“Giselle”
Vienna State Ballet
Vienna State Opera
Vienna, Austria
April 26, 2026 (live stream)
by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2026 by Ilona Landgraf
The Vienna State Ballet’s recent live stream of Giselle was one of those precious events where everything is perfect. Choreographed for Vienna in 1993 by Elena Tchernichova, the piece is the company’s “calling card.” Additionally, perhaps due to the new artistic director, Alessandra Ferri, who passed on her experience studying with Tchernichova herself, the dancers performed especially well. “Elena Tchernichova was the person who first taught me the role of Giselle when I was just twenty-one, dancing with American Ballet Theatre alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov,” Ferri revealed.
“I still vividly remember her notes, her corrections, and the wonderful imagery she gave me to understand each moment of the role. She coached me for many years, and even now I still hear her voice—not only when I danced the ballet, but also when I coach others.”
Laura Fernandez Gromova, who joined the company only this season, danced the title role for the second time. Her fabulous interpretation was consequential given her artistic career. Fernandez Gromova completed her training at the St. Petersburg Vaganova Academy and danced with the Mariinsky Ballet, the Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow, and the State Ballet of Georgia.
Her Giselle reverberated with life. In a port de bras, for example, her arms not only enjoyed the warm air but even inhaled it. Within seconds, the shock from Albrecht’s betrayal made her hallucinate. Her face seemed to belong to another person, and sudden dark circles under her eyes gave them a sunken look. When entering the realm of the Wilis, her Giselle became gossamer-like. She bent like a delicate branch in the breeze when being carried by Albrecht. Yet her will was as steely as Joan of Arc’s, and her heart’s greatness was infinite. She did everything in her might to protect and save Albrecht.
Compared to the mature and likeable Hilarion (Alessandro Cavallo), António Casalinho’s young, handsome Count Albrecht seemed too eager and smart for a reliable husband-to-be. And indeed, his very first reaction to Giselle’s death was to dodge responsibility and accuse Hilarion and the peasants. Over time, grief chastened him, and the Albrecht who approached the cross that marked Giselle’s grave was humble, more in love than ever, and brimming with regret. Even his dancing seemed more refined. One couldn’t help but empathize with him. Casalhino, a former principal of the Bavarian State Ballet, joined the company this season and is definitely an asset.
The second act’s largely empty stage made the commanding force of Rosa Pierro’s Myrtha particularly evident. Although calm and poised on the surface, the malicious glint in her eyes betrayed her mercilessness. The Wilis did not dare look at her. Their slightly stooped shoulders, bent necks, and downcast eyes expressed absolute obedience. The sight of their billowing white skirts moving in perfect unity in front of a pitch-black backdrop was mesmerizing.
In Act I, a corps of fleet-footed, buoyant peasants multiplied Giselle’s and Albrecht’s bliss. In the pas de quattre, Václav Lamparter combined immaculate tours with quicksilver feet, the cheerful Rinaldo Venuti seemed careful to curb his haste, Margarita Fernandes finished her flawless solo with a disarming smile, and Sinthia Liz delivered a graceful closure. No one was a mere bystander but naturally engaged in the goings-on. Close-up pictures later showed everyone’s different reactions to Giselle’s madness. Her mother, Berthe’s (Franziska Wallner-Hollinek’s), premonition of the Wilis was serious and unambiguous but in vain.
A bright red hunting dress ensured that Albrecht’s fiancée, Bathilde (Elena Bottaro), attracted all the attention. I disliked her the moment she used her riding whip to make Giselle lift her head. The smug face of Albrecht’s companion, Wilfrid (Trevor Hayden), fit the cliché of an aristocrat, but in reality, he was a true friend.
The Vienna State Opera orchestra always delivers quality. Their rendition of Adolphe Adam’s score was played under the baton of Luciano di Martino. It was so colorful that even a concert performance would have been worthwhile.
| Links: | Website of the Vienna State Ballet | |
| Giselle—Trailer | ||
| Photos: | 1. | Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle) and Antonio Casalinho (Count Albrecht), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 |
| 2. | Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle) and Antonio Casalinho (Count Albrecht), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 3. | Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle) and ensemble, “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 4. | Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle), Antonio Casalinho (Count Albrecht), Franziska Wallner-Hollinek (Berthe), and ensemble; “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 5. | Margarita Fernandes, Rinaldo Venuti (Giselle’s friends), and ensemble; “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 6. | Sinthia Liz (Giselle’s friend), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 7. | Sinthia Liz and Václav Lamparter (Giselle’s friends), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 8. | Rosa Pierro (Myrtha), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 9. | Rosa Pierro (Myrtha), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 10. | Alessandro Cavallo (Hilarion), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 11. | Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 12. | Antonio Casalinho (Count Albrecht), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 13. | Antonio Casalinho (Count Albrecht) and Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| 14. | Laura Fernandez Gromova (Giselle) and Antonio Casalinho (Count Albrecht), “Giselle” by Elena Tchernichova, Vienna State Ballet 2026 | |
| all photos © Vienna State Ballet/Ashley Taylor | ||
| Editing: | Kayla Kauffman |
