"Giselle" - revisited: Vienna State Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett), October 22nd, 2023

„Giselle" – revisited: Vienna State Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett), Oct. 22nd, 2023

A „couple of summers ago", I was asked by a music critic, who tries unsuccessfully to write ballet critiques, why „in Heaven's name" wouldn't I write music ones? In answer to that I could only say that I would not dare to give even an opinion (which is not so „binding" as a critique) about something I could not understand completely. This is a principle of mine.

Copyright: Ricardo Leitner / a t t i t u d e

After yesterday's performance, I met by chance a ballet „fan" (the stage door kind of person), whose sense of contemporary dress style, interestingly, makes me think of a late 70s „Burda" edition, from her clothes to her hairdo. She told me in a very defiant tone of voice (but without looking at me... I wonder why? Is she afraid of me? I don't write my opinion, I just write critiques): „This was Ballet as it should be! This was Ballet as it should be!"

Well, I thought, so much to give an unqualified opinion about something you obviously don't understand...

I admire such confidence. Even if there's a lot of irresponsibility in expressing such opinions while not having the faintest idea of what one is talking about. Sad… An attitude that has become quite fashionable. Especially on Socialmedia!

The late Elena Tchernichova's (1939 - 2015) „Giselle" (or „The Willis", as it was also originally called) is one of the two works she did for the Vienna State Ballet (The other, not in repertoire since a long time, being „Don Quixote", done in 1992 after Petipa & Gorski) and not a very prestigious work. I don't know of any other company in the world that has one of both works in their repertoire. Fact is that her „Giselle" tends to „simplify" some parts of the choreography. The long-awaited moment of Myrtha's first entrance, for example, technically tricky, and exhausting, a challenge in which the dancer is alone in the spotlight is, in this version, nearly disappointing, dull and boring. It does not leave a "footstep" on your mind. Did she choreograph this way because of the technical capacities of the soloists back in 1993? The thing is:

We'll never know.

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Marc Höm

„Giselle" proved to be a “flagship” in Birgit Stadler's (short) career.

There are better „after Petipa versions". For example The ABT's, and even the Coralli & Perrot version (my favourite) in the repertoire of the Opéra de Paris. But it seems we're „stuck" with Tchernichova's work. Perhaps a financial matter?

But last season we saw another (extremely poorly reviewed) „new version" of „Sleeping Beauty" on the stage of the State Opera, although the very expensive sceneries and costumes of Sir Peter Wright's version are still available in the Opera's storages. Just a „reminder"…

Elena Tschernichova's version is not one of my favourites. With all my respect to the late Miss Tschernichova, I also "question" very strongly what the precise definition of the word "version" is ( The diccionary says: version -> A particular form of something differing in certain respects from an earlier form or other forms of the same type of thing??? ). But if the "body" of the choreography is still the same, what is really the point of making a couple of changes "here and there" to achieve another "version" as was the case with the above-mentioned „Sleeping Beauty"? A copyright/royalties issue? Vanity?

Wolfgang Heinz had, let's put it gently and mildly, quite a unique and “creative” way of conducting ballet music. Sometimes extremely slow and all of a sudden extremely quick. Too uneven. And difficult for the dancers who had not a rehearsal with him. This, especially during the pas de deux of Giselle and Albrecht gave us the impression that Miss Bottaro was ahead of the music. Not really. Less experienced than Mr Dato she simply did not react on time, she did not listen to the music as it slowed down as Mr Dato did. That is the reason why jumps etc. were not made in „unison", especially during the first act.

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor

The Corps de Ballet did „OK", considering the many members who are more „modern" or „contemporary", and who, driving us to witness an altogether very unequal classical technical level, make us aware of how very uneven the whole Ensemble has turned. Unfortunately, there were some crucial moments, especially with the Willis, in which the whole picture seemed to be quite a dissynchronized one.

The coaching by Lukas Gaudernak and/or Louisa Rachedi seems not to have included any mention of what Pantomime is all about. It was nearly non-existent. This goes not only for the Corps de Ballet but also for Jackson Carroll as Wilfrid. The Corps stood either motionless or had some exaggerated members (as Mr Godwin Merano, for example, among some others) who acted „so grand" that the audience's attention was taken away from the (more important) centre stage action, as Giselle's Death and the reactions of Albrecht, Hilarion and Berthe, to this „windmill of emotion". You could count on the fingers of your right hand the few members, Corps & Half soloists, who behaved accordingly to the situation. The result, not only unprofessional looking, is a complete lack of „story-telling", and understanding coming from the audience. A total lack of dynamic. Nowadays, young Dancers have to be carefully taught what Pantomime is (They do not learn this anmore in a proper way while at schoo), and how far they can „go". Specially because it does not come „naturally" anymore as a product of their own creativity. Unfortunately for the Ensembles, in „Story Ballets" there is still a lot of Pantomime work to be done. Why don't Companies include a bit of (real) Theatre work, improvisation, group improvisations etc. in their weekly plans? Just like this one could avoid such a static performance.

I was very curious about two members of the cast, specifically about Giorgio Fourré's début as Hilarion. He managed to impress in the first act. Good „Placement", great arms, presence, school, and masculinity (necessary for the role and important for the ensemble since Alexis Forabosco and Kirill Kourlaev left the company). There's still work to be done., lots of fine grinding. But there is potential in Mr Fourré's Artistry to achieve a fine portrayal of a very important role. Unfortunately, he got injured during the first act and had to be replaced by Géraud Wielick, who did a great job. Sadly, we never got to see Giorgio Fourré in Hilarion's greatest moments.

Katharina Miffek (the only Austrian in the Company) is, at last, a great improvement in a long line of Bathildes. Classy, noble, commanding, peaceful, elegant. Dignity: Bathilde as she should be portrayed. Chapeau!

Franziska Wallner-Hollinek made of Berthe „her role". Very subtly she keeps on working on this character, constructing it further with more complexity. The effect is marvellous. Motherhood, love, care, and despair portrayed at their best

Giselle's friends are perhaps the best piece of group casting in the whole evening. This group of friends consists of experienced dancers and professionals such as Eszter Ledán, Laura Nistor, Alaia Rogers-Maman, Céline Janou Weder and Sveva Gargiulo. It is a pleasure to sit back, „put your feet up" and just enjoy without any fear that anything might go wrong.

Anita Manolova and Trevor Hayden delighted as the „Peasant couple", especially Miss Manolova whose energy and exuberance in the role made Giselle seem a bit pathetic and emotionally „undernourished" in comparison to her. This is another change that the late Miss Tchernichova did. Instead of having a pas de deux throughout the encore, there's a „mix", which ends as a pas de quatre with Giselle and Albrecht. Still, after all these years, quite unusual and not effective enough for me.

Kyoka Hashimoto needs no further introduction as Myrtha – even with Tchernichova's simplified „entrance", Miss Hashimoto manages magnetically to attract the audience's attention and goes on into the series of solo penchés – which can make a dancer quite vulnerable - and three back-to-back variations that mix pointe work, adagio and grand allegro, with incredible jump combinations (Special note to Miss Hashimoto's extremely high jumps quality!) the role can be technically and artistically exhausting. Myrtha is probably one of the hardest things a classical dancer can do. She is definitely Giselle's anti-heroine, her 100% antagonist and beautifully played by this beautiful dancer.

Now we come to the other member of the cast I was curious about: Elena Bottaro. Unfortunately she hasn't got the necessary substance and experience to play the main role. Neither technically nor emotionally. Her „Giselle", a marvellous, challenging character, is turned into a one-dimensional copy of a stereotyped portrayal. Miss Bottaro, as mentioned by me before in other critiques, tends to turn everything she does into a kind of „birds and bees" song. That might have worked in the first part of the first act, before Giselle's unfortunate meeting with Bathilde, but after that, her performance turned into a monotonous display of sugar and (no) spice, a never-ending rigmarole of repetitious, very superficial face expressions and a frozen motionless smile! The real problem is the lack of projection. I was sitting on the 13th row and very little came through until that row. Neither the excitement of the petite Batterie (which is always awaited by Connoisseurs) nor any emotions directed to the audience through the right acting skills.

Her „fluidness”, be it in the „diagonal variation" in the first act or the whole of the second act, conditio sine qua non for a proper Giselle rendition, was not given. Instead of flowing movements, which are mostly never turned into a pose, she insistently moved from a frozen, striking pose to another. No never ending movements. And no depth.

I know a dancer who prepared for a solid year for this role but it seems that Miss Bottaro had a much shorter time than that. Had she perhaps had proper coaching perhaps „Giselle" would not look like a „notch above" for her.

Fact is that the Vienna State Ballet has not got a proper dancer to play Giselle. Not this season. At the moment I cannot understand, generally speaking, the State Ballet's casting politics.

A great Giselle as Ioanna Avraam's and Olga Esina's has not been seen in quite a while.

Not to mention Iryna Tsymbal’s unforgettable portrayal of this sad maiden.

Davide Dato, a bright Star in the State Ballet's „Firmament" gave us another beautiful rendition of „Albrecht" and was the highlight of the evening. In fact, yesterday the ballet should have been called “Albrecht”.

It has been years since Mr. Dato turned into the (real) first „Principal" of the House followed by Masayu Kimoto. Since his return from his „whole year injury" he keeps getting better, preciser, and more emotional with every single performance:

Not only his technical achievements make his name travel abroad, even to other continents, but also his „kinaesthetic treatment" of the roles, creating characters that are deeply thought of and felt. Characters with a „why and a because". Character with a „soul", motives, questions... And apart from that: Precisely and brilliantly executed.

Just yesterday I began to realize, for the first time, a certain (new) „malice" in his interpretation and study of Albrecht. A very similar process to the one that happened to Baryshnikov and took years to be accomplished. That certain but drastic „change" from a „wide-eyed" boy in love into a malicious „playboy" making use of Giselle.

Yes, because we forget that Albrecht is the real villain of the story. He not only uses Giselle but also Bathilde, who is also his victim. In the second act, he is a man filled with regrets – not love for the dead girl - and nothing could be worse than that...

Special praise to his level of technical display, which I cannot leave unmentioned, even if I tend to consider other issues much more important than that: Perfect Tours en l'air, pirouettes, Manéges, jumps, the use of pin-pointed Croisé, Effacé and Écarté, as natural to him as drinking a glass of water, his extremely capacity of projecting and gaining empathy from the audience and, that is technique too, his – according to each style of ballet he is dancing – his meticulous use of hands, head, neckline. That is not only Art, that is also Knowledge.

Even if the performance was far from being „This was Ballet as it should be!" as the ballet fan said, there are many positive points to be considered and I must recommend it to you:

Study it.

Look more carefully at the details, at the little ones.

And, that is a t t i t u d e's motto: „It's all about looking at things differently”.

Ricardo Leitner

October 23rd, 2023