Shade

Thanks for the review Janet it sounds like a good film 

Well Monday is not the best night of the week for me to have a late night (due to work next day) and Monday’s can have a somewhat subdued audience. But not last night! 

It’s not my favourite production either Nogoat, but you couldn’t fault the company for commitment or excellence of dancing. I like the Osipova/Muntagirov partnership - there was fun, cheekiness, tenderness and fireworks. I love a swaggering, smouldering swishy caped matador (Reece Clarke), fiery partner (Claire Calvert), charming Amour and regal Queen of the Dryads (Fumi Kaneko). 

There was humour too.

The chap next to me was going to miss Act 3, but was persuaded to stay, as I said it was the best part. He loved it- hope he didn’t miss his   Train.

it was pure joy- I wish I could bottle it and have it to sustain me for the rest of the week. Thank you RB.

Thanks for these reports on Onegin in Munich. I would very much wish to see Shklyarov in this role and would love to see him back in London. 

Hope me to hear more reports of Onegin in due course.

Thanks for posting Anna. The Newsletter is full of information. I hope that Don Q with Smirnova, Shrainer and Osipova in honour  of Marina Kondratieva is terrific.

On 05/02/2019 at 23:24, loveclassics said:

Can anyone tell me about the January 31st Insight?  It was described as 'Masters of Ballet', so could  refer to choreographers, companies or dancers

and I was hoping it would be filmed but it isn't on YouTube.

 

Linda

Sorry to be late with this - Zoe Anderson spoke about Petipa and Ivanov with illustrations with RB video clips. She spoke well and I found it interesting but I think it was an impossible task to do justice to the two choreographers in the time. I didn’t know that Petipa’s first ballet was the Pharaoh’s Daughter and he produced it in 6 weeks. More on his relationships with the composers would have been appreciated. 

 Ivanov was particularly hard done by, given that his ballets are probably the best known to the public. Really it would need a series of lectures to properly cover the ground - are there any- I would love to be better educated. Zoe compared the Kingdom of the Shades entrance to that of the White Swans in Swan Lake. I would have liked more of this analysis but there just wasn’t time.

there followed a Q and A with Monica Mason about her views of the sleeping beauty and its importance to the company from the perspective of a dancer and director. 

There was a short time (not enough) for audience Q and As. 

I would go to another event like this. It’s a shame it’s not online.

Oh this does sound interesting - I have never seen Suite en Blanc. May have to get a ticket.

Well it sounds like a very grim tale!

Thank you Stucha- some lovely photos there and on Facebook.

It would be lovely to see a review of this or even some comment

It seems that Ms Osipova is to perform in Perm as Nikyia with Lantratov and Alexandrova  as  Gamzatti on 14 December. That's very starry casting - would love to see it. Is the Perm production the same as the Mariinsky?

I was there on 29 Nov, sat in the Amphi, right in front of the (well behaved) GCSE students. I think Soldier is for the YouTube generation. From where I sat, you could not see the entrance of the women, their heads were obscured by the scrim. I found that the final scene diminished the work overall. I almost laughed as the girls behind me were wispering about the dancer being naked! Perhaps it would have worked better if the mother had appeared to welcome her son. However, the dancers were great to watch.

infra I enjoyed more this time (saw it when Mariinsky performed it). I would class it as dance rather than ballet though. Again terrific performances from the dancers. The students were very excited by it, such a shame that they had to leave before Symphony in C, the true ballet piece of the evening.

There was a collective 'ah' of delight for SiC up in the Amphi. It was the first time I have seen it live and I found it delightful. The second movement reminds me of swan lake and diamonds. I will definitely book to see it again. The whole cast looked good in this. I only wish they had put it on first rather than last.

That should of course be Ratmansky!

I didn’t get to see Hallberg in giselle at the ROH but those who saw act 1 seemed very happy.

i did see him at the Wells with Osipova and I loved the Ratnansky duet. Hope he’s ok for R and J in 2019

I think Amelia posted notice of Cuthbertsons appearance in Sylvia. Congratulations to her it seems to have gone well.

Very good if you can find a train running- especially at weekends

2 hours ago, Lindsay said:

 

Grand Tier gets Hotel Chocolat from a butler.  Balcony get to pass around a box of Quality Street.

Surely Grand Tier has Charbonnel et Walker - the Opera Collection?

On 20 November 2018 at 21:47, Geoff said:

 

Do you mean for a particular performance, as previously announced, or do you mean Osipova has withdrawn from all performances Shade? The website is currently showing her dancing on three nights.

 

Yes Geoff I asked what performances Osipova was in and the assistant said she wasn't in it. I think I have more trust in the information on here!

Agree about the unambitious program - and I think Bright Stream was last seen in 2010 - that fabulous season. I didn't see it then so keen to see it this time. I am not sure Spartacus is that popular but I suppose we will find out.

Yes I am one of the very disappointed ones - missing 32 shades and I think 3 ramps plus all the excitement of the drum dance and Manu. Yet more Swans - couldn't they have brought Giselle or Paquita? Well I won't be seeing too much I think.

Fonty I agree with you. Now I have had the chance to think more about Friday's show - terrific balance from Nunez rightly applauded by the audience, she was also beautiful, imperious and majestic and out to get her man at any cost. Muntagirov - perhaps not a warrior but a true danseur noble and partnering the ballerinas so securely. Osipova really surprised me with her portrayal of Nikiya- very touching. 

Beautiful shades act- heavenly. Sambe was very exciting as the bronze idol. Bravo to all. So sad it's all over.

Just phoned box office re casting for Symphony in C as it seems to have disappeared from the website again. The assistant told me that Osipova wasn't dancing it and I asked her if she could confirm the cast - she checked the website and said that she couldn't and remarked that there have been problems but the staff are not told about them! I bought a (cheap) ticket anyway - I will just take a chance on it. Very bad impression of the organisation - seems shambolic.

It's been great reading all these comments. Finally got to see this on Friday, despite best efforts of the trains to delay us! What and evening - it made me forget all the trials of the week. I was transported to another place by the wonderful RB performers. 

Sadly could not get to see the cinema screening as yet, so undecided as to which way round I prefer the ballerinas. How lucky we are to have had this opportunity. Has this happened before in the same run - I don't recall? I really hope the RB continues to perform this, my favourite ballet.

Thanks Saodan for the update - this casting is a bit like musical chairs!

How exciting about tonight's performance. I hope everyone at the Opera House and in cinemas has a wonderful time. 

I can't wait until Friday when I go. I am going to stick my neck out and hazard a guess that Gamzatti suits Osipova best and Nikiya suits Nunez best but happy to be proved wrong. How lucky we are to have the opportunity to see this swap.

Thank you Bridiem