MAB

11 hours ago, alison said:

it wasn't very clear to me whether House of Birds was a single extract, a combination of extracts, or what. 

It's a combination of extracts, I seem to remember a large female corps for that ballet with cages on their heads.  Very spooky and menacing when performed in full.  The Art of the Royal Ballet by Keith Money has a number of pictures from the 1960's revival with Christopher Gable as the boy and gives a good idea of the look of the piece.

No one knows, so far she's not telling.

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

I too am trying to work out why I am reacting less emotionally now to Manon than I used to.

I feel the same and I think it may be because the music has slowed down.  The bedroom pas de deux used to be a whirlwind of passion, steps were sometimes fluffed and costumes got ripped, indeed there was almost a kind of clumsiness to it but it looked so real, literally breath taking.  To me it now seems over careful.

3 hours ago, Sharon said:

But as Sim and some others spoke of Shklyarov guesting I was just contributing to the conversation - that is what this forum is for isn't it?

Indeed, I was rather taken aback last night to hear hard core RB fans suggesting Shklyarov should become a permanent guest artist or even join the company outright.

The company does indeed have a lot of young talent, but I've always considered it unwise to count chickens before they've hatched, just because a youngster looks promising it doesn't follow that they can carry a major ballet.

A couple of things, Edward Watson doesn't seem to fit your criteria for being a principal.

Don Q. requires a type of dancer the RB hasn't had in sufficient quantities to make it viable as a repertory work in the past, things are changing now and hopefully the ballet will stay, though far from being a personal favourite it is very much an audience pleaser and the middle act is gorgeous.  Paquita requires a line up of top class ballerinas for it to work, again the RB hasn't in the past had the resources for it.  Virtually all the choreography is Petipa, though nor necessarily from Paquita.  I find the music both tuneful and memorable.

24 minutes ago, Saodan said:

Bonelli hasn’t done Colas and didn’t get Rudolf until he was 38ish; Cuthbertson hasn’t done Lise, Kitri, or Tatiana; Lamb hasn’t done Lise; Morera hasn’t done Juliet, Kitri, or Odette/Odile, and performed Vetsera for the first time at 39ish; Nunez hasn’t done Vetsera; Soares hasn’t done Des Grieux, or Colas; and I don’t think Watson has danced any of the classical roles.

The term used these days is employ,  some dancers aren't considered suitable for certain roles/  There is also a possibility that some dancers actually refuse certain roles, I've certainly hears of such cases.

11 minutes ago, assoluta said:

You know nothing about the subject, I am afraid.

You'd be surprised. 

Once again, and for the third time of asking, will you please enlighten everyone as to exactly how you have superior knowledge of every aspect of the ballet world.

With regard to Francesca Hayward, I would put money on her getting a crack at Kitri later in the season.  She will most likely be one of the three shades in the third act of Bayadere.  Those solos are killers and by rights they should always be danced by principals.  When I first saw the Nureyev's RB version they were usually danced by variations of Mason/Park/Seymour/Bergsma.

5 hours ago, assoluta said:

The whole situation of ballet at Mariinsky is depressing, nobody can do anything about it, Mr Gergiev "hates" ballet, unfortunately he is a "friend of Putin". He gives very little money to the ballet company. This may be the main reason why only Mr. Fateev's favourites get any real promotions, and even this  may cost Mr Fateev a lot of long term efforts and thoughtful planning.

No, Valery Gergiev does not hate ballet, he is a musician and has no specialist knowledge of ballet at all, therefore he delegates.  You may not like Yuri Fateyev but he is expected to do his job and Gergiev doesn't have the expertise to tell if he is doing the job well or not.  Presumably he feels that as long as the company is attracting audiences and plaudits he is doing his job well.

30 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

And Cesar Corrales is going to be a spectacular Solor. He will be blowing us all away the moment he steps onto the ROH stage, even in a minor role.

I've noted a lack of enthusiasm in some quarters about his move to the RB and I imagine that's because not everyone is familiar with his work, but I confidently predict that before very long he will become an audience favourite and the doubters will be completely converted.

37 minutes ago, Amelia said:

 

I am nor surprised that people bother to ask about the correct pronunciation of names and surnames. They know that hardly anyone likes to hear his own name mispronounced.

My surname is frequently mispronounced and few non-Brits can manage it at all.

2 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

I'm afraid i'm one of the daps (thick plimsoles) wearers as:   a) I have dodgy knees (and feet, to a lesser extent) and  b )  i'm standing for most shows  so appreciate the cushioning 

Best ever standing shoes for me were 70's platforms, gave a terrific view.

Since its first re-build the opera house has become a far less comfortable place to visit, who would dress up if they are expected to sit on a bench?  Back in the 60's when I started going people were far more fashion conscious than today, but that was true everywhere and the Carnaby Street dandies vied with the women in that respect.  I used to see some fabulous clothes at Covent Garden once upon a time and occasionally I wore some myself (I still have a Bruce Oldfield dress that I can't part with) and I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the glamour.  I'm going to offend a lot of people by saying how much I absolutely loathe torn jeans and those vile thick plimsoll things so many wear, fashion is supposed to reflect the times we live in, dressing in rags suggests to me we are moving into a dystopian society.

I follow some favourite singers abroad occasionally and I adore Monte Carlo as a venue, jaw dropping audience, I was last there in November and spotted an emerald so large you'd think it should be in the crown jewels.   Elsewhere in Europe the dress code varies, but Vienna is very formal and in Zurich some performances are designated 'black tie', so I can understand newcomers feeling a bit anxious over what to wear.

Penelope Simpson, it's off to Glyndebourne and Garsington for you and you'll love it.

I have a recoding of Shirley Verrett singing the role (with Domingo as McDuff) her Verdi style is somewhat different.

I shouldn't worry about the pronunciation of Shklyarov's name, I don't think I ever heard Nureyev's name pronounced properly once.

To describe a dancer's feet as wrecked is very uncharitable and rather melodramatic, if you stick to the definition of the word it would seem to indicate inability to dance at all, which in Osipova's case is complete nonsense.  Very few have totally trouble free feet and I don't want to list those that have visible problems, though I seem to remember discussion of an RB dancer's feet on the recent Giselle thread. 

Dancers suffer for their art and I'm reminded of what Fonteyn once said about no one wanting to watch ballet if they knew how painful it can be, apart from those that enjoy bull fighting. 

11 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

If this is private information to which you somehow have access

I very, very much doubt it, just a rather unkind supposition.

Me too.  Some feet are more functional than pretty and many dancers with seemingly lovely feet don't actually achieve much with them.  Osipova is a ballerina for whom no technical feats (pun intended) present a challenge.  "Wrecked feet"?  Beyond absurd.

17 hours ago, Jane S said:

(Incidentally I guess if you'd told Kizzy Matiakis a few years ago that she'd get to be a principal and one spring would be dancing the leads in Swan Lake and Raymonda and creating the title role in a new full-length piece, she'd have been a bit ... surprised)

Let's just remind everyone that Kizzy Matiakis (nee Howard) is British and a dancer of great personality along with her technical achievement.

First of all it's worth pointing out that this ballet is massively popular in Russia and I myself once saw a performance of it at the Bolshoi  that I rate as being one of the most outstanding performances I've ever seen.   I'm afraid the bizarre casting arrangements put me off watching, but as I understand Kondaurova was involved somewhere, I'll certainly take a look at you tube over the weekend.

Agree with your comments regarding the female costumes, I find the sequinned nipples embarrassing to look at.  Why would they not make announcements in English?  The language has now become the equivalent of Esperanto.

10 hours ago, alison said:

 

That's where you need a ballerina with the acting chops to make Manon's flightiness and change of heart convincing.

Chops? 

Although it seems the British ballet world has chosen to ignore these anniversaries, that isn't the case elsewhere.  In Russia where they never forget great artists from the past, the Bolshoi plans a celebration and last month Andris Liepa arranged a gala performance in his memory.  This is all the more touching when you remember how few people actually saw him in his home country.

In Toronto the Canadians hosted a special performance in his honour coinciding with a large reunion of his fans who also attended rehearsals and talks.  Quite a few people I know were able to go to this, both from the US and the UK.  I'm told they had a wonderful time.  I believe there is also something happening in Vienna in the summer (Nureyev was an Austrian citizen), when I have details I'll post them.

38 minutes ago, RuthE said:

 - as somebody who remains primarily an opera fan rather than a ballet one, I prefer Macmillan's treatment of this story to either of the two well-known - as a number of others do exist - operatic versions.

I much prefer the operas, the Massenet version delves deepest into the actual story I believe and I particularly like the scene where Manon persuades Lescaut to leave the church, I even have a memory of it given as a gala number years ago. Personally I only see the ballet as a vehicle for the three leads and don't consider it has much artistic merit at all, but it was certainly tighter dramatically and better danced by the ensemble in the past, but then you can say exactly the same about R&J.

On 31/03/2018 at 14:40, RobR said:

 

Whilst I completely accept that there are two perspectives on the role of those in the background, a hallmark of MacMillan's fabulous ballets is the involvement of those supporting the frontline performers.

 

I always feel that I am emotionally transported to an 18 century Parisian brothel or a bustling Veronese market square filled with tradespeople and bored (but armed) teenagers 'hanging out' with their chums. 

 

MacMillan's ballets are anything but static and that is one of the many great strengths of his productions. 

 

I am regularly frustrated watching the summer performances of the Russian companies, in which brilliant principals perform in front of a backdrop wooden faced, inanimate onlookers who might as well have stayed in the dressing rooms for all they contribute. 

 

Still, it's a matter of style and taste. 

I imagine those people laughing at inappropriate moments may well have been newcomers to the ballet that imagined things not happening stage centre were relevant to the action.  On the night I went one of the clients struck one of the whores to the floor, right in my field of vision, distracting and unnecessary. I'm sorry you feet it necessary to comment so negatively about the Bolshoi and Maryinsky, personally I've never found their  dancers 'inanimate'.

Sorry 

22 minutes ago, Lindsay said:

I think you are perhaps misunderstanding the meaning of “out of context” MAB.  That is when quotations imply a different meaning from the author’s original intention.  My quotations retained entirely the meaning of Miss Monk’s comment.  She said the musician in question should “suck it up”.  She said the lawsuit was “lame”.  

 

Playing in a high school orchestra, or even being a professional musician, does not somehow place one above logical debate.   Although I am of course sympathetic to anyone who has suffered hearing loss, I find it surprising that such a person would have no empathy for someone who has suffered an even more serious injury.  I can only surmise that she had not read all the details or understood the extent of the injury and its effects in this case. 

Her point is that it is an occupational hazard, something you refuse to even begin to comprehend.

Never mind, the logical conclusion is the death of live music, enjoy the taped accompaniment.