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- The Earliest Russian Giselles
- Giselle was born in Paris nearly
155 years ago. Her creators were French: the composer Adolphe
Adam, the poet Theophile Gautier, the librettist Vernoy de Saint-Georges
and the choreographers Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli. The lead
roles in the ballet were performed by the young dancers from
the Paris Opera: Carlotta Grisi and Lucien Petipa ( Marius Petipa's
brother). Now, however, the world considers Giselle to be Russian,
and looks at Russian artists as prototypes for the interpretation
of this work.
The 1841 premiere at the Paris
Opera met with enormous success. The same year saw the triumphant
procession of Giselle across European and North American stages.
The famous critic Yuri Slonimsky has pointed out that it was
the first time in history that a ballet had such a «wonderful
dissemination». In 1842 the ballet reached the footlights
of St. Petersburg's Bolshoi Theatre, staged by Antoine Titus.
This event was of enormous importance for the fate of the masterpiece.
Indeed, the Russian theatres maintained the ballet so that, after
several decades, this pearl among the world's classics could
be brought back to France, its native country.
How did its homeland managed to
forget Giselle? In the second half of the 19th century, ballet
underwent a state of decline in Western Europe. There were few
companies left which could maintain this ballet in their repertory.
Most lacked appropriate interpreters for the leading roles, or
a well-organized corps de ballet. Only Russia maintained a completely
professional school, which produced the mastery required for
the interpretation of the classics, along with a cultivated,
The Russian public welcomed the
ballet with interest. This version was set by Jules Perrot, after
he came to Russia in the 1850's. The audience also warmly greeted
touring stars Fanny Elssler and Carlotta Grisi, who appeared
in the leading roles. However, the Russian public reserved its
most ardent enthusiasm for the Russian ballerinas who descended
from the country's literary and artistic traditions. These dancers
imbued the French peasant girl Giselle with a (Russian) soul,
and tried to reflect her profound love, capable of overcoming
death. Many years later English critic Arnold Haskell wrote that
in Giselle Russia had seen a universal human drama, and had immortalized
it. Russian dancers greatly contributed to this.
It is difficult to discover what
the earliest performers brought to the role. There is little
descriptive material and few reviews. Nevertheless, when taking
together, this information is valuable in tracing the development
of the character.
The premiere of Giselle in St.
Petersburg occurred on December 18, 1842, with Yelena Andreyanova
dancing the leading role. Raphael Zotov, one of her contemporaries,
wrote this in his book Theatrical Album: «The role of Giselle
was superbly danced. The pantomime scenes of the First Act and
the entire Second Act proved to all that Madame Andreyanova is
our leading ballerina...»
Within a year Moscow also saw Giselle.
The first performance of the ballet there took place on November
25, 1843, again with the participation of Yelena Andreyanova.
However, on April 30, 1845, Yekaterina Sankovskaya - beloved
of the Moscow public and called «the soul of Moscow's ballet»
- appeared in the work. The reviewer Vladimir Rodislavsky wrote
about her interpretation of the central role, constantly employing
the word «superb» to describe her dancing during
the First Act, her acting during the scene preceding her death
(«The Mad Scene»), and during all of the Second Act.
One other contemporary Giselle
from St. Petersburg is memorable: Nadezhda Bogdanova. Her debut
on February 2, 1856 was reviewed by Zotov, writing about her
in Severnaya Pchela (The Northern Bee): «During the First
Act she was lovely in her expressions of her naive love. However,
she was weaker during the moments of her fatal blow. It is evident
that her dramatic gifts are only developing... her «Mad
Scene», on the other hand, was successful... The entire
Second was a real triumph for Madame Bogdanova...»
Six years later, on November 8,
1862, the inhabitants of St. Petersburg saw the young Marfa Muravyova
in the ballet. The next year she performed the role with the
Paris Opera, Which revived the ballet especially for her appearance.
Using press reviews from that time
period, Muravyova's biographers are able to describe her successes
«Marfa Muravyeva learned
the role of Giselle under the direction of Jules Perrot, so well
remembered in St. Petersburg... The Mad Scene in the First Act
was a total triumph and each evening concluded with exultant
calls... Madame Muravyeva can dance as well as she can act. She
fascinates us with her grace, her lightness and the strength
of her point work. She amazes us with her gestures and the achieves
the height of perfection in her mime. She moves us. Her madness
and death cause us deep anguish.... She was no less successful
in the Scene with Willis, during the Second Act».
It is incredibly difficult to reconstruct
completely the images of the first Russian Giselles. The photographs
taken in the photographers' studios render them all alike - frozen
facial expressions, mechanical poses, and costumes similar to
one another regardless of the role. Nonetheless, Muravyeva's
photograph is memorable. The ballerina tries to recreate one
of the moments of the Mad Scene, displaying great naturalness
even though it was necessary to pose in front of the camera for
long minutes. It is also remarkable that the ballerina who, at
times, was accused of inexpressive acting, is photographed in
the scene where it necessary above all to show dramatic talent.
Also interesting is Muravyova's
Giselle costume, with a colored bodice and an apron. This is
very similar to the costumes worn by contemporary dancers. On
her head she is wearing a crown made of grape leaves. Because
of changes in the current Russian choreography, this detail has
now been eliminated.
At the beginning of the 20th century,
another heroine decided the fate of Giselle - Anna Pavlova. «I
pronounced myself Giselle», she told the Petersburg Gazette
in an interview. «Of course they were not totally convinced.
However, I asked (the Directorate) to present the ballet in the
Spring, and promised to work all of Lent...Now, La Bayadere and
Giselle are my pices de resistance...»
One of Pavlova's contemporaries,
having seen her in the role of Giselle, wrote this in Birzheviye
Vedomosti (The Stockbroker's Courier):
«...Each time, when I see
the magical mime, style and dancing in her interpretation of
tragic Giselle, I can not contain myself from saying a few words.
Because, with each performance, this artist perfects the role
more and more; and dominates the auditorium with greater and
greater power. Yesterday, for instance, there was not a single
spectator who was not overcome with the acting and dancing of
Pavlova. It was not Pavlova on the stage, it was Giselle - touching
and naiv in her love... In the scenes in the Kingdom of the Willis,
we did not have a ballerina before us, but a swift-winged spectre,
airy and dreamy. She seemed like a mirage that comes alive at
night and disappears with the first rays of the rising sun. What
is the secret of her fantastic, extraordinary talent? In fact,
it is harmony... Harmony, in the amalgamation of the separate
moments into a complete whole, from which an artistic image is
created. We do not need to speak about external appearances,
or an excessive tragic style or about technical perfection in
the dancing of the role. The ballerina grasps with rare refinement
the particular style of epoch. Here, indeed, one must come back
and talk about talent...»
Evidently, Pavlova was not shy
in front of camera. She always seems in character in her photographs.
Her poses and movements always have a particular emotional coloring.
Through such photos one can imagine how Pavlova looked in the
Mad Scene from the First Act and in the Second Act. However,
there was something quite particular about Pavlova. As one of
the Willis, she had a smile on her lips, symbolizing her joy
at the realization that she had been released from the world.
There is a realization of her spiritual growth, and a remarkable
illusion of flight, even in the stationary poses.
Another significant name is Tamara
Karsavina, who notably performed the role of Giselle when the
ballet was presented at the Paris Opera after 42 years by the
Diagilev Ballet Company. In 1910, the French paper Comoedia Illustre
reported, «At one time Giselle was well-known French ballet.
It was counted among those that gave pleasure to our parents,
and which now the Russians are returning to us in the purest
form, of which only they are capable».
In 1918, the reviewer from Nashe
Vremia (Our Time) described her performance like this:
«...Karsavina is a great
actress, and she proved this in Giselle's Mad Scene. Karsavina
conquered us with her simplicity, her sincerity, and with the
truthfulness of her suffering, in which there was not the slightest
touch of underlying strain...During the dance of the Willis,
Karsavina is a symbol of a silent cry of despair. Her face is
severely expressive, uncannily peaceful and inspired... It will
stay with us forever...»
In reality, Giselle was returned
to her native France only in 1924, when the ballet was restaged
by Serge Lifar at the Paris Opera. The central role was once
again taken by a Russian ballerina - Olga Spessivtseva.
There are few photographs of Spessivtseva
as Giselle. Most striking are those which reveal her withdrawn
and remote expression during the Second Act. She seems reserved,
as if distancing herself from her surroundings. The palms of
her hands are turned inwards, as if protecting her soul. Her
face reminds us of the first Sylphide, Taglioni, rather than
that of the first Giselle by Grisi. This image corresponds with
what her contemporaries saw on stage. Critic Yuri Slonimsky described
her unforgettable interpretation in this way:
«From her first appearance,
Spessivtseva prepared the spectators for a catastrophe. She was
in love, and this caused her punishment. She struggled for her
love, and this doomed her with ruin. Spessivtseva's eyes, totally
opened at the beginning of the First Act, are closed at the end.
A lonely, broken, surprised begin roamed the stage... During
the Second Act Spessivtseva danced with half-closed eyes, not
daring to look at what was going on around her. The beauty of
her heroine increased along with Giselle's struggle for happiness.
Only, this was for someone else's happiness, not her own».
Later, during the Soviet period,
other great dancers appeared, bringing their individual gifts
and talents to the character of Giselle and also Russianizing
her. Following the early Russian Giselles came Yelena Lyukom
(first of the Soviet era), the extraordinarily expressive Galina
Ulanova, and the romantic Marina Semyonova.
famous St. Petersburg dancers that performed the role, Natalia
Dudinskaya, Tatyana Vecheslova, Alla Shelest, Gabriella Komleva,
and Irina Kolpakova are most remembered. Among Moscovite Giselles:
Raissa Struchkoba, Marina Kondratieva, Nina Timofeyeva, Ekaterina
Maximova, Ludmila Semenyaka and Natalia Bessmertnova will not
be forgotten. All of these dancers helped to keep the image of
Giselle young and fresh forever enchanting and moving the public.
- by Natalia Godzina
- This article first appeared in «Sovietsky
Balet», issue No.2, 1982