Two Pigeons

Shame the telly cast was so dark but terrific shots of Wicky at the end.

1 hour ago, alison said:

Tolstoy??

Whoops!  Checkhov!  Apparently he wrote that the Three Sisters was set in a town 'like Perm'.

Not to self: don't try to show off!

The ballet was staged in Perm by Stephan Wicks.  He was particularly thrilled because there is a link between Perm and Tolstoy writing The Three Sisters.

4 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

 

I just found a very blurry extract from this on YouTube.  I'm afraid that, not only is the quality of the recording dreadful, but there's  a watermark for a software company across the middle of it.  Still, I assume it's better than nothing!

 

 

Bluebird, thank you so much.  Far better than nothing.  Xxxx

I really, really enjoyed this piece and am so pleased to have had the chance to see it.

I had two regrets though.  As I am unfamiliar with the company, my loss indeed, and was watching it on a pretty small screen, I was sorry that the two Principal ladies were not in more easily distinguishable colours.

However, the second and far more significant regret is that we have so few chances to see Cranko's choreography and the Stuttgart company in general.  I remember so clearly seeing Haydee and Cragun in Cranko's pas de deux Homage à Bolshoi, music by Glazanov. I would so love to see it again.  It's very reminiscent of the first act mirror pas de deux in Onegin.  They were something very special indeed.

Like Janet, I loved Tyrone.

I remember a choreographic project when Stephen Wicks made a ballet to the St Paul's Suite.  

But then I would remember that wouldn't I.

This has just made the local BBC news.  Kit Holder looks great with his beard.

1 minute ago, Jan McNulty said:

This was so full of joy it's quite set me up for the rest of the day.

 

I agree 110% with Sheila about Marion Tait.  I consider myself so very privileged to have seen her performing since I started watching ballet in 1984 - I was going to say in her prime but, of course, she still is!!

Make her a Dame!

28 minutes ago, capybara said:

Can’t resist agreeing, although I know it’s off topic.

I agree too.  I was staggered when I saw her in the street by the Hippodrome and she was absolutely tiny.  Like Marion Tait she had a stage presence which belayed her small stature.

May I say that my greatest regret from my years of ballet going was that I never saw him dance.  I saw Maximova a few times but never Vasiliev.

I know he is Sheila's favourite male dancer and she is someone whose opinion I hold in the highest respect.  We are in total agreement in our adoration of Nicolas Le Riche so I am certain I would have cherished and opportunity I would have had to see and admire Vasiliev.

This was covered by Lyndsey Winship in the Guardian.

I didn't knew she knew BRB existed!

52 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

I finally got around to watching this last night.  I'd never seen it before, and I  enjoyed it, but I I hadn't realised Alessandra Ferri had spent such a long time working with MacMillan.  She certainly seemed to get the lion's share of the interviews.  My perception was that she left the Royal Ballet quite early on in her career.  

She did.  Remember that Macmillan's principal muse was Lynn Seymour but she seems to be getting increasingly airbrushed out of the story.

16 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

They showed a projection of it at the end of the ROH Fonteyn gala last year - there were very few dry eyes in the house, I'd wager.

I was there and find myself in bits EVERY time I see that clip.

Utterly magical.

As I remember it 'Sir' Peter and the Wolf was choreographed by Matthew Hart.  I have it somewhere.

For me no one has ever matched Merle Park and I have seen a number.

I have to revise that opinion now I have seen Laura Morera.  I am a big fan of her anyway but I thought she was an utter triumph.  I cannot remember being so riveted by the card scene for years.  She and Sarah Lamb were so well matched and both told the story so clearly.

I am someone else who finds Steven McRea a bit marmite.  However, credit where credit is due, he really impressed me with this.  I don't think it was entirely down to the fact that he had such a fabulous list of ballerinas to act against.  He had really thought about the part and approached it with real intelligence.  I very enjoyed the whole thing.

5 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Was that the one Rhapsody was made for?

Indeed, with Mam'zelle Angot.

P.s. please may we also have the gala for the Queen's 60th Birthday.  Gelsey Kirkland as Juliet, extracts from Birthday Offering and Daphnis and Chloe.

22 minutes ago, Janite said:

 

Do you know what it's called? 

Britbox? 

Cannot say I think ballet will be a priority though.  They are showing every episode of Midsomer  Murders.  I think that's a better indication of what they will be showing.

Collier and Dowell in Cinderella, Park and Wall in Sleeping Beauty, Schaufuss and Evdokimova in La Sylphide and the quad bill for Sir Fred's 75th please.   That's the one with the first cast in A Month in the Country.

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

 

I may be clutching at straws but one of today’s links suggest that BBC’s Dance Season starts in May with some programmes later in the year, nothing about the season starting with tonight’s Mayerling (which I should make clear I’m delighted is being broadcast). So I think I’ll still hope to see further recorded performances from the Royal Ballet as part of the Dance Season.

Given that the RB recordings are already available to audiences in one form or another would it be ungracious to express the suggestion that the BBC should record performances by other companies?

2 hours ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

Hear, hear!  I agree wholeheartedly with both comments.

Me too!

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

And, if Carlos can 'milk' his stardom to the full to the benefit of BRB, that will be great for the company, for us and for new audiences.

I agree wholeheartedly.  The London critics may even deign to visit the Hippodrome.

However, I was not surprised that Carlos is already signalling that money will be an issue.

1 hour ago, Odyssey said:

I share Janet's disquiet, expressed in an earlier post, at what may be the start of a different offer for London to the home base of Birmingham.  I am already disappointed that there are two interesting programmes  ( I am including the collaboration with Ferri here) which unless I travel to London, I am denied seeing. Much as I support the statement made by Carlos Acosta regarding an outreach programme that forges new partnerships etc., there is so much richness in the legacy of BRB that if presented in new and imaginative ways, these ballets can speak to new and younger audiences about today's world and provide examples of exquisite choreography. I really hope that our fears are proved wrong.

Hear, hear!

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I've just gone a funny shade of green!!!

Me too!!!

I watched Acosta being interviewed on both local news channel last night and I found his enthusiasm very appealing.  However, I am not that optimistic that he will be able to achieve all his aims.  He is undoubtedly a ballet superstar but, as he won't be dancing, I can see poor attendance being a massive issue.

The advance publicity for Don Q features the A team as far as I am concerned, Celine Gittens and Tyrone Singleton.  If this translates to being the first cast I would be happy to go out of my way to book to see them.  Ditto Delia Mathews and Brandon Lawrence.  The triple including the Beethoven's 7th also appeals but yet more Romeo and Juliet, probably without advanced casting, frankly just doesn't.

I can see the necessity of taking the company in a different direction, especially in these times of stringent financial limitations.  I really do wish him every success and this may be the only way to keep a company and orchestra of the current size together.  However, I do wonder what we will be left with in 3 to 5 years time.  He is talking about a ballet reflecting Birmingham's history and diversity as a city of a thousand trades.  Without wishing to be controversial in any way it may be worth pointing out that a significant proportion of that diversity holds both music and dancing as Haram.  

His enthusiasm and willingness to change warrants admiration but I think his task is huge.