Gautier and Jules-Henri Vernoy de
Saint-Georges.It made its
debut at the Ballet of the Academie Royal de Musique on 28th
June 1841.Giselle is a young village girl who
is in love with a man she calls Loys.Unbeknownst to her, he is really
called Albrecht and is a disguised nobleman betrothed to the daughter of
the Duke.When Giselle
discovers his secret she dies of a broken heart after having gone
insane.Her love for Albrecht
does not die though and she saves him from black magic and evil vampires
who are ghosts of girls that have died before they married their betrothed.Giselle's intervention allows
him to survive until the morning and the two of them admit and give their
love to each other even though they will always be apart and she returns to
the grave.The role of Giselle
is possibly one of the most important and demanding for a ballerina and the
part, which was written for Carlotta Grisi, has
been danced by Anna Pavlova along with many
others prima ballerinas.In
1987 the conductor Richard Bonynge recorded the complete version in its
original unedited version from 1841.
London Symphony Orchestra recordings
Sony 42450 (CD: Giselle)
Conductor - Michael Tilson Thomas
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden recordings
London 417
505 (2 CD set
- Giselle)
Conductor
- Richard Bonynge
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Recordings
Naxos 8.550755 (2 CD set - Giselle)
Conductor -
Andrew Mogrelia
Naxos8.554062 (CD - French Ballet Favourites)
Conductor - A.
Mogrelia
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Recordings
Decca 0289 473 171-28 (2 CD set - Essential Ballet - 37 Masterpieces)
