“Since its premiere in 1841, Giselle is perhaps the only romantic ballet still performed on every significant ballet stage in the world today. Its story derives from the German legend of the Wilis, brides-to-be who have died before their wedding day and who cannot rest in peace until they have danced the dances they were never able to dance when living. At midnight they rise from their graves as phantoms and hover in the moonlit valleys, waiting for young men at crossroads – and woe betide any m...an they succeed in luring to dance as they will mercilessly dance him to death! To the modern eye, the story might seem like something written by Stephen King. The explanation for this is that the citizens of the age in which it was created had similar sensibilities to those of today’s theatre audiences. Escaping the pursuit of money in their everyday lives, the people yearned for something which both religion and enlightenment had scorned and suppressed: the fairy-tale world of superstition and magic. According to Théophile Gautier, “whatever is mysterious, remote and unearthly has entered into an intimate and fertile relationship with ballet.” The mysterious creatures of the sky, the earth, fire and water, the subterranean gnomes and goblins, the fairies of the air, the nightmares and fiery salamanders, the river mermaids, the wicked witches of the dark, bat-winged sorcerors and demons who live only at night or dwell within the sphere of the moon in the land of the dead, and who entice men with their fatal will-o'-the-wisps, all wait to be brought to life on the ballet stage. As brought to the stage by the Ballet Pécs, Giselle will naturally speak to a 21st century audience. Adolphe Adam’s music will be heard in a transcription by Richárd Riederauer more in keeping with the musical expectations of today. And the story, too, will be brought closer to today’s theatre audience, who, like their 19th century counterparts, yearn for something other than the pursuit of money in their everyday lives.” Presented by the National Dance Theatre.
Parking information
We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
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