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

[LinMM]

He is not nursing some injury or anything is he then?

[Sim]

I think there are about five 'Rudolfs-in-waiting' in the company at the moment, and I really hope they get their chances in the next few years.  Some may be a bit young and need more experience with partnering and interpretation, but they are definitely there.

[balletyas]

Thinking about Rudolfs in waiting I am beginning to think that this role is like Giselle for the girls.  You can't rush it but you can't leave it too late either.  It requires the dancer to have hit that magic moment when physical stamina and technique are still there but emotional maturity and experience have begun to kick in.  At the Edward Watson Insight Eve, Ed talked about this mismatch that dancers have to deal with throughout their careers and that the moment when these to different things intersect is pretty fleeting...

 

On a side note, so frustrating to me that both Osipova and Hayward have arrived late in Ed's career as they are both so good with him in this and Manon(proven in Hayward's case from the last run).  

 

[ninamargaret]

Without being flippant, McRae looked to me as though with a few minutes rest he could have done the whole thing again! Seriously, I've got Campbell down for a future Rudolph. And I would love it if  Bonelli and Morera were cast in Manon.

[Jamesrhblack]

3 hours ago, alison said:

Well, Bonelli's 38 (thank you, nice Sunday Times article yesterday ), so it's not inconceivable that he might still be around for the next run.  I think Soares is younger?

Thanks for flagging up that: found the article while waiting to board at airport. I note that Kobayashi is 40 and isn't on next season's Nutcracker castings ....

Edited May 15, 2017 by Jamesrhblack

[balletyas]

Sadly missed this article and wondered if anybody is wiling to photograph it and post it....long shot i know... 

[annamk]

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

McRae is such an astonishing technical dancer that none of Rudolph's choreography, even the most extreme partnering, seems to cause him any difficulty at all, itself a remarkable achievement, especially given his relatively modest high and slight stature. It was a real pleasure to see solos which have caused other distinguished dancers executed with such ease, and an ease that doesn't bring superficiality

 

I know what you mean about the pleasure in seeing those solos danced exceptionally well (although I only saw McRae at the rehearsal) but in every other respect McRae just does nothing for me and so I'd choose a less perfect technique and a better characterisation. 

 

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

 

I don't think all his choices convince me: the strutting walk in Act One seems petulant,

 

That's an interesting observation ..... I think McRae has a strutting walk in every role which is unusual and surprising for a dancer in a classical company because it's very unattractive both visually and in terms of what it seems to say about character. I have wondered if he does it to make himself look taller ? 

 

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

For me, the most satisfying cast was Bonelli with Morera and Cowley, Two superb dance actresses (with Morera seizing a late chance so strongly that it made it all the more surprising the opportunity had not previously presented itself) and a natural Prince showing an unanticipated flair for dramatic presentation and created what was for me the most rounded portrayal of Rudolph (all the more remarkable in a debut).

 

The most satisfying cast since Cojocaru/Kobborg and in fact, more satisfying for being so unexpected. 

 

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

 

 Am I alone in finding Watson's actual dancing less satisfying and his portrayal almost too one dimensionally haunted and angst-ridden? 

 

No, I feel like that too. I also dislike how much Watson distorts his body and the steps. 

 

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

 

Favourites? Campbell as Bratfisch brought the most humanity and maturity to the role and seems incapable of making a movement that doesn't convey character but the other three were all terrific too.

 

I preferred James Hay - I thought he nailed the pathos in that final solo as well as dancing superbly. 

 

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

 

Mendizabal just edged it for me as Larisch (even over Cowley and Lamb) with the greatest variety of expression, the most vivid involvement and a sense of scheming brought out of desperation to maintain control.

 

I didn't see all the Larisch but I loved Cowley. 

 

3 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

 

Yanowsky rises effortlessly over the others by sheer strength of dancing and personality, as well as having a pained, haunted quality all her own (which can be seen in her son too)

 

Yanowsky was exceptional. 

[Ian Macmillan]

Balletyas:  The article you mention can be found in yesterday's Links - somewhere that's always worth a quick look when such things are mentioned, just in case ....

[balletyas]

Yes thank you Ian - I thought it would be behind the paywall but in fact it wasn't so thanks for the nudge.. 

[alison]

7 hours ago, balletyas said:

Yes thank you Ian - I thought it would be behind the paywall but in fact it wasn't so thanks for the nudge.. 

 

You can of course access 2 articles a week behind the paywall for free now as well.

 

9 hours ago, balletyas said:

On a side note, so frustrating to me that both Osipova and Hayward have arrived late in Ed's career as they are both so good with him in this and Manon(proven in Hayward's case from the last run).  

 

Yes, but he *has* had both Leanne Benjamin and Mara Galeazzi before that, so it wasn't as if he was short of inspiring partners ...