Mummykool

2 hours ago, alison said:

 

I don't remember her doing doubles in the performance I saw, though.

I don't recall, either - I think it would be etched in everyone's memories if she had! 
Unless I've got my definitions wrong, Dudinskaya starts with runs of single piqué turns interspersed with chaines turns, and finishes with a continuous run of single piqué turns. My recollection of Osipova is similar - and just as fast!

5 hours ago, alison said:

Wow, those piqué turns!  And doubles, too - I didn't know that was a possibility.

I seem to remember Osipova doing exactly the same steps back in 2018 when an injury prevented her from doing the 32 fouettes. It was sensational

Thank you Geoff for encapsulating my feelings exactly. It was indeed a privilege to have been there on Saturday afternoon.

Two front row amphi seats have popped up for the Saturday matinee

13 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

 

Napoleon doesn't appear in the curtain calls, unfortunately.

It's a shame neither character gets to take a bow at the end. I thought it was lovely that Gary Avis made sure Lukas Braendsrod got a well-deserved round of applause after hoisting Gary onto his shoulder. How he kept a straight face through the antics of both sisters last night was beyond me. 

When I received the offer, I looked up the prices of the discounted seats available. I can get a better view from some of the remaining amphitheatre seats than from any of the discounted seats, and at a cheaper price. Basically the seats on offer are STILL beyond what I'm willing to pay! Pricing is becoming a serious issue.

On 26/10/2022 at 18:22, alison said:

Good old Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20040427145841/http://www.ballet.co.uk/contexts/mayerling_music.htm

Wow! I've just found the printout I made of that web page about eight years ago, and then used as the basis to search for a CD set containing as much of the original material as I could.

The 4 CD set I ended up buying was Franz Liszt: Complete Symphonic Poems - London Philharmonic Orchestra under Bernard Haitink, from the  late 60s (you can find it on Spotify by searching for Liszt: Tone Poems Haitink - the cover is orange).

I think it's wonderful to listen to: the music is at the same time both completely familiar and yet powerfully different in pace, tone and emphasis. Lanchbery did a truly amazing job compiling the pieces into the ballet score.

On a different tack, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Kobborg/Cojacaru Mayerling. We were lucky enough to get return tickets to what turned out to be their truly memorable farewell performance.

Really enjoying seeing the different casts and how their interpretations vary. Loved every one so far!

Will Tuckett's " Elizabeth"

Over the years I have been lucky enough to see (and be blown away by) her Giselle, Mary Vetsera, Sylvia, Anastasia and Nikia but I think my all time favourite was the last performance of Onegin with Matthew Golding. That one will live with me forever!

Like many here, I'm not so fond of her Aurora but I will willing pay to sit through the rest of the ballet just to watch her dance the dream sequence.

I'm also not so keen on some of the modern stuff she has done but there are exceptions! Top of that list would be an absolutely fabulous performance in In The Upper Room which we saw her dance at the Coliseum when still with the Bolshoi (for which I think she won an award). More recently I loved Facada and The Mother and am really hoping that someday she will be able to bring Two Feet to London.

From bits I have gathered on YouTube - Corsaire with ABT,  Bright Stream both with the (Bolshoi and ABT), and Pharoah's Daughter with the Bolshoi come to mind. I am sure there are others.

Above all I love her ability in inhabit whatever role she is playing and take me with her on her journey. She stays in character throughout and never milks the applause she rightly is given. She is an unbelievably gifted artist who seems to have managed to become a superstar without acquiring the airs and graces that so many adopt. We are so lucky to have her.

2 hours ago, ChrisG said:

It seems that when I said some of you would definitely like it and some would definitely not I was wrong. I seem to be in a minority of one! But then my hearing's probably been wrecked by a lifetime of listening to loud music. I remember once seeing Dr John at Manchester University and you could feel the breeze coming from the speakers it was so loud. Having said that though, the loudest experience I ever had was sitting in the choir seats behind the percussion section of the BBC Philharmonic and hearing Rite of Spring. Now THAT is loud!!

You  are not in a minority of one ChrisG as the husband and I loved it, as did the guys sat next to us (who were among many who stood and cheered loudly at the end!)

Yes it was loud, but nowhere near the unbearable volume we were subjected to at the ROH in McGregor's piece  to 'It's Gonna Rain'.....that made my ears bleed!

OK it's not as easily accessible as Giselle (but we all knew the back story and the music in advance) but I think it will definitely grow with a second viewing and am looking forward to seeing another cast next week.

For what it's worth Scheherezade, we went again on Sunday afternoon to see the other cast and Natascha Mair looked equally uncomfortable in the Corsaire Pas de trois as she had in the Black Swan pas de deux on opening night. The rest of the programme was wonderful.

Like you, can't wait for the Forsythe evening next year! 

We also went on Wednesday and Irmgard's excellent review sums it up nicely.

Our highlights were pretty much the same as those who have already reported:

Erina Takahashi and James Streeter were incredibly moving in the duet from Dust, as were Emily Sazuki and Victor Prigent in Hollow. 

Le Corsaire pas de trois was sensational with Shiori Kase and Francesco Gabriel Frola being worth the admission price on their own and Forsythe's Playlist was a fitting showstopper to end the evening.

If we lived in London, I'd be there every night!

We thoroughly enjoyed  it too and thought it far better prepared (and rehearsed) than usual.

I usually prefer my ballet classical over modern but highlights for me were Finding Light and Dust. I found both extremely moving.and both got a huge amount of applause.

 The one thing I really didn't like was Naghdi's un-ghost-like bright red lipstick. For me it totally destroyed the ethereal affect she worked so hard to achieve. Other than that, I found the whole evening very enjoyable

2 hours ago, Bluebird said:

 

The casting must be incomplete.  Hayward and Ball (Olga and Lensky) are in the same cast as Osipova and Muntagirov (Tatiana and Onegin).

 

Edited to add that I've just checked it on the new website page.  You have to click on the + to get the full cast.  Strange that they should list them in that order!

They have also listed all the Naghdi/Ball performances the same way. 

I wrote via the website but have also called the box office to point out the mistake. The lady I spoke to hadn't seen the new website so accessed it while we were talking. She checked the web info against the box office listings so they were obviously unaware of the error. Somebody is now on the case and presumably it will be fixed before public booking. Much as I personally love Anna Rose and Joseph Sissons, they really need to have the principals listed if they want to sell tickets......

Progress? I think not.....

Absolute highlight of my season was La Bayadere. I think Osipova/Nunez/Muntagirov just edged it over Nunez/Osipova/Muntagirov but both were absolutely wonderful. How I wish they had filmed both (but with Sambe as the Bronze Idol both times!)

Other standouts have been 

Sarah lamb's Marie Larische and James Hay's Bratfish in Mayerling

William Bracewell, and Yasmine Naghdi in Winter Dreams

Osipova's stunning Juliet on June 1st

and Matthew Ball's Tybalt

I have also very much enjoyed watching Anna Rose O' Sullivan and Joseph Sissons light up the stage whenever they appear

and (of course) almost everything danced by Vadim Muntagirov

The exception to the latter is Don Quixote as even a dream team of Osipova/Muntagirov couldn't rescue it for me. The music has had the life sucked out of it, the choreography is a mess and the costumes ugly. Both ABT and Bolshoi versions are so much better.

I didn't particularly enjoy Flight Pattern. I'm not so keen on some of the modern pieces and the gloomy lighting didn't help (although I thought the music lovely). 

However, bottom of the pile has to be Unknown Soldier. That was so awful words fail me......

3 minutes ago, Shade said:

Thanks Nogoat for your comprehensive review. I didn’t post much before because I had just got home and was recovering from the harrowing act 3 of last nights performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me too. Still getting over it in fact. It really was one of those nights that will stay long in the memory

Having read Chris Shipman's report, I wasn't particularly enthused about the new season but thought I'd see when everything was on. Scrolling through I found, totally unmentioned in the text, that Onegin is on Jan 28th to Feb 29th. I am so happy! However, if that doesn't class as a classic (and doesn't even rate a mention) I seriously wonder what does.

I pre-ordered my copy from Amazon as soon as they announced the blu-ray version would be available on March 1st and it arrived at 10am yesterday. 

Tickets at the Southbank went on general sale this morning folks. Originally advertised as three performances, June 20-22, there now only seem to be two shows - June 20th and 21st.

47 minutes ago, Sim said:

Indeed he is....until he meets Manon.  First love, probably first sex.....what young man, who most probably knew nothing about either, wouldn't have a big grin on his face having experienced both??!!  DG IS very serious and bookish when he first appears, but the whole point is that he is so smitten with Manon that he drops his book, his studiousness and everything else just to be with her.  His joy and abandon are in real contrast to his demeanour when he first arrives onstage.  For me, the contrast really worked.   He made me understand why he would risk everything for this girl. Love does strange things to people....! 

 I see your point Sim, but I still don't think the smile matches the choreography in the beginning, especially in the solo he dances for Manon. It is certainly well placed during their pdd and afterwards, but it would have worked better for me if he hadn't started out so happy!

Nitpick over and very much looking forward to Sunday!

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

Some people around me were struggling with what were, for them, different sets; but I think that they give the ballet a fresh, more modern feel which I rather like.

 

By the way, wasn't Francesca Velicu as the boy/girl in black at Madame's absolutely gorgeous?

 

I thought Francesca was lovely too Capybara. However the lady next to me had no idea why she was in a different costume. I didn't mind the different costumes/sets in general, but in this case, unless you knew why she was dressed differently, the whole effect was lost. Costume adds to the narrative of a ballet and, in that particular case, the new design really doesn't work.

I thought Alina was amazing but was not so convinced about Joseph Caley. I agree with Ruth E that steps tended to look rushed as if he couldn't hold the balance or stretch out far enough in longing. It was the fact he smiled the entire way through Act 1 that put me off as I always thought Des Grieux was a serious and studious young man. However, he totally won me over in the final act in which he really went for it. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed Jeffrey Cirio's Lescaut. He won my heart by remembering to stay drunk throughout the brothel scene which I found as something of a rarity. It has often amused/annoyed me that after the comic solo and PDD, most Lescauts I've ever seen miraculously sober up for the rest of that scene.

Glad we have tickets to see it all again.....

I have written (twice) to the ROH about how difficult (if not downright impossible) it is to work out triple bill casts on the ROH website.

I have just received the following reply...

"Apologies for the difficulties you are experienced with our website, and for the delay in our sending you a response.

We have been working to resolve the problem and now have a fully tested solution. We will publish an update to the live website when we next have an opportunity to release the code and should be displaying error-free casting on our mixed programmes next week.

Best wishes

Ellen"

Watch this space...

4 hours ago, Odyssey said:

Great to have such a comprehensive cast list and what a mouth watering cast list it is. I note they are advertising the online digital programme which have been unavailable for the last few screened productions  - but not offering it free for the evening as has happened previously.

The code is FREENUT

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

 

4.  In the Shades scene, when the dancers come  down the ramp, they all do the arabesque on the right leg.(I think?)  But when they get on the flat, each alternate girl is on the opposite leg.  I was trying to see how they adjusted, but the camera angle wouldn't let me.  How do they manage the swap without it jarring visually?

This is a question that has fascinated me for years but I think after 30 years I have finally figured it out!  When they come off the ramp one dancer takes three steps forward and the one behind takes four so they are then on alternate legs.  (It took me years to figure that the dancers also change legs when they turn at the end of a 'row' by only taking three steps instead of four). The whole thing is so clever and totally magical, especially when it is performed as well as our excellent ladies of the RB corps have done this run. 

2 minutes ago, LinMM said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPa1vut1fF8&feature=share

 

Is this the solo that has been cut? 

 From 4.05 onwards is no longer performed. It was cut in the last run of Bayadere also.