Giselle (1960)

Ballet in two acts by Théophile Gautier and Vernoy de Saint-Georges, based on a theme by Heinrich Heine

CHOREOGRAPHY

Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, revised by Marius Petipa, reproduced by Nicholas Sergeyev; production supervised and with additional choreography by Frederick Ashton, in collaboration with Tamara Karsavina

MUSIC

Adolphe Adam and Friedrich Burgmüller, partly orchestrated by Robert lrving, Gordon Jacob, John Lanchbery, and Richard Temple Savage

SCENERY & COSTUMES

James Bailey

DANCERS

Giselle: Margot Fonteyn; Count Albrecht: Michael Somes; Berthe, Giselle’s mother: Gerd Larsen; Hilarion: Leslie Edwards; Duke Courland: Derek Rencher; Bathilde: Julia Farron; Wilfred: Richard Farley; Peasant pas de deux (new woman’s variation by Ashton): Maryon Lane, Brian Shaw; Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis: Anya Linden; Two Wilis: Georgina Parkinson, Christine Beckley; Villagers, Courtiers, Wilis, etc: corps de ballet

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Ballet, Metropolitan Opera House, New York NY, 30 September 1960; Royal Opera House, London, 4 April 1961

New Stagings / Productions

Royal Ballet touring section, 1961

STAGING

Royal Ballet touring section

DANCERS

Giselle: Margot Fonteyn; Albrecht: Michael Somes; Peasant pas de deux: Lynn Seymour, Brian Shaw; Myrtha: Anya Linden

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Festival Hall, Tokyo, 17 April 1961

Royal Ballet touring section, 1968

NEW PRODUCTION

Royal Ballet touring section; production by Peter Wright, with further additions by Frederick Ashton (but omitting some from the 1960 production, including the new variation in the Peasant pas de deux)

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Peter Farmer

DANCERS

Giselle: Doreen Wells; Albrecht: David Wall; Myrtha: Shirley Grahame

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, London, 16 May 1968

Royal Ballet, 1970

STAGING

Royal Ballet; Tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton; woman’s variation from the Peasant pas de deux only

DANCERS

Ann Jenner

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, London, 24 July 1970

Royal Ballet, 1980

NEW PRODUCTION

Royal Ballet; production by Norman Morrice

SCENERY & COSTUMES

James Bailey (1951)

NOTES

This production included the woman’s variation in the Peasant pas de deux by Ashton (1960)

DANCERS

Karen Paisey

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, 3 July 1980

Royal Ballet, 1985

NEW PRODUCTION

Royal Ballet; production by Peter Wright

MUSIC

orchestrated by Henri Busser (1924)

SCENERY & COSTUMES

John F Macfarlane

NOTES

This production included the woman’s variation in the Peasant pas de deux by Ashton (1960)

DANCERS

Wendy Ellis

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, 28 November 1985

By Other Companies

State Ballet of Turkey, 1964

NEW PRODUCTION

State Ballet of Turkey

REPRODUCED BY

Joy Newton and Dudley Tomlinson

DANCERS

Giselle: Meriç Sümen; Albrecht: Sait Sömen; Peasant pas de deux: Binay Okurer, Selçuk Sayüner

FIRST PERFORMANCE

National Theatre, Ankara, 22 October 1964