News from Germany, Austria, Switzerland

[Angela]

New at State Ballet Berlin in 2020/2021 (Downland here - until now only in German)

 

Premieres:

- Creation by  Alan Lucien Øyen, at Komische Oper

- Sleeping Beauty by Marcia Haydée, Sets and Costumes: Jordi Roig, at Deutsche Oper

- Double Bill with The Four Seasons/David Dawson and Chroma/Wayne McGregor, at Deutsche Oper Berlin

- Double Bill Mats Ek: A sort of… and another piece, at Staatsoper Unter den Linden

 

Repertoire:

- Swan Lake (Patrice Bart)

- Sym-Phonie 2000 by Sasha Waltz

- The Nutcracker (Vasily Medvedev and Yuri Burlaka)

- Onegin by Cranko

- Double Bill Ekman/Eyal

- Sunny by Emanuel Gat

 

Guest Company: Tanztheater Wuppertal with "Nelken" by Pina Bausch

 

for 21/22 they announce a production by the artists' collective Rimini Protokoll and Stefan Kaegi at the Komische Oper Berlin

[Sabine0308]

Big Bang Boom: Waltz and Oehman are leaving together on July 31st this year. So TPTB have either a successor already in their pocket OR this nightmare begins earlier. Interim director until further notice is Christiane Theobald, deputy director of SBB. The future of SBB and a new director is a topic on Monday at a meeting of Berlin parliament . Wish us luck...at least all parties announced that they want to involve the dancers and other experts in the decision making/public tender. Wish us luck...again.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Sabine0308

[Lizbie1]

I've wondered this before but don't think I've actually asked: is the German ballet world normally as turbulent as it has been for the last couple of years or is it a phase? Either way, what do you think causes it? Is it the amount of influence local politicians have?

 

Or am I imagining it all?

[Angela]

5 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

is the German ballet world normally as turbulent

 

John Neumeier at Hamburg:  Director since 1973.

Reid Anderson at Stuttgart: Director for 22 years, he went in retirement with a big gala, his successor is his former Assistant Director.

Aaron Watkin at Dresden: Director since 15 years.

Ivan Liska at Munich was director for 18 years.

Martin Schläpfer at Ballet on the Rhine: Director for 10 years.

 

NO. It's just Berlin 🙂

[Angela]

The new season at Berlin is now easier accessible online:

 

https://www.staatsballett-berlin.de/en/programmvorschau

[Lizbie1]

12 minutes ago, Angela said:

 

John Neumeier at Hamburg:  Director since 1973.

Reid Anderson at Stuttgart: Director for 22 years, he went in retirement with a big gala, his successor is his former Assistant Director.

Aaron Watkin at Dresden: Director since 15 years.

Ivan Liska at Munich was director for 18 years.

Martin Schläpfer at Ballet on the Rhine: Director for 10 years.

 

NO. It's just Berlin 🙂

 

Fair enough - though I was thinking of Wuppertal as well (not ballet I guess!).

[Angela]

Oh, I forgot, sorry. In both cases the trouble came from within the companies - the company manager at Wuppertal didn't get along with Adolphe Binder, Johannes Öhman didn't get along with Sasha Waltz. I don't know if you can make politicians responsible for that, to be honest. Sasha Waltz seemed a bad idea from the beginning, but then it seemed to work with Öhman for the State Ballet.

Not that I want to defend politicians, everybody who goes into politics is an egomaniac I fear, but we have some very decent opera, theatre and also ballet directors in Germany. It's not better or worse than anywhere else, I guess.

[Sabine0308]

59 minutes ago, Angela said:

Oh, I forgot, sorry. In both cases the trouble came from within the companies - the company manager at Wuppertal didn't get along with Adolphe Binder, Johannes Öhman didn't get along with Sasha Waltz. I don't know if you can make politicians responsible for that, to be honest. Sasha Waltz seemed a bad idea from the beginning, but then it seemed to work with Öhman for the State Ballet.

For the trouble in Berlin, politicians were responsible in the first place, and only then personal trouble set a rift between the 2 directors,  it did not come from within the company! Tim Renner (former head of cultural matters) brought Waltz as director in back then, following Duato (who left earlier than his actual contract lasted as well btw). Renner made this decision without asking for advice/suggestions from the dancers/experts. Waltz wanted Oehman as partner. The company was very much against Waltz and her kind of repertoire  (contemporary only) in contrast to the interests of the biggest classical company in Germany. But they did give Oehman and Waltz a chance and supported the innovations and different styles, and it paid off, imo!! The rift developped between Oehman and Waltz, and this lead to his nasty behaviour when he decided to accept the new position in Sweden within a couple days last Christmas time without informing Waltz. I am so sorry for the dancers!! Let's hope for a BETTER future.

[Angela]

Next season at Zurich Ballet: https://www.opernhaus.ch/en/spielplan/ballett-next-season/

- a new Sleeping Beauty by Christian Spuck

- a Triple Bill with creations by Jo Stromgren and Louis Stiens plus Balcao de Amor by Itzik Galili

- Peer Gynt by Edward Clug, from Vienna

 

Kzhenia Ryshkova and Jonah Cook will be leaving, maybe they return to Munich/Bavarian State Ballet

[Angela]

Zurich Ballet had to cancel a Nutcracker today because a close friend of a dancer fell ill with the Corona virus. Until further notice, all ballet rehearsals are cancelled.

[Sabine0308]

On 06/03/2020 at 16:25, Lizbie1 said:

I've wondered this before but don't think I've actually asked: is the German ballet world normally as turbulent as it has been for the last couple of years or is it a phase? Either way, what do you think causes it? Is it the amount of influence local politicians have?

 

Or am I imagining it all?

@Lizbie1 I think a lot of the turbulences still go back to 2004.  Staatsballett Berlin in its current organisation was created in 2004 through a merger of the separate ballet companies of the city's three opera houses at a time when the city was going through a financial crisis. So it was a political decision, and not the brightest, if you ask me. Nobody thought about merging opera companies/orchestras but the ballet was "expendable" of course and many dancers lost their job/left for personal reasons. A mess!! Malakhov did some magic and brought the classical quality back within 10 years. However, politics hasn't shown much love for ballet over the years except for Sen. Scheeres with her support for the Landesjugendballet at the State Ballet School. And this is on trial as well, just like the school. So yes, the influence local politicians had a significant impacte on all the hassle in recent years. But it's not the only cause.

Edited March 7, 2020 by Sabine0308

[Don Q Fan]

20 hours ago, Angela said:

Zurich Ballet had to cancel a Nutcracker today because a close friend of a dancer fell ill with the Corona virus. Until further notice, all ballet rehearsals are cancelled.

Oh dear - I hope the dancers are all Ok and that the show will proceed on 20th as I am going to Zurich to see it.  If not then hopefully our tickets will be refunded.  As it stands audience numbers have been reduced to 900 anyway to comply with local restrictions.

[Angela]

3 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

If not then hopefully our tickets will be refunded. 

 

I think they have a very generous policy of refunding when they cancel a performance, check their website. The opera house tries to stay open, but events with over 1000 people have to be canceled, it was ruled by the state. Difficult times for theatres.

Their facebook account said some hours ago that the dancer is not ill and that the Nutcracker performances will continue.

[Don Q Fan]

Zurich Opera have now cancelled all shows until 30 April - they are supposed to be "crediting" client accounts with the ticket price value to be used indefinitely against future shows - cheeky.  They should be issuing proper refunds not a credit.  I am not happy about that.  If you want a refund you have to apply on a form - but no option to repay to the credit card you paid with as they ask for bank details. So out of touch/old fashioned.

[toursenlair]

6 minutes ago, Don Q Fan said:

Zurich Opera have now cancelled all shows until 30 April - they are supposed to be "crediting" client accounts with the ticket price value to be used indefinitely against future shows - cheeky.  They should be issuing proper refunds not a credit.  I am not happy about that.  If you want a refund you have to apply on a form - but no option to repay to the credit card you paid with as they ask for bank details. So out of touch/old fashioned.

 

Chemnitz is also offering only vouchers to be exchanged for another show. Not much good to me; when am I likely to be going to a performance in Chemnitz again?

Berlin is offering

refund

voucher

donate to the dancers' health fund

 

[bridiem]

Doesn't each venue/company have terms and conditions in respect of ticket sales and potential cancellations etc? Which they surely have to adhere to. (Patrons may choose to decline a refund or donate it back to the venue/company, but that's a different matter.) So far I've only checked the t and c for Royal Opera House and Sadler's Wells in London, and both say they would refund if a performance is cancelled.

[Duck]

9 hours ago, toursenlair said:

 

Chemnitz is also offering only vouchers to be exchanged for another show. Not much good to me; when am I likely to be going to a performance in Chemnitz again?

 

 

I had that issue with Dortmund Ballet, they offer rebooking to a later date or a voucher. I phoned them to inquire whether for those travelling from afar, there'd be the chance of a refund. They asked me to put my request in writing (email first then postal mail), and it seems to have worked.

 

So you might be lucky with Chemnitz if you contact them, too. Good luck 

 

 

 

[Duck]

While all performances by the Bavarian State Ballet until 19 April have been cancelled, a performance of Swan Lake will be live streamed on 21 March 2020 and available as VOD for a short time period thereafter.

https://www.staatsoper.de/en/productioninfo/schwanensee/2020-03-21-19-30-1.html

 

[capybara]

Post deleted. It seems that I got the wrong end of the stick about refunds for Berlin.

Edited March 14, 2020 by capybara

[toursenlair]

3 minutes ago, capybara said:

Whereas Paris did automatic refunds to the card used for payment, Berlin makes life more difficullt as they supply a pdf from to be filled in with bank details. Obviously, they are hoping that people will tick the voucher or the donation boxes. I am insisting that they refund my card.

 

"insisting" is a bit strong, isn't it? It's one of three options offered. All you have to do is tick the box, no insisting required. You can't blame them for offering the other two options.

[capybara]

8 minutes ago, toursenlair said:

 

"insisting" is a bit strong, isn't it? It's one of three options offered. All you have to do is tick the box, no insisting required. You can't blame them for offering the other two options.

 

The form that I was sent and printed off did not give a card refund as an option. I completely agree that my wording would have seemed a bit strong it I had been offered a refund onto my card. So I have removed the text of my original post. 

[assoluta]

I actually "blame" them for playing gimmicks of this kind. They should refund the money automatically, without necessity for us to open those forms, reading them, filling them up, submitting, and so on.

[Bruce Wall]

17 minutes ago, assoluta said:

I actually "blame" them for playing gimmicks of this kind. They should refund the money automatically, without necessity for us to open those forms, reading them, filling them up, submitting, and so on.

 

I was to have been in Berlin for work this week and - much like Italy of last week - everything was quite understandably/rightly cancelled.  I did have tickets for three performances in Berlin and emailed them with all the information requested as I was having problems with their attached form and they kindly wrote back saying they would honour that.  Might be worth a try.  

 

[FionaM]

 

[toursenlair]

5 hours ago, assoluta said:

I actually "blame" them for playing gimmicks of this kind. They should refund the money automatically, without necessity for us to open those forms, reading them, filling them up, submitting, and so on.

 

Open. Read. Fill. Submit. Sooo onerous.

[Sim]

I don't like the tone this thread is taking.  Things are bad enough at the moment, so can people please try to be nice.  Thank you.

[toursenlair]

There are still a few glitches in Bavarian State Ballet website re next season (anything is forgiveable in the current circumstances): on the English page they say they are doing Swan Lake and Spartacus on the same day at the same time in the same theatre next April.... which would be interesting in a contrapuntal sort of way..

 

[Lizbie1]

38 minutes ago, toursenlair said:

There are still a few glitches in Bavarian State Ballet website re next season (anything is forgiveable in the current circumstances): on the English page they say they are doing Swan Lake and Spartacus on the same day at the same time in the same theatre next April.... which would be interesting in a contrapuntal sort of way..

 

 

The Trocs could do something with that scenario, I'm sure!

Edited March 15, 2020 by Lizbie1
Typo

[Lizbie1]

About Munich - I notice that Gavin Sutherland is down to conduct Cinderella (Wheeldon) and another new production.

[Bruce Wall]

1 minute ago, Lizbie1 said:

About Munich - I notice that Gavin Sutherland is down to conduct Cinderella (Wheeldon) and another new production.

 

The man's a genius.  

[Bruce Wall]

Also notice that a certain Calvin Richardson is offering a ballet (as is Charlotte Edmonds) in Munich's Young Choreographers of Today programme in July.  

[Angela]

And here is the missing link for next season at Munich 🙃

https://www.staatsoper.de/en/20-21/ballett.html

[FionaM]

3 hours ago, Angela said:

And here is the missing link for next season at Munich 🙃

https://www.staatsoper.de/en/20-21/ballett.html

Thank you for this link Angela.   I’ve no idea what happened to the original announcement and IG link that I posted.  
 

There seem to have been quite a few glitches on the technological side at Munich today.   (It’s not just the ROH that aren’t well served by their web team 🙄)
 

I’d be grateful if a moderator could remove my now blank post linked to a now non-existent IG post.   Thank you