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The Royal Ballet: Giselle, January-March 2018


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The original comment above was a reply to Geoff and Capybara talking about Michaela de Prince in the role of Mrythe ....and they saying she was a bit on the heavy side!! I was just pointing out that she had good elevation.

the comment doesn't make sense on this page but I think the forum took me to page 15 instead of current page 16 so didn't realise Capybara's comment was back five hours ago!! 

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Just a few observations on what has stood out for me during the recent run of Giselles.  It’s good to read others’ thoughts and I do hope there will be further reflections.  So many posters are far better qualified than me to offer comparative insights and I think a number suggested they would wait to the end of the run before doing so.

 

I do so agree with bangorballetboy and others: the Corps de Ballet have been wonderful throughout and provide the bedrock for the Royal Ballet.  Many thanks to bangorballetboy for the last night flowers and for his fabulous photos of so many curtain calls and behind the scenes.

 

I’ve really enjoyed fabulous dancing from a number of Myrthas (particularly Mayara Magri and Fumi Kaneko), and attendants.  In past Giselles Myrthas have not always been that convincing but in this run the dancing has on occasions been great - that other worldly entrance, secure in the most exposed of solos, brilliant jumps, and uncompromisingly commanding when dispatching Hilarion and demanding Albrecht dances to his death.

 

Olivia Cowley’s Bathilde and Kristen McNally Berthe have been real gems.

 

I loved Bennet Gartside’s Hilarion; it seems likely from what Benn has said that we have seen him in this role for the last time. 

 

The PD6 have included some wonderful performances, I think best captured by James Hay’s immaculate elegance.

 

There’s been a great choice as regards the principal roles and I’ve very much enjoyed the Giselles and Albrecht I’ve seen - Akane’s porcelain dancing with Benjamin Ella, a very youthful ardent Albrecht, genuinely smitten from the outset and not the typical aristocrat out to have his way with whoever he fancies; Marianela’s 20th anniversary performance with Vadim, a matchless Albrecht eliciting gasps from the audience;  I’d never seen Laura dance Giselle and I’m so pleased I caught her performance and that chilling rage in her mad scene; and Natalia bringing the run to such a triumphant close.  

 

I’m sure like many I treasure those special debuts and it was a wonderful weekend seeing Francesca and Yasmine.  I found Yasmine and Matthew very engaging, particularly in Act 2 where Yasmine seemed more human than other Giselles and where there was a real tenderness to their relationship.  But the outstanding memory for me I think is Francesca’s Act 1 solo where she just exuded the joy of dance and where her footwork seemed on a different plane and so completely within her compass and why I think Giselle could become her signature role.  I found Alexander an appealing Albrecht and still wonder about his reasoning for dropping Giselle’s final gift of a flower.  A suggestion was that he realised his dreams had disappeared but I still think it was his recognition that he was undeserving of Giselle’s protection and would not be able to forgive himself for what he’d brought about.

 

I think originally 8 Giselles were scheduled for 15 performances and I do wonder if that’s quite the right balance.  For 24 Swan Lakes we have 6 Odette/Odilles and I wonder if it would be better to look to schedule 3 or 4 performances per principal couple rather than 1 or 2, even if this means fewer principals perform the roles?

 

Finally it’s been wonderful to see Sir Peter Wright, often in the audience and on stage for Marianela's celebrations, but he now has to negotiate the steps from the Stalls so carefully and I imagine in pain.  I find his Giselle utterly captivating and ultimately life affirming so a heartfelt thank you to him and all the coaches who have helped mould a memorable set of performances.

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2 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

Some of those comments made me laugh out loud.  I agree with the person commenting about bringing back the wigged flunkies to hand out the bouquets.  Why did they get rid of them?  Curtain calls have never been the same since they did.

Yes please, back to  wigged flunkies and yes please to flowers for the men. I seem to remember that in the past they were given horrible laurel wreaths - sure they were provided by the props dept!

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I thought Natalia gave an incredible performance last night...I love her Giselle, it's very special.  She's so captivating...from the minute she steps onto the stage right through to the end she is something else in this role I think, just amazing.

 

Pas de six was very good last night, very sharp.  I really enjoyed it.  The corps were brilliant, they looked perfect from where I was sitting!  I think Claire Calvert was a good Myrtha...I'm not sure if she was as commanding/powerful as maybe I'd have liked but at the same time I wouldn't want her to overdo it.  

 

I thought Matthew Ball partnered well and gave a good, solid performance.  His performance didn't really move me I have to admit but that being said it's not usually Albrecht that is moving me in this ballet!  However, now just thinking ahead to Swan Lake I'm just not sure how much I'm really feeling this partnership.  Maybe it is too soon to think about as afterall filling in for Hallberg at the last minute is not exactly ideal when you're not very experienced in the role to start with.

 

So overall I thought it was a great night...loved the flowers for the corps and the great reaction from the audience with the standing ovation, well deserved.  I love this production and I'm just sad I couldn't get to see more shows and casts.  I would have especially liked to see Mayara Magri as Myrtha and the Campbell/Hayward partnership.  And of course I would have loved to have seen David Hallberg.  I love Natalia but my main reason for booking for both her nights was the rare opportunity to see Hallberg.  But never mind, just so pleased it was not a recurrence of his original injury and hoping we get to see him in Manon.

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36 minutes ago, toursenlair said:

"daft" is an understatement

 

I corresponded with the RB in Monica Mason's day and was told, in a reply from Jeannetta Lawrence, that it was not ROH practice.

Maybe worth another try?

Incidentally, I have seen male dancers collecting flowers from the Stage Door and heading home with them.

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1 hour ago, LinMM said:

The original comment above was a reply to Geoff and Capybara talking about Michaela de Prince in the role of Mrythe ....and they saying she was a bit on the heavy side!! 

 

 I didn't mean 'heavy'. She's very small and slim but I think that her shoes echoed on the Coliseum stage.

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Apologies - I should have highlighted the contribution made by Koen Kessels and the orchestra, with particular thanks for the fabulous Act 2 viola solos every performance.  Koen Kessels very much keeps the music flowing and there are very few moments when there is room for applause.  This is a virtue but there can be a downside where the audience wishes to show its appreciation.

 

Last night was particularly taxing as some members of the audience seemed to be even more determined to applaud at what to my mind were inappropriate places and I thought threatened to undermine the Giselle magic.  I don't recall quite so many interruptions for applause during other performances or with Natalia performances in previous revivals.  That said the final curtain fall was wonderfully hushed as Natalia's and Matthew's magic proved spell binding.

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I thought you meant heavy in the sense of "heavy landing" .....not that she was heavy/big in size!! 

But whether you both meant just heavy on her feet or her blocks just made a lot of noise was not sure!

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22 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Last night was particularly taxing as some members of the audience seemed to be even more determined to applaud at what to my mind were inappropriate places and I thought threatened to undermine the Giselle magic.  I don't recall quite so many interruptions for applause during other performances or with Natalia performances in previous revivals. 

 

Yes, I'm afraid it rather spoiled parts of Act II for me - seemed to turn it into something of a circus :(

 

Is it my imagination, or did the score revert more to the previous version over the run?  Possibly I just got used to the new version, though?

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The Danish girls dance silently, never figured out whether it's their shoes or technique.  Shoes seem to get louder and louder year on year, I imagine in a few years time when they drown out the music completely someone will finally redesign them.

Edited by MAB
typo
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2 hours ago, alison said:

 

Yes, I'm afraid it rather spoiled parts of Act II for me - seemed to turn it into something of a circus :(

 

Is it my imagination, or did the score revert more to the previous version over the run?  Possibly I just got used to the new version, though?

I was thinking the same thing about the music.  

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Regarding noisy pointes, I remember when Tierney Heap was first dancing Myrthe the noisy/heavy landings really made me cringe. But two runs later, the minimal noise she makes upon landing doesn’t even register with me. I’ve been wondering whether she does something different with her shoes these days or it’s just a reflection of more refined/mature technique.

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I'd have a pretty good guess it's a shoe issue....people don't change their technique that much in a few days.....although of course one could have an "off night" or landing more heavily due to some degree of injury. 

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On 3/10/2018 at 14:08, Geoff said:

 

But also louder. Not to be ungallant but it wasn't long ago that Precious Adams thumped her way through Myrtha at the Coliseum, yet this seemed not to impact at all on the highly positive comments she received for the role.

I found Michaela DePrince thrilling as Myrtha, a real kick-ass queen.  I don't remember noisy shoes or heavy landings, even though I was sat near the front, I just remember the stunning elevation in her jumps.  (Meeting her afterwards, I can also confirm that she is a tiny little thing, and she was so lovely).

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Edited by cavycapers
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1 hour ago, LinMM said:

I'd have a pretty good guess it's a shoe issue....people don't change their technique that much in a few days.....although of course one could have an "off night" or landing more heavily due to some degree of injury. 

 

I meant when she first danced the role, in the 2014 run, while still an Artist.

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Some curtain call photos from Friday 9 March 2018 final performance of Giselle.  You can see the emotion etched on Natalia Osipova's face in several of my pictures. 

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Natalia Osipova and Matthew Ball

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The full cast - and you can see the corps being given their flowers - so nice to see their performances acknowledged (BBB?)

 

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Claire Calvert as Myrtha

 

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Olivia Cowley and Beatriz Stix-Brunell as Moyna and Zulme

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Great pictures, apart from the first curtain call, I had to dash out to catch the 10.30pm train and then spent 20 minutes fuming as it was delayed!

 

All 3 performances I saw of Giselle were very special ones, the Albrecht's were new and the only Giselle I had seen before was Natalia Osipova, I thought we had seen enough of Giselle recently but how wrong I was!  Friday had the best pas de six of them all too, especially Yuhui Choe and James Hay.

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There was a short piece in yesterday's Sunday Times about Ball stepping in for Hallberg, with some comments from him and a photo. Incidentally while I was watching Ball in Act 1 of his performance with Naghdi I kept wondering who it was he reminded me of and eventually realised it was... David Hallberg. Anyone else get that?

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Lovely pictures Don Q Fan - thank you.

 

Something to help me remember this wonderful performance. You would not have known it was the end of the run of Giselles and what a run! It seems to have had everything, great debuts, dramatic cast changes etc.

 

i count myself very fortunate to have been there on Friday. Sparkling dancing in the pas de six, menacing Myrthe and the Wilis.

 

Osipova's mad scene - my heart broke along with hers. Act 2 everything I could have hoped for. It was so moving and great that the audience showed such enthusiastic appreciation of the memorable performance that we had witnessed.

 

I am feeling withdrawal symptoms from this ballet.

 

The Royal Ballet is in fine health and should feel proud of its performances.

 

 

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Thank you Don Q Fan for the photos, and for every one else above for all the comments and insights.

 

We were there on Friday, too, and I got "a bit emotional" during the performance (although my girlfriend told me off for being so!), but then some ballet and opera just do that to me...

 

I don't think I can add anything else that hasn't been said already, apart from thank you so much to all involved in putting on such a spectacular ballet. We saw a fantastic Giselle in Jan 2017 at ENO by ENB (I think it was Alina Cojocaru), and I just cannot separate the 2 performances - they were both amazing to watch.

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Just another thought about Friday's performance....did anyone else notice how quiet the audience was. It was heaven!!! Clearly all spellbound by Osipova/Ball. If only every performance could be so quiet.

The last time I experienced that  was Daria Klimentova's Nutcracker solo at a Russian Icons a few years ago. Could have heard a pin drop.  

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4 hours ago, Jane S said:

There was a short piece in yesterday's Sunday Times about Ball stepping in for Hallberg, with some comments from him and a photo. Incidentally while I was watching Ball in Act 1 of his performance with Naghdi I kept wondering who it was he reminded me of and eventually realised it was... David Hallberg. Anyone else get that?

 

I hadn't seen Hallberg at that point, so it didn't occur to me then; but when Ball stepped in for Hallberg, I did think that he looked like a slightly younger version of Hallberg and so there was actually quite an interesting dynamic about that!

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5 hours ago, sanj2000 said:

Thank you Don Q Fan for the photos, and for every one else above for all the comments and insights.

 

We were there on Friday, too, and I got "a bit emotional" during the performance (although my girlfriend told me off for being so!), but then some ballet and opera just do that to me...

 

I don't think I can add anything else that hasn't been said already, apart from thank you so much to all involved in putting on such a spectacular ballet. We saw a fantastic Giselle in Jan 2017 at ENO by ENB (I think it was Alina Cojocaru), and I just cannot separate the 2 performances - they were both amazing to watch.

 

I agree with you sanj2000, Alina has been my top Giselle for some time now but two ballerinas have come very, very close in this run. Francesca’s Act1 reminded me so much of Alina’s interpretation and Natalia’s total performance was so wonderful, my heart was bleeding.

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3 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

Just another thought about Friday's performance....did anyone else notice how quiet the audience was. It was heaven!!! Clearly all spellbound by Osipova/Ball. If only every performance could be so quiet.

 

Well, apart from all the applause at the end of each section of the Act II pdd ...

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I'm hoping the run of Swan Lakes will be just as memorable as the run we just witnessed of Giselle. Maybe I should lower my expectations though... :D

 

*Actually, never mind Swan Lake, I forgot about Manon. 

Edited by HappyTurk
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