The Legend of the Wilis
During the mid-1800’s, the legend of the Wilis seemed to be a common theme of interest within artistic circles. Such was the artwork La Légende des Willis by Hugues Merle that was exhibited in 1847. It is believed that the influence for Merle’s La Légende des Willis came from Heinrich Heine’s book of German folklore ‘De l’Allemagne’ (On Germany), published in 1834.
Heinrich Heine was a German poet and literary critic who was instrumental in recording and bringing the Legend of the Willies to light. Heinrich Heine’s writing served as a key inspiration for the ballet Giselle.
Here is a passage from Heine’s book ‘De l’Allemagne’ that describes the Legend of the Wilis.
In parts of Austria there exists a tradition of the night-dancer, who is known, in Slavic countries, under the name Wili. Wilis are young brides-to-be who die before their wedding day. The poor young creatures cannot rest peacefully in their graves. In their stilled hearts and lifeless feet, there remains a love for dancing which they were unable to satisfy during their lifetimes. At midnight they rise out of their graves, gather together in troops on the roadside and woe be unto the young man who comes across them! He is forced to dance with them; they unleash their wild passion, and he dances with them until he falls dead.
— Heinrich Heine | De l’Allemagne (1834)
Heinrich Heine further describing the Wilis and how they were completely captivating and enticing to the young men that they beguiled.
Dressed in their wedding gowns, with wreaths of flowers on their heads and glittering rings on their fingers, the Wilis dance in the moonlight like elves. Their faces, though white as snow, have the beauty of youth. They laugh with a joy so hideous, they call you so seductively, they have an air of such sweet promise, that these dead bacchantes are irresistible.
— Heinrich Heine | De l’Allemagne (1834)
The French Romantic writer and politician Victor Hugo in his poem ‘Fantômes’ (Ghosts) from collection of poems titled Les Orientales (1829) depicts the tragic fate of the young women who dance themselves to death, only to continue dancing beyond the grave.
This short excerpt offers some sense of its lugubrious, chilling quality:
Dancing caused her death; with eager, boundless love,
Dancing—dazzling, filling her with ecstasies—
And now her ashes thrill and gently move,
When, in a balmy night, white clouds above
Dance round the crescent of the skies.
Théophile Gautier, a poet, critic, and staunch defender of Romanticism was inspired by a poem of Victor Hugo, “Phantoms” and a passage in Heinrich Heine’s Wilis, spectral brides who rise from their graves at midnight to dance beguilingly in the moonlight.
After reading Heine’s Willies Gautier said aloud, “What a pretty ballet this would make!” Then (as he recalls): In a burst of enthusiasm, I … took up a large sheet of fine white paper and wrote at the top, in superb rounded characters, “Les Wilis, a ballet.”
That same evening I was wandering backstage at the Opéra with my mind still full of [Heine’s] ideas, when I met that amusing man [Vernoy de Saint-Georges], who had written the stories for successful ballets]… I related the tradition of the Wilis, and three days later the ballet of Giselle was written and accepted.
Vernoy de Saint-Georges, more experienced than Gautier at writing stage drama, helped build an effective plot around a bride-to-be who dies before her wedding day and returns as a ghostly Wili.
Gautier continues: In another week Adolphe Adam had sketched out the music, the scenery was nearly ready, and the rehearsals were in full swing.
The French composer and music critic Adolphe Adam composed prolifically for various Paris theatres. Of his more than eighty works for the theatre, including fourteen ballets, Adam is best remembered for his ballet Giselle (1841), and the beloved Christmas carol O Holy Night, which is said to have been the first music ever broadcast on the radio.
Gautier devised Giselle for Carlotta Grisi, whom he admired inordinately, likening her to ‘a tea-rose about to bloom.’ Her freshness and youthfulness were ideal for the role of the innocent peasant who kills herself on discovering that her admirer is an aristocrat and betrothed to another.
Carlotta danced her pas-de-deux in Giselle with Lucien Petipa, brother of the more famous Marius Petipa. Giselle choreography was created by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. Coralli began working on this ballet with soloist Carlotta Grisi in 1841. Jules Perrot, who did the dramaturgy and choreography for Grisi in the title role, assisted him with this.
Perrot was a French dancer and choreographer who later became Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century, including Giselle (1841), Esmeralda (1844) , and Le Corsaire (1858). Carlotta often partnered with Julies on stage and was the inspiration for most of Perrot’s ballets.
Poster announcing the first performance of Giselle
The ballet Giselle was first performed at the Théâtre de l’Académie Royale de Musique (now Paris Opera) on June 28, 1841 and was instantly a huge success.
Giselle is a story of how the power of forgiveness and redemption can overcome the anguish of love and betrayal. First staged in Paris in 1841, Giselle is one of the oldest ballets that remains within the classical ballet repertoire, which is still enjoyed by audiences around the world.
Content
Giselle | Origins of a Fairytale Folklore & Fairytales written By Sylvia Villa
A History of Giselle Pacific North West Ballet https://www.pnb.org/blog/giselle-program-notes-part-1/
Giselle Wikiwand https://www.wikiwand.com/simple/articles/Giselle
content about Adolphe Adam https://www.sarasotaballet.org/composer-adolphe-adam/
content about Carlotta Grisi from collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O105633/carlotta-grisi-facsimile-signature–print-brandard-john/
content about Jules Perrot is from site https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Perrot
article A love story of the 19th century: Jules Perrot and Carlotta Grisi from Kaustubha Ballet site https://kaustubhacentrodisciplineorientali.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-love-story-of-19th-century-jules.html
Photos
Painting: The Legend of the Willis by Hugues Merle from WikiArt
Henrich Heine’s portrait from Poetry Foundation website
Heinrich Heine book De l’Allemagne cover from Barnes & Nobel site
Painting: Le Villi by Bartolomeo Giuliano (1825 – 1909) from Gallerie d’Italia – Milano
Photo: Willis “Giselle” by Dutch National Ballet 2018
Painting: Heinrich Heine from Britannica
The image of Victor Hugo from P. Ahlberg’s “Victor Hugo och det nyare Frankrike” from year 1879.
Lithograph Les fantômes. (IFF 7 p.225) (yr. 1829) | Paris Musées by Boulanger, Louis Candide (Vercelli, 11–05–1806 – Dijon, 05–03–1867), https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/de/node/137262#infos-principales
Lithograph Les Fantômes (yr. 1829) version 2 by Boulanger, Louis Candide (Vercelli, 11–05–1806 – Dijon, 05–03–1867), dessinateur
Portrait of Théophile Gautier by Nadar from site Visit-Venice-Italy https://www.visit-venice-italy.com/litterature/theophile-gautier-the-street-venice.html
Portrait of Vernoy de Saint-Georges from en.wikipedia site https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules-Henri_Vernoy_de_Saint-Georges#/media/File:Jules_Henri_Vernoy_de_St_Georges_date_unknown.JPG
Painting of Sharlota Grisi as Giselle from site https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O105633/carlotta-grisi-facsimile-signature–print-brandard-john/
Portrait of Adolphe Adam composer from Saratoga Ballet site https://www.sarasotaballet.org/composer-adolphe-adam/
Portrait of Jules Perrot is from site https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Perrot
Carlotta Grisi & Jules Perrot https://kaustubhacentrodisciplineorientali.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-love-story-of-19th-century-jules.html
Carlotta Grisi with Lucien Petipa from Museum of Music History site https://momh.org.uk/exhibitions/carlotta-grisi-1819-1899-with-lucien-petipa-1815-1898-in-giselle/
Giselle original poster Giselle Poster – A black and white advertisement for a concert
Giselle our days poster from site Aulnay-sous-bois.fr
