News from Germany, Austria, Switzerland

[toursenlair]

3 minutes ago, Hambleton said:

 

What is the difference between the two ballet companies?  I notice they have two different corps?

 

The Volkstheater is a different building again from the Volksoper, where the Vienna State Ballet sometimes performs in addition to the Staatsoper. The Vienna State Ballet is one big ballet company but with different corps de ballet dancers for the Volksoper productions than for the Staatsoper productions. This is mostly for ease of scheduling rehearsals. Higher ranks dance in both productions.

[Geoff]

4 minutes ago, Hambleton said:

 

What is the difference between the two ballet companies?  I notice they have two different corps?

 

 

Sorry, not sure I understand. This is a gala, surely, nothing to do with any company? Or have I got something wrong? 

 

In any case my comment, trying to be helpful, was only about the venue, not the content of the event.

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Angela said:

Bavarian State Ballet has updated its roster page. Shklyarov and Shirinkina are now listed as guests, no longer as principals.

 

 

1 hour ago, Angela said:

 

 

1 hour ago, Angela said:

 

 

 

No sign of Jinhao Zhang and Jeanette Kakareka (both ex ENB) in the list as yet.

 

 

1 hour ago, Angela said:

 

 

[aileen]

Or Yoko Callegari. I suppose that they might still be waiting for work visas.

[Angela]

New dates for Sergei Polunin at Munich:

5. October Giselle with Natalia Osipova

14. October La Bayadère

 

New dancers at Munich – now officially related by the press office: Laurretta Summerscales and Yonah Acosta from English National Ballet as principals, Emilio Pavan and Jinhao Zhang from ENB as demi soloists, and Arianna Maldini (Royal Ballet) as demi soloist. Demi soloist Wentao Li has left the company to return to China.

 

Munich principal Osiel Gouneo was chosen as "Dancer of the year" by the German magazine "tanz", soloist Prisca Zeisel was mentioned in their survey as one of 30 "people to watch" – as were Adam Russell-Jones, former Stuttgart Ballet now NDT2, Reece Clarke (RB), Jessica Fyfe (Stuttgart Ballet), Rebecca Horner (Vienna State Ballet) or Julian Amir Lacey (Dresden Semperoper Ballet), also choreographer Juanjo Arqués from Het Nationale. Akram Khan’s Giselle for ENB won "production of the year", Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui was chosen "choreographer of the year", Martin Schläpfer’s Ballett am Rhein is "company of the year", and Marco Goecke’s Nijinsky for Gauthier Dance at Stuttgart was chosen "audience favorite of the year".

 

ed. for typo

Edited September 11, 2017 by Angela

[capybara]

Jeannette Kakareka (ex ENB) is also now listed within the Munich corps.

[Angela]

Good news from Berlin: the newspaper B.Z. reports that Sasha Waltz and Johannes Öhman intend to bring back the old Nutcracker from Malakhov's times, the reconstruction by Yuri Burlaka and Vasily Medvedev; already in their first season 2018/19.  Nacho Duato had replaced it by his own Nutcracker.

[Vanartus]

They should also bring back the lost MacMillan- Concerto, Anastasia One Act, do a deal with ENB to share his SB (ditch the Duato), add one other Mac work (Gloria/Elite/Winter Dreams). They can revive Sylvia and add another Ashton (beg whoever  - Symphonic, Month, Dream, Monotones - don't care!), one MacGregor, ditch all but one or two  older Duato pieces, polish up their Ratmansky/Millepied/Forsythe and others. They've got Onegin, they could reintroduce Manon, look to the new Americans for new blood. So depressed that the Unter den Linden Opera house is reopening with Duato's R&J. I know it's one of his best works, and I've seen some good clips but...oh dear....why?....

Edited September 15, 2017 by Vanartus
Typo

[Vanartus]

And yes...I kept my Brexit promise and I've moved to Berlin 😉

[Petunia]

Welcome!

[Angela]

49 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

They should also bring back the lost MacMillan- Concerto, Anastasia One Act, do a deal with ENB to share his SB (ditch the Duato), add one other Mac work (Gloria/Elite/Winter Dreams). They can revive Sylvia and add another Ashton (beg whoever  - Symphonic, Month, Dream, Monotones - don't care!)

 

I wonder how many of these pieces Sasha Waltz has really seen on stage... 

[Angela]

50 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

And yes...I kept my Brexit promise and I've moved to Berlin 😉

 

Two hours by train to Hamburg or Dresden!

[Petunia]

...and two hours by plane to London...!

[capybara]

Interesting to see from another thread that Matthew Golding is guesting in Munich this season.

 

Also, the Staatsballett website has changed its nomenclature from First Soloists, Soloists and Demi-Soloists to Principals, First Soloists and Soloists: https://www.staatsoper.de/en/staatsballett/ensemble.html

[capybara]

It has been announced on the Staatsoper website that Yonah Acosta is now dancing Petruccio in the Taming of the Shrew (first night) on 28th September in Munich. He replaces Osiel Gouneo who is injured.

Edited September 26, 2017 by capybara

[Lilian88]

The critic's choice of this year for Dance Europe Magazine!

[capybara]

But wouldn't you expect that, Lilian88? I'm not wishing to detract from the achievements of any of those dancers  but Alison Kent is based in Munich.

 

Other Munich news. Laurretta Summerscales, having learned and danced Nikiya in only 5 days, is now scheduled to dance Alice ( a massive role) this coming Sunday. Amazing!

[alison]

2 hours ago, Lilian88 said:

The critic's choice of this year for Dance Europe Magazine!

 

One of many critics, assuming they are still operating on the same basis.

[Vanartus]

Love being in Berlin but envious of the repertory of the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich...sigh 

[Lilian88]

On 17 ottobre 2017 at 21:58, capybara said:

But wouldn't you expect that, Lilian88? I'm not wishing to detract from the achievements of any of those dancers  but Alison Kent is based in Munich.

 

Well, there are different categories, so I think is logic that a critic based in Munich decided about the dance in Munich, don't you think? And despite this, I didn't expect it at all considering this certain anti-Zelensky attitude in the air.

But I'm very happy for Osiel Guneo, which was nominated also in other categories and by other critics, I hope I will see soon him dance! 

 

[Lilian88]

On 18 ottobre 2017 at 11:36, Vanartus said:

Love being in Berlin but envious of the repertory of the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich...sigh 

 

The same here! 😭 I'm envious of the repertory and of the performers too! 😁

[Oberon]

Premiere-cast for Anna Karenina (choreography Christian Spuck) in Munich (19. 11. 2017):

Ksenia Ryzhkova and Matthew Golding, Jonah Cook and Laurretta Summerscales, Ivy Amista and Tigran Mikayelyan and others

https://www.staatsoper.de/stueckinfo/anna-karenina/2017-11-19-19-30.html

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Oberon

[Angela]

Austrian and French newspapers report that Manuel Legris will not renew his contract for Vienna Opera Ballet, so he won't stay after the year 2020. Comment in English here

 

A new ballet director for the company at the Austrian city of Graz: Beate Vollack, now director at the small company at St. Gallen, Switzerland, and a former dancer with Bavarian State Ballet, will join director Jörg Weinöhl, who leaves after three years.

 

 

[SwissBalletFan]

On 18 October 2017 at 11:36, Vanartus said:

Love being in Berlin but envious of the repertory of the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich...sigh 

 

In calling for auditions, Berlin have detailed their 18/19 season:

The 2018/2019 Season Repertory includes:

RATMANSKY · La Bayadère (Creation)

BALANCHINE · Theme and Variations (Premiere)

BOURNONVILLE/ANDERSON · La Sylphide, Napoli 3rd Act (Premiere)

CRANKO · Onegin

CRANKO · Romeo & Juliet

BART · Swan Lake

MEDVEDEV/BURLAKA · The Nutcracker

 

RICHARD SIEGAL (Creation)

SHARON EYAL (Premiere)

STIJN CELIS (Premiere)

WILLIAM FORSYTHE

HOFESH SHECHTER

 

This looks pretty classical with some wonderful pieces to me, I think it can compete very favourably to Munich.

 

source

Edited December 17, 2017 by SwissBalletFan
source

[Vanartus]

Ah there is hope! Would have preferred the Macmillan R&J, but light at end of tunnel!

[Geoff]

I hope the moderators forgive this repost: as it seems the link only works in Austria, it seems to make sense to post this here.

 

 

[Angela]

Long before the usual press conference in June, Stuttgart Ballett has published the programme of next season. Designated Artistic Director Tamas Detrich announced the following premieres:

 

Triple Bill "Shades of White" (Autumn 2018)

- Concert for Flute and Harp (Cranko/Mozart)

- Kingdom of the Shades, La Bayadère (Makarova version)

- Symphonie in C (Balanchine/Bizet)

 

A cooperation with the Art Museum Stuttgart about "Extasy in Art, Music and Dance"

 

The Lady of the Camellias (Neumeier/Chopin), created for Stuttgart in 1978 (Winter 2018)

 

One of a Kind (Kylián/Brett Dean, Gesualdo, Hykes, Britten et. al)

 

A "Bauhaus" triple bill with creations by Katarzyna Kozielska, Edward Clug and Nanine Linning, a cooperation with the German National Theatre at Weimar for the centenary of the founding of the Bauhaus in 2019

 

Mayerling by Kenneth MacMillan/Franz Liszt with new sets and costumes by Jürgen Rose, the designer of Cranko’s Onegin and Romeo or Neumeier’s Lady of the Camellias – Detrich said it would be "much darker" than the Georgiadis version (May 2019)

 

Triple Bill "Breath-Taking"

- Out of Breath by Johan Inger/Jacob ter Veldhuis+Lajko Felix

- Kaash by Akram Khan/Nitin Sawhney; Detrich intends to work with Akram Khan more often in the future

- Hikarizatto by Itzik Galili/Percossa  

 

The exact dates and changes in the company roster will be announced in the joint press conference with opera and playhouse later this year.

 

 

[capybara]

Laurretta Summerscales and Yonah Acosta replaced other principals on the first night of Don Q in Munich (11th Jan) and then danced their scheduled performance the following day (12th). They are also dancing Kitri and Basilio tonight (14th). And all this in the wake of dancing Spartacus (name role and Phrygia)  on 7th Jan.

 

Incidentally, Jinhao Zhang (also ex ENB) danced Crassus in Spartacus in the same and other shows.

[alison]

Have there been any reviews of them since they moved?

[SwissBalletFan]

Dear angela,

 

considering the repertoire of Berlin and Munich (assumed as under Mr Zelensky) in 18/19, I have to say Stuttgart looks a little

underwhelming relying on triple bills rather than classical splendor.

 

Am I missing something? ( I probably am) May I ask how you feel about it?

 

 

[Angela]

Stuttgart was always more modern than the other German ballet companies (except for Schläpfer's Ballet on the Rhine of course) - remember, it was Stuttgart where Forsythe and Kylián made their first works, where Marco Goecke worked for ten years. Reid Anderson commissioned almost 100 new creations in his 22 years. The audience here loves modern choreography, they are hungry for new works, triple bills are sold out, like the classics. It started with Cranko who, as Londoners may or may not remember, welcomed Kenneth MacMillan when the Royal Opera House did not want his "Song of the Earth" because you don't dance to Mahler music. Cranko always invited other contemporary choreographers, and he gave young choreographers opportunities to work.

 

I think it's an interesting programm, I'm looking forward to the Akram Khan piece, to the Kylián full-length, to a new Jürgen Rose stage design. As I am a huge fan of Goecke, I cannot understand why Detrich did not keep him as house choreographer, but Goecke will go his way, you may have read that Aurelie Dupont commissioned a new piece from him for next season at Paris. For Stuttgart, I think it's a great idea to replace the usual classic like Sleeping Beauty or Giselle with that classic/classicist/neoclassical triple bill, I'm looking forward to it!

 

Why are you disappointed, are you only watching the classics (live most people here, I suppose)?

[Vanartus]

So jealous that Stuttgart grabbed Mayerling. Was hoping against hope that the new Berlin team would get it as part of a MacMillan restorative grab. 

[Vanartus]

As I said once before I’d like Concerto and Anastasia (one act) back in the repertoire, plus another one acter such as Winter Dreams, Elite, Requiem or Gloria.