Scheherezade

My thoughts exactly, Tango Dancer. Not enough time for people to come down from those jaw-dropping jumps. I'm still picking mine up from the floor. In normal circumstances, Magri and Frola's spectacular Corsaire would have been the perfect pre-interval piece (it needed that long to re-wire) but in the saddened circumstances of the war in Ukraine, I can well see why something contemplative was selected. I do hope that the beauty of Fumi and William's Swan Lake Act 2 extract was not lost as a result. I don't think it was. It certainly wasn't lost on me, notwithstanding the unforgettable fireworks that preceded it.

That was absolutely how it hit me, Lizbie - and, I should add, right between the eyes. I felt that I must have seen it before but if I have, never, ever to such jaw-dropping effect. To the epithet of stylish classicist, Mr Frola can now most definitely add ‘virtuoso extraordinaire’.

It was a wonderful gala tonight, with everyone, without exception, at the top of their game. But Francesco Gabriele Frola - Wow!!! Marianela was just delicious in the Tchaikovsky pas de deux - every time I think she can't get better, the next time I see her she proves me wrong - and beautifully partnered by Reece Clarke, too. My goodness, though, doesn't she look tiny next to Reece. A bravura Don Q from Mizutani and Dingman has whetted my appetite for BRB's Sadler's Wells run. Miki Mizutani made a pert and delightful Kitri and Mathias Dingman's Basilio was a riot of swagger and dash. Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell gave us a beautifully paced Swan Lake pas de deux with the finesse and sensitivity that we have come to expect from both of them. I did think, though, what a pity it was that they followed so close on the heels of Magri and Frola's coruscating Corsaire. What a sparkling Medora from Mayara Magri, who seemed to enjoy every minute of what looked like a role she was made to dance. And Frola, who elicited gasps of amazement from my part of the audience, did things that I have never seen anyone do. Just wow!! I loved the quietly understated Three Preludes, with Emma Hawes and Junor Souza reprising the elegiac composure of their performance from the ENB Solstice programme in June of last year. It is hard to leave anyone out as there was barely a dud moment but from the more contemporary repertoire, Luca Acri impressed in Lacrimosa and Osipova, as always, gave her all in a solo piece danced to a recording by Nigel Kennedy and the Kroke Band (what a pity they couldn't have been here in person, too). And did I mention the amazing Francesco Gabriele Frola? Wow, wow and thrice wow! On a more serious note, and coming back to the music, I have never heard such a moving rendition of any national anthem as that sung tonight by the wonderful Ukranian mezzo, Ksenia Nikolaieva and the ENO chorus, and it seemed so fitting that the soprano Inna Guseva and the RB's Marianna Tsembenhoi, both Ukranian, should effectively bring the evening to a close with a moving performance from MacMillan's Requiem. I was so glad to have been there tonight for this moving, wonderful evening of music and dance and yet emotionally, as I held my programme and fastened my ribbon in the colours of Ukraine, it felt almost wrong to admit to that when there is so much unimaginable suffering in the heroic country for which tonight's very special gala was held. May our collective prayers for peace please be heard, and soon.

Isn’t it just! That’s why I decided to give it a miss but I’m now wishing I hadn’t. Ah well …

I totally agree, Candleque. I think it is fair to say that she has the highest profile of any British dancer but whilst she is without doubt an extremely good dancer and could be considered one of the best if not the best Ashtonian dancer of her generation, there are caveats when it comes to extending that description to the established classical canon. I say this as someone who will often choose her performance over that of a dancer I consider to be technically superior because I love the unforced spontaneity, expressiveness and emotional connection that she brings to almost everything that she dances and it is hard to think of anyone who does this in quite the same way. it is each to his or her own. My choice will invariably be the dancer who touches my soul but in saying this, I can always (I hope) recognise the limitations of that dancer, whoever he or she may be.

I think that the viewing angle counts for a lot. It's hard to tell, of course, to what extent perception of any particular performance is influenced by where you sit but I suspect quite a lot. Certainly my reaction to Magri was markedly different, as was my vantage point, in the general rehearsal and then her official debut, and whilst it may have been that her performances were very different as can, of course, be the case, my gut reaction says don't dismiss the viewing angle.

Can't say that I'm a great fan of Prince of the Pagodas, despite all my best efforts to like it. There is a detachment about it that I somehow can't warm to.

I have seen three of the Odette/Odile debuts - O’Sullivan, whose Odette wore her heart on her sleeve, Magri’s hesitant, fearful Odette, and now Hayward, whose fragile Odette seemed marked from the first as a child of fate. The tragedy that was to come was painted in subtle, delicate colours and it tore at my heart. And her Odile was neither conniving nor foxy, she didn’t need to be. Once again, fate held the cards, which Odile, its agent, played with nonchalance; and why not, when the result was a foregone conclusion? Bracewell, of course, delivered everything that I have come to expect from him and more: a beautifully danced, intuitive and moving performance, and Richardson, surely a future Siegfried, fulfilled all the promise that he had shown at the general rehearsal and then some. A total stand-out and, as Bridiem has already said, such convincing chemistry between his Benno and Bracewell’s Siegfried. And finally, and I can’t say this often enough, a big shout out for the pitch-perfect cygnets and the utterly wonderful corps. I am speechless with admiration.

It is indeed. The problem is that they do endless repeats of the same programmes, with seldom anything remotely new.

I can't recall which Siegfrieds do it which way, but on Friday night, Corrales made exactly the same impression on me, whereas most of the other Siegfrieds have looked to me to be somewhat redundant.

I stand corrected, Rob. Now that Specsavers are doing hearing aids, I shoulda clearly gone for one of those too.

So much of what you say echoes my own feelings, Sim. I saw this pairing in the general rehearsal and again last night, but from a different part of the auditorium and, of course, with a different Benno - Joonhyuk Jun last night and Calvin Richardson at the rehearsal. Joonhyuk Jun was mightily impressive last night - wonderful elevation and the softest of landings, but I would still love to see what Richardson could make of the role in a full performance, as his reading of the role suggested much of interest. I totally concur with your thoughts on Corrales. Much of the grandstanding flash was gone, replaced by a well-crafted and emotionally affecting performance that spoke of the depth of his love and his horror at his unwitting betrayal of Odette. My neighbour, who had not been expecting much, was equally impressed, although less so with Magri and here, from my angle, lies the conundrum, since I came away from the rehearsal thinking that her interpretation showed every sign of developing into that of a truly great Odette/Odile yet last night, although I can offer no criticism, my feelings were more muted. Whether this was a case of Swan Lake fatigue, whether it was where I was sitting (upper slips so decidedly side-on) or whether I was still feeling the effects of Anna Rose O'Sullivan's meltingly fragile Odette, I can't really say. Their portrayals were certainly different: O'Sullivan's Odette wore her heart on her sleeve from the outset whereas Magri's was more self-contained, more restrained, more fearful of giving her heart (although that, in itself, signals that the heartbreak will be still more devastating when it comes, and so it was). It was, if you like, more of a slow-burn performance and I have to say that Act 4 really did break my heart. And yes, the cygnets, the two swans and the two sisters were all wonderful, Nadia Mullova-Barley did great things with the Spanish dance, Bennet Gartside continues to stand out as a definitive Von Rothbart and Leo Dixon continues to stand out, the orchestra was on top form (no rogue horns - have they disappeared into the ether for good?) and the corps was just magnificent. Oh, and I do like the onrush of black swans at the end of Act 3.

Yes, it’s that emotional connection that lifts a performance from a display of technical perfection to something heartbreaking and thrilling that feeds the soul.

Bridiem, what a perfect description of Anna Rose’s breathtaking debut. How every avian flutter of those beautiful arms brought Odette’s story to life, the arch of her body, luxuriant and yielding, the droop of her neck. And then the ruthless calculation of an Odile who knew that her victim was hooked and enjoyed every callous second of her evil triumph. And what a wonderful partnership she and Sambe have. He: solicitous, yearning, on fire, aghast. She: awakening, loving, sorrowing, resigned. If the audience reacted to that fall, it was to clap and cheer even longer and louder as if to cement the very obvious truth that ‘we don’t care at all, it really doesn’t matter, we love you’. It truly was a performance to treasureI

I got it via guest mode, simply by entering the name of the review. No subscription asked for.

I agree on all points, Bridiem. And I love the ENB proscenium Swan Lake. Still remember the dynamite Rojo/Lendorf performance from a few years back.

Perhaps a little more easily available information from the ROH as to how to access digital cast sheets would help. When viewing mine from my phone, I have been asked on at least four occasions how I managed to do this, by people sitting next to me who had been unsuccessfully trying to do the same via the ROH website.

This is something that I have wondered about before - the lack of total synchronisation between two dancers dancing the same choreography at the same time. It seems all the more baffling when not only the four cygnets but, indeed, the whole corps appear from the audience’s perspective to be able to move as one.

They’re lovely, Silke.

Sad news indeed. His wit, knowledge and individuality will be greatly missed.

You might find, Fiona, that there are those who may view your championing of Sergei as somewhat disingenuous, if not a little over-invested. Whilst I fully support your right to state your views, and although it does seem, from what you say, that he has done some good works, I do feel that our sympathies in this terrible war should lie with those who, through no choice of their own, have lost their loved ones, their homes, everything that they have ever known and cherished. As far as I am aware, this is not true of Sergei.

I was also at yesterday's general rehearsal and will add my endorsement to all Jenny Taylor's comments. And, yes, Dawnstar, you won't be disappointed on the 11th. I do so agree that the ending is a major anti-climax but I have to say that I rather enjoyed the rest this time round. Perhaps not surprisingly, on this viewing there was less confusion around what was happening, and that could well have upped the overall satisfaction count.

I think they would have to include cis swans. The question is surely whether gender-fluid swans would make the cut. (Sorry for lowering the tone by reverting back to frivolous mode, after Bridiem's rebuke and Vadim's instagram post).

Woo hoo! Yes please!

And those who do may feel that they would have done things differently given the chance.