Rachelm

9 hours ago, Spoke said:

I get what you are saying, but I still struggle to understand why Siegfried would ever have fallen for her with so little encouragement or much of anything. But what works for some is not what works for others.

 

Never really though Benno as much more than a fairly fun-loving sidekick / wingman, who's trying to encourage his friend the prince to let his hair down a bit more!

I think he fell for her because he felt trapped in his role as Prince and could completely relate to her being trapped as a swan. He had that deep connection with her- a soul mate. I think the fact that he thought he could rescue her also meant in some way that there was hope for him- that he could be free too. 

22 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I haven’t seen Yasmine and Matthew’s earlier performances so can’t give comparisons here’s what I thought of last night (theatre not cinema).

 

First off, to negate the negatives, I didn’t find Yasmine chilly and nor was I underwhelmed by Matthew.

 

Having seen Sarah Lamb the other night - someone I used to find chilly but didn’t on Saturday - they were very different. Sarah’s was an Odette whose vulnerability carried a discernible hope that the enchantment could be broken; Yasmine’s was a heavy-hearted Odette who seemed to know her fate from the start.
 

Yasmine was, of course, technically sublime and beyond that, I did feel that her dancing conveyed the overarching sadness of her Odette. Yes, Matthew’s passion gave her a temporary respite, a glimmer of hope broke through, but deep down she always knew that it couldn’t last. 

So on to Matthew, whose performance, for me, had all the dramatic heft that we have come to expect from him, and apart from the slight slip that has been mentioned in earlier posts I couldn’t find anything to criticise technically either. A heartbreaking, totally convincing Siegfried, who made total sense of all the inbuilt negatives in that particular role.
 

Staying with technique, I agree that Joonhyuk Jun made a spectacular impression as Benno but would add a caveat since I do feel that at present he lacks the skill to add characterisation to his virtuosity. Someone commented above that he is very joyful and indeed he is but that joyousness is where, for me, his Benno falls down. He is still young and his portrayal will obviously develop over time but at present it is too one dimensional to convince, particularly when pitched against Matthew’s dramatic skills.

 

And again, a big shout out for the wonderful corps. And for the four cygnets. I did not find them heavy in any sense last night. 

 

With regards to Joonhyuk Jun and his joyful portrayal of Benno- you remarked that you felt this was where his interpretation fell down. I’m interested to know if you felt it was inappropriate to portray the friend this way? That perhaps he should have allowed himself to “support” rather than stand out? I’m genuinely interested in your opinion!

42 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Just back from a very well attended Kino in Rye. Big thanks to jmhopton for passing on their ticket when they were unable to use it.

 

Some, perforce, cursory observations as I’ve had an extremely busy work schedule and sleep is beckoning.

 

I was moved, as I hadn’t been before, by Scarlett’s last act. I’d cut the apotheosis of Odette to reinforce the message that Siegfried has failed, but the pas de deux to the music interpolated from Act 3 is really very beautiful and the Swans turning on Rothbart read powerfully.

 

I’m not sure Matthew Ball was quite on top of his game (was there a near miss in Act 3?) and without, this evening, that technical edge, I found him less involving than William Bracewell invariably seems to be. Nevertheless, there is a connection on stage between him and Yasmine Naghdi that is never less than appealing.

 

Six years ago, she blew me away with the vehemence and freshness of her attack en debut as Odette / Odile. At the moment, I find her now a more  polished dancer, but, leaving aside Nunez who is something different altogether, Hayward who I found unsatisfactory in this last time round and Lamb, who does nothing for me in the classics, less interesting than Cuthbertson, less sheerly glamorous than Kaneko (which is not as shallow a judgement as it might read) and less charismatic than Osipova. I share opinions voiced elsewhere that Magri and, particularly, O’Sullivan are currently less consistently impressive than they were as First Soloists and I found Claire Calvert most touching of all for various reasons last time. Naghdi’s technical ability is remarkable, she has the beauty of a Modigliani painting and her musicianship is exceptional, but I don’t always find her emotionally compelling.

 

Some things continue to grate within the concept, notably,

 

1. If Von Rothbart is known at Court, why does nobody know he has a daughter?

 

2. Where has Siegfried been between the end of Act 2 and arriving late for the Ball in Act 3 which is, presumably, the evening after?

 

I love the choreography for the Pas de Trois Coda in Act 3. I doubt any cast will expunge memories of Alexander Campbell, Francesca Hayward and Akane Takada, but Joonhyuk Joon, Annette Buvoli (great to see a tall dancer moving at such speed) and Leticia Dias seemed excellent to me.

 

Finally, kudos to the extremely involved and charismatic Maestro who certainly brought everything together through the genius of Tchaikovsky’s score.

 

 

 

 

Having seen the Naghdi/Ball partnership on Saturday, I would agree that Matthew Ball is perhaps not at his best currently. He had a fumbled ending to his act 3 solo, and I thought he seemed tired, but that’s me speculating. Joonhyuk Jun as Benno outshone him in my opinion. He was a joy.

I love Hamilton, and I very much see her as a principal. I understand that she may not dance Aurora, or Odette/Odile, but her performances elsewhere more than make up for that as far as I’m concerned.

I still miss Beatriz Stix-Brunell very much from the First Soloist Ranks.

13 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

All I can say is, please don't keep it to yourself, @Buru!

Yes- I really enjoy hearing lots of different opinions too.

6 minutes ago, Roberta said:

 

Well it happens.  Stages can be slippery,  sequins or a random feather drop off costumes,  dancers are human and sometimes dancing with an injury.  Steps are difficult to execute. It's hardly a disaster is it?  Falling flat on your rear or your face is unfortunate, what is possibly a 'disaster' of sorts is if it means a dancer is injured so badly they can't carry on. 

 

The greatest of dancers have stumbled. They get up usually and carry on like the professionals they are. 

 

Sounds as though the two big swans dealt with a minor incident admirably.  

 

 

I totally agree. It wasn’t a disaster and they recovered well. 

1 hour ago, RobR said:

I preface my remarks by making it clear that I have no particular connection to any of the dancers referred to in this this post, apart from having watched most of them dance and develop over the last twenty or so years.

 

I accept that this forum has members who have great experience and expertise in all aspects of ballet whether as watchers or with professional experience.

 

That said, I am concerned about this post. The poster may not have enjoyed this performance but I don’t understand what is meant by 'the cygnets danced in sync but felt heavy'. That seems to be critical but unclear. The poster may not have enjoyed it but without any information about the poster's critical experience or expertise I just don’t understand it.

 

 I am, however, more concerned by 'the two swans were a disaster'. This is criticism without clarity and worse, it comes across as a personal slight. Again we are given no clue as to why they 'were a disaster'. No explanation, just personal criticism.

There was one incident I noticed with the Two Swans in their duet where one (won’t say who) seemed to stumble and the second nearly collided. Other than that they were beautiful. With the cygnets I noticed no heaviness personally.

1 hour ago, MJW said:

 

That was best performance of Swan Lake I've seen. It's a work that usually leaves me rather cold emotionally - looks and sounds marvelous but no more than that. 

 

I think the combination of an emotionally draining week at work and sitting so close to the stage (Row H in the Stalls) resulted in real connection for me. Everything gelled; terrific performances from everyone, beautiful music and a storyline that (really for the first time for me) made complete sense throughout. I'm afraid it left me in a bit of a state at the end, but perhaps that isn't such a bad thing.

 

From my IG from this afternoon -

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5_crjlIwVT/

   

Awww! I enjoyed it a lot too. I think sitting close to the stage really amplifies the drama- you see all the expressions, the detail in the costumes, and the music is more intense, which I always find more emotional! Front row of the stalls is my favourite 👌

, though I was higher up today.
 

This was my first live viewing of Scarlett’s production. I thought Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball did as well as I expected (gorgeous!) and I especially loved their act 2 pas de deux, and the act 3 fireworks. Matthew Ball had a small slip at the end of the act 3 solo but it was minor, and he was great everywhere else. I always love his expressiveness.

Joonhyuk Jun as Benno surprised me! I thought he was fabulous! The landings on most of his (very impressive) jumps were silent to my ears! Siegfried’s sisters were both beautiful- Annette Buvoli and Leticia Dias. 
 

Overall though the whole company performance felt a little flat to me. Maybe it’s because the dancers are mid season and all exhausted from working so incredibly hard?? Maybe this production just isn’t quite as successful as others I’ve seen? Or maybe I’ve just seen Swan Lake too many times? The latter is most likely the case!

I was on a backstage tour at the ROH on Tuesday, when fortune smiled on me and we happened upon Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball rehearsing the Black Swan pas de deux. She was even wearing her black tutu! It was so beautiful to watch even for those few short minutes. I will be watching them live on Saturday afternoon and am so excited! (Incidentally Mayara Magri, Marcelino Sambe, and Reece Clarke casually walked past us. And we saw Darcey Bussell too. I would like to say I was cool as a cucumber, but I was totally starstruck!)

8 hours ago, JohnS said:

Utterly spoiled by yesterday’s double Manon. Two unforgettable performances.
A privilege to see Sarah Lamb’s Manon and like others I do hope that’s not her final Manon. Sarah was extraordinarily generous at the Stage Door and in Floral Street, emerging in dressing gown and Manon’s wig, then donning a coat when outside in the damp. I thought Ryoichi Hirano more relaxed in his second Des Grieux and his Act 3 was particularly strong. James Hay was a hugely impressive Lescaut.

Last night’s Manon was one of those truly exceptional evenings, Francesca Hayward and Alex Campbell intoxicating throughout. Valentino Zucchetti and Leticia Dias gave strong performances. Gary Avis and Nicol Edmonds were appropriately evil. And a shout out for Kristen McNally’s Madame and Marco Masciari’s Beggar Chief. It all made for a thrilling Royal Ballet performance with Francesca Hayward raising the bar yet again on her Manon. Fabulous to see Francesca and Alex at the Stage Door.

Of the eleven performances I’ve seen this run, including the General Rehearsal and cinema relay, last night’s is the one I’d most like to see again. So I’m looking forward immensely to Friday. I’m sure any tickets will quickly be snapped up and those fortunate to be able to do so are in for a treat. But before then on Tuesday it’s the Hamilton cast and who knows if that may change my view.

Wow! What a day you had! So glad you got to see Hayward and Campbell at the stage door. You’ve definitely convinced me to see her in the title role in the future. Looking forward to hearing about Melissa Hamilton’s performance.

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

A stunning afternoon; my word, Sarah and Ryo go well together (I reckon). Proper emotional, hefty punch, that's for sure.

Their chemistry was special! I was in tears many times throughout!

On 09/11/2023 at 00:46, Candleque said:

This.

Agreed.

On 01/10/2023 at 16:46, WoodlandGladeFairy said:

It is lovely seeing so many reviews of the opening night of Don Quixote, my mum and I are going to see Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov on the 19th October and this has made us very excited!

 

I had never seen Don Quixote live before, so decided this season this was the ballet to choose. 

 

Tangentially related we recently got a new kitten, a Burmese boy and we decided to call him Vadim after Vadim Muntagirov our favourite dancer, he is just as graceful, energetic and elegant as him.

It’s one of my favourite ballets to watch live, as it leaves you feeling so uplifted! It’s so joyful!

I was so angry and disappointed by what I heard on Panorama that I’ve just written a 3 page letter to the RBS, sent by email, expressing my disappointment in them, but also how I think things can be changed for the better. I doubt it will even be read, but I at least feel better for writing it!

The Royal Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker has just arrived on Netflix- I was slightly astonished to say the least, but very happy to see it!

The cast includes Anna-Rose O’Sullivan as Clara, Marcelino Sambe as the Nutcracker/Nephew, Marianela Nunez as the SPF, and Vadim Muntagirov as the Prince. I believe this is the first time this recording has been available to watch other than on DVD/Blu-Ray. It is certainly the first ballet Netflix has shown.

Well done Netflix!

2 hours ago, Richard LH said:

I thought Akane was sublime as Odette but there are so many delights to dip into over the next 30 days!

She really stands out to me more and more. I think she’s exquisite!

So many wonderful moments from the gala, but my standouts were Magri/Ball in Carousel, Watson/Richardson/Takada in Woolf Works, Within the Golden Hour, and everyone in Elite Syncopations, though I thought Benjamin Ella stood out in the male quartet- loved his style and easiness with the music.

I really enjoyed seeing so many pieces I hadn’t seen before.
 

I also thought the orchestra sounded really fresh and vibrant- I don’t know if it was to do with the placement in the stalls, or the young conductor I didn’t recognise, but I thought they sounded amazing!

It was such a pleasure to watch it all live from the comfort of the living room and I’m so happy they are all back, and for the privilege.

There are so many documentaries I would love to see again, particularly the special on Alina Cojocaru. I think there was another for her partnership with Johan Kobborg too. But any Royal Ballet documentaries would be most welcome.

I'd also love to see the latest RB Swan Lake again, as I recorded it on my previous Sky box and have since upgraded to a different box, so lost the recording. 

It was great to see Mayerling the other day though, I thought Sarah Lamb was divine!

Event cancelled.

Event cancelled.

34 minutes ago, Gargouillade said:

So when is the ROH going to do the socially responsible thing and follow suit with closure? 

 

(I know that this may be an unpopular opinion, but I feel that the UK is being extraordinarily complacent right now. See this link for the crucial distinction between 'true' and 'official' cases: https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca) 

I'm starting to agree with you and feel we need to be doing more already.

For Sale:  Weds18th March Royal Opera House. The Royal Ballet:

One ticket for Ballet Studio Live CLASS at 10.30am

FRONT ROW  Stage Level A42 £15.00 (face value).

One ticket for Ballet Studio Live REHEARSAL at 12.15pm

FRONT ROW Stage Level A17 £15.00 (face value)

I'm no longer able to attend and hope somebody will be able to make use of these great seats. I will send tickets out quickly and via first class post which is 70p. Payment via Paypal.

For Sale:  Weds18th March Royal Opera House. The Royal Ballet:

One ticket for Ballet Studio Live CLASS at 10.30am

FRONT ROW  Stage Level A42 £15.00 (face value).

One ticket for Ballet Studio Live REHEARSAL at 12.15pm

FRONT ROW Stage Level A17 £15.00 (face value)

I'm no longer able to attend and hope somebody will be able to make use of these great seats. I will send tickets out quickly and via first class post which is 70p. Payment via Paypal.

SOLD

For Sale:

One ticket for Ballet Studio Live- the Royal Ballet class at the Royal Opera House- Paul Hamlyn Hall.

18th March 2020 10.30am

Seat B19 Stage level.

£15 face value.

Please note- tickets are still available for this event, but I think they are for seats further back. This is on the second row I believe. 

Ticket by post.