On Stage: Bringing the Spirit of “Giselle” Alive

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre ballet master Marianna Tcherkassky, considered one of the great Giselles of her time. Read a previous Post-Gazette article on her (2001) at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But behind every great ballerina is a great baton, wielded by the orchestra conductor. PBT has someone who fits the bill.

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Conductor Charles Barker was faced with a decision — head to Barcelona, Spain with the American Ballet Theatre or come to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s production of “Giselle.”

Before you get too excited, there were a few other factors, mainly that Charles is a currently a devoted family man. His sons are age 7 and 10 and he knows that it is “critical to spend time” with them” as they grow. In fact, he and his wife spent all of August at the beach, riding bikes and hiking — one day physical and one day “off.”

But it also helped that he had such a great relationship with the local company and its orchestra, perhaps a key reason that PBT extended his contract another three years. He takes great pleasure that the orchestra is always “itching to do it,” calling the local musicians both “impressive” and “talented.”

“There’s a mutual respect there,” he says. “And a willingness to try.”

Along the way over the past years, the repertoire has been deliciously challenging for the maestro “Romeo et Juliette,” “Cinderella,” “The Three Musketeers.” And he hasn’t done this particular production of “Giselle.” Not that this is a Creole Giselle, such as that found in Dance Theater of Harlem or the contemporary version by ballet superstar Sylvie Guillem or any one of approximately 15 other versions he performed(American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, The Royal Ballet).

Musically this “Giselle” might be pretty similar to the more traditional interpretations. At PBT Mr. Barker will still keep an eye on “entrances and how long to hold a phrase” so that the dancers can perform at an optimum level.

But he won’t allow himself to go “on autopilot. We have to create interest and life and pizzazz.” For that he trusts his Pittsburgh musicians. “Even though they know it well, there will still be a magic and mystery.”

Maybe that’s because he was once an orchestra concertmaster himself. While leading a chamber orchestra, Mr. Barker got the opportunity to lead the group. At first he stood with his violin. The feeling was great, so he “took some lessons, had some great luck” and was soon on his way to The Carnegie and The Metropolitan Opera, even John Curry’s ice skating company.

It was a “trial by fire,” but it was also a “cool job,” as Mr. Barker concluded. “The level of accuracy or perfection is insignificant.” The challenge to conduct 1-2-3-4 “ain’t that hard.”.

The hard part is actually the “conceptual part,” the way to prepare the orchestra, with limited rehearsals, to be ready at the dress rehearsal. “I have to know what the composer wants and verbally translate it to the orchestra — it carries the heavy weight of responsibility.”

So Mr. Barker always brings his “A” game, nothing that “if I’m making things clear and they’re watching what I’m doing, then everything goes smoothly.

It certainly has to be better that one of his early “Giselles,” performed while he was conducting an Australian Ballet tour to China in the ’90’s. Mr. Barker was conducting the Nanjing Song and Dance Orchestra at a facility about three hours west of Shanghai. Not only was this orchestra not on its game, but the audience brought food and talked loudly to their friends. To bridge the language gap, he would sing the first two bars so that the orchestra would zero in on the tempo.

Mentally “swearing a blue streak” and aware of people passing food behind him in the front row, the usually amiable conductor recalls this as the worst “Giselle” he ever led.

But the ballerina playing the title role recalled it differently, as one of her best performances ever.

She was Miranda Coney, who became his wife.

Through Oct. 28 — see Listings.