Josephine

2 hours ago, Mary said:

Were there any changes in the production this time round that anyone could see?

I wondered if the statue of Mamillius in Act III had been redesigned in an attempt to make it seem more life-like?? I'd be glad of any other views on this. My memory may be playing tricks!

8 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Done!

Thank you Jan.

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

And I'd like to add that, at the age of 42 and often associating with exactly the kind of person imagined to use it, I don't think I've ever heard anyone other than the callowest prep school boy (soon put in their place) say the word other than humorously or ironically. As a term to express contempt I thought it had died out some time before the bowler hat.

Even if the intention is humorous or ironic, use of the word 'plebs' will always imply some level of value judgement in my view. A word best avoided!

Aside from this, please would it be possible for a moderator to move into a separate thread all  the discussions about presenters of cinema screenings, so that this thread remains focused on casting discussions? Thank you if so.

7 hours ago, alison said:

And while we're on the subject of cast changes, surely this would have been an excellent opportunity to substitute Benn Gartside as Leontes (maybe not first cast, under the circumstances, though)?  I'm sure he hasn't forgotten how to dance the role in 9 months.

I still find it immensely sad that Bennet Gartside was not cast as Leontes in this run. I think he gave the role exceptional gravitas and insight, transforming this work into one of the most moving ballet performances I can remember at the ROH.  

2 hours ago, alison said:

Actually, didn't Leanne Benjamin do the same a few years back?

She did, but I believe the daily instalments were longer then (30 minutes compared to approximately 10 minutes now I think).

Steven McRae will be the daily guest on Essential Classics from Mon 5th - Fri 9th February.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09qc9vm

19 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

An investigation certainly needs to take place. But it needs to be by an external body with no connection to ENB and the results made public.

An external review is the route taken by Royal New Zealand Ballet according to the press feature linked below. I appreciate that there are differences in scenario and cultural context between the apparent situations at ENB and RNZB. However if the respective press coverage by The Times and Stuff NZ is accurate then both situations appear to involve employees' concerns about ineffective internal reporting procedures.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/stage-and-theatre/100630053/jacinda-ardern-holds-crisis-meeting-with-royal-new-zealand-ballet?utm_content=buffer6e225&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Apologies if this feature has been posted elsewhere. It is a week old but I have only just seen it.

http://www.thewonderfulworldofdance.com/bbc-outlines-new-arts-culture-programming-2018

7 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

And - shock horror - I thought Sweet Violets also good...MacMillanesque but also special...

I agree re: Sweet Violets, in its original version. Scarlett's revision (which attempted to depict Annie's admittance to the asylum) undermined some of the impressionistic elements which had made the work succeed for me. I accept that this is a minority view, but do feel that its critical reception was greatly prejudiced by dance reviewers refusing to accept a non-linear narrative.

1 hour ago, ninamargaret said:

my preference is for designs that complement the choreography but don't swamp it!  I find the designs for McGregor's ballets are intrusive and just too 'over the top'. A simple, elegant design is far more to my taste. After all, I have come to the theatre to see dance, not annoying back projections, strange lighting etc. Yes it's clever, no, it doesn't add to dance. Classic ballets e.g. Swan Lake, Giselle, need designs in keeping with the period of their composition  I think. And surely choreographers like Ashton and Macmillan chose their designers with care and those designs are part of their view of the production as a whole.

I think back projections have been used very effectively in works by Kim Brandstrup. Those used in Invitus Invitam and Ceremony of Innocence succeeded for me in both complementing the choreography and enhancing the mood and atmosphere created in each work. Apologies for not remembering the designer's name (or names if more than one).

1 hour ago, Grand Tier Left said:

Just a quick observation, as no one has yet mentioned last Saturday's matinee: Sarah Lamb and Ryoichi Hirano were the leads and I thought they made a very effective, intense partnership, one of the most moving I've seen in my 40 years of ballet-going.

I love the sense of fragility which Sarah Lamb gives to Giselle, and I thought she and Ryoichi Hirano made the close of Act II exceptionally moving on Saturday.

This review by Simon Parris includes several curtain call images of Akane Takada and Benjamin Ella:

https://simonparrismaninchair.com/2018/01/21/the-royal-ballet-giselle-review-2018-benjamin-ella/amp/

6 hours ago, Sim said:

I don't know too much about music,  but I know the music to this ballet pretty well, and it seems that this too was tweaked.  For example, in the entrechats six segment, the music is now just played by strings, so it doesn't have anywhere near the terrifying impact that the build-up from the whole orchestra traditionally gives it.  The music tells us 'this is it, Albrecht is on his last legs', and then when Giselle appears to save him, the music softens up so that we breathe a sigh of relief.  There were a couple of other places where it has changed, and I don't think it improves things.  I know that Sir Peter Wright has a reputation for constantly tweaking his ballets, but as the old saying goes, if ain't broke, don't fix it.   For me, this production of Giselle was just about perfect;  there wasn't any need to alter things. 

There is some discussion of revisions to the score in this review:

http://seenandheard-international.com/2018/01/marianela-nunez-and-federico-bonelli-excel-in-the-royal-ballets-giselle/

2 hours ago, Legseleven said:

 

As Lauren Cuthbertson and Laura Morera are also missing from the list of Odette/Odiles this time, there doesn’t seem to be a seniority issue outplaying any other concern and clearly Kevin O’Hare is simply casting the role as he sees best at this time. 

The casting information given via the link in yesterday's email from ROH states that Lauren Cuthbertson is cast with Federico Bonelli in four performances.

The livestream link is here:

Some of the comments above make for very uncomfortable reading in my view. It seems both unnecessary and unfair to hijack the thread with this chain of negative criticism I think.

7 minutes ago, bridiem said:

I see that if you finish the above link with nrn_str it takes you to a Twitter account for new STR researchers; if you finish it with TheSTR it takes you to the main STR Twitter account. I'm not sure where the talk will be streamed though.

Sorry, I saw this after posting similar information above.

39 minutes ago, Geoff said:

 

SheilaC, might you clarify the exact Twitter link? The clickable one goes to an account which has been dormant for nearly ten years - and adding str doesn't help much. I understand that there won't be a YouTube link until the night but surely the Twitter link should work now: what am I doing wrong?

As far as I know the Twitter account has the name @TheSTR. Sorry, I can't see how to post a direct link here. In recent months I have seen tweets there giving a YouTube link for live-streamed lectures.

2 hours ago, John Mallinson said:

Apologies, I didn't see that. Still, the more advertising the better!

Definitely!

I did start a thread for this event, headed 'Society for Theatre Research event' and posted on 6 Nov.

Thank you for the extra information above. It does sound very interesting.

4 hours ago, JohnS said:

 

 

Final Nutcracker performance for me this Christmas time with Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball, Anna Rose O’Sullivan and James Hay, and Bennet Gartside.  Another exhilarating matinee and I do so agree with Bruce Wall’s comments in his wish list for 2018/19 about James Hay - simply fabulous.  He and Anna Rose made for an ideal couple and I do hope they will have many more opportunities to dance together.  I very much liked Benn’s thoughtful, glitter free Drosselmeyer - the final reunion with Hans Peter was very moving and I thought helped by a slightly later curtain as in some performances the curtain seems to have come down perhaps a shade early?  Yasmine was radiant but I was not as convinced by Matthew who seemed less secure in places.

 

That leads to PenelopeSimpson’s question about the point of the PDD.  In the Royal Ballet production, isn't the PDD the realisation of the ideal that Clara and Hans Peter can aspire to?  The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince represent the highest levels of artistry, beauty, partnership, trust, support, love.  We would I’m sure hope that Clara and Hans Peter will achieve this ideal for themselves or at least enjoy the journey together towards realising the ideal.  And perhaps we might reflect on how we also have sought or seek similar ideals in our journeys.

 

So for me Nutcracker is fabulous, magical, enchanting and in Peter Wright’s Royal Ballet production I find Nutcracker also wonderfully life affirming because of what we see in Clara and Hans Peter and the hopes for the future.

 

Like others I very much enjoyed seeing Dancing the Nutcracker - a Christmas Day highlight in 2016 and for me again a television highlight this Christmas time.

 

Back to the dancing and a final highlight must be David Yudes - Apprentice, Russian Dance.  He really has lit up the stage throughout the year in all his roles.  On reflection I realise this is true of so many dancers and it’s good to see all the comments in highlights of 2017 about the Royal Ballet reaching a peak and it’s strength in depth with people wanting to see all casts.

 

Thanks JohnS for a very insightful post. I am very sad that I had to miss yesterday's matinée, so strongly cast.

From other performance memories I think Bennet Gartside brings the greatest depth and clarity to the role. He is the only RB Drosselmeyer of those I've seen who makes clear the enormity of the task of summoning supernatural powers in the transformation scene (in my view).

On 28/12/2017 at 10:38, capybara said:

Odette "and her black swan nemesis Odile" are "magical beings.......two distinct entities, creations of von Rothbart and controlled by him

Could this imply that the role will be danced by two dancers to represent the 'two distinct entities'??

Perhaps unlikely, but the idea just crossed my mind!

Obviously a strictly personal list, and Royal Ballet focused just because I see RB most frequently. Also mainly within the context of memories of being profoundly moved.

Both Roberta Marquez and Lauren Cuthbertson as Giselle. Also Polina Semionova as Giselle outside of Royal Ballet.

Lauren Cuthbertson as Juliet.

Bennet Gartside as both Rudolf and Leontes.

Marianela Nunez as Hermione.

Mara Galeazzi as Tatiana.

Laura Morera as Anastasia/Anna Anderson.

Sarah Lamb and Rupert Pennefather as Manon and Des Grieux.

Leanne Benjamin in Requiem.

Emma Maguire as Clara.

Leanne Benjamin and Edward Watson in Invitus Invitam.

Deirdre Chapman and Bennet Gartside in Ceremony of Innocence.

MacMillan celebration featuring Dame Monica Mason and Edward Watson, Sound of Dance Sat 9th December at 3pm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09j0rg4

Film of QPAC Creative Insight event from July 2017 with Akane Takada, Alexander Campbell and Claire Calvert rehearsing excerpts from The Winter's Tale.