GISELLE

Act I
A village in Lorraine. It is grape-harvest time. Giselle is in love with Albert who recently appeared in the village. In vain the gamekeeper Hans is warning her that the young man wasn’t sincere towards her. Very soon he also finds proves for that – the count’s hat of Albert in the hunter’s hut rented by him. To the village are coming nearer noble hunters. Everybody welcomes with hospitality the Duke, his daughter Bathilde and their suite. The fallen in love with Giselle gamekeeper reveals Albert’s fraud – he is a count and soon he was going to marry his fiancée Bathilde. Giselle cannot stand that, she runs mad and dies.

Act II
It is night time. Hans comes to Giselle’s grave. His grieve is inconsolable. Out of the moon rays emerges Myrtha’s shadow evoking to dance the Wilis – virgins who died before their weddings. They are carrying away Hans with their dance. He cannot tear himself away of the dance and perishes. Albert who is also deeply grieving for Giselle comes to her grave. Hans’s faith is expecting him too, but Giselle saves him. Her love inspires strength to him and he dances with the Wilis until dawn. The shadows of the Wilis, Myrtha and Giselle get melted. Albert remains to live with the pain for his lost love, stronger than death.