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Absolutely beautiful and moving performances in Dame aux Camellias- perfect use of the music- the Chopin solos created such a sense of intimacy that drew you in, and I've long imagined a ballet to the concertos.   I agree that the use of lighting and props was extremely effective.  As always, Novikova did a sterling job with her introductions. 

 

The only little quibble was that for one brief moment, black tights against a very dark background made some very impressive male dancing difficult to see clearly. But other than that I loved it.

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Can anyone tell me the name of the bespectacled suitor this afternoon? He was superb!

 

The bespectacled suitor was Lopatin. 

 

I really didn't enjoy it but as it was my first time seeing Dame Aux Camelias I can't tell whether it was this particular performance and the performers or the production that didn't work for me. I love the watching the Bolshoi and their terrific dancers but this afternoon seemed interminable. Maybe that isn't entirely surprising because DauxC runs to 3 hours for a story that Ashton has distilled into a 30 minute drama. The additional hour provided employment for the superb Bolshoi dancers rather than serving to illuminate in any way the characters or their motivations.

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Thank you very much,  annamk and ambros1a (and for the link, too) - I couldn't get past the glasses! Reminded me a bit of Denis Medvedev ... Really enjoyed watching him.

 

Although it was indeed long, I was engrossed, I must say. I had not been it before, and I thought the choreography was really interesting - perhaps especially the pdds. The final pdd between Zakharova and Revazov was so full of pain - they turned into Weapons of Mutually Assured Destruction. And isn't Kristina Kretova marvellous? I could go on, but I am actually still digesting it. An afternoon well spent, for me at least!

Edited by simonbfisher
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Although, in the cinema I attended, it was difficult to hear the interviews above the loud chatter, Kevin Haigen said it all when he explained that Neumeier wanted his  dancers to "be" rather than to "act". Zakharova "was" for me.

 

I missed Kevin Haigen?  Darn.  When was that?  I guess I was probably queuing up trying to get hold of something to eat, or something :(

 

I really didn't enjoy it but as it was my first time seeing Dame Aux Camelias I can't tell whether it was this particular performance and the performers or the production that didn't work for me. I love the watching the Bolshoi and their terrific dancers but this afternoon seemed interminable. Maybe that isn't entirely surprising because DauxC runs to 3 hours for a story that Ashton has distilled into a 30 minute drama. The additional hour provided employment for the superb Bolshoi dancers rather than serving to illuminate in any way the characters or their motivations.

 

It was my second time, the first being a recorded cinema broadcast by the Paris Opera Ballet some years ago.  *That* was really heavy going, with all the acts run together (I was struggling to work out where the "joins" were supposed to be - I don't think it's entirely obvious, dramatically speaking, where one act ends and the next begins).  This was more digestible, but still felt overlong to me.  I think my problem with the ballet's structure is the second act: in both La Traviata and Marguerite and Armand, you get a clear idea that Marguerite has really given up her old life and moved to a simpler way of life because of her love for Armand, whereas here it's more as though she's kept on with the old life, but it's simply been transferred to an outdoor, summery setting.  Consequently, her sacrifice - both of her own happiness and her health - seems diminished, somehow.

 

In retrospect, I can see why they went for Revazov: he has an incredibly expressive face, which showed up well on the big screen, and he's amply tall enough to partner Zakharova - she looked almost petite beside him.  (Am I right in thinking she's 5' 9", or am I confusing her with someone else?)  As an aside, it was interesting to notice how "natural" the makeup looked - is it always that way, or was it specifically for this broadcast?  I notice the Royal Ballet attitude seems to be to leave the stage makeup as normal - which I think is only fair: why should the paying public, many of whom are some considerable distance away from the stage, be deprived of the full effect of a performance just so that it doesn't look overdone on the big screen?

 

I'd like to see this ballet again, perhaps with Neumeier's own company, before assessing the leads, to see how it's "supposed" to look, and whether there are differences.  I'd also like to see it *properly*, as a stage production, because both times I've been aware of how filmically it's been shot, and how clever editing has cut out virtually any sense of the scene changes.

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I have seen Lady of the Camellias in Stuttgart and Paris so many times, and also Hamburg Ballet's tour to Japan. And of course the Marcia Haydee DVD recording many many times. This time via YouTube but this was the worst experience I had ever had, it was unbearable.

 

Did Kevin Haigen ever see the rehearsals? There was no spirit of the ballet at all, Zakharova's acting was a nightmare and her OTT extensions and mannerism were horrible. The point of this role is not to fear looking ugly when Marguerite is fallen ill and noticing herself the signs of her illness and age is affecting her looks. I know opinions differ and some might have loved it but IMHO it is a shame that a performance of this quality has been transmitted live. Also Revazov was weak in both technique and acting (even though he is a dancer from Hamburg Ballet. His partnering were okay) 

 

I did think other performers, Anna Thkhomirova as Manon, Chudin as Des Grieux, Lobuhin as Gaston were superb.  

 

I hope Hamburg Ballet will record Die Kameliendame with their own dancers one day. 

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I had never seen this Neumeier ballet before and was impressed, Such interesting, creative use of music, and of silence. Very good creation of atmosphere with props and costumes rather than sets-worked perfectly. Choreographically it was interesting to see some infuence of Cranko ( so far as I could judge) -also to compare to Marguerite and Armand, and Month in the Country-some of the same music.

A fascinating piece.

There's a complete Paris Opera Ballet performance of it on YouTube, or at least there was the last time I looked.

Edited by RuthE
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I missed Kevin Haigen?  Darn.  When was that?  I guess I was probably queuing up trying to get hold of something to eat, or something  :(

 

 

It was my second time, the first being a recorded cinema broadcast by the Paris Opera Ballet some years ago.  *That* was really heavy going, with all the acts run together (I was struggling to work out where the "joins" were supposed to be - I don't think it's entirely obvious, dramatically speaking, where one act ends and the next begins).  This was more digestible, but still felt overlong to me.  I think my problem with the ballet's structure is the second act: in both La Traviata and Marguerite and Armand, you get a clear idea that Marguerite has really given up her old life and moved to a simpler way of life because of her love for Armand, whereas here it's more as though she's kept on with the old life, but it's simply been transferred to an outdoor, summery setting.  Consequently, her sacrifice - both of her own happiness and her health - seems diminished, somehow.

 

In retrospect, I can see why they went for Revazov: he has an incredibly expressive face, which showed up well on the big screen, and he's amply tall enough to partner Zakharova - she looked almost petite beside him.  (Am I right in thinking she's 5' 9", or am I confusing her with someone else?)  As an aside, it was interesting to notice how "natural" the makeup looked - is it always that way, or was it specifically for this broadcast?  I notice the Royal Ballet attitude seems to be to leave the stage makeup as normal - which I think is only fair: why should the paying public, many of whom are some considerable distance away from the stage, be deprived of the full effect of a performance just so that it doesn't look overdone on the big screen?

 

I'd like to see this ballet again, perhaps with Neumeier's own company, before assessing the leads, to see how it's "supposed" to look, and whether there are differences.  I'd also like to see it *properly*, as a stage production, because both times I've been aware of how filmically it's been shot, and how clever editing has cut out virtually any sense of the scene changes.

 

I think you're spot on about the structure in the second act - I completely forgot that they were supposed to be living a different life because, as you say, it just looked the same only sunny ! 

 

I have seen Lady of the Camellias in Stuttgart and Paris so many times, and also Hamburg Ballet's tour to Japan. And of course the Marcia Haydee DVD recording many many times. This time via YouTube but this was the worst experience I had ever had, it was unbearable.

 

Did Kevin Haigen ever see the rehearsals? There was no spirit of the ballet at all, Zakharova's acting was a nightmare and her OTT extensions and mannerism were horrible. The point of this role is not to fear looking ugly when Marguerite is fallen ill and noticing herself the signs of her illness and age is affecting her looks. I know opinions differ and some might have loved it but IMHO it is a shame that a performance of this quality has been transmitted live. Also Revazov was weak in both technique and acting (even though he is a dancer from Hamburg Ballet. His partnering were okay) 

 

I did think other performers, Anna Thkhomirova as Manon, Chudin as Des Grieux, Lobuhin as Gaston were superb.  

 

I hope Hamburg Ballet will record Die Kameliendame with their own dancers one day. 

 

We were speculating as to why Revazov was cast instead of Lantratov who has been Zakharova's Armand in most of the recent Bolshoi performances. We wondered whether it was because Revazov is more representative of what Neumeier wants. 

I think Chudin is an incredible dancer so I found it particularly frustrating that the cameras often focused on close ups of Margeurite and Armand and cut some of the peripheral dancing - particularly towards the end where Armand is reading the diary. 

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I think Chudin is an incredible dancer so I found it particularly frustrating that the cameras often focused on close ups of Margeurite and Armand and cut some of the peripheral dancing - particularly towards the end where Armand is reading the diary. 

 

That was part of the reason I said I'd like to see it as a stage production, without the director dictating which bits of the stage I should look at.  As far as overall impression of the ballet went, I felt rather cheated.

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Kevin Haigen was interviewed during the second interval. It was the only time that an interview was in English (no breaking off to translate what was being said into French etc.) He explained in considerable detail that what Neumeier was looking for in a performance was the ability be the character. To immerse oneself so totally in the body and mind that one did not have to think about acting. Then you would be Marguerite. He was very happy with the outcome.

 

I have seen this ballet in Hamburg and I was much impressed with it then but I found Zacharova's performance compelling. I came to it without the baggage that some people seem to have if someone can do 'high leg extensions', or 'are seeing the Bolshoi' or 'are watching people who are not RB'. I did not see any of that: I just saw Marguerite and Armand. Moreover, I would expect the camera to follow them. After all, what has been described as 'peripheral dancing', particularly the parallel development of the Manon story, was exactly that. It gave context and was effectively covered but M and A were the story.

 

Frederick Ashton tells his story in one act  but he is not drawing the parallel between the two stories, and .... there were two intervals, using up an hour, which may be fine in a theatre but not in a local cinema. That does tend to spoil the atmosphere, especially when a single bulb hanging from the ceiling is switched on during the interviews to light patrons' way to the popcorn counter. None of this was envisaged by Neumeier.

Edited by nevsky
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I really didn't enjoy it but as it was my first time seeing Dame Aux Camelias I can't tell whether it was this particular performance and the performers or the production that didn't work for me. I love the watching the Bolshoi and their terrific dancers but this afternoon seemed interminable. Maybe that isn't entirely surprising because DauxC runs to 3 hours for a story that Ashton has distilled into a 30 minute drama. The additional hour provided employment for the superb Bolshoi dancers rather than serving to illuminate in any way the characters or their motivations.

 

I just watched a clip of Haydee/Liska black pdd and it answered my own question: it was the principal performers. 

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Kevin Haigen was interviewed during the second interval. It was the only time that an interview was in English (no breaking off to translate what was being said into French etc.) He explained in considerable detail that what Neumeier was looking for in a performance was the ability be the character. To immerse oneself so totally in the body and mind that one did not have to think about acting. Then you would be Marguerite. He was very happy with the outcome.

 

I have seen this ballet in Hamburg and I was much impressed with it then but I found Zacharova's performance compelling. I came to it without the baggage that some people seem to have if someone can do 'high leg extensions', or 'are seeing the Bolshoi' or 'are watching people who are not RB'. I did not see any of that: I just saw Marguerite and Armand. Moreover, I would expect the camera to follow them. After all, what has been described as 'peripheral dancing', particularly the parallel development of the Manon story, was exactly that. It gave context and was effectively covered but M and A were the story.

 

Frederick Ashton tells his story in one act  but he is not drawing the parallel between the two stories, and .... there were two intervals, using up an hour, which may be fine in a theatre but not in a local cinema. That does tend to spoil the atmosphere, especially when a single bulb hanging from the ceiling is switched on during the interviews to light patrons' way to the popcorn counter. None of this was envisaged by Neumeier.

I completely agree with this last point. I've been lucky enough to see all bar one Bolshoi screenings in a theatre (usually the Edwardian Palace Theatre in Watford which is tiny and lovely). The one Odeon screening I went to recently felt similarly utilitarian.

Edited by pianolady
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 there were two intervals, using up an hour, which may be fine in a theatre but not in a local cinema. That does tend to spoil the atmosphere, especially when a single bulb hanging from the ceiling is switched on during the interviews to light patrons' way to the popcorn counter.

 

Yes, that is a problem, and something not dealt with terribly well (admittedly, space is at a premium) in my local cinema, which is why I chose to go elsewhere, in the hope of avoiding the usual problem of having to fight large numbers of buying tickets while I was trying to get some interval refreshments.  It failed entirely.  At least when you're queuing at the theatre bar, you don't have that clash of interests.  I know where I'm planning on watching the next Bolshoi broadcast, TfL permitting.

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Yes, that is a problem, and something not dealt with terribly well (admittedly, space is at a premium) in my local cinema, which is why I chose to go elsewhere, in the hope of avoiding the usual problem of having to fight large numbers of buying tickets while I was trying to get some interval refreshments.  It failed entirely.  At least when you're queuing at the theatre bar, you don't have that clash of interests.  I know where I'm planning on watching the next Bolshoi broadcast, TfL permitting.Watch 

 

You know, you can watch it at home as the Bolshoi shows it in HD on their russian youtube channel....see my thread about it. No need for Tfl permitting

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No, I can't.

Same here Alison and if everyone watches via YouTube cinemas will be even more reluctant to show ballet broadcasts. For some, my dd included, these are social and educational opportunities. Can't imagine her whole school year plus teaching staff crowded around a computer or TV.

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No, I can't.

 

Well you 'can' I am guessing from your rather terse reply you have some objection to my friendly offer. You may choose not to watch it, but you always 'can'.

 

I can understand people having some objections, and that it may be a social event for some, and that is great, but I would maybe expect a staff member of the forum to display some modicum of politeness to an offer, or at least detail their objections, or difficulties to said offer.

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Well you 'can' I am guessing from your rather terse reply you have some objection to my friendly offer. You may choose not to watch it, but you always 'can'.

 

I can understand people having some objections, and that it may be a social event for some, and that is great, but I would maybe expect a staff member of the forum to display some modicum of politeness to an offer, or at least detail their objections, or difficulties to said offer.

For some of us broadband capabilities are an issue when trying to download or stream anything.

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For some of us broadband capabilities are an issue when trying to download or stream anything.

 

Thank you for your comment Jane. As an FYI, you can pause videos on youtube etc. so that the video loads. You can leave it for a few minutes and then you should be able to watch it for some time. 

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Thank you for your comment Jane. As an FYI, you can pause videos on youtube etc. so that the video loads. You can leave it for a few minutes and then you should be able to watch it for some time.

Yes we do that if desperate to watch something but can easily take 18 hours to download a one hour programme and means Internet becomes unusable for anyone else in the house, so really not worth the effort! One day in the far distant future we may get the promised broadband.

In the meantime will carry on making use of cinemas that have ballet broadcasts.

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Well you 'can' I am guessing from your rather terse reply you have some objection to my friendly offer. You may choose not to watch it, but you always 'can'.

 

No, I really "can't".  I realise you're still relatively new on this forum, SBF, so probably won't have have seen all the times the subject has been brought up in the past, but I really have no wish to discuss my personal situation and why I'm unable to stream broadband on this forum - or on any other, for that matter.  I'm sure Swiss Telecom manage things very efficiently where you are :), but over here broadband coverage can still be erratic.

 

I'm sorry you felt my reply was "rather terse".  I was attempting to get an early night for once.

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Well, well. I shall be interested to see what Bruce Wall in particular has to say about what Maillot has done to Taming of the Shrew. The ballet was very dark (and rather monochrome), which meant you couldn't always see the dancers clearly against the dark sets. If you saw Maillot's Romeo & Juliet I don't think you'll be surprised at this production. Very fast - slightly dizzying camerawork - and to my mind a bit short to cover all the subject-matter. More when I get home, probably.

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A bit short, I'm a bit confused about some of the characters but I found the camera work was unobtrusive enough except for one fumbled follow shot and an annoying close-up or two. I never felt

I couldn't see dancers against the background.

 

Fun show.

Edited by Colman
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The two pas de deux for Bianca/Lucentio were for me the highlight especially with the very fine and expressive dancing of Semyon Chudin ( who has been a revelation this Bolshoi cinema season) and Olga Smirnova.
The designs seemed to me bold and effective, not distracting from the action.
The patchwork of Shoshtakovich worked pretty well.
It was claimed that this was a reworking of the story and the programme spoke of how ' K and P play the game of love, tame each other and show their true selves'
..but it didn't feel like that to me.
 
 The contest between woman and man in physical terms in a ballet is going to be an unequal one;  a little of it goes a long way and some of the 'humorous' moments were uncomfortable to watch and laboured. There seemed to be in fact an awful lot of a very wonderful and beautiful dancer (Krysanova) being manhandled and slapped around by a large bully of a male( another fabulous dancer as Lantratov is)-much as I had feared would be the case in fact- and it was rather hard to see how this re-worked the story for a modern audience.  Some of the choreographed  sex and violence was pretty coarse stuff. Not very much of Petruchio also being 'tamed'
I found it disturbing.
However,  much of the dancing was very good.

So I am not sure what to think.

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Yeah. To be charitable - and as a frame for the seven year old - I was trying to read the violence as a dance expression of arguments, but it's hard work. I guess portraying repartee in ballet isn't easy - I should really see the play though, it's decades since I read it and that's never the same.

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It was claimed that this was a reworking of the story and the programme spoke of how ' K and P play the game of love, tame each other and show their true selves'

..but it didn't feel like that to me.
 
[...] and it was rather hard to see how this re-worked the story for a modern audience.  Some of the choreographed  sex and violence was pretty coarse stuff. Not very much of Petruchio also being 'tamed'
I found it disturbing.

 

It seemed to me - and I'm paraphrasing from my rather cruder immediate reaction, as this is a family forum :) - that much of the message was that a woman can be brought to heel by a night of good sex.  Not a great advance on the original for feminism, in my book.

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I was a bit confused about who was who regarding some of the female characters at the beginning and I wonder if it could have been made clearer in the synopsis,(even the more detailed one I found online was a bit unclear) but that's really my only slight criticism really. I think that the part of Petruchio is very difficult to play, especially for modern audiences (and even in Shakespeare's time with moves towards marriages becoming more equal and involving friendship), but I thought that Lantratov managed to imbue some humour and humanity into what just could be a borish character. I loved Tikhomirova's housekeeper for her characterisation and I agree that Krysanova as Katharina danced beautifully.

 

I have to admit I haven't read the play but knowing several of Shakespeare's other comedies, I think the title is ironically tongue in cheek as well as deliberately provocative. The last scene was very clever in how the simple act of taking tea opened up questions about the couples' future relationships. The ballet left me feeling that, out of the two couples, actually Katharina and Petruchio might  have the happier marriage as they share a sense of humour and relished the play-acting of the final scene, whereas in comparison, Bianca's physical beauty won't last forever, and there's only so much simpering that you can do in a relationship. That was what I took from it, anyway. I agree with Mary that it could equally be read as disturbing. That's what I love about the Shakespeare comedies I've seen, and for me, the ballet communicated that mixture of humour and unease brilliantly.

 

I also found the compilation of Shostakovich's music very powerful and well put together and really brought home what a versatile composer he was, going from the depths of searing tragic emotions to comedy.

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I hadn't read much about this production and went with an open mind, wasn't sure after act 1 whether I would want to see it at the ROH or not, but there was a huge change in act 2, much more serious and surprisingly emotional, complete joy to see these dancers so close up, especially my dream Bolshoi couple, Olga Smirnova and Semyon Chudin, so now I definitely want to see it again, perhaps twice. Liked the fact that the story was only really a frame for non-stop dancing, nice length too.

 

Technically excellent, none of the problems that seem to give the ROH team so much difficulty, and lovely at the end to actually be backstage amongst the dancers!

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I found it difficult to know who was who. I thought we met Kate in front of the curtain but no. I found the glued together very bitty. Overall, I also thought is was a most ungainly ballet. Excellent broadcast though.

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