Giselle, a
weak-hearted young girl who is adored by her native villagers, lives
with her watchful mother, Berthe. Hilarion, the village gamekeeper,
is desperately in love with Giselle. Prince Albrecht, a nobleman who
is already engaged to a noblewoman named Bathilde, is bored and
lonely with his everyday existence. Captivated by Giselle's frail
beauty and innocence, Albrecht disguises himself as a peasant named
Loys. After purchasing the cottage adjacent to Berthe's, he proceeds
to shower Giselle with his affections. Hilarion, filled with
suspicion and jealousy, becomes enraged when Giselle falls madly in
love with Albrecht and believes that they are engaged. Berthe has a
vision that her daughter will one day become a Wili, a jilted maiden
who dies before her wedding night. The Wilis emerge between midnight
and dawn to vengefully trap any man who enters their domain by
forcing him to dance to his death. Hilarion exposes Albrecht's
disguise and proclaims that he is already betrothed to Bathilde.
Overwhelmingly distraught and horrified, Giselle dies of a broken
heart.
Act II - A
Forest Clearing
Hilarion is
discovered just before midnight keeping vigil by Giselle's tomb. As
midnight approaches, the Wilis appear with their leader, Queen Myrta.
This is the night Giselle is to be initiated as a Wili. Albrecht,
laden with feelings of guilt and remorse, visits Giselle's grave. He
sees a vision of Giselle and follows it into the forest. At this
point, Myrta discovers Hilarion in the forest and orders the Wilis
to dance around him until he dies from exhaustion. She then
discovers Albrecht and demands that he share the same fate as
Hilarion but is unable to permeate the invisible bond of love that
Giselle has for him. At dawn, when the Wilis lose their power and
must retreat to their dwelling place, Albrecht is saved and Giselle
forgives him. Giselle returns with the Wilis and recognizes that now
she will be one of them for the rest of time.
Music is The Waltz From Giselle ~
Composer: Adolphe Adams
