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Bolshoi Ballet London Tour Summer 2019


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 I am sure that the Hochhausers know their audience  but I can't help thinking that London deserves something a bit more enticing than a  programme which includes only one decent production, and that, of a heavily revised nineteenth century classic . I imagine the programme is intended to display the company's range but for me it is a disappointing selection. Personally I can do without the soviet bombast of Grigorovitch's Spartacus; the heavy handed attempts at humour of Ratmansky's Bright Stream; the modernish choreography of Maillot's Shrew and the exceptionally dull production of one of Petipa's great ballets, with all of its poetry  surgically removed,which is the company's current Swan Lake. It looks like I shall be saving a great deal of money next summer. If the programme had included Raymonda, Jacobson's Spartacus or the new Nureyev, even if the latter were to prove to be the Russian equivalent of MacMillan's Isadora, I should be feeling far more enthusiastic about the Bolshoi's visit. I can only hope that when the Mariinsky next visit these shores that the repertory they bring includes The Fountains of Bakhchisharai, a soviet orientalist melodrama based on a Pushkin poem.

Edited by FLOSS
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14 minutes ago, FLOSS said:

 I can only hope that when the Mariinsky next visit these shores that the repertory they bring includes The Fountains of Bakhchisharai, a soviet orientalist melodrama based on a Pushkin poem.

 

FLOSS, I think you may be waiting some time for that .... Xander Parish was fulsome on this score during his last LBC visit.  Times have ... and are ... a-changing.  

 

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1 hour ago, FLOSS said:

 I am sure that the Hochhausers know their audience  but I can't help thinking that London deserves something a bit more enticing than a  programme which includes only one decent production, and that, of a heavily revised nineteenth century classic . I imagine the programme is intended to display the company's range but for me it is a disappointing selection. Personally I can do without the soviet bombast of Grigorovitch's Spartacus; the heavy handed attempts at humour of Ratmansky's Bright Stream; the modernish choreography of Maillot's Shrew and the exceptionally dull production of one of Petipa's great ballets, with all of its poetry  surgically removed,which is the company's current Swan Lake. It looks like I shall be saving a great deal of money next summer. If the programme had included Raymonda, Jacobson's Spartacus or the new Nureyev, even if the latter were to prove to be the Russian equivalent of MacMillan's Isadora, I should be feeling far more enthusiastic about the Bolshoi's visit. I can only hope that when the Mariinsky next visit these shores that the repertory they bring includes The Fountains of Bakhchisharai, a soviet orientalist melodrama based on a Pushkin poem.

 

Show me a single "Swan Lake" among the current productions that retains its pristine poetry. I cannot. Certainly not the most recent one from Royal Ballet, there was never any in Nureyev' version in Paris. The Leningrad-St Petersburg version that comes closest, every time it comes to London is met with loud derision. We just had two among the currently best interpreters of the Odette/Odile roles for two weeks and there was nearly dead silence in this forum, and a general lack of understanding or good will from the majority of press critics.

 

Jacobson's "Spartacus" - to ask this from Bolshoi is an utopia, as for "Raymonda" - it would have been derided by the London critics and might also meet with protests by some simpletons, or even invite a terrorist attack by a hothead. I doubt we are ever going to see here "Raymonda", or "Pharaoh's Daughter", for that matter.

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I have never seen The Bright Stream live so am really looking forward to that, as I am to Maillot's Shrew which, much to my surprise, I loved!  I will be giving those other old chestnuts a miss....especially since we will have had SL and  Bayadere so recently at the RB.

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8 hours ago, FLOSS said:

... a  programme which includes only one decent production... 

 

Of course I would have loved to see Bolshoi's Raymonda, La fille du pharaoh and the Lost Illusions. However, in my view, all productions announced for London, are not just decent but first-class productions with excellent dancers and corps de ballet. 

By the way, in this link below there is a clip with bits and pieces of Bolshoi's recent performances in Milan: https://www.belviveremedia.com/amadeus/videoamadeus/dopo-undici-anni-di-assenza-il-balletto-bolsoj-torna-a-milano 

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9 hours ago, FLOSS said:

 ....... a  programme which includes only one decent production, and that, of a heavily revised nineteenth century classic .

 

Which is, in your view, FLOSS? Interested to know.

 

I was hoping for Raymonda too, perhaps in place of La Bayadere (which they brought to London as recently as 2014, I think) and I will be giving Swan Lake a miss, unless it is the only chance to see Alyona Kovalyova. But  I'm not going to say, "No" to Lantratov as Spartacus , as Solor and, again in "Shrew". These two dancers  and the other leading lights of the Bolshoi will make the tour very special, whatever the perceived deficiencies of the productions might be.

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Glad to see Spartacus and Bright Stream.in the rep but not Swan Lake and Bayadere AGAIN. Shrew I'm not sure of. Would have loved to see Pharaoh's Daughter again, Esmeralda and a mixed bill . Possibly Marco Spada or Onegin. Oh well makes it cheaper as I'm sure the tickets won't be cheap! 

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I always wanted to see the Bright Stream so I will try and go to that. Otherwise I am afraid that I don't really care for the Bolshoi versions of Swan Lake and La Bayadere. I wish that they had decided to do Onegin as well though as I love the ballet

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On 15/09/2018 at 07:37, Bruce Wall said:

The repertory for the 2019 Bolshoi sojourn in London has been announced.  There is sadly no 'Nureyev' as had - it appeared - previously been suggested.  Indeed there is no work that has not previously been seen in the British capital this time round which I must confess to finding rather sad.

 

From the 243rd season brochure https://www.bolshoi.ru/upload/medialibrary/2d3/2d3b709c85217d27ef6400752121b333.pdf

THE BOLSHOI THEATRE BALLET AND ORCHESTRA IN LONDON (Great Britain)
25 JULY – 17 AUGUST 2019 ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

REPERTORY:  Spartacus, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, The Bright Stream, Taming of the Shrew

 

 

Shame about Nureyev- would be happy with a live cinema screening though. Won’t be seeing Swan Lake or Bayadere but pleased with the rest.

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11 hours ago, CHazell2 said:

I don't really care for the Bolshoi versions of Swan Lake and La Bayadere

But even for fans of these versions, the choice  is very disappointing, compared to other options, given that these performances  will  follow on relatively  soon after  the Royal Ballet's own fantastic new Swan Lake production, and their own  La Bayadere - which no doubt is incidentally creating  difficult booking choices for everyone, as it includes RB role  debuts from Takada and Osipova as Nikiya; Muntagirov, Hirano, Ball  and Corrales as Solor; and  Osipova, Naghdi, Magri and Calvert as Gamzatti !  

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28 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

But even for fans of these versions, the choice  is very disappointing, compared to other options, given that these performances  will  follow on relatively  soon after  the Royal Ballet's own fantastic new Swan Lake production, and their own  La Bayadere - which no doubt is incidentally creating  difficult booking choices for everyone, as it includes RB role  debuts from Takada and Osipova as Nikiya; Muntagirov, Hirano, Ball  and Corrales as Solor; and  Osipova, Naghdi, Magri and Calvert as Gamzatti !  

 

Yes, exactly, Richard LH, many of us are going to feel 'maxed out' on La Bayadere on the basis of the RB's fabulous casting.

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I would have liked a triple bill thrown in there, but I guess they never sell as quick as full length ballets.

 

I suspect hell will freeze over before the Russians leave their Swans at home. There''s a break of over a year between the Bolshoi and the RB Swan Lake, which leaves enough time in between to cram in a few ENB Swans, in my case anyway. 

 

Haven't seen Spartus in ages (didn't love it then, but willing to give it another chance), the Maillot Shrew is a bit of fluffy fun and I'm really looking forward to Bright Stream.

 

I might end up with a Bayadere overdose in 2018/19, but if I could see only one version, I'd pick the Bolshoi.

 

Quite frankly, after my ballet less summer, I barely care what programme they turn up with next summer, as long as they show up with a nice selection of dancers. 

 

 

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To the RB I assume?

 

I am disappointed that  the rep seems a bit repetitive but i am looking forward to seeing Bright Stream and Shrew (which I missed last time) and of course Bayadere. 32 shades and 4 ramps!  Depending on casting I could be tempted to see more but doubt I will be able to afford it if prices are similar to the last Mariinsky season!

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Glad to see they are bringing Bright Stream.  I saw it when it was done in the Shostakovich centenary year (2006) which was back in the days when I only used to go to ballet very occasionally if the score or storyline was of interest because I had no interest in dance! Maybe this time I'll have slightly more idea of what I'm watching!

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1 hour ago, assoluta said:

It was already mentioned that neither "Raymonda" nor "Pharaoh's Daughter" were realistic. Nor "Sylphide", for different reasons. This leaves Coppelia, though I can imagine it easily dismissed by the critics and I am not sure it would sell.

 

The Bolshoi brought' Pharaoh's Daughter' to the ROH in 2004 and 2006.   Why is it not considered 'realistic' in 2018?

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3 hours ago, assoluta said:

It was already mentioned that neither "Raymonda" nor "Pharaoh's Daughter" were realistic. Nor "Sylphide", for different reasons.

Why not "Sylphide"? Is it another copyright thing?

 

2 hours ago, capybara said:

 

I think that it's because some people might find it racist.

But don't some people say the same about La Bayadere ? 

Not that I have even seen Raymonda! Actually I just repeated, in replying to Assoluta, a suggestion made earlier by others. 

My  suggestions were ones the Bolshoi have recently performed, or are to do so shortly, but maybe  sensitivities in Moscow are not quite the same?  

 

 

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The US site Balletalert has a long thread about this issue, and refers to it as “black!face”

I saw the Bolshoi perform La Bayadere at La Scala just over a week ago, and indeed the child performers appeared in “black face”. 

To say that it  was disconcerting - at least for me - would be an understatement. But it did not seem to provoke any discomfort in the wider audience - or none that was noticeable. However, I cannot see that the company will be able to replicate this in their London performances - unless they wish to court serious controversy to the detriment of their performances.

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6 minutes ago, BeauxArts said:

However, I cannot see that the company will be able to replicate this in their London performances - unless they wish to court serious controversy to the detriment of their performances.

 

Why do I think they will?  They always have before.  

 

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Definitely happy for "The bright stream" since I have never seen it live and I will also like to watch Spartacus. The rest I will give a miss...I am not the biggest fan of their Swan Lake and well I have my problems with their La Bayadere . Would have loved if they had presented Esmeralda, obviously but I guess it will save some money for other ballet events!

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I believe that the last time the Bolshoi performed La Bayadere in London was in August 2013?  Since then attitudes towards this issue in the performing arts in many Western countries  have surely changed (see for example only "non-traditional casting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color-blind_casting)?

I simply observe that it was - for me - now in 2018 disconcerting to see the children in blackface.  Would an English company use it without some reflection on whether it is appropriate in today's culture, I wonder?

 

 

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42 minutes ago, BeauxArts said:

I believe that the last time the Bolshoi performed La Bayadere in London was in August 2013?  Since then attitudes towards this issue in the performing arts in many Western countries  have surely changed (see for example only "non-traditional casting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color-blind_casting)?

I simply observe that it was - for me - now in 2018 disconcerting to see the children in blackface.  Would an English company use it without some reflection on whether it is appropriate in today's culture, I wonder?

 

 

 

I agree, BeauxArts, that any British company employing such tactics today would certainly be seriously challenged as well they might be.  That said, I won't be at all surprised to see the Bolshoi continue with their traditional practices given past precedent.  Your discomfort was felt and remarked upon by a goodly number hereabouts the last time the Bolshoi presented this production in London as well as on the occasion of its intervening cinematic presentation.  

  

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