The Royal Ballet: Giselle, Feb-April 2016

[jm365]

as I believe last night was the 'official' premiere of the Nunez/Muntagirov partnership in Giselle, does anyone know if any of the critics were there?

[Anna C]

I think Luke Jennings was, not sure who else.

[bangorballetboy]

Crisp, Craine, Anderson, Mackrell also spotted

[Tony Newcombe]

And Ismene Brown

[aileen]

So, if Giselle kills herself, accidentally or deliberately, why does she have to have a heart condition? I had assumed that she was emotionally fragile, which accounts for her breakdown / behaviour with the sword after she learned of Albrecht's deception. I shall reserve judgment until I have seen last night's cast but, personally, I don't envisage Giselle as a sunny, carefree character. The story seems (to me) to be more believable if Giselle is vulnerable, perhaps because she is mentally unstable or exceptionally naive and unworldly or hampered by her illegitimate status (and possibly she is 'damaged goods' after her dalliance with Albrecht and maybe even already pregnant). I suspect that the reason that Giselle has no father (assuming that Berthe was not a single mother after being taken advantage of by some nobleman) is that if she had one her father would have been keeping a close eye on his vulnerable / unworldly daughter and checked out any men who crossed her path.

[jm365]

Oh good!  I hope they had as great an experience as I did.

[SPD444]

So, if Giselle kills herself, accidentally or deliberately, why does she have to have a heart condition? I had assumed that she was emotionally fragile, which accounts for her breakdown / behaviour with the sword after she learned of Albrecht's deception. I shall reserve judgment until I have seen last night's cast but, personally, I don't envisage Giselle as a sunny, carefree character. The story seems (to me) to be more believable if Giselle is vulnerable, perhaps because she is mentally unstable or exceptionally naive and unworldly or hampered by her illegitimate status (and possibly she is 'damaged goods' after her dalliance with Albrecht and maybe even already pregnant). I suspect that the reason that Giselle has no father (assuming that Berthe was not a single mother after being taken advantage of by some nobleman) is that if she had one her father would have been keeping a close eye on his vulnerable / unworldly daughter and checked out any men who crossed her path.

 

 

Crikey, Aileen, your report reads like story lines from Eastenders or Corrie.

[FLOSS]

Not surprisingly for a ballet created in the1840's Giselle has undergone many "improvements" over the years.  It has shrunk. It has lost most of the mime which it originally contained and many of its subsidiary characters have been reduced from rounded characters to mere ciphers who seem to be little more than plot devices who move the story on. Adam's score, we are told, is historically significant as it was the first one to be written for a ballet rather than composed of a patchwork of pre existing music which spoke to the audience and told them about the action of the ballet because the music's original theatrical context was familiar to it. Condensing the ballet, reducing the stage action and concentrating on the dance sequences has  resulted in the ballet's action and the music describing it being separated from each other. The most obvious example in Peter Wright's production is the sequence in which the orchestra tell us that Loys/Albrecht is knocking on the door of Giselle's cottage. The orchestral raps on the door begin before the dancer has begun to knock on the door and continue after he has hidden himself. 

 

 

Why does Hilarion die when Loys/ Albrecht is saved ? Could it be merely because Hilarion's death allows the audience to witness  the fate that Albrecht so narrowly escapes ? There again it could be that the creators of the ballet knew that a significant part of their audience would only be half watching the stage during the mime sequence in which Berthe foretells Giselle's fate and that of the two men in her life and it was best to show it on stage. But we need to remember the death of Hilarion was originally preceded by a scene in which a group of huntsmen playing dice near Giselle's grave escape from the Wilis.

 

How does Giselle die? Is it suicide, death from a heart condition or death from a broken heart? Cyril Beaumont in his book The Ballet called Giselle published in 1944 outlines the ballet's nineteenth century history and gives an account of its stage action and choreographic text. He devotes a whole chapter to the book of Giselle which contains his translation  of the original libretto published in 1841. The libretto contains much stage action that we no longer see in performance. The libretto is very clear Giselle falls on Albrecht's sword before her mother can wrest it from her. In a later chapter he gives an account of the stage action and choreography of the two acts. His account of act one  makes it clear that she stabs herself with Albrecht's sword. This must have been the version of her death that audiences in the West had become used to seeing after Giselle was restored to western stage in the early decades of the twentieth century.

 

Marian Smith  has made an extensive study of the ballet using the records of Antoine Titus, who first

staged the ballet in Russia in the year after its Paris premiere, and the records of ballet master Henri Justament  which give a full account of the mime sequences as performed in France in the 1860's. Smith says that there are some references in the original mime sequences to Giselle having a weak heart but  the familiar section in which Giselle is overcome by dizziness does not appear in it. She is of the opinion that the original production most likely shower Giselle dying of a broken heart. Dying of a broken heart is of course not the same thing as dying of a heart condition.  Death as a result of a heart condition looks as if it was yet another example of stagers' attempts to make the ballet make sense to its audience. Most productions that make great play of Giselle's weak heart seem to be of Soviet origin while those sticking to suicide as the cause of death seem to be pre revolutionary in origin.   .

Edited March 24, 2016 by FLOSS

[SwissBalletFan]

Here is the review from the  of Nunez, Muntagirov, the words used are of mastery and excellence, and also touching on the fact that Nunez slightly changes her character.

 

Still only 4 stars though... which given the words and that Sarah Lamb's premiere also got four stars with a less enthusiastic description, is a bit strange to me.

[bridiem]

I saw the Cuthbertson/Bonelli/Calvert/Gartside cast for the first time last night. I felt quite distracted, which may be partly why I admired the performance rather than finding it particularly moving (I think mood does, or at least can, affect the way a performance is perceived). Cuthbertson's technique was wonderful - so light and fast. Bonelli looked ravishing - no wonder Giselle fell for him so hard. And he was a shallow, weak Albrecht - I felt that he must have had it so easy until now that he thought he could also have Giselle with no complications. And then it all went wrong, and he reacted with a kind of shocked bemusement - how could this happen to ME? And then in Act II: what is this quality in Giselle that I don't recognise in myself? etc. So he really didn't deserve to be saved; but Giselle saved him anyway. I found that quite a refreshing interpretation. Calvert danced strongly and with great focus; Gartside was very convincing. For me, Naghdi really stood out amongst the rest of the cast. Can't wait to see her do Giselle!

[zxDaveM]

Naghdi really stood out amongst the rest of the cast. Can't wait to see her do Giselle!

 

Yes, they really missed a trick not casting her as Giselle already, I reckon

[Coated]

Yes, they really missed a trick not casting her as Giselle already, I reckon

Couldn't agree more

[Beryl H]

I've always liked the original ending, where the music doesn't fade away but ends with full orchestra, as Giselle sinks into the grave she shows Albrecht the royal party who have come looking for him, I'm not sure if I have ever seen it or just read about it.

[Sim]

Couldn't agree more

Neither could I.  I have been watching Yasmine closely through this run, whether as a corps Wili, both positions in pd6, and Zulme, and thinking that she is a wonderful Giselle in waiting.  And Matthew Ball is just waiting to be her Albrecht.  If this pair don't get a go at this (more than once) in the next run I will have to take some kind of action!! 

[capybara]

Here is the review from the  of Nunez, Muntagirov, the words used are of mastery and excellence, and also touching on the fact that Nunez slightly changes her character.

 

Still only 4 stars though... which given the words and that Sarah Lamb's premiere also got four stars with a less enthusiastic description, is a bit strange to me.

 

Which review? Where?

[SwissBalletFan]

Which review? Where?

 

 

Sorry, must have pressed the wrong ctrl button. The Guardian

[RuthE]

A cast change notice has just gone up on the ROH website and Twitter: Akane Takada will dance in place of Laura Morera on Friday 1st April.

 

What a shame for Morera not to be recovered from her injury yet. Still, her other scheduled performance isn't until 15th April so she's presumably still hoping to be fit for that one.

[Tony Newcombe]

Takada is now listed to dance Giselle on 1st April with Kish. Morera is still listed for 15th April.

 

Just beat me to that RuthE

Edited March 24, 2016 by Tony Newcombe

[RuthE]

Meanwhile I presume no news is good news when it comes to Osipova still planning to be fit for the one on Tuesday 29th!

[Lenore]

That's what I was hoping. Surely they'd know by now if she couldn't perform?

[Indigo]

Quite a number of tickets have suddenly become available for the remaining performances of Giselle (previously sold out) & I've just grabbed a SCS place.

Do waves of good tickets often get released for productions in a batch like this?

(For the 31st, there were at least 6 good SCS places. It doesn't appear to be the odd returned ticket).

 

[Edited for clarity]

Edited March 24, 2016 by Indigo

[Nina G.]

Yes, they really missed a trick not casting her as Giselle already, I reckon

 

 

I fully agree, a missed opportunity there , it would have been another highlight in the RB Season. When I saw Naghdi dance Zulme I could really see her as Giselle. I do hope next Season will bring us some more joy seeing more of her in notable roles! 

[alison]

A cast change notice has just gone up on the ROH website and Twitter: Akane Takada will dance in place of Laura Morera on Friday 1st April.

 

What a shame for Morera not to be recovered from her injury yet. Still, her other scheduled performance isn't until 15th April so she's presumably still hoping to be fit for that one.

 

Not sure that necessarily follows.  Management might just be waiting to see what their options are for that date, given that Winter's Tale will be on by then.

 

Takada is now listed to dance Giselle on 1st April with Kish. Morera is still listed for 15th April.

 

Ah, so I now have Takada twice in 5 days - I may need to do some rescheduling.  Again   Very disappointed not to see Morera, since I missed her last time round as well, but I can hardly say I'm surprised.  After all, people were suggesting that if she was likely to be fit she'd probably be making sure she was okay for Frankenstein as top priority.

[alison]

I notice that the pre-performance talk, I think it's on the 29th, is being filmed.  Wonder if this is potential footage for the cinema relay?

[Indigo]

I notice that the pre-performance talk, I think it's on the 29th, is being filmed.  Wonder if this is potential footage for the cinema relay?

 

Not that long ago, I seem to recall doing an online questionnaire for Odeon / ROH about the live cinema relays & one of the questions asked whether you'd be interested in a pre-performance talk - either from a local expert in person at your cinema or a broadcast. It also asked about how much / whether you'd be prepared to pay for this, the timing of the talk etc. It was quite detailed, as though it was an option being seriously investigated.

 

I've noticed they seem to be filming a number of the Insight events too (not checked them all) & wondered if they would be live-streamed now or just a few highlights on YouTube.

 

It's great if the ROH are making more of this content available for all.

[alison]

Not that long ago, I seem to recall doing an online questionnaire for Odeon / ROH about the live cinema relays & one of the questions asked whether you'd be interested in a pre-performance talk - either from a local expert in person at your cinema or a broadcast. It also asked about how much / whether you'd be prepared to pay for this, the timing of the talk etc. It was quite detailed, as though it was an option being seriously investigated.

 

True.  I'd forgotten that.

[Indigo]

Maybe they're filming the pre-performance talk to be a bonus feature on a Vadim / Marianela DVD release as well ! 

 

Ok, so maybe I'm being a bit over-optimistic about the whole DVD thing...  

Edited March 25, 2016 by Indigo

[Scheherezade]

 

 

Again   Very disappointed not to see Morera, since I missed her last time round as well...

Me too, on both counts. That's both Osipova and Morera this run. Thank goodness I actually got to see Marianella and Vadim, who were utterly sublime! Vadim, quite improbably, seems to get better with everything he does and I can't recall having seen Marianella as good as she was last Tuesday, although I have to say that I found Sarah Lamb's mad scene the most nuanced and convincing of any that I have ever seen.

[Anna C]

Maybe they're filming the pre-performance talk to be a bonus feature on a Vadim / Marianela DVD release as well ! 

 

Ok, so maybe I'm being a bit over-optimistic about the whole DVD thing...  

I would love a dvd of the Nuñez/Muntagirov Giselle, but I'm not hopeful - it's not that long since the last release with Osipova. Also, somewhat dishearteningly, when I tweeted the ROH to ask if they would release the most recent live broadcast of Manon on DVD, the response was no, there "wouldn't be the demand". :-((

[Fiz]

How can they know that?

[Lenore]

Well, I'd guess Giselle might be more popular for people worldwide to buy, whereas Manon maybe wouldn't be as popular? I also remember there seemingly being more people online asking for a Giselle DVD (might have just seemed that way to me?).

 

At the same time though, I don't recall many people asking for the upcoming mixed bill to be released on DVD, but it is, so probably not down to people online asking. Maybe Acosta's name sold a lot of DVDs? Quite a few of the RB DVDs in recent years have him in one of the lead roles.

 

I have to actually admit, I'm not actually fussed about there being another Giselle DVD so soon (sorry!) ???? Maybe if it was a different production I'd be more interested?

 

(Edited to add some words)

Edited March 26, 2016 by sylph

[alison]

Well, from my experiences so far, I have to say this is not a cast I would avoid buying if it were on DVD

[Coated]

....asking won't hurt, right? I'd happily add a Nunez/Muntagirov Giselle to my collection, or watch it on Digital Theatre if that's easier for the RB to distribute.