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Adam's Music For Giselle
At its premiere, the quality of the music for Giselle was the most convincing argument to date in favor of composing music for
ballets rather than arranging pre-existing melodies. Up until then the most popular ballets used a pastiche of popular songs
rearranged and orchestrated into danceable stew.
The music for Giselle was written at night, as was everything else Adam composed. He also always worked quickly. It is said that
Giselle took less than a week to complete. Adam would argue that a work was not necessarily important because it had taken a
long time to achieve.
Apart from the fact that the score was the rst to use all new composition, another prominent feature of the music for Giselle is
the use of "leitmotiv" (a theme that recurs in the music to refer to a speci c character or emotion) as a narrative device. Adam was
not the rst to use leitmotiv in a ballet; François Halévy was perhaps the earliest in his 1830 score for Manon Lescaut. However,
Adam not only repeats themes as they are, or changes their keys to a ect the mood but also changes their tempi and rhythms to
highlight the dramatic intent of the story.
Leitmotivs used in the work include Albrecht's theme in C major and Giselle's in G major which becomes the rst love theme as
they pluck the daisy. Hilarion's is in E minor, and the main love theme is in A major. The wilis' theme is heard in Act I when Berthe
mentions the wilis and returns again in Act II.
Only a piano score was published in 1841. All orchestrations were made from this until Henri Busser published an orchestral score
in 1924. A number of changes in the music had become "standard" by this time.
Music for the "Peasant pas de deux" was composed by Frédéric Burgmüller and added for the rst performance to please a
wealthy patron whose mistress was Nathalie Fitzjames, the dancer who took the part of the peasant girl. It is used to this day,
although the placement in Act I varies, as does the number of dancers dancing it.
Ludwig Minkus made several changes to the score for the St. Petersburg productions. Giselle's variation was composed by Minkus
and inserted in the 1864 production. It was so popular that it has been added into the original Adam score.
The synopsis of the ballet Giselle
Act I - A rustic village
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 a ections.
Hilarion, lled 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
horri ed, 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.
JEAN MARTINON
Born January 10, 1910, Lyons, France.
Died March 1, 1976, Paris, France.
Jean Martinon studied violin at the Paris Conservatory. He continued studies in composition with Albert Roussel and
conducting with Charles Munch. During World War II, he enlisted in the French Army and was taken prisoner in 1940.
Martinon spent two years in a German camp, where he wrote many compositions, such as Stalag 9 (or Musique d'exil)
and Absolve Domine for men's chorus and orchestra (without violins) in
memory of French musicians killed in the war.
Upon his release, Martinon conducted the Concerts du Conservatoire de
Paris, when he was appointed conductor of the Bordeaux Symphony.
During this time, he also appeared with the London Philharmonic, Radio
Eireann in Ireland, and with the Israel Philharmonic. Martinon's American
debut was with the Boston Symphony in 1957. He also guest conducted in
Chicago and received praise for performances of his own Second
Symphony (Hymne ? la vie). He served as director of the Düsseldorf
Symphony from 1960 until 1966.
Martinon was invited to serve as music director of the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra in 1963. He directed the Orchestra away from the Germanic in
favor of the French style that was more uid than bold. Martinon
conducted a series of contemporary concerts, funded by the Rockefeller
Foundation, at the University of Chicago, and he also led a baroque music
festival. During the Orchestra's seventy- fth anniversary season (1965-66),
he presented several world premieres, including his own Fourth Symphony
(Altitudes)..