Alexandra, on 15 April 2001 - 06:21 PM, said:
Does Albrecht really love Giselle? You can answer this question by telling us about productions you've seen (video counts) AND/OR what your ideal Albrecht should be. Also, if anyone knows where in history Albrecht-the-Cad came in, please let us know.
[ 04-16-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]
First, thank you so much for this post. I have been obsessed with this topic for months. I have wondered whether Albrecht visited Giselle's grave in Act II as a result of his guilt or his love. I did not believe that he loved her at first, but have come to believe he may have developed or realized a form of love for her after he felt loss and/or remorse. Of course, he felt attraction for her in Act I, but I am unsure whether he felt deep affection. I think the issue is not just one of being a cad or not, but rather, one of age and maturity, of learning consequences, of evaluating expectations and social limitations, of developing empathy and compassion.
I agree with the discussion above regarding class and status. (Prince Siegfried's youthful rejection of his duty to marry, and his treatment of the peasant girls in Act I, informs my interpretation of Albrecht's immaturity, his sense of entitlement, and his view of peasants as playthings.) However, I do not think class alone explains his motivations or conduct. Often people perceive marriage to be a potential prison, and abandon their fiances; this occurs regardless of whether they are entrapped by duties to marry based on class, politics, economics, or parents forcing arranged marriages. In all societies, men with limited intentions, who are selfish or young or who have not thought through the consequences of their actions, have caused pain, madness (how could he do this, why did he say this, did he mean it, is he the person he appeared to be, etc.), and even death of innocent, naive girls whom they have rejected (e.g., through suicide, or giving up, or succumbing to an illness, or dying of a broken heart). The focus on class to the exclusion of other factors makes sense primarily in a political setting (e.g., the Soviet era interpretations, or historical analyses), and it certainly explains the conduct here, but human emotions, behavior, impulses, and other motivations can produce this result even when class differences are absent.
Last week, I posted in another forum that Alistair Macauley, when reviewing the recent Kirov/Mariinsky production of "Giselle" at the Kennedy Center, wrote that the company performed a production in which Bathilde returned in Act II in the 1970s. Maybe a video recording of this exists.
I think to consider Bathilde "nice" is a bit facile. She also must consider class issues, and her social and economic realities. She may not have loved Albrecht, or expected him to be faithful. If she did not marry him, after his dalliance, she may not have any other options, as well. (The willis are abandoned brides, so maybe those left at the altar become unmarriable.) She has to evaluate her own survival. If she forgave him, this may have been due to love (which may include an ability and willingness to forgive), maturity, expectations (was she told by her mother that men cheat or that the noble take what they want from the peasantry?), understanding his position (she was moved by Giselle's beauty and innocence enough to give her something of value), or learning to adjust her expectations in light of her recognition of his love or his nature. She may think that what he has to offer her in marriage is enough, however limited it may be. She may also return to him with an intention to have revenge and force him to live up to his promise and live in a loveless marriage, or with an intention to force a marriage to save her socially or economically, or an intention to live as previously expected, as a wife in a court of concubines.
I find it believable that Giselle could forgive him, and that she could hope that he goes on to live a fulfilling life without crippling guilt and remorse, and therefore, she may take steps to intervene to prevent his death and/or return him to Bathilde. This is an unconditional, generous love. Many women, who think Albrecht is a cad with limitations as a human being and undeserving of redemption, might not forgive him, but then, why would they value and adore a romantic ballet that tells a story of enduring love that survives death? For those who believe Albrecht is a limited character, who is a cad incapable of growth, are you saying this great tale of love involves only a selfless Giselle's love? Or are you saying that he has learned his lesson, and discovered his love after her death, and therefore, love can survive?
Recently, I posted about a "Giselle" production being shown in Canada that describes the ballet as one about revenge. Does anyone understand the story to be about revenge?
Myrtha and her willis seek revenge and death as punishment, but that is not the focus of the drama between the protagonists, so about whom would this refer? This interpretation seems to apply if Giselle saved Albrecht rather than letting him join her in death, to make him live on, to suffer a life of guilt or to live imprisoned in a loveless marriage with an angry, bitter, humiliated, and vengeful Bathilde. I find this hard to believe, but possible.
Alternatively, Albrecht's guilt could cause him to go mad, or live a life of suffering, or to lose his carefree, entitled way of living, taking what he wants without regard to consequences. In this way, a sort of justice and revenge could be attained. For this to be a consequence of love and/or mercy would be great irony, and deeply saddening. If he lives a more caring, empathetic, and/or loyal life, as a result, then maybe this would be understandable.
Another interpretation I have considered is that Myrtha is the ghost or alter ego of Bathilde, whose bethrothed abandoned her, and humiliated her, and this is why she demands death for faithless, wayward fiances with her army of willis. This is another way the tale could be one of revenge. Giselle rejects this, however, and the young peasant surpasses the benevolent, enlightened noble.
1
, Albretch's feelings builds up as the first acts goes on, to the point when one feels that the simple identity/flirt game have progressed towards something more complex. Also, is interesting to add that in the cuban production,(see Alonso/Vasiliev as reference), Albrecht tries to run out of the village at the realization that he has been caught up on his lie, (who knows, maybe he would later return and give some explanations to Giselle), but he gets abruptely intercepted every time he tries to run out to a wing by the court members, who enter by every angle all bowing at his sight...THEN, he saddly kind of give up, to the realization that his real fiancee is right there, and his fate has been decided already, but he does it clearly frustrated and not in the openly fresh-remorsless attitude a la Nureyev. Also, after Giselle's death, he doesn't run away,like Nureyev does, but he just can't hold his pain and his newly found love feelings for her,(too late!) and kneel down on the ground crying while desperately kissing her feet in front of Bathilde and everybody else...