Nottingham Royal Concert Hall – until 23 February 2023
Reviewed by Louise Ford
4****
A heartfelt tale of love and treachery…
Varna International Ballet are nearing the end of their UK tour , which started just before Christmas and ends in mid March. The Company are offering four of the best known classical ballets Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Giselle. This is their first UK tour. Varna International Ballet hail from Bulgaria ,having been set up in 1947 by Peter Raycheff (a renowned Bulgarian tenor) the first ballet was choreographed in 1948. The company has a wide repertoire and an impressive reputation. The Company has a real international feel with dancers from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the UK and the Ukraine. The artistic director (Daniela Dimova) the music director (Stefan Boyadzhiev) and the conductor ( Peter Tuleshkov) are all from Bulgaria.
The ballet composed in 1841 by Adolphe Adam tells the tale of a young frail village girl Giselle. It is, perhaps, his most famous score.
Giselle, a delicate girl with a weak heart, lives with her mother Berthe on the edge of a forest. Berthe hopes that her daughter will marry the local forester Hilarion (all green tights and knee length boots). However she falls for the mysterious, handsome stranger living in the next cottage.
The first act set is dominated by the imposing castle backdrop. The handsome neighbour is Count Albrecht disguised as Loys a “simple villager”.
The costumes for the villages are all muted greens and soft pastels whereas the aristocrats are in bold, brash colours signalling the danger they pose to this innocent rural idyll.
The final scenes of act one are a little confusing, suffice to say you need to read the synopsis if you are not familiar with the story. The long and short is that it doesn’t end well for Giselle.
Act two is set at night with the graveyard in the background. Giselle has been buried in unhallowed ground. The backdrop is all Gothic tones, unfortunately the gravestone is a bit tacky! We see Hilarion keeping a vigil by Giselle’s grave however as midnight approaches he flees. This is because the Wilis materialise, led by their queen Martha. The Wilis are the spirits of betrothed girls who have died before their wedding day. They are a vengeful bunch who force any man who has crossed them to dance until he dies.
The score, especially in the second act, is beautifully paired with the dancing all winsome and ethereal. Giselle and the Wilis are in their ghostly white, romantic tutus which adds to the dance formation.
The live orchestra added an extra dimension to the evening. They were nicely paced and just the right volume. Sometimes a live orchestra overwhelms a production.
It was lovely to see a traditional classic ballet performed with grace and poise. The audience really enjoyed the spectacle.