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David

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Posts posted by David

  1. Well yes indeed, I welcome the return of vinyl despite its cost and so do my family who have invested in expensive turntables, etc. CDs never cut it with me coz they never sounded the same, I think coz they only sampled sound waves so you didn't get the full-bodied sound? Anyway, good to hear from you again Stevie - you have informed many of my choices over the years. And yes, I also have the Houston Ghost Dances - but in my case the cost was far from reasonable so well done you! 

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  2. "Put out the torches! Hide the moon! Hide the stars!"

     

    This thread has been a major source of information to me since it was started by charliewise back in 2015 and quite recently I have gratefully added Coppel-A.I and Like Water for Chocolate with it's beautiful final pas de deux.  But these are exceptions. I have been building my collection of recordings for over 70 years, embracing not just Dance but also Theatre, Opera and much else. But sadly that is coming to an end as theatres and companies embrace streaming. Will we see programmes from such diverse companies as Opus Arte, The BBC, The Bolshoi etc issuing recordings on disk or being broadcast in the future? I fear not and much of the material from the past will not find it's way onto streaming. My collection is pretty comprehensive (and bulky!!!!) and I am so very grateful to Members of the Forum who have shared copies of their precious recordings with me. But I still mourn my failure to record certain performances eg.  :

     

    Theatre - Oscar Wilde's Salome - the performance of the original French Text by Radiodiffusion Television Francaise back in 1969 with the French Prima Ballerina Ludmilla Tcherina writhing orgiasticly in the title role (there is a copy on You Tube but it is virtually unwatchable;

     

    Opera - Harrison Birtwhistle's Gawain aired by the BBC but my recorder failed;

     

    Darcey Bussell's Farewell Performance including Das Lied von der Erde with Gary Avis and Carlos Acosta, amazingly never released on disc.

     

    I have seen many changes of format since my boyhood when I first started haunting second-hand shops looking for the old one-sided, G&T shellac 78 recordings of the like of Caruso, Schipa, Melba and Galli Curci. Each change of format has meant loss! Those of us who have been recording assiduously over the years are holding what are fast becoming historical collections which I suspect will never again see the light of day. And IMHO, streaming, targetted at the bucks,  is a poor substitute!

     

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  3. The preoccupation rightly has focussed on the absurdity of the pricing structures but my family remain equally concerned re the dearth of casting information. With our booking slot due in a couple of days there is no way that we will be booking for The Dante Project  and The Nutcracker unless we know who will be dancing and when. It looks like we are going to save a lot of money!

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  4. With the Friends Plus booking date imminent, I have been watching the confusion on the RB booking site in amazement, tempered with awe that so venerable an institution could make such a dog's dinner of the booking process; also that so many respected contributers on these pages accept the administrative incompetence with such patient resignation. The ROH has been my cultural home for over 70 years and I have never known such chaos. Me and mine are still waiting to discover the castings for The Dante Project and the key additional castings for Nutcracker while Don Quixote is still missing from our screens in its entirety though we have kept a record of the dates  and the two primary roles (though that may well no longer be relevant!). Holiday plans, etc are on hold across the family but there is no way that we will be booking blind as apparently the upper echelons amongst the Friends have been asked to do - far too much money is involved and we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis. And how can everyone in the famiy express their preferences so that we can sort out a booking strategy? I see that someone in the system seems to think "the issue has been resolved". Not in our book, it hasn't!

     

    We accept that there will always be last minute changes, injuries etc but surely someone knows who is down to be dancing with whom and when?

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  5. J'accuse....

     

    My guess is that the huge interest in the release of the Ashton  69 recording of Cinderella reflects the dearth  of recordings on disk during the pandemic. Orchestra, ballet and opera companies around the world have been streaming a wealth of otherwise unavailable material  for which I have been profoundly grateful but for whatever reasons this has not been reflected in releases on disk. The pandemic offered an unique opportunity to recording companies to release recordings that we know are available but have never found their way to disk many of which were broadcast once and never seen again - opportunities that have been wasted. Examples abound - on the opera front for example Birtwistle's Gawain, a huge work of Wagnerian proportions; on the baller front, Darcey Bussell's farewell performance of MacMillan's Song of the Earth, one of his finest works and unavailable on disk. We can all think of other examples and I'm sure there are reasons (excuses!) but I for one am bitterly disappointed by this failure by recording companies to rise to the opportunity.     

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  6. On 10/11/2020 at 07:04, Bruce Wall said:

    I wish I could like this a thousand times.  Thank you, Sim.  Such a glorious post.  So filled with the joy of life.  May this be a constructive signal towards a renewed climate of future positivity here and far beyond.  There is no question but that the quest for hope is tantamount.  Long may it be celebrated and encouraged.  

     

    Such beauty in old age is so moving. Sim reports that she was a principal with the New York City Ballet in the 60s but I have not been able to discover anything else about her, in particular any recording of her dancing. I wonder Bruce if you are aware of any record of her performing - maybe in the NYCB archives? 

  7. Thanks Stevie - well that's clear, though my loyalty to the Peter Wright production remains undimmed and I certainly don't see it as "the definitive Nutcracker on DVD".

     

    Nor do I understand  what "the highlight of every holiday season for years to come" might mean. Unless they are assuming it will be an annual TV Xmas treat.

     

    Very sloppy marketing!

  8. 20 hours ago, Stevie said:

    Opus Arte are about to re issue the DVD  of The Nureyev/ Lesley Collier Nutcracker from the ROH. All that I can see is that it is re packaged. It is not clear if it has been restored or enhanced in any way.

    I would have expected the recent Jewells to be a better commercial option, due to the modern filming techniques, but maybe hope for us yet.

     

     

     

    I remain confused re this. Amongst my plethora of Nutcrackers, I have a performance recorded in 1985 in which Lesley Collier is partnered by Anthony Dowell & Michael Coleman, and a performance from 1968, choreographed by Nureyev in which he is partnered by Merle Park as Clara. I had no knowledge of a performance in which Nureyev is partnered by Collier but now see it listed, DVD only, on amazon in which, contrary to the Nureyev/Collier listing, the blurb identifies it as the Nureyev/Park 1968 recording!!!

     

    If the blurb is correct and it is the 1968 Nureyev/Park version, though it is a performance to be treasured, it would need a heck of a lot of restoration to justify a re-purchase if my current copy is anything to go by but perhaps with modern technology it will emerge in pristine form.

     

    Like Stevie I find it an odd choice.

     

     

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  9. Oh Stevie - I really must stop spending money - but as the man said I can resist anything but temptation! Can't see a cheap copy comparable to the Zurich/Hagen Dance and Quartet you found but I've set up a search on eBay and will wait for one to come along.  For now though I think I've got quite enough to keep me going!

     

    Meanwhile, going back to your earlier comments abut the RB Jewels, I'm still hoping that this might still be released. I'm reminded of Menuhin's comment - "I admire virtuosity, I enjoy virtuosity but at the end of the day it is self-defeating". The same could be said about tchnology and the obsession with perfection. If such obsession had been in place in the past, many of the greatest performances ever released on record would never have been heard. We don't worry about the odd fluffed note or, for that matter the odd misstep in live performance. If Jewels can't be released on disk then it should be streamed. It was far too fine to be left to wither. 

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  10. 9 minutes ago, Jeannette said:

    Spuck’s Nutcracker is a total delight! Not only a clever twist in the story but an opportunity to watch the beautiful young ballerina Lou Spichtig (then 15 or 16) in a major role. After winning gold at Varna, at age 16, she moved to Queensland, Australia:

    https://www.queenslandballet.com.au/company/team/dancers/lou-yaa-spichtig

    This Nutcracker is a keeper.

     

    Thank you Jeannette, that's a boost - I'm really looking forward to receiving this set now!

  11. 3 hours ago, Stevie said:

    Just watched my Verdi requiem through again and enjoyed even more than I remembered. However I also recall that I was wary of the Nutcracker and so didn't venture to buy it. Instead I invested in another Zurich ballet Blu-Ray production, currently available on ebay to buy, at £6, free p&p, very easy watching , 'Dance & Quartet / Blu Ray / Hagen Quartet / Zurcher Ballett / Heinz 3 Ballets.

    Wow, that's a bargain! I've always been a fan of the Hagens and have recordings by them going back to the 80s including the pieces on this disk. Their combination with the Zurich Ballet is a mouthwatering prospect so I've snapped it up. Something to watch while I'm waiting for the pre-orders! Thank you.

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  12. Sorry Stevie - our contributions seem to have crossed. Helpful as always. Apart from Bayadere, there is of course Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty and Cellist/dances to look forward to. I have so many recordings of the Verdi Requiem, both audio and video, going back to the 50's but like the Ukraine Carmina Burana that I acquired on your recommendation yonks ago, the prospect of a choral, choreographed version is attractive, particularly since I have seen at least two of the soloists in performance at the Royal Opera. Not so keen of R&J - we've had rather a lot of that recently and the bar is pretty high but given the price reduction I've decided to have a punt. So thank you.   

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  13. Pursuing my own question, I see that to buy these 3 blu-rays separately on Amazon would cost £79.28 while the cost for the blu-ray re-issue of the triple bill on 20/11 is listed at £43.20; cost-wise at least that's attractive!

    As one would expect, the separate blurbs on the 3 disks are also intriguing:

    With the Messa da Requiem, Christian Spuck brought one of Verdi’s key works to the stage. In a large-scale co-production by the Ballett and Oper Zürich, the German choreograp-her and director ventured to portray an unusual interpretation of Verdis funeral mass in his scenic-choreographic production. 36 dancers, the choir and supplementary choir of the Opernhaus Zürich as well as four highly acclaimed soloists joined together under the direction of Fabio Luisi for 13 wide-ranging scenes dedicated to one of the most fundamental themes of humanity. Christian Spuck does not seek a mere religious interpretation of the liturgical text. Instead, he is interested in focusing on people who, in their vulnerability and helplessness, are in the search for comfort. In poetic tableaux he deals with basic human emotions and focuses on the feelings of fear, rage, pain, sadness and the search for redemption.

    Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet has inspired generations of artists to adaptations like scarcely any other work. In his colorful, passionate music, the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev brilliantly captured the clash of love and hatred, and the proximity of tenderness and violence. Inspired by Prokofievs vivid music and the timeless quality of Shakespeares tragedy, choreographer Christian Spuck and the Ballett Zürich narrate the most famous love story in world literature using strong images that are full of enthralling theatricality and touching emotion. Michail Jurowski, a true Prokofiev expert, is at the rostrum of the Philharmonia Zürich.Recorded live at Opernhaus ZürichJune 2019

    Christian Spuck puts the literary origin at the heart of his choreography of 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', emphasizing the fantastical nature of the original rather than the delightful Christmas fairytale and bringing back the tale of princess Pirlipat, who turns into a nut monster, as told by E.T.A. Hoffmann. On stage, Drosselmeiers workshop turns into an old revue-theater, where the ballets characters come to life. Spucks choreography plays with the richness of characters in Hoffmann's narrative cosmos, the absurdity and overwrought humor that inhabit them, while at the same time looking down into the dark abyss of Romanticism.

    Still trying to track down criic's reviews for a more independent view on these productions but "looking down into the dark abyss of Romanticism" seems quite an attractive option as I gaze out at the grey, rain-drenched covid world outside my window. 

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  14. 1 hour ago, Stevie said:

    Ballet Zurich are releasing a Christian Spuck triple bill on DVD & Blu-Ray on 20th Nov 2020. Verdi Requiem, Nutcracker and Romeo &Juliet

     

     

     

    I already have 4 blu-rays on pre-order and that's just in the Dance category. Suddenly they seem to be coming think and fast. I'm ashamed to say I don't know Christian Spuck's work, let alone these productions and, committed though I am to supporting both the format and the Art form, I really would need some advice if I am to lash out on another 3 in these straitened times! Can anyone help please?     

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  15. I am very happy to donate my moiety to the cause - I have been self-isolating over the past six months and it gives me an opportunity to thank the many contributors who have given me heads up to dvds, streams and so much more besides. The Forum has been and is a blessing in these difficult times and I am truly grateful to those who work so hard to make it possible. Bless you all.  

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  16. On 30/09/2020 at 01:50, Stevie said:

    Bel-Air Classical are releasing on 6th Nov, La Bayadere,  Mikhailovsky Theatre, Nacho Duato after Petipa. Trailer on Vimeo & youtube.

     

    Thanks for pointing us to this, Stevie. The Blu-Ray is up on Amazon but not available for Pre-order yet. Haven't found it anywhere else. The description is intriguing and I shall certainly go for it when it becomes available to order:

     

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08JRGP574?pf_rd_r=DGCYAC5X0VAE7F6V2K6Y&pf_rd_p=e632fea2-678f-4848-9a97-bcecda59cb4e

     

     

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  17. 2 minutes ago, Stevie said:

    ..... Also if you, or Amazon close your account, you lose the ability to stream your purchase. .....

    You interest me strangely - have you tried closing an account on Amazon - despite the reams of advice on-line it is virtually impossible or so I found when I last tried. In the end I just stopped using it and it remains up there gathering dust for all eternity. It's a salutory thought that thousands of years hence future generations will be able to gaze in wonder on my purchasing history! Or were you talking about closing Prime?

  18. Thank you Stevie, that's helpful.  The teaser on YouTube isn't very encouraging but the reviews following its premiere were very positive  and it certainly sounds very different from the usual narrative, apparently beginning with Don Jose's execution by hanging and them telling the story of his passion for Carmen in flashback, with no Escamillo or Micaela.

     

    I'm in two minds whether to splash out on it - I might just hold off for a while and see how the disk is received.  

  19. I see Naxos is issuing Teatro dell'Opera Di Roma's production of Choreographer Jiří Bubeníček’s Carmen on 9th Oct. I do not know it and would be grateful for any opinion/advice from someone who does. This from the blurb:

     

    "Choreographer Jiří Bubeníček’s Carmen celebrates the incredible inspiration of Bizet’s timeless music in a completely new two-act ballet that also includes music by Albéniz, Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Falla, orchestrated and adapted by Gabriele Bonolis. The production emphasises aspects of the original drama, heightening erotic atmosphere of the cigar factory and Carmen’s wild spirit, and including a spectacular on-stage horse. The sensational choreography closely depicts the storyline of Prosper Mérimée’s original novella in a production that was hailed by critics as a triumph."

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