ROH Gala Celebration 25 Feb

[Don Q Fan]

I am sure I am not the only person on the forum that went to the Gala last night - so here are my thoughts for what they are worth!  I would love to hear other experiences.

The Opera House foyer (the old bit) was decked out with winter flowering cherry(?) branches - a central arrangement in the foyer itself, a few bits over the doors to the stalls and then the banister railings up the stairs as well.  It looked a little messy/wild really compared to the floral arrangements I was lucky to encounter at the Opera Garnier one New Year's Eve, however  it was really nice they decorated it for the gala. The printed programme was not quite what we got due to illness, but my main focus was on the dance, naturally.

Hard to decide which piece was the best - loved the Grande Defile by the RBS students that was a wonderful spectacle to see for the first time and I wanted it to go on longer and this has now made me want to try for a ticket for the annual RBS performance, but I think they sell out very quickly?!    For some unknown reason to me Vadim Muntagirov didn't show so we never got to see him dance Le Train Bleu. I think Osipova/McRae were best in the Tchaikovsky PDD and it was a case of who could outspin who!  Acosta was good - he danced with Lamb in MacMillan's Carousel he did some amazing jumps. Nunez/Soares were good as ever in the Diamonds pdd but I'm a bit Jewels'd out after having just been to see DNB in Amsterdam x3!  Can you believe I actually LIKED McGregor's 2003 piece "Qualia" danced by Watson/Cowley they achieved some amazing contortions.  It was really good! The new Brandstrup for Bonnelli/Morera "Fairy Queen" was to me mainly a lot of dragging across the floor not really much to my taste, although their costumes were nice,  Scarlett's Summertime was nice with Golding/Hamilton who danced really well together, but they had truly awful beige minimalist "costumes".  Alexander Campbell was the Texan Kangaroo in Penguin Cafe which opened the dance for the evening and he danced with Chance to Dance kids who were really great.

The opera was a bit disappointing as one singer was ill and as a result we didn't get Nessun Dorma at the end, which would have been a good finale piece, instead we got something from very high pitched from Der Rosenkavalier.  I have to say that most of the songs were unfortunately all about death and the piece commissioned for the Opera youth kids was a dreary tale in some post nuclear attack(?) world:-( such a shame as the kids had a great sound/voices.  The best opera pieces IMHO were Toby Spence's Eugene Onegin Lensky's pre duel song, a duet sung by Toby with Samuel Johnson and best of all Bryn Terfel with Sonja Yonchareva singing a piece from L'Elisir d'Amore that was super.

The Royal Ballet corps danced the cards from Alice which was good.  There were a couple of orchestral pieces as well to complement the evening and there were some video/interview clips in between the pieces which were good.  If I have one criticism I felt that overall the lighting was a bit dark, especially as the singers tended to wear black and the pdds were on a black floor with no scenery.  I felt that I was peering into the depths of darkness at times from the Amphi.

All in all it was a good night though and very glad I went.  

Apologies for any incorrect name spellings I haven't got my programme next to me!

Edited February 26, 2015 by Don Q Fan

[aileen]

Taking this thread off topic, I'd love to hear what you thought about DNB's Jewels, DQF.

[alison]

Thanks for the report, DQF.

 

So, was she the only one at the ROH last night? I doubt it! I had to miss it due to a work clash, so would be pleased to hear more!

[Bruce Wall]

Very much enjoyed this gala - even with two extremely long (unscripted) pauses prior to an associated aria; one in each of the two acts.  Thanks for the review, DQF.  Just to note the final aria was the Queen of the Night's/Mozart not Strauss as suggested.  Very much enjoyed the Grand Defile and know it can only be improved in terms of its overall cohesion by the luxury of rehearsal that the interim time will permit.  Mr. Dixon's entrechats were again supreme.  Was sorry to miss Muntigirov/Le Train Blue (and was surprised there was no announcement as to its loss given it was clearly listed in the programme) but was delighted with much of the Tchai Pas.  The adagio was I think the highlight.  So lovely to see Osipova/McRae paired again after their characterful triumph in Rubies.  Look forward to their LFMG very much. Loved - as ever - Nunez in Diamonds.  She is a Diana here as temptress - replete with her dazzling/conquering smile - whilst the likes of Farrell, Hayden, Nichols, etc., always played their Diana as Huntress in this.  Both more than valid turns of course.  Especially enjoyed McGregor's Qualia.  Agree it's one of his best PDD.  T'was the first time that I had seen Watson in this with anyone other than Benjamin.  I thought that Cowley delighted through the considerable breadth of her own person/frame and certainly brought a uniquely engaging - certainly theatrical - perfume to the table.  Agree that the Brandstrup premiere did not appear to come from his uppermost drawer but did enjoy overall Scarlett's Summertime debut.  Once again I was impressed with Golding's skill in musical partnering in the latter given some clearly complicated lifts and definitely demanding cues.  For me Lamb was the standout in the Carousel.  So lovely to see this MacMillan piece again; the last he ever created.  (Has the RB done this before?)  This is a dramatic storytelling of the highest order.  Lamb made a dramatic meal of this balletic dream sequence employing the simplest of terms.  Her character building through determined economy spoke with an entrancing zeal.  She seamlessly travelled from innocent tomboy to love questing/questioning woman in but one beautifully etched stretch.  (I should think Hayward and Ball might shine in this as well.)  Certainly it would be lovely to see this piece again matched, say, with another brief masterwork (perhaps Balanchine's Ballo which is all of 17 minutes in length) as but one act in a full RB triple bill programme. (Thought Nicholas Hytner's film contribution in introduction of the Carousel was the most telling/effecting of the evening.)   

Edited February 27, 2015 by Bruce Wall

[GTL]

According to a cast change notice I found at the interval, Vadim Muntagirov was taken ill late on Wednesday afternoon: best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.   Having seen his spectacular "beau gosse" solo at ENB's Diaghilev programme, where it raised the roof, I can understand why one wouldn't attempt it unless fully fit.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances,  though the loudness of the music for "Qualia" rather spoilt that one for me.  Kenneth Macmillan's "Carousel" duet with Sarah Lamb and Carlos Acosta and Nicholas Hytner's filmed introduction describing its creation and Toby Spence's Lensky, both new to me, were my emotional highlights, also the closing moments of the "Diamonds" pas de deux, familiar though it is.   Sonia Yoncheva and BrynTerfel got funnier and funnier throughout their "Elisir d' amore" duet, perhaps spurred on by the sparring of Natalia Osipova and Steven McRea in the preceding "Tchaikovsky pas de deux".  I was as much impressed by McRea's (unexpectedly) self-effacing presentation of Osipova at their curtain-call as the dancing.  

 

Having heard the Mozart Queen of Night party-trick played in a shop earlier that day and actually wished that it was ending the gala rather than "Nessun dorma",  I was delighted to have that wish fulfilled!

 

Turn of the night for me was the Royal Ballet School's Grand Defilé, which I reckon won the award for the loudest applause.

[Mary]

 

  I was as much impressed by McRea's (unexpectedly) self-effacing presentation of Osipova at their curtain-call as the dancing.  

 

 

McRae is always self effacing in curtain calls- unlike his fizzy stage personality! and he is always notably warm and appreciative about his partners on his blog, which is a pleasing trait.

 

His Rubies with Osipova was one of last year's absolute highlights.

 

I so much wish I could have been at the gala, and thanks very much DQ,Bruce and GTL for these detailed reviews which brought it all to life for me.

[Don Q Fan]

I agree McRae always seems to give his ballerinas the limelight - such a gentleman.  Did you see the adorable photo he posted on twitter of him holding his baby daughter after the show - it melted my heart!  Just search twitter with #ROHgala and the photos and comments come up inc my photo of the flowers in the foyer :-)

[Dance*is*life]

In my first year at RBS all those moons ago, I was lucky enough to take part in the Grand Defile for Ninette de Valois, when she gave up directing the company and just stayed with the school. Each class/ group of dancers had to climb up a flight of stairs from behind stage and descend another, walking forward to curtsey and then fanning out to take up pre-arranged places. They started with White Lodge, moved to the upper school and then through the two companies, finishing with "Madame" coming down the stairs to greet a wildly applauding audience.  It was a wonderful occasion, but funnily enough what I remember most was the rehearsal.  I was at the end of the row and Michael Soames who organised it all took my hand to guide me.  Unfortunately it was in the days before the school insisted that I get contact lenses or leave (I am as blind as a bat and refused to wear glasses out of vanity!). Anyway, I could not see the steps and at one stage I tripped and nearly pulled Michael Soames down the stairs with me!  Most embarrassing!  I am thankful to say that at the actual performance I managed to get down the stairs without falling........

Edited February 27, 2015 by Dance*is*life

[Belljul]

I also attended the Gala and for me it was my first experience of watching the Royal Ballet company dance, and my second visit to the ROH following the school's end of year performance last summer. What an amazing experience! The Opera House looked beautiful and it took my breath away to come down the escalators at the end and see how the dining tables had been magically set during the performance, complete with sparkling branches and "crystal" dining chairs. How I wished I was joining in the dinner celebrations! I was so uplifted by Steven McRae and Natalia Osipova in Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux that it has to be a highlight for me, beaten only by the Grande Defile where nothing beats the emotional punch of watching your son perform with his chin lifted high as he danced towards centre stage. It will be a hard night to beat!

 

Edited to remove repeated words

Edited February 28, 2015 by Belljul