Giselle

Synopsis

Act I

A Rhineland Village

Count Albrecht loves Giselle, a peasant girl, though she knows him only as a villager named Loys. Giselle’s mother, Berthe, hopes that her daughter will marry Hilarion, a forester devoted to Giselle, and warns her against Loys. But Giselle disregards Hilarion, and joins with her beloved in the celebrations that mark the end of the grape-harvest. When Albrecht’s squire secretly warns his master of the approach of a hunting party, Hilarion observes them and manages to break into Loys’ cottage, seeking to learn the secret of Loys’ identity. The hunting party arrives, led by the Duke of Courland and his daughter Bathilde, Albrecht’s future bride, who are staying at Albrecht’s castle.

They seek rest in Berthe’s cottage and Bathilde, charmed by Giselle, gives her a necklace. The Duke orders a hunting horn to be left so that his courtiers may be summoned in due course and this provides Hilarion with proof of Loys’ identity as he compares the crests on the horn and on a sword he has found in Loys’ cottage. Just as Giselle is crowned Queen of the Vintage, Hilarion reveals the truth about Loys. When Bathilde returns and claims Albrecht as her fiancé, the shock unseats Giselle’s reason. In her madness she relives her love for Loys and seizing his sword, she kills herself.

Act II

Giselle’s Grave in the Forest

As midnight sounds, Hilarion keeps vigil by Giselle’s grave, which lies in unhallowed ground by a forest lake. This is the time when the Wilis materialize – ghosts of young girls who have been jilted and have died before their wedding day; now they avenge themselves by dancing to death any man whom they happen upon during the hours of darkness. Myrtha, their Queen, summons her Wilis; and next Giselle is called from her grave to be initiated into their rites. When Albrecht enters, bringing flowers for Giselle’s tomb, Giselle appears to him. The Wilis pursue Hilarion, whom they drive to his death, and then fall vengefully upon Count Albrecht.

Myrtha condemns him to dance until he dies, and though Giselle urges him to the safety of the cross on her grave, Myrtha commands Giselle to dance and lure Albrecht from the cross. Giselle tries to sustain him, but as the night wears on, his dancing becomes more and more exhausted. Just as his death seems imminent, dawn breaks. Daylight destroys the Wilis’ power and the ghostly dancers fade away; Giselle, too, melts away, leaving Albrecht sorrowing and alone.