The Liceu applauds a splendid 'Giselle'

It had been fifteen years since Giselle hadn't graced the stage of the Liceu (in its original classical version), and this Tuesday, in a packed theater, the Bayerisches Staatsballett offered an elegant and austere reading of the legendary Romantic ballet with an indisputable success: ten minutes of final applause, with the entire audience on their feet.

In the sober and extremely elegant first act, the sets and costumes in autumnal colors immerse us in a scene in the purest German Romantic style. Choreographer Peter Wright delves into the narrative aspects, enhancing the mimicry and expressiveness of the characters while following Petitpa's original choreography to the letter regarding the protagonists' solos. Ksenia Shevtsova, as in Giselle, offered an innocent and fragile interpretation with perfect technique and completely committed in the madness scene. Jakob Feyferlik, in the role of Albrecht, demonstrated elegance and solidity.

As for the ensemble scenes, Wright replaced the peasant dances of couples and trios with more effective and technically highly technical choral numbers, with impressive drumming by the boys, virtuosity on pointe by the girls, and impeccable coordination that give a profound air of modernity to the work.

In the second act, nocturnal and ghostly, the ensemble scenes were extremely precise, with all the Willis, like a single organism, moving at the same time in what seemed like a game of mirrors. Shevtsova was ethereal, with a hypnotic presence, and displayed brilliant technique, while the thirty between-chat-sis Feyferlik's operas brought the audience to applause. The orchestra's violin and viola solos, under the nuanced direction of Robertas Servenikas, underscored the beauty of the drama. Perhaps the only weak points in the entire performance were Elvina Ibraimova's Myrtha, which lacked character, and Robin Strona's Hilarion, which faltered technically despite its expressiveness.

All in all, a memorable evening that captivated the audience and confirms that when great classical ballets are presented with technical rigor, musicality, and virtuosity, they continue to thrill audiences.