The Royal Ballet: Mayerling, London, April/May 2017

[Jane S]

2 hours ago, alison said:

 

 A "nothing" performer, when some of us had been remarking on his stage presence and intensity since about the beginning of the century? 

 

Much longer than that - I remember going home from seeing him dance a solo made for him by Cathy Marston at a school show somewhere in the mid-90s and saying "I think I may just have seen the Royal Ballet's next great dance-actor"!.

 

The question mark over him dancing Rudolf, so far as I remember, was not his acting ability but his partnering, which had left something to be desired earlier in his career - but he had put in some serious work in the gym and it paid off.

[alison]

Wow, Jane, that *was* early!  How perspicacious of you.

 

And I think the gym work started prior to his Romeo debut, in 2004, IIRC.  Come to think of it, I recall a discussion in the Floral Hall from around that time on whether he'd ever be capable of dancing Rudolf.  I think the general consensus at the time was "probably not".  Oops ...

[Petunia]

Having seen both the Watson / Osipova and the Bonelli / Morera performances on the Friday and Saturday I can’t really add anything to the extensive and articulate reviews I’ve read here.

So I’d just like to say that I’m very glad I had the chance to come over and have my first and second Mayerling experience with these stunningly exciting artists.

To see the various interpretations and how they changed the colourings of the story was incredibly moving. I have nothing but praise for the dancers and I feel as if having received an unexpected present - so grateful.

Thank you Royal Ballet for giving us such a wealth of talent, commitment, spirit, and soul.

[Tony Newcombe]

26 minutes ago, RuthE said:

 

Yes, she was - the website was never updated (even after I'd picked up the cast sheet which listed Hinkis without any acknowledgement that it was a change).

 

Maguire is currently still listed for this cast's other performance.

Emma Maguire is dancing  Princess Louise in the current run

[Jane S]

9 minutes ago, alison said:

Wow, Jane, that *was* early!  How perspicacious of you.

 

 

 

 My most successful ever talent-spot!

[alison]

Petunia, I'm sorry I had to miss you, but I'm glad you enjoyed yourself so much!

[Petunia]

Next time, Alison. I'll properly announce it beforehand

[RuthE]

52 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Emma Maguire is dancing  Princess Louise in the current run

 

Yes, with the Bonelli/Morera cast. This doesn't change the fact that she was meant to be Stephanie in the McRae/Lamb cast (and is still listed online as such for the evening performance on 13th May).

[alison]

1 hour ago, Petunia said:

Next time, Alison. I'll properly announce it beforehand

 

Wouldn't have made any difference, I'm afraid, Petunia

[alison]

A batch of front amphi seats released for tonight's performance, so I guess if you're feeling quite rich and don't mind sitting in an amphi full of students ... also one stalls circle standing ...

[Tatiana]

Ooh, you go away for a few months and the whole site design changes. Hello everyone! Very excited for Mayerling tonight. I just remembered it's a student ampitheatre performance, which will be interesting. The best seat I've been able to afford for a while

[loveclassics]

On 29/04/2017 at 18:07, AnneMarriott said:

 

I don't remember Watson in Remanso but I'm pretty sure I remember Cope, Acosta and Inaki Urlezaga having a whale of a time in this piece.

 

Watson danced Remanso with Cope & Bolle. But I think there was a certain amount of 'mix and match' with Acosta & Urlezaga.  Bill Cooper's book of RB photos (published around 2003/4) has pictures of all of them in various combinations.

 

Linda

[Tatiana]

All right, I think I have to finally admit it. I'm just not a Macmillan person. Gorgeous costumes though, and any performance with Nunez and Lamb in is a good performance in my book.

[penelopesimpson]

Tonight Osipova was Magnificent

[Mary]

7 hours ago, Tatiana said:

All right, I think I have to finally admit it. I'm just not a Macmillan person. Gorgeous costumes though, and any performance with Nunez and Lamb in is a good performance in my book.

 

Hello Tatiana

I'd be interested to hear more, if you felt like it, about why you say that.. I do know what you mean ( I think)...I am not wholly convinced by Mayerling either.

There has been overwhelmingly positive reaction on the thread and most reviews but perhaps less positive feelings are not being posted up? Maybe.

[ninamargaret]

Thought Ed Watson was magnificent in the last act on Tuesday. The first two acts I found he seemed to be a little less involved with the action. I found myself wishing for just a touch of McRae's rather manic performance. As other posters have said it could be a case of pacing himself a little more. Await Bonelli with interest!

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Mary said:

 

Hello Tatiana

I'd be interested to hear more, if you felt like it, about why you say that.. I do know what you mean ( I think)...I am not wholly convinced by Mayerling either.

There has been overwhelmingly positive reaction on the thread and most reviews but perhaps less positive feelings are not being posted up? Maybe.

 

I really hope that's not the case. If people only post when they concur with the majority, we're not really sharing our experiences and opinions as a group - which is the whole point of this forum. I know it can take a certain amount of courage to voice minority views, but it's really valuable and important! I for one very much appreciate it when someone expresses a different viewpoint, and sometimes it makes me review my own opinions.

[Tony Newcombe]

Oh dear, two of today's reviews make the same mistake. Francesca Hayward was not making her debut as Stephanie. The FT critic really ought to know better.

[alison]

Actually, I suppose possibly not.  If they only went to the first performance of the Watson cast last run Hayward didn't dance Stephanie as she was still on the way back from injury or something.  She did for the rather later other two performances.

[penelopesimpson]

59 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Oh dear, two of today's reviews make the same mistake. Francesca Hayward was not making her debut as Stephanie. The FT critic really ought to know better.

That is really unforgivable from a critic

[Johnpw]

Was lucky enough to get a return for last night and so saw the Watson cast for the second time. Being better prepared, I now see why so many people believe he "owns" the role of Rudolf. And what a superb partnership between him, Osipova and Lamb (perhaps even better as Larisch than Mary). Was very satisfied also with the Bonelli and McCrae casts ("vive la différence!"). Remarkable that RB can currently field three such strong casts (including all the other roles) in such a challenging work - and perhaps four (but haven't seen Soares etc).

Love the score, which provides several "ear worms", and must pay tribute to the orchestra and Martin Yates.

[VickyPage]

Reading all these reviews, I'm really regretting booking a night so late in this run of Mayerlings (my excuse being both convenience and the theory that dancers nearly always improve in their roles over the course of the run). I'm afraid I, like Tatiana, am not necessarily the biggest fan of Macmillan, but next Thursday will be the first time I see Mayerling live, so I'll try to keep an open mind.

[John Mallinson]

22 minutes ago, penelopesimpson said:

That is really unforgivable from a critic

 

In (partial) defence one should note that the 2013 performances and casting don't appear on the ROH performance database.

[alison]

Vicky, make sure you do your homework beforehand, then, to get the most benefit   I see the new programme does at least have photo ID (or should that be costume ID) for the various important characters.  Beyond that, I couldn't immediately spot any additions to my previous one, so am sticking with that, particularly since it has better pictures

 

6 minutes ago, Johnpw said:

Remarkable that RB can currently field three such strong casts (including all the other roles) in such a challenging work - and perhaps four (but haven't seen Soares etc).

 

And such a shame they couldn't have fitted in a few more performances - given all the ones of the previous couple of bills - then Bennet Gartside might not have had to be relegated to performing Prince Phillipp

[alison]

I have a very interesting screenshot here: my post at the top of the page showing as "Posted just now", followed by Penelope's "Posted 22 minutes ago".  ???  !!!

[Geoff]

26 minutes ago, alison said:

Vicky, make sure you do your homework beforehand, then, to get the most benefit  

 

Might I second what Alison says? I have been going to Mayerling since the premiere in 1978 (when I didn't like it, have rather changed my view since) yet can still get muddled at points if I haven't seen it for a while. 

 

This short summary is fine (basically copied from the text in the programme):-

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayerling_(ballet)#Synopsis

 

One problem is that there really are a LOT of female characters in the show and, as they are mostly in similar period costumes, it is easy to get them muddled up. And although the character's ages range from 14 (or 17, depending on whose account Macmillan and Freeman were relying on) to over 50, they are of course danced by women of more or less the same age, which doesn't help distinguish between them. The end result is one can get confused about who is who at certain points. Which is a pity, as the ballet is even stronger when one can follow all the details. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2017 by Geoff

[Lindsay]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

 

I really hope that's not the case. If people only post when they concur with the majority, we're not really sharing our experiences and opinions as a group - which is the whole point of this forum. I know it can take a certain amount of courage to voice minority views, but it's really valuable and important! I for one very much appreciate it when someone expresses a different viewpoint, and sometimes it makes me review my own opinions.

I am a bit reluctant to be negative here, since there is so much that I enjoyed about the performances I saw, and I do think that the various pas de deux in Mayerling show Macmillan at his most effective and allow the RB to flex their dramatic muscles.  However, there are other elements to the ballet that I find sadly dated.  The tavern scene and its 'jolly whores' are just excruciating as well as unnecessary to the plot development.  And there are elements of the staging, for example, the four officers repeatedly popping out from behind their curtains, that are clunky and too obviously designed to kill time during the scene change.   In short, I think that I like the 'choreography as psychodrama' elements of the set-piece pdd scenes, but am less convinced by the 'narrative realist' story telling in between.  But, for all its flaws, Mayerling is a much much stronger piece than lesser recently revived McMillan work, such as the Invitation or Anastasia, and I think merits its place in the regular RB repertoire.

 

Edited to Add: By way of further 'benchmarking', for all that it contains some storytelling longeurs, Mayerling is still a million miles ahead of the painful clunkyness of Frankenstein or some other recent narrative works.....

Edited May 3, 2017 by Lindsay
clarification

[bangorballetboy]

See here for the useful relationship tree: Mayerling

[ninamargaret]

Definitely think it's a ballet that benefits from a bit of homework before you see it. It does help if you know a little about the history of that period. The programme is very helpful in giving background.

[alison]

A few tickets for this Thursday are currently online.

 

I always say if you've not seen the ballet before it's worth turning up an hour early and reading the programme.  This is probably the only ballet I'd say that for!

[Johnpw]

I liked Lindsay's post expressing reservations about the purely narrative elements as it raised fair points. Personally I like most aspects of the story-telling, some of which may well be included to provide respite from the psychodrama aspects - I imagine dancers need time to "catch their breath" after scenes of intensity, as an audience member I felt that I did. The "whores" strike me as a bit "Cabaret", but the tavern scene does contain some fine opportunities for dance, including a few crowd-pleasing moments like when the whole company whirl and twirl before the police raid.

I prefer it when something is happening and music is playing during scene changes. I imagine the emphasis on the Hungarian officers, the "shooting incident" and Franz Josef's solitary troubled walk through the picture gallery of his ancestors reflect the background sources which Freeman/McMillan decided to emphasise in the scenario.

A good narrative ballet is rather like a novel, where not every page has to grip to provide a satisfying experience, and Mayerling strikes me as an outstanding example of the genre.   

[Lindsay]

You make a very a fair point Johnpw and of course pacing is important.  It's just that with McMillan I often feel that, rather than controlling dramatic tension, he is "finding things for the corps to do'.  The maids in Princess Stephanie's bedroom for example, like the women in Empress Elizabeth's bedroom, and Juliet's friends on the morning of her 'wedding day' do not really move things along in any meaningful way, and in fact their choreography often feels irrelevant (if not counterproductive) to the storytelling.  I would say that the female lab assistants in Frankenstein also draw upon this rather strange 'tradition'.

[MAB]

Since visiting Vienna I realize the 'tavern' is nothing of the sort as it resembles an old fashioned coffee house.   Clearly it's an establishment that doubles as something else in the night time economy, but a tavern it clearly ain't.