ENB Mary Skeaping Giselle January 2024

[CCL]

27 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I should have said it's under "Emerging Dancer" - Aitor Arrieta and his partner in the livestreamed performance, Julia Conway, were past winners (from different years). I've posted the YouTube link for the  ENB video so that everyone can see it fairly easily. (It was Monday's FB post from ENB.)

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DGB5lP-vnDiY&ved=2ahUKEwiyoabS7uODAxV6T0EAHVNgB-sQwqsBegQIARAG&usg=AOvVaw0sVzFOF4S47vIOvk8ynrpm

Thanks so much Emeralds- I just watched it- wonderful!

[LinMM]

Buru..the extra bit of music is in Act 2 I believe…there is a sort of fugue piece of music which is not in RB production or others I have so far seen …not seen Ratmansky unfortunately. 
However It is 7 years since I’ve seen this production and can’t make this run but I’ve been reading there is an extra pas de deux for Albrecht and Giselle in Act one so not sure if this is to existing music or another bit of extra music. 
 

Blossom thanks for that review and the heads up on the new cafe in Bedford St will give it a whirl when next up in London! 
 

Great Pics RobS …I understand the curtain calls have been a bit more generous at the Coli this time around!! 

[JohnS]

Much to admire in last night’s Giselle and fabulous dancing: I was hugely impressed by Khaniukova, Frola, McWinney, and the ENB Corps.

 

Authenticity certainly has merit and particularly when handled with such care. But on first viewing of the Skeaping production, I thought the production so favoured authenticity that some of the dramatic appeal of Giselle was lost and I can appreciate the comments much earlier in the thread about audience members feeling less engaged.
 

I apologise in advance that I’m contrasting the Skeaping production with the Royal Ballet’s but I found throughout that I was missing the Royal Ballet’s heightened dramatic impetus and fleshing out of all characters. I rather like how Hilarion and Berthe are presented in the Royal Ballet’s production, Hilarion giving the brace of pheasants to Berthe and Berthe clearly favouring Hilarion. I find it odd that Bathilde presents the necklace to Giselle because they’re both engaged rather than for Giselle’s dancing. Might Bathilde offer every engaged girl she encounters her necklace where, despite her wealth, surely Bathilde would run out of necklaces in short order? I missed the artistry of the Royal Ballet’s PD6 and recall so many fabulous performances by young dances who are now Principals. The PD2 didn’t hit such a high mark for me. And I much prefer the Royal Ballet’s nod to suicide (better fitting the location of Giselle’s grave) rather than Skeaping’s ‘weak heart only’ explanation for Giselle’s demise.
 

In Act 2 I did like the first interaction with Hilarion and the villagers and their brush with the Wilis. But I had the distinct impression that the villages had fled so was surprised to see their reappearance which to me slowed the drama down where I thought Hilarion could have done with a bit more of the action. But I think I was most surprised when Myrtha’s spell was broken so early in Act 2 where I’m afraid I found the fugue straight after quite incongruous, for me breaking the drama. And despite the impressive programme notes, I really struggled to see how Act 2 could be sustained when Myrtha had been vanquished so much earlier. I find the final scene of Giselle one of the greatest scenes in all ballet which often breaks me when Albrecht finds Giselle’s flower at the end of the Royal Ballet’s production. But despite last night’s fabulous dancing, I wasn’t as moved as I often am which I think largely results from the production’s quest for authenticity.
 

That said I’m very much looking forward to Thursday’s matinee and I’ll be interested in how I find a second viewing after further re-reading of the programme.

[Mary]

I felt the same, John.  For me, the emotion just was not there, although overall the production was of ravishing beauty with high quality dancing.

 

It will be interesting to compare Dutch National Ballet's version in the live screening on Sunday.

 

[LinMM]

There are always pros and cons with different productions I have found. 
Not all critics for example are in favour of this production …I am looking through links for one persons review in particular however I didn’t agree with everything she said. 
I love the RB ending too! What happens at the end here? 

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Buru..the extra bit of music is in Act 2 I believe…there is a sort of fugue piece of music which is not in RB production or others I have so far seen …not seen Ratmansky unfortunately. 
However It is 7 years since I’ve seen this production and can’t make this run but I’ve been reading there is an extra pas de deux for Albrecht and Giselle in Act one so not sure if this is to existing music or another bit of extra music. 
 

Blossom thanks for that review and the heads up on the new cafe in Bedford St will give it a whirl when next up in London! 
 

Great Pics RobS …I understand the curtain calls have been a bit more generous at the Coli this time around!! 

A lot of the music for the Giselle & Albrecht pdd in Act 1 uses the music that Peter Wright used in the extended Pas de Six (eg the female solo); another bit is that Albrecht's short solo passage with entrechats six and jumps with rondes de jambe danced after Giselle's dance with her friends (which is usually Albrecht's only solo in Act 1) is now in this pas de deux. A few other parts are not normally in other productions. I don't think it's that these ones in Skeaping's production are "extra" but that most of the conventional ones have cut out a lot of the score. Irmgard would have the full details though. 

 

Yes, the curtain call times are now more generous and doesn't feel like they are on a timer like in Rojo's time! The conductor is also routinely led out to join them on stage and show the audience the orchestra now, whereas previously the dancers just gestured to the orchestra and conductor in the pit and applauded. And Takahashi was also presented with a bouquet on Saturday (together with McCormick getting his for his debut)! Yay!

 

We still managed to get out half an hour earlier than Giselles at ROH or SWT and catch the earlier train home before the car got covered in ice in last night's minus 1°C weather. 👍 

Edited January 17 by Emeralds

[annamk]

I thought last night Katja Khaniukova (so lyrical, so fragile and so poetic) and Francesco Gabriele Frola (what an elegant dancer, what a perfect partner) gave one of the best performances of Giselle I've ever seen. 

 

Myrtha, her attendants, the corps were all sublime, with notably beautiful port de bras. 

 

As I said earlier in the thread, I love the authenticity of this production and the many many little details that make so much sense of the story. In particular watching Khaniukova's interpretation yesterday I felt almost for the first time that I was watching Giselle in the 19th century rather than a 20th century "prima" ballerina giving a technically perfect performance of a peasant girl.

 

Every time I watch this production I notice more marvellous details: the dramatic impact of the moment Giselle realises that Albrecht has deceived her when everyone else on stage is frozen in time; in Act 2 towards the end of the first pdd Giselle leaves the stage and Albrecht runs to her grave and gestures "where are you ?"

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

There are always pros and cons with different productions I have found. 
Not all critics for example are in favour of this production …I am looking through links for one persons review in particular however I didn’t agree with everything she said. 
I love the RB ending too! What happens at the end here? 

At the end here, Giselle bourrees back to her grave and leaves him, but this version uses the dramatic music, so that Albrecht can show his grief that he's lost her forever,  which makes for a more dramatically "complete" ending for the audience. (And easier for new Albrechts as the quiet endings, eg RB's, means you have to be a much better actor for it not to feel like  "Ok time for everyone to go home" as opposed to "Wow! What a story, what a brilliant performance!". Meaning that, yes, with some RB partnerships, it has felt for me like an anticlimax at the end. RB's first Giselle and Albrecht in that production were Lesley Collier and Stephen Jefferies who, being great dance actors, had no problem conveying the drama.) 

Edited January 17 by Emeralds

[LinMM]

Thanks Emeralds🙂
Damn it am I mad ….to put it mildly …that I’m having to miss this Giselle …but will finally shut up about it now! 

[JohnS]

19 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

At the end here, Giselle bourrees back to her grave and leaves him, but this version uses the dramatic music, so that Albrecht can show his grief that he's lost her forever,  which makes for a more dramatically "complete" ending for the audience. (And easier for new Albrechts as the quiet endings, eg RB's, means you have to be a much better actor for it not to feel like  "Ok time for everyone to go home" as opposed to "Wow! What a story, what a brilliant performance!". Meaning that, yes, for some RB partnerships, it has felt like an anticlimax at the end. RB's first Giselle and Albrecht in that production were Lesley Collier and Stephen Jeffries who, being great dance actors, had no problem conveying the drama.) 

I may have missed things/got the timing wrong but didn’t Giselle at the close drop a few petals on Albrecht? But definitely no flower for Albrecht.

[Roberta]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

there is a sort of fugue piece of music which is not in RB production or others I have so far seen …not seen Ratmansky unfortunately. 

  The Act II fugue is also in the Ratmansky Giselle.

 

If you Google search  "(5/7) Hilarion's death and "fugue of the Wilis" (deleted scene restored) | Ratmansky's GISELLE" you can watch / listen on YouTube. 

[Emeralds]

31 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Thanks Emeralds🙂
Damn it am I mad ….to put it mildly …that I’m having to miss this Giselle …but will finally shut up about it now! 

LinMM, the weather is forecast to get warmer at the weekend. Any chance someone could drive you/can you get cabs instead of using the bus and maybe go with a friend who can help you with your luggage/case on the platforms (there are lifts at London Bridge- IIRC did you say that's the route you use?- and Charing Cross platforms for the services from LB are on the flat) and then it's a very short walk to the Coliseum (take the short cut behind St Martin's in the Fields where the pavement is smoother and less crowded) you don't need to grab on to anything. If you can go for the Saturday (Kase & Saruhashi) or Sunday (Khaniukova & Arrieta-that will be epic) matinées it's relatively warmer than travelling at night and you can get home before the cold gets severe.

 

Just a thought about the bandaging: If you wrap a scarf or pashmina/wrap around you (like a sari or a messenger bag strap) one part over a shoulder and the other under the arm that could keep you warm under a cape/poncho or a coat with one sleeve off? You don't need to answer but just some ideas for you to ponder. I know you've said you can stay overnight as well so that gives you other options for just travelling in the daytime when it's hopefully warmer. Also if you go with a friend I think he or she would enjoy the show too.  🙂  But even if you can't go after all, I'll send feedback to ENB to ask if it can come back again within 2-3 years. I too want to see it again soon with the other casts. I can't go 6 times in 11 days even if I'd really like to! 

Edited January 17 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

21 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I may have missed things/got the timing wrong but didn’t Giselle at the close drop a few petals on Albrecht? But definitely no flower for Albrecht.

Yes, she dropped some petals on him before she left him. I must admit, JohnS, I don't really like the giving of the flower from her dress in the other production as it looks so much like Marguerite tossing the camellia from her dress to Armand as an invitation (also in their repertoire), which is really not the intention we are going for here, haha! Actually, I think in Peter Wright's (many) previous acclaimed productions of Giselle, they never had the giving of the flower at the end. A pity many of those productions have now been replaced by newer ones.

Edited January 17 by Emeralds

[LinMM]

I will Private Message you Emeralds! 
I think the Forum has probably had enough of my arm lol!! 

[Emeralds]

Hopefully the information (if a bit cryptic and longwinded on my part) will be useful to others wanting tips and shortcuts!

[San Perregrino]

In terms of what I saw on stage last night:

 

Brava Katja Khaniukova 

Bravo Francesco Gabriele Frola

Bravi Myrtha, Zulma, Moyna & the Willis

Bravi Gavin Sutherland, Adolphe Adam and the ENB Philharmonic

 

Most definitely an evening to treasure. 

 

[BeauxArts]

I fully agree with the plaudits for last night’s performance. This is a truly  beautiful  production,  and I have  enjoyed the illuminating comments in this thread. Katja Khaniukova gave a remarkable performance as Giselle, so under-stated but deeply moving and entirely convincing as a fragile young woman utterly in the thrall of Albrecht, beautifully danced by Frola who perfectly complemented Khaniukova’s reading of her role. Just marvellous.  

[Emeralds]

Fri 12/1:

Katja Khaniukova (Giselle) (replacing Fernanda Oliveira)

Aitor Arrieta (Albrecht) (replacing Francesco Gabriele Frola)

Emily Suzuki*(Myrtha) (replacing Jung-ah Choi and Angela Wood)

Henry Dowden* (Hilarion)

Adriana Lizardi* & Miguel Angel Maidana* (Peasant pas de deux)

 

I arrived on Friday to find out at the last minute that Oliveira & Frola weren't dancing and that the previous night's leads would dance again. Now the roles of Giselle and Albrecht are tiring on feet, muscles and stamina (especially Giselle) so my first reaction was that of disbelief- I'd seen Myrtha danced on consecutive nights before but not Giselle and Albrecht. How would Katja and Aitor fare, especially with Aitor having just made his debut the night before? Incredibly well for a pair doing it all over again after dancing full out the night before.

 

Khaniukova came on as a more delicate and low key Giselle than I'd previously seen her in other lead parts in Manon (as Lescaut's Mistress), Rojo's Raymonda (Henriette), Broken Wings (Frida), Playlist EP, Theme and Variations, etc. Perhaps fatigue from dancing it the night before had dimmed her usual sunny glow- even the hairstyling and make up were more subdued than usual. Arrieta gave no hint that he had already danced a full show the night before- looking fresh faced with enviable stamina and impressive stage skills. However, where one might expect her technique or stamina to be impacted, Khaniukova showed no sign of this and her strength, technique and precision- beautiful lightness in her jumps, the delicacy and frailty of Giselle emphasised in her quiet landings, and the strength and control in the tricky attitude turns that many ballerinas struggle with, were truly astonishing. Arrieta's elegance and elevation in his jumps, the control in his turns, his quietly breathtaking virtuosity that have become familiar nowadays were all very much in evidence.

 

They had wonderful chemistry on stage - you really believed in Arrieta's boyishly ardent noble falling for this sweet peasant girl, and Khaniukova's self effacing, trusting Giselle. His dramatic acting  (not over the top but truly powerful and gripping) at Giselle's death was a surprise to those of us who have only seen him in the classic prince roles where he always had a less-is-more approach. (Even his Albrecht in Akram Khan's Giselle wasn't as dramatic as this.) The low key and delicate Giselle that Khaniukova offered in Act 1, suited the characters' contrasting social backgrounds in the libretto well. Although Khaniukova on Friday could have done with more star wattage and stage presence in Act 1 (i put this down to fatigue from dancing the opening night just under 24 hours ago), by Act 2, she was fully in command of the ballet and her ethereal, light Giselle definitively claimed her place as the heart of the ballet.

 

What strength and control Khaniukova has - no wobbles in the notoriously challenging start of the Act 2 pas de deux, and her quiet landings and airy jumps remind you once again that Giselle is a Romantic era ballet. Arrieta's Act 2 solo is a standout this winter- his height does enhance his jumps as though Myrtha has made him fly up in the air, and if you took a video of his jumps and froze every frame, the positions in the air are impeccable. Astonishing. And as already mentioned before, the control in his turns is pure mastery. It didn't seem conceivable that he'd just danced this role the night before and was producing such a spectacular performance again but the critics and my fellow members can prove he did! Despite any lingering fatigue he may have had, his partnering of Katja in the various Act 2 pas de deux was exemplary - together they both made her Giselle look so light and wispy as though she isn't actually a dancer but a spirit that will fly away at any moment. And in the final scene after Giselle leaves him, Arrieta's powerful grief, regret and remorse makes an unforgettable closing scene that sticks powerfully with you. 

 

They received wonderful support from Emily Suzuki making an earlier than scheduled debut as Myrtha, Ivana Bueno and Francesca Velicu as graceful lead wilis Moyna and Zulma (Zulme in other productions). It took me a while to figure out why the wilis in Skeaping's version wear jewellery that they don't in other versions- I found out that their white costumes and veils are imeant to be the ghostly version of their wedding day outfits, hence the flower headdresses and jewellery. In the Romantic Era, as lithographs of the first Giselle Carlotta Grisi and other ballerinas of her day demonstrate, the lead ballerinas actually did dance wearing a lot of their own personal jewellery, from necklaces and dangly earrings with real gems to ornate bracelets, which would be frowned on today for breaking the look of their line or being a safety risk if they broke and rolled off (thankfully the ones in the production are not real gems and are safely attached).

 

Suzuki, already well known to ENB regulars for her acting gifts, was a commanding Myrtha, fast, powerful but light in her jumps, footwork and turns. The corps ensemble (including a couple of Myrthas about to make their debut as well), were graceful but suitably intimidating in their dances (including their spectacular hops in arabesques across the stage) - it is lovely to see such beautiful, good old fashioned classical dancing again after the various contemporary experiments (some better than others) and baffling contortions in modern works on London ballet stages of last year. 

 

The dancing of the company is enhanced by the gorgeous costume and set designs (one of the highlights of Skeaping's production) of David Walker- I hope the company retain it for another 50 years and more, such gems of theatre design they are, as every generation of dancegoers deserves to get a chance (or many) to enjoy them. 

 

A final word for the compelling character acting from James Streeter (virtually unrecognisable as the Prince of Courland), Stina Quagebeur (a regal but sympathetic Bathilde), Laura Hussey (as Giselle's mother Berthe) and Henry Dowden (making a brilliant debut as the gamekeeper Hilarion, with a slouch in his posture and a  rough manner to contrast with the aristocratic Albrecht) whose fine detail and commitment to their characters do so much to bring this story to life.

 

If you haven't planned to see this or gotten a ticket yet, scour the Coliseum, SOLT or TodayTix websites for one- it's a large theatre so there are still seats at good prices here and there- it will be worth it. This production is definitely one of those "If you watch only one thing this year make it this one" productions (since there are umpteen Swan Lakes and Nutcrackers annually but this production isn't here every year). 

Edited January 17 by Emeralds

[Geoff]

On 16/01/2024 at 13:05, capybara said:

But this is fabulous for the Company and, maybe as well, a signal from the paying public that they want to see CLASSICAL ballet.

‘Twas ever thus. I have seen a Soviet cartoon from the early 1920s, showing the box office of the ballet - with a long queue for the window for classical work, and no one queuing for the alternative modern revolutionary offering. 

[Emeralds]

Sat 13/1 eve:

Erina Takahashi (Giselle)

Daniel McCormick* (Albrecht)(replacing Fernando Carratala Coloma)

Emily Suzuki (Myrtha)

Erik Woolhouse*(Hilarion)

Francesca Velicu* & Shunhei Fuchiyama* (Peasant pas de deux)

 

So on to Saturday and another new cast I've not seen before apart from Myrtha. Takahashi has danced this production Giselle for many years and in a good number of locations and theatres now, while Daniel McCormick, initially scheduled to dance just the Peasant pas de deux (albeit 5 times) now had the additional opportunity and challenge of making his debut as Albrecht in place of injured colleague Fernando Carratala  Coloma as well.

 

Petite Takahashi is a natural fit for Giselle, and her experience and knowledge of the role shows in the rich detail of her mime, musicality and dancing. I'm not normally a fan of the long series of hops on one foot en pointe in the Act 1 solo and much prefer the historically informed sequences that Skeaping (and later Ratmansky) have in their versions, but Takahashi manages to convince that this isn't a technical feat practised and perfected by an athletic dancer (which is what often comes across to me) but something that comes easily to her Giselle because she's so light on her feet.

 

Daniel McCormick made a very assured debut as her Albrecht- depicting an impetuous young man who has gotten himself into trouble falling for a young woman he should not be involved with (as opposed to Arrieta's nobleman deeply in love with a girl who is pretty impossible for him to marry). He's shown great promise with brilliant performances in other roles such as Nephew and Nutcracker in Eagling's Nutcracker, Abdur in Rojo's Raymonda, Ali in Le Corsaire, Playlist (Track 1,2), Flames of Paris pas de deux (on livestream), Blake Works 1, etc etc. His acting and the pacing of the drama are very good- there was no sense of the newbie just  finding his feet or the rushed preparation of a substitute thrown on at the last minute (all credit to coaches and colleagues as well as McCormick's diligence for such a thorough preparation). His dancing in the Act 1 extended solo and pas de deux for Albrecht and Giselle not found in most other productions, and the showpiece dance to death solos and coda, and his partnership with Takahashi continued the excellence shown in his other roles- where there was always a slight risk of Daniel's virtuosity upstaging his costars! Here he was very much a sensitive partner to his Giselle Takahashi, presenting her as a light ethereal spirit in Act 2, and showing great chemistry in their scenes together in both acts.

 

Suzuki, Bueno and Velicu were once again a superlative trio of Myrtha, Zulma and Moyna, graceful, ethereal and masterful in their dancing but formidable and icy in their vengefulness. It is such a treat to have outstanding soloists like them who, after a busy two months of performing a variety of roles in Nutcracker in 2 cities, can switch so quickly to the Romantic Era style with ease.

 

Making his debut as Hilarion after being in the ensemble of villagers, Erik Woolhouse, whose virtuosity and acting have always promised great things, was a compelling Hilarion as well, despite having to fight the darkness (like Dowden did the night before) to express his grief at Giselle's death and his horror at being caught by the wilis and forced to dance to his death. A very different Hilarion to Dowden's, more of a brusque young man, he too made a strong impression. I'd like to see him in the Peasant pas de deux at the next run and also as Albrecht one day. Fabian Reimair, totally unrecognisable as an older Prince of Courland, Stina Quagebeur as Bathilde and Laura Hussey as Berthe provided!,  as ever,  strong support in their character roles.

 

A shootout too, to Francesca Velicu and Shunhei Fuchiyama for their charming debut performances in the Peasant pas de deux, Velicu especially delightful with her neat footwork and her  precise, fast turns, and Fuchiyama delighting us with his impressive elevation. 

 

It was lovely to see ENB continuing their new practice this season of bouquets for the dancers making debuts in lead or solo roles (including the men) plus a special bouquet for Takahashi as Giselle as well. 

Edited January 17 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

41 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

shootout too, to Francesca Velicu and Shunhei Fuchiyama

Typo: shoutout, not shootout! (My device hates vernacular phrases. And a lot of normal words!)

[MAB]

Thank you Emeralds for your review of Takahashji, a dancer who in my opinion always delivers in all her roles.  For me she is always first cast.  There were some rather unkind comments about her elsewhere on this thread to which I didn't reply for fear of saying something I might later regret,  Glad you enjoyed Saturday evening as much as I did.

[alison]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Petite Takahashi is a natural fit for Giselle, and her experience and knowledge of the role shows in the rich detail of her mime, musicality and dancing. I'm not normally a fan of the long series of hops on one foot en pointe in the Act 1 solo and much prefer the historically informed sequences that Skeaping (and later Ratmansky) have in their versions, but Takahashi manages to convince that this isn't a technical feat practised and perfected by an athletic dancer (which is what often comes across to me) but something that comes easily to her Giselle because she's so light on her feet.

 

She always was a lovely Giselle right from the very beginning, and still is, based on tonight's performance, so I was very glad to have seen her, especially after having missed her last time around (I think she was absent, but it's possible I wasn't able to see her in the limited performances I did get to see).

[Irmgard]

7 hours ago, alison said:

 

She always was a lovely Giselle right from the very beginning, and still is, based on tonight's performance, so I was very glad to have seen her, especially after having missed her last time around (I think she was absent, but it's possible I wasn't able to see her in the limited performances I did get to see).

The lovely Erina Takahashi was on maternity leave during the last run at the Coliseum in 2017 but made it back onstage within three months of her son's birth to perform Giselle in Belfast in June 2017 with the fabulous Cesar Corrales as her Albrecht.

[alison]

Ah, that's what it was.  I was thinking it was Cojocaru, until people on here were saying otherwise.

[alison]

With sub-zero temperatures currently in London, I'm hoping the theatre will be warm enough for today's matinee  

[Irmgard]

On 17/01/2024 at 08:44, JohnS said:

Much to admire in last night’s Giselle and fabulous dancing: I was hugely impressed by Khaniukova, Frola, McWinney, and the ENB Corps.

 

Authenticity certainly has merit and particularly when handled with such care. But on first viewing of the Skeaping production, I thought the production so favoured authenticity that some of the dramatic appeal of Giselle was lost and I can appreciate the comments much earlier in the thread about audience members feeling less engaged.
 

I apologise in advance that I’m contrasting the Skeaping production with the Royal Ballet’s but I found throughout that I was missing the Royal Ballet’s heightened dramatic impetus and fleshing out of all characters. I rather like how Hilarion and Berthe are presented in the Royal Ballet’s production, Hilarion giving the brace of pheasants to Berthe and Berthe clearly favouring Hilarion. I find it odd that Bathilde presents the necklace to Giselle because they’re both engaged rather than for Giselle’s dancing. Might Bathilde offer every engaged girl she encounters her necklace where, despite her wealth, surely Bathilde would run out of necklaces in short order? I missed the artistry of the Royal Ballet’s PD6 and recall so many fabulous performances by young dances who are now Principals. The PD2 didn’t hit such a high mark for me. And I much prefer the Royal Ballet’s nod to suicide (better fitting the location of Giselle’s grave) rather than Skeaping’s ‘weak heart only’ explanation for Giselle’s demise.
 

In Act 2 I did like the first interaction with Hilarion and the villagers and their brush with the Wilis. But I had the distinct impression that the villages had fled so was surprised to see their reappearance which to me slowed the drama down where I thought Hilarion could have done with a bit more of the action. But I think I was most surprised when Myrtha’s spell was broken so early in Act 2 where I’m afraid I found the fugue straight after quite incongruous, for me breaking the drama. And despite the impressive programme notes, I really struggled to see how Act 2 could be sustained when Myrtha had been vanquished so much earlier. I find the final scene of Giselle one of the greatest scenes in all ballet which often breaks me when Albrecht finds Giselle’s flower at the end of the Royal Ballet’s production. But despite last night’s fabulous dancing, I wasn’t as moved as I often am which I think largely results from the production’s quest for authenticity.
 

That said I’m very much looking forward to Thursday’s matinee and I’ll be interested in how I find a second viewing after further re-reading of the programme.

Just to answer a couple of points.  Skeaping follows the original scenario written by Gautier and Vernoy St. Georges which calls for Bathilde to present Giselle with the necklace on becoming entranced by her and finding out that she, too, is engaged.  It is almost as if she is presenting her with a dowry.  Amongst Gautier's musings on the plot is Bathilde's wish to take Giselle back to the castle with her as a lady-in-waiting (obviously highly improbable in real medieval times as ladies-in-waiting had to be of high birth, but just one of Gautier's many flights of fancy).  In the original outline of the action for the ballet, there is no solo for Giselle to dance for Bathilde either before or after she gives her the necklace.  Therefore, it is up to the producer to decide whether or not to include the interpolated solo (to music generally attributed to Minkus) in the ballet and where it most usefully serves a dramatic purpose.  Gautier makes no mention of Giselle committing suicide or attempting to commit suicide.  It is much more in keeping with the ethos of the Romantic era for a heroine to die of a broken heart but, again, it is up to the producer to decide which approach to take.  Skeaping followed the leads of Pavlova, Spessivtseva and Nicholas Sergueyev in having Giselle die of a broken heart.  The fact that Giselle is buried in a woodland glade is also from the Gautier scenario and does not signify that she is buried in unconsecrated ground but, rather, gives a beautiful setting for Act 2.  There is always some suspension of disbelief in ballet or opera plots of this era but, even today, it is not unknown for people to be buried in places other than cemeteries.   As per my previous post, in the original scenario, there were two separate groups of men appearing in Act 2: the gamekeepers and then peasants returning home from a party.  Presumably for budgetary reasons, Skeaping combined the two in her later versions of her production, with the instruction that the gamekeeper who have fled from the first vision of the Wilis have been rounded up by other Wilis haunting the woods.  With regard to the fugue, this is an essential element of the original score and scenario to show that Myrtha's power is being challenged by Giselle, who constantly thwarts her until the sunrise which does break her power. It also shows that the Wilis' power is not stronger than the cross, conflict between the religious and the supernatural being another favourite element of the Romantic era.  When the Wilis fail to draw Albrecht away from the cross (his protecting factor), Myrtha commands Giselle (who must still obey Myrtha) to dance seductively to lure Albrecht away from the cross, which is exactly what happens.  

[Irmgard]

22 minutes ago, alison said:

Ah, that's what it was.  I was thinking it was Cojocaru, until people on here were saying otherwise.

Cojocaru was on maternity leave during the Belfast performances.

[LinMM]

Would love to have seen Erina Takahashi and Cesar Corrales together in Giselle!! 

[capybara]

16 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Would love to have seen Erina Takahashi and Cesar Corrales together in Giselle!! 

Special in so many ways.🤩

[Jan McNulty]

20 minutes ago, Irmgard said:

Just to answer a couple of points.  Skeaping follows the original scenario written by Gautier and Vernoy St. Georges which calls for Bathilde to present Giselle with the necklace on becoming entranced by her and finding out that she, too, is engaged.  It is almost as if she is presenting her with a dowry. 

 

 

As being very new to ballet-watching this was one of the first productions I saw (in 1985 at the Liverpool Empire ... oh the good old days!) and definitely my first Giselle.  I think I have always assumed what you have said Irmgard about the necklace being a sort of dowry and I have applied that to every other conventional Giselle I have seen (rightly or wrongly).

 

Mary (McKendry) Li was my first Giselle possibly with Maurizio Bellezza?

[alison]

This would also have been the production I saw at the Festival Hall in (?)1991, with Yelena Pankova guesting, would it?  I'm guessing from my recall of the programme cover, which had rather etiolated drawings on it rather than photos.

 

I thought Takahashi did appear to stab herself with the sword last night, by the way.

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Would love to have seen Erina Takahashi and Cesar Corrales together in Giselle!! 

Me too! Lucky Belfast audience in June 2017! Just like this year, I wish I could have caught more casts in January 2017. (Didn't  even have the opportunity to see Elisa Badenes and Cesar, or Laurretta Summerscales and Xander Parish. Or even Laurretta's Myrtha! But I was glad I got to see Jurgita Dronina's Giselle.) I think there should be a new rule that we must have this production every other year: London and touring!