Bolshoi Ballet London Tour Summer 2019

[Alice Shortcake]

Oh God, those parrots!

[Amelia]

It is very difficult now to say a word or to make a step without offending someone. Oh!

[Pas de Quatre]

Yes it's the one with the "Norwegian Blues". Definitely very "ex parrots"!

[assoluta]

17 hours ago, Bluebird said:

 

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

 

Several posts in this thread contain the answer to your question.

[Bluebird]

36 minutes ago, assoluta said:

 

Several posts in this thread contain the answer to your question.

 

I've just done a search through the thread.  Apart from many posters who declared that they'd like to see Pharaoh's Daughter again, the only post I could find which mentioned the ballet was a post of yours, the one which contained the following sentence "I doubt we are ever going to see here "Raymonda", or "Pharaoh's Daughter", for that matter."

 

Maybe I've missed something? If so, I'd be grateful if you'd clarify.  Many thanks.

[Beryl H]

On ‎17‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 14:12, Amelia said:

It is very difficult now to say a word or to make a step without offending someone. Oh!

 

Indeed, as a bird lover I wonder if I should object to any adverse parrot comments

[Lindsay]

It's hardly stretching to the very boundaries of extreme political correctness to consider blackface offensive.  There was much adverse comment last time the Bolshoi did that here - including the fact that it was RBS JAs who they "blacked up" - I can imagine some parents having strong objections to that.  I know that I would......

[alison]

Didn't they have the faces more or less natural colour last time, and those yucky bodystockings?  Or am I confusing it with the Mariinsky?

[jmhopton]

I have been a regular attendee of the Hochhauser Russian season since 1990 but really started to be aware of the programing from 1995 when we were lucky enough to borrow a flat in Battersea and were able to attend most of the Mariinsky performances. (In this period it was always the Mariinsky; the Bolshoi didn't start being presented by the Hochausers again until 1999. I am referring to the 1990s onwards.) Like today the programme was usually 3 weeks long and consisted of 5 ballets usually performed for half a week each with Swan Lake getting 2 separate half weeks. There were usually 4 full length ballets and 1 mixed bill. During the 90s the mixed bill was often a Ballet Russes selection which I loved; more recently it was a modern mixed bill. However for most of their visits and even more so when the Bolshoi alternated the rota, the formula was something on the line of a mixed bill, Swan lake, a couple of well or reasonably well known ballets such as Sleeping beauty, Bayadere and Don Q and (importantly for ballet enthusiasts)  something that hadn't been performed before or wasn't so well known such as Spartacus, Bright Stream, Raymonda, Fountain of Bakshasarai, Pharoah's daughter or Flames of Paris. However, in the last few visits the new or less well known items seem to have virtually vanished from the rep. which has been a huge disappointment. I know the Bolshoi did Flames but on 2 consecutive visits so it wasn't really a novelty on the second visit. They did Taming of the Shrew but that's been it really for new ballets; what about Esmerelda or Marco Spada; did they think people wouldn't want to see them as they have both been filmed? I know they're both recreated ballets rather than new ones but most people over here won't have seen them live. Also if we must have a Grigorovich ballet what about Golden Age which I don't think I've ever seen live in full. Having seen Fountain and Raymonda (both of which I think have only been brought once to London) I can see why promoters might be hesitant about bringing them again. I don't think either are great ballets  with storylines that are thin even by ballet standards (though that's only my opinion. I know others like Raymonda at least). I do wonder if the unadventurous programming is anything to do with the Hochhausers possibly not having the same amount of personal involvement they once did and other people having more say in the rep. Or it could be that in todays more uncertain economic climate the temptation is to play safe and produce a programme that will possibly appeal more to non regular ballet goers. Whatever the reason, it is the true ballet lovers that will miss out on the opportunity of seeing something new in the rep. though there is always the pleasure of seeing new dancers in well known roles. I am looking forward to seeing Bright Stream again which I loved though I don't know if anyone could surpass Sergei Filin as a hugely comic ballerina. I am also looking forward to seeing Taming of the Shrew which I missed last time. However, I can't help being nostalgic for my 'Golden Bolshoi season' in 2007. Spartacus with Acosta, Don Q with Vasiliev/Osipova, Bright Stream, Bayadere and Corsaire. Full houses virtually every night and not a Tchaikovsky ballet in sight. Those were the days!

[Shade]

I agree with you jmhopton. I think the 2010 season was the best that I have ever seen, with Giselle, Paquita etc. 

Like you I am looking forward to seeing new dancers - I hope  Obraztsova. I might even see Spatacus if it has the right cast! 

However, last summer even the mariinsky tickets for the triple bill struggled a bit. As usual Swan Lake was the banker.

[Shade]

Spartacus is not my favourite but if Lobukhin was dancing I could be persuaded to buy a ticket!

 

[Guest]

I loved it when the Bolshoi brought Class Concert over, wowing us with dizzying displays of virtuosity and the sheer joy of dance. It opened a triple bill, followed by Wheeldon's Hamlet ballet and In the upper room. When was that? 2007 or 2010?

 

If the Maryinsky came over again I wish they would bring their Giselle (must be almost 30 years since they last danced it here) and their Corsaire, although I doubt anyone could surpass the good old days of Asylmuratova, Ruzimatov, Neff, Pankova and Zaklinsky! I too miss their Diaghilev programmes.

[alison]

I must admit that at the time I was getting bored with "not another Ballets Russes programme", but now that we haven't had that for some considerable time I might possibly change my mind.

[Amelia]

13 minutes ago, Darlex said:

...  followed by Wheeldon's Hamlet ballet and In the upper room. When was that? 2007 or 2010?

 

It was intended as Hamlet or Elsinore but ended up as Misericordes. Yes, it was 2007.

[CHazell2]

I would love to see the Mariinsky again, hope that they will bring a Fokine triple bill as I always wanted to see Les Sylphides or Chopinana live on stage.

[alison]

You could go and see The Trocks doing it  

[Bluebird]

The dates have been announced for the productions the Bolshoi are bringing to London:

https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/10007/

With thanks to balletalert for the link.

 

29 July - 1 August 
Aram Khachaturyan 
Spartacus 
Ballet in three acts 

2 – 6 August 
Pyotr Tchaikovsky 
Swan Lake 
Ballet in two acts 

7 & 8 August 
Dmitry Shostakovich 
The Bright Stream 
Ballet in two acts 

9 & 10 August 
Aram Khachaturyan 
Spartacus 
Ballet in three acts 

12 – 14 August 
Pyotr Tchaikovsky 
Swan Lake 
Ballet in two acts 

15 – 17 August 
Ludwig Minkus 
Don Quixote 
Ballet in three acts 

[Bruce Wall]

This is a significant change from the previously announced repertory.  Out are Bayadere and Taming of the Shrew.  In is Don Quixote (yet again) and, I assume, a tad more Swan Lake.  

[Lizbie1]

I’m just grateful that Spartacus and the Bright Stream have survived.

[Esmeralda]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

I’m just grateful that Spartacus and the Bright Stream have survived.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking!

[annamk]

1 hour ago, Bruce Wall said:

This is a significant change from the previously announced repertory.  Out are Bayadere and Taming of the Shrew.  In is Don Quixote (yet again) and, I assume, a tad more Swan Lake.  

 

V disappointing  

[Sim]

2 hours ago, annamk said:

 

V disappointing  

Indeed.  I hope the Bolshoi aren't worried about the fuss that's been made in some quarters about Bayadere....and no doubt would be if they brought Shrew back as well.  I am sad about the latter because I really enjoyed it a couple of years ago and would have loved to have seen it again.  

[Scheherezade]

6 minutes ago, Sim said:

Indeed.  I hope the Bolshoi aren't worried about the fuss that's been made in some quarters about Bayadere....and no doubt would be if they brought Shrew back as well.  I am sad about the latter because I really enjoyed it a couple of years ago and would have loved to have seen it again.  

 

Me too, I was really looking forward to seeing Shrew again, as were friends who saw it last time round. All I can say is that this will be a particularly cheap Bolshoi season for me.

[Sim]

4 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

 

Me too, I was really looking forward to seeing Shrew again, as were friends who saw it last time round. All I can say is that this will be a particularly cheap Bolshoi season for me.

And me.  Same old, same old.  What a pity.

[alison]

Could it be partly that the change has been made precisely because the RB have just done Bayadere?

[RuthE]

19 minutes ago, alison said:

Could it be partly that the change has been made precisely because the RB have just done Bayadere?

 

If that were the case it would be illogical to put Don Q in as one of the replacements...

[Lizbie1]

I always think of Don Q as home turf for the Bolshoi whereas Bayadere is the Mariinsky's, so the change actually makes a lot of sense to me. I know that some will be disappointed though.

[Shade]

Yes I am one of the very disappointed ones - missing 32 shades and I think 3 ramps plus all the excitement of the drum dance and Manu. Yet more Swans - couldn't they have brought Giselle or Paquita? Well I won't be seeing too much I think.

[Don Q Fan]

Whilst I am delighted that DonQ will return my purse is not as I was only going to have gone to Spartacus and Bright Stream, now I have to add in DonQ!  That said It is annoying Bright Stream is on in the week rather than weekend and that they no longer do a Wednesday or Thursday matinee like they did yonks ago.  Oh well, we'll see nearer the time anyway.

[capybara]

Maybe the Hochhausers have had second thoughts in the wake of the certain amount of fuss stirred up by the RB's recent showing of La Bayadere.

 

But, if so, it's a little strange that they have gone for even more Swan Lakes. As a friend said to me last night, "What about the RSPB?"

[Scheherezade]

19 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

I always think of Don Q as home turf for the Bolshoi whereas Bayadere is the Mariinsky's, so the change actually makes a lot of sense to me. I know that some will be disappointed though.

 

The last Bolshoi Don Q was pretty poor - or the evening that I saw it was, with Smirnova totally miscast as Kitri and no chemistry whatsoever with Rodkin. Compare that with the electrifying Shrew with Krysanova and Lantratov.

[Bruce Wall]

4 hours ago, capybara said:

Maybe the Hochhausers have had second thoughts in the wake of the certain amount of fuss stirred up by the RB's recent showing of La Bayadere.

 

But, if so, it's a little strange that they have gone for even more Swan Lakes. As a friend said to me last night, "What about the RSPB?"

 

I think it might well be more the fact that the Hochhausers' saw that neither the Bolshoi Bayadere nor Taming of the Shrew sold particularly well at La Scala during a recent visit.  Indeed - and unusually - I understand they were papering the house at times.  

 

[jmhopton]

This looks to be the most unadventurous programming any Russian Company has done for years and strengthens my belief that the Hochhausers are not as personally involved in programme planning as they used to be and that the 'money making' , programmers (so familiar to all of us these days, alas) have had a large say in the programme. As I've said previously the Hochhausers used to present a balanced programme between previously seen, new to the UK, and popular audience pleasers such as Swan Lake. There was usually some sort of mixed bill as well. This programme doesn't bring us anything we haven't seen before (though Bright Stream hasn't been seen for about 10 years) and no mixed bill. If they do Swan Lake it usually is performed twice so no surprises there. Though a bit surprising to see Spartacus performed twice. is it really that popular? I suppose the politically correct brigade might have played a part in rejecting Shrew and Bayadere but if so that's a shame. it's just a form of censorship. It may also to do with the fact neither sold well at la Scala but can you judge the sales of one opera house with another? Russian companies usually sell well in London almost regardless of what they do (though very modern mixed bills might struggle). So for me it might be a cheap (ish) summer just seeing Bright Stream and perhaps a Don Q.