Scheherezade

My heart goes out to all those who were killed or injured and to their families. My daughter and her friends left the area just ten minutes before the attack and another friend's daughter was one of those told to run and hide by the police. Luckily they were all safe but how easily things could have been different. On Sunday, I caught part of the Ariana Grande Manchester benefit concert on the BBC and, looking at the happy, smiling children, some of them lifted onto their parents' shoulders so that they could see their idols, wondered how on earth the terrorists, some of them little more than children themselves, could commit these atrocities. I have friends who are Syrian, warm, loving people who are shocked and appalled by the violence carried out in the name of religion. I have often, in the past, been invited to Damascus, which they described, at that time, as the most beautiful place on earth, much as those lucky enough to visit the Lebanon in times past would describe Beirut. The father of a friend of my son, a Libyan journalist, risked his life in returning home to raise our awareness of the horrors suffered by the people of Libya. It is, of course, no more correct to say that people from the Middle East are all IS supporters than it is to say that all Brexit voters are uneducated racists. The Daily Mail is, of course, known for its sensationalism and today's comment by Richard Littlejohn that, since the politicians were too busy pussyfooting around to admit that we are at war, he would stand up and say it, is no exception. It does, however, make you think.

I saw the opening performance and thought I'd wait until I'd seen this Thursday's cast before posting but, on reflection, the moment will probably have passed by then - if it hasn't already. So, impressions overall - well, I was pretty impressed. You could feel the love and it was well earned. The Dream was gorgeous with McRae at his faultless best: dazzling technique with the perfect blend of fey, slightly malevolent imperiousness yielding to true rapture in the closing pas de deux. Takada, as usual, danced beautifully but I wasn't totally convinced by the chemistry between her and McRae and I did feel that she could - as I am sure she will in time - add to the characterisation. For me, there was just a little too much of the petulant schoolgirl and not quite enough of the beguiling fairy queen. And I felt that Zucchetti, so fabulous in Tarantella a few days earlier, had made a slightly better fist of Puck last time round. The lovers, all four of them, were pitch-perfect, as were all of the fairies. It is hard to pick out one name, they were all so good. I loved Symphonic Variations.Beautiful performances from all six. Perfectly coordinated, perfectly interpreted, pretty much perfect all round. Like many others, I confess that Marguerite and Armand has not been a favourite of mine in the past. Unlike some others, the Rojo/Polunin 'farewell' did not particularly change my mind but Friday's performance pressed an emotional button and I have to say that I absolutely loved it. Symphonic Dances a few days earlier and now a gut-wrenching Marguerite - what will we do without Zenaida Yanowsky?

John, I was so very sorry to hear of Lynn's death. There is nothing that anyone can say to make the next few weeks and months any easier for you. The loss of someone we love dearly is something that never goes away - I would say that we think of them even more often when they are no longer with us - but it is something that we learn to live with and in time we find peace. Lynn will be in your heart and your thoughts at all times and I am sure that you will feel her beside you when you need her most. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your feelings with all of us. Lynn was much loved and her love, I am sure, will always be with you.

Thank you, Duck. As before, some fabulous programmes. I really hope that I will be able to make some of them.

A few tickets for the September run at Sadlers Wells were showing on the SW website this morning (£25 upwards). Although the general info stated 'this run is sold out', tickets came up under 'buy tickets'.

I was also there on opening night and I shall be interested to see how the second casts compare next Wednesday. Or, at any rate, the second casts for Vertiginous Thrill, Tarantella and Symphonic Dances, all of which I am looking forward to seeing again. Not so, Strapless. Having given it the benefit of a second chance on Friday, all that I can say is that it should be put painlessly to be sleep, never to see the light of day again. I tried to work out what the changes were without much success. Was the Matthew Ball role shortened? Was the sex scene between Osipova and Bonelli enlarged? Did I really care? Not in the least and that is the crux of the problem with this work. It is impossible to care one way or the other about any of the characters and I agree with bridiem that this may partly have been due to the turgid and unmemorable score. I certainly found myself wondering whether it might have been more involving with different music, more particularly when listening to the wonderful Rachmaninov during the following piece. As it is, however, and since the Mark-Anthony Turnage piece is part of the package, I really can't see what can be done to breathe life into this soporific work. Please put it (and us) out of its misery as soon as possible! So onto happier themes, notably Tarantella, and I can't sing the praises of the wonderful Frankie Hayward and Marcellino Sambe highly enough! What a joyful, musical and technically accomplished performance from both of them and what fabulous chemistry this pair have. I also enjoyed Vertiginous Thrill. Marianella, Vadim and Steven were everything that we have come to expect but, for all that Akane and Beatriz danced beautifully, I did notice a slight lack of synchronisation in parts. Whilst this was probably down to the last minute substitutions, it did mar what would otherwise have been a stupendous opening, and shouldn't additional rehearsal time have been set aside? I shall be particularly interested in seeing how the second cast perform this piece on Wednesday. Oh, and I really must give a mention here to the orchestra under the baton of the wonderful Koen Kessels. Which leaves Symphonic Dances and, yes, I really enjoyed this piece, although I am not yet sure whether this was a triumph of style over substance. Wednesday's viewing may help me decide. As for last Friday, Zenaida was majestic and utterly compelling and the rest of the cast were also superb. I didn't have a problem with the red and black colour scheme, which I actually found effective, but I did feel that the men's first round of costumes (the ubiquitous shorts-cum-swimming trunk things that seem to proliferate within the RB wardrobe) were less than flattering. I was just thinking to myself that those long, wide Japanese-style trousers/skirts for men would have looked much better when, hey presto, what should appear but long red skirts for the men. I would, by the way, get rid of the unnecessary projections, particularly the billowing red bits, which detracted from the overall aesthetic effect. And, of course, the music was pure nectar, more of the same, please, in future! My daughter brought her boyfriend along, the first ballet(s) that he has attended apart from an accidental run of different performances of Giselle, and it was interesting to note that his impressions were more or less in line with mine, my daughter's and our other friends. He thoroughly enjoyed the first two pieces, was bored to tears by Strapless (my daughter, a total balletomane told me that she found it so tedious she actually fell asleep) and he was absolutely bowled over by Symphonic Dances. He also found the Strapless music unsympathetic and a total turn off. I find that an extended session in the bar beckons for Wednesday night.

Better than An American in Paris, Bruce?

I'll add my voice to bridiem and johnpw. Ghost Dances was clearly the stand-out piece, so much so that it seems almost inappropriate to mention the preceding two, which were fine in their way but felt like warm-ups for the main course. The first one was quite witty but I felt that the repeating loop in the opening section could have been wound up sooner and 3 Dancers was one of those pieces that I could objectively admire but found it hard to engage with on a deeper level. Audience engagement was not a problem with Ghost Dances. From where I was sitting, you could have heard a pin drop for the entire performance. I found it profoundly moving: a haunting, extraordinary work that will stay with me for a long time. The mood was skilfully conjured through the chill of the ghost dancers on the one hand and the colours, movement and music of 'the dead' going through their everyday motions on the other. I especially liked the flowing lines of the small dancer in the red skirt (Hannah Rudd?) and Luke Ahmet particularly stood out. Wasn't he also one of the stand-outs in The Creation? My daughter came along with no knowledge of the back story and whilst she couldn't, therefore, reference Pinochet's Chile she was easily able to make the jump to South America and unnatural death. She also remarked that, along with the Akram Khan Giselle, this was another work that had leaped straight into her all-time top ten and wondered why the Royal Ballet couldn't make works like this.

Akane Takada really seems to have grown over the last twelve months or so from being technically very good but dramatically indifferent to the full package. It will be interesting to see where this trajectory takes her.

After the high profile cancellations from Stoyanova and Tezier, I went along to the opening night with some trepidation. The curse of Don Carlo led to yet another cancellation slip announcing that Jette Parker Young Artist Emily Edmonds was also indisposed. It was, therefore, not unsurprising that the evening took a little while to warm up but if the acting chops and chemistry of the leads wasn't always apparent, I was, overall, pleasantly surprised by the vocal performances. Less so, it has to be said, for the watering down of the auto-da-fe scene which has no impact whatsoever now that the heretics just shuffle off the stage instead of being burnt. If changes had to be made, how about replacing the awful lego sets? Bryan Hymel has, of course, appeared many times at the ROH but his previous form left me totally unprepared for the vocal passion that he injected into last night's performance. It was much appreciated by the audience and garnered lots of 'bravi' from the amphi audience. Christoph Pohl made a fine Rodrigo, whose integrity shone like a beacon, and he and Hymel delivered a well-matched and meaningful 'Dio che nell'alma'. I always enjoy Semenchuk and her Princess Eboli chalked up another success and Kristin Lewis' Elizabeth noticeably grew in confidence as the evening went on. In recent years, Philip II at the ROH has largely been the preserve of Ferruccio Furlanetto. If Ildar Abdrazakov didn't quite match his imposing dignity, his performance marked the tragic emotional impotence of a powerful man who is the victim of his own rank. The Grand Inquisitor was the weakest link, with shaky vocals in parts and a failure to suggest the terrifying presence that comes with the territory but it wasn't necessary for the man sitting behind me to chant that he should have retired. The chorus and the orchestra were both on great form and the entire cast received well-deserved and lengthy applause from the amphi audience although I can't speak for the expensive seats downstairs. It would be interesting to hear what anyone else thinks who attends later in the run.

I have just tuned in to Hardtalk on the BBC 1 rolling news at 12.30 with Michaela de Prince speaking very poignantly and articulately about wartorn Sierra Leone and the strength that she has derived from the difficulties in her past.

I will clearly be in a minority of one, if not actually up for lynching, and I know that the Betroffenheit back story was terribly tragic, which makes a negative reaction that much more difficult, but I found it selfconscious, unintelligible, overlong and I was so frozen with boredom that I could barely make it through to the end. It was, by the way, very much liked by a certain Exeunt contributor.

The trilogy of James plays at the National, anyone? Actually the National seems to have a thing about endurance sittings.

I was also at that performance. It was literally hair-raising. Never before or since ....

My returns were delivered to the desk in the foyer and sold on around 15 minutes before the start.

I have returned tickets to the desk at the far end of the foyer shortly before the start of a couple of recent performances and they were sold on. I am not sure whether the foyer desk and the shop on the corner act in conjunction with each other or whether the timing of the return/resale might be relevant but on the basis of the conflicting information it may be worth a quick phone call to the box office to check.

Since he can, he (Campbell) should be first in line when they next cast for the Phelim McDermott production of Akhnaten, which presented more juggling opportunities than Billy Smart's Circus. That apart, I can only echo all the praise that has already been heaped upon Campbell's wonderful Bratfisch with its unique emotional clarity and stunning technique. What a scene-stealing tour de force! Changing the topic somewhat, I have been wondering about some of the mixed reactions to Friday's performance. Some of the posters have mentioned that the ballet made less of an impact upon them this time round. It is, of course, extremely difficult to match the intense reaction to a superlative first experience (to replicate that 'blown away' feeling) since we know what to expect, and I wonder whether this might have had something to do with some of Friday's reactions. Personally, and although earlier Watson/Galeazzi pas de deux may possibly have produced more heart-stopping moments, I found Friday's performance deeply moving and the Watson/Osipova partnership darkly compelling and utterly convincing. For me, (and the alarming costume malfunction is obviously omitted here) those few imperfect, fumbled moments only added to the authenticity. I can't really add to the plaudits that have already been given to the rest of Friday's cast, there really is nothing more to say: Sarah Lamb, Marianella Nunez, Zenaida Yanowsky - all utterly superb! I loved Francesca Hayward's portrayal: those little moments, the way her hands fluttered helplessly around her temples, those extraordinary articulate feet! And what could possibly surpass the dark and thrilling intensity of Liszt's wonderful Transcendental Etudes? Sadly, I don't have tickets for the Morera/Bonelli cast but, my goodness, their performance seems to have been a very special experience indeed! Again, as others have already said, we are so lucky to have such an embarrassment of talent in the company at the moment. Long may it continue!

So, Geoff's post led me to the ROH 'your reaction' page, more specifically to a posting from one, Sim, and, ah, memories of Bremner Bird and Fortune, Frances Barber, Pauline McLynn and their sublime 'chattering classes' dinner party sketches .....

There was an interesting interview with Tom Cairns, the director and librettist, in the Music Therapy and Mental Health broadcasts at 10.00pm on Radio 3 on Monday night. When asked for the opera with the best ending, he volunteered 'The Exterminating Angel'. The Arts Desk, whilst having many favourable things to say, particularly about the performers, ventured the following, somewhat amusing appraisal: "Imagine chomping your way through an entire bar of artisan chocolate, 85 percent cocoa, expensively packaged, black and bitter to the end. It gets a bit much, like going cover to cover through a compendium of Gerald Scarfe cartoons." The picture accompanying Don Carlo on the ROH website looks particularly suited to The Exterminating Angel.

Yes, another lovely video, Duck, thanks so much.

Thanks for the info Nick and LinMM as seat view tools never give an accurate impression of the actual view.

Oh dear!

And, although not on topic, how lovely to read Mark Monahan's assessment of Campbell's "intensely moving partnership with Yuhui Choe in ... The Two Pigeons."

Noooooooo! I am self employed so would lose out financially but the thought of a few extra Bank Holidays cheers me up no end.

Late castings are a problem with ENB, too. And, as in the case of this September's Akram Khan Giselle, those of us who held back pending castings found that all the seats had gone.