The English National Ballet made a welcome return tour to Hong Kong at the end of June. Their program was a modern version of the 19th-century classic “Giselle” arranged by British dance choreographer Akram Khan, who has toured the city several times with his own company.
The new musical score by Vincenzo Lamagna, well played by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta under the baton of Gavin Sutherland, frequently echoes the original score by Adolphe Adams, but isn’t as outstanding.
The original 1841 Gautier scenario is more or less intact in this new version. The original story of “Giselle” is of a peasant girl driven to death by the betrayal of her lover Albrecht, an aristocrat in disguise. In Act 2 she returns from her grave with an army of jilted ghostly Wilis to take revenge on their lovers, but redeems Albrecht in the end with her forgiveness.
In this new scenario updated by the dramaturg (editor) Ruth Little, the peasants have become a community of migrant garment-factory workers, described as outcasts in the program notes. And the aristocrats are now the wealthy landlords. A monumental revolving wall designed by Tim Yip divides the rich and the poor communities.
Akram Khan seems to presume in the audience a certain knowledge of the original story of the classic, which is unfair to some beginners seeing this classic for the first time. The role of Albrecht is superficial and not well developed for a start. Khan’s version has several crucial points in the story unexplained, notably how Giselle died at the end of Act 1 after being surrounded by the outcasts. And at the end of the ballet, Giselle’s reluctance to kill Albrecht with a bamboo stick and her final disappearance are not convincingly depicted.
Khan’s vocabulary is sometimes derived from his Indian Kathak background, as seen in the intricate footwork and dizzy turns. Khan’s choreography is more effective for the corps de ballet both in Act 1 and Act 2. The circling group patterns have a sweeping power. In Act 2, the heart-rending duet for Giselle and Albrecht is the best part of this ballet.
The English National Ballet gave a strong company performance. Alina Cojocaru was superlative in the title role, conveying every nuance of Khan’s choreography. James Streeter impressed as her lover Albrecht. As his love rival Hilarion, Ken Saruhashi conveyed dramatically his jealousy. Stina Quagebeur was imposing as the Queen of the Wilis. Despite some weaknesses in dramatic logic, this is still a refreshing new update of the 19th-century classic.
La fiesta de las sonrisas.
( last version )
En la efímera
imagen de una
noche velada
reconozco la gracia
y una tierna
expresión: la luna
contempla el paisaje
ofreciendo a los ojos
la luz del silencio
y en el canto mortal
de una estrella lejana
el ave gorjea con
un mágico verso
que recuerda
el amor.
Francesco Sinibaldi
http://www.stevenosborne.co.uk/guestbook/
Quand le son disparaît…
C’est très
difficile décrire
la lumière qui
couvre le
soupir de la
neige qui
revient…
Francesco Sinibaldi
Oggi sono tornato in Valle dopo una
lunga assenza trovando un’atmosfera
limpida e carica di luminosità. La grazia
del paesaggio e la serenità del momento
mi hanno portato a scrivere una poesia
dedicata all’idea della libertà dei sensi
e del pensiero.
La composizione è stata scritta nella pineta
di Druogno tra le 11.32 e le 12.08 e viene
inserita nel nuovo libro in preparazione che
sto ultimando.
En fuyant en liberté.
Le vent du septentrion touche délicatement
les pétales veloutés d’une fleur majestueuse
qui s’érige dans le centre d’un jardin plein de
charme; les feuilles, dans les bois, descendent
en silence, une ombre s’évanouit comme le souffle
de la vie, et quand un tendre oiseau s’élève dans le
ciel pour atteindre le matin je retrouve, dans l’esprit,
la force impétueuse de ma froide liberté: et alors
je perçois l’infinitude, la douce sensation qui parcourt
la forêt, le calme d’un instant et la lueur de l’avenir.
Francesco Sinibaldi
http://www.thetravelcompany.net/3101.html?autoAdd=true&cc=0.037815230967859215
Quand le son disparaît…
( third version )
En marchant sur
le sentier qui
traverse la forêt
je me trouve,
tendrement, dans
le centre d’une
charmante sensation:
c’est très agréable
décrire la lumière
qui couvre le
passage de la brise
matinale…
Francesco Sinibaldi
http://wetteruettingen.de/phpbook/guestbook.php
E se un raggio di sole si
posa in silenzio lambendo
il profilo del festoso roseto
ritorna nel canto del ridente
fringuello e una flebile luce
passerà nel suo cuore…
Composizione scritta utilizzando, come
canzone d’appoggio, “ Vert, vert, vert “
dell’artista francese Véronique Sanson.
Francesco Sinibaldi
Quand le son disparaît…
( last version )
En marchant sur
le sentier qui
traverse la forêt
je me trouve,
avec surprise,
au milieu d’une
fugace sensation:
le soleil disparaît
au-delà des nuages
limpides, le silence
se répand dans le
souffle de la saison,
c’est très agréable
décrire la lumière
qui couvre le
passage de la brise
matinale…
Francesco Sinibaldi
In the part of a melody…/A difficult choice.
Near a small
oak a fine bird
is singing and
this melody,
with a little
desire, arrives
in the darkness
to cover a feeling…
Francesco Sinibaldi
https://tapestrypoetry.webs.com/