BeauxArts

The RB definitely danced Consort Lessons and I would be extremely happy to see that again. Thank you, Alison, for mentioning it! I would very much like to see Onegin next season. I would be especially happy to see Muntagirov AND Bracewell in the role of Onegin; I think the latter may be an Onegin in the mould of Friedemann Vogel and that would be extremely interesting. I think Leo Dixon as Lensky would be very satisfactory casting. I would be very happy with Kaneko, Heywood and Naghdi in the two lead female roles. I am not going further as do not want to tempt fate .. !!

My great hope is to see Tombeaux in the 2024-2025 but I have very little expectation of it being featured. A tribute to David Bintley is long overdue at the ROH.

I disagree that the live broadcast catered more for the « in crowd » than newcomers: I think it actually struck a good balance between context for those less familiar with MacMillan (or totally unfamiliar) and those who already had a reasonable grounding in his work/experience of ballet. The variety of interviews - Lady MacMillan, Laura Morera, Ross MacGibbon, the Benesh Notators, the stager of Different Drummer, Donald MacLeary and Alessandra Ferri were all impressive, interspersed with rehearsal shots. Previously, on a different thread, I had disagreed with Capybara who had raised concerns about Darcey as detracting from today’s star/rising star dancers (I paraphrase). I still stand by that view but do feel that the problem unfortunately that Darcey does pose is the « white knuckle ride » of her presenting style, which in fact is a distraction because it is so erratic. Some of her errors were nothing to do with the autocue, which is perplexing. As to the performance (finally) - I found it a fascinating triple bill which repays more than one viewing. Danses Concertantes as MacMillan’s first creation is an extraordinary proposition: quirky, technically complex, stimulating but I am not at present sure how I really feel about it. To be seen again, I think. I was sorry not to see Vadim but very pleased to see Zuchetti back and looking on good form. Having seen the original cast of Different Drummer, but not the intervening revivals, I wondered if this cast could bring the emotional heft that the original more mature artists had done (Ferri benefiting I think from their experience in finding depth in the potentially shallow Marie): last night’s cast gave a powerful and compelling account, with Serrano looking completely at ease besides his Principal colleagues. As to Requiem, all the plaudits above are fully deserved. It is a masterpiece, danced with supreme integrity by all the dancers last night. I have not stopped thinking about it. This work, alongside Song of the Earth and Gloria, should surely be part of a regular rotation of MacMillan’s one act works, as much as any of his full-length pieces. Lastly, for a live broadcast, surely it is possible to find space to show the cast list on screen? The technology must exist??!!

Marianela is world famous and a star ballerina, and rightly so, but I cannot agree that her RB colleagues are just « good ». For example, as Capybara mentioned earlier this week, Fumi Kaneko is widely acknowledged now as a world star (see Dance Europe) - she is surely more than good, she is stellar and her time has come - fortunately for us!

I miss being able to watch Russian ballet with pleasure. I hope to see them again at some time in the future, when Russia has withdrawn from Ukraine and paid full reparations to that country.

i am more troubled by discourteous audience behaviour than what people wear. I have been to the ballet a number of times in Germany and appreciate that many people dress up - seeing traditional Bavarian dress in Munich was a great pleasure! However, the ROH audience is diverse and people should not - in my view - feel discouraged from attending/intimidated because they don’t fit in sartorially. One of my most enjoyable evenings of late was the first night of the new choreography evening, which was attended by a very eclectic audience, some of whom gave the costumes on stage a run for their money and made the atmosphere quite edgy and fun.

Interesting. My perception at the ROH has always been that the higher ticket prices correlate to a better view of the stage. I don’t regard proximity to the well-heeled occupants of the Grand Tier as guaranteeing me a better consumer experience! The Upper Slips are modestly priced, have a sub-optimal view but the viewer experience is usually very good because of the calibre of the other nearby audience members, often some of the most knowledgeable people at the ROH. They also don’t audibly unwrap sweets….

I was very happy to access the livestream on Tuesday evening. My experience of using the POP platform was entirely positive - no lagging ! - and I thought the broadcast was well-directed with no left-field camera angles that occasionally beset the ROH broadcasts. I enjoyed the production - Noureeveries included - and thought Park and Marque made a charming couple with both dancing exceptionally well. He has an easy virtuosity and pleasant stage presence: it will be very enjoyable to follow his career. My only slight reservation was that the lead ladies in the Dryades scene lacked warmth - for me a little “glaciales”, albeit that may be one of the enduring features of the haut Parisian school and style.

Alison: was that a different production from Paris?

I have looked at the POB ballet catalogue and Fille is not among the works that can be viewed, so that seems to have been accessible only in France but may be added to the catalogue in due course.

This has been mentioned in earlier posts, but if anyone is interested it is possible to watch the live broadcast of this evening's performance of Don Quichotte with Sae Eun Park and Paul Marque by subscribing via this link https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/info/on-your-screens. The performance starts at 6.30 pm UK time. You can select from 3 different subscription options for Paris Opera Play (POP), including a one-off performance (c. 14 euros) or a monthly subscription (cancellable any time) at 9 euros 90 per month. I have tested the website and I can view all the available April offerings, so this does not seem to require a VPN etc. Of additional interest perhaps is that the conductor is Gavriel Heine, last seen at the ROH conducting Swan Lake...

Just out of courtesy, Silver Capricorn, I think the dancer you refer to is the RB’s Principal dancer William Bracewell. Double doubles are impressive - here is Leonid Sarafanov with a formidable sequence - albeit in class! https://youtu.be/f6SiF_qqSeA?si=sRYxpsyMqQW0nEmL

I have thought that for some time about Fumi. She is simply sublime.

Following on from Sebastian’s comment above, in 1983 MacMillan made Valley of Shadows, one of his darkest works, about the Holocaust. As with Different Drummer Ferri was his muse, and he was able to draw on the inspirational dramatic dancers in the RB at the time, including Wall, Jeffries, and later in DD Wayne Eagling. As to the programming 40 years ago, I saw Valley of Shadows on a programme with La Bayadere White Act! Quite a suspension of disbelief required but possibly an indicator of a deeper/more challenging artistic vision for the audience’s experience than we find today.

The photos are really touching. Thank you.