RobR

Well, in the absence of more erudite reviews, I thought I’d post, briefly, that last night’s performance went very well.

The audience loved it and the cast, who all danced very well, also seemed to be enjoying themselves.

In fact, despite having been a few times, if there had been more performances, I’d probably be booking them now.

l'm sorry that the run has now ended and hope that it won’t be too long before it’s back.

25 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

Has Donnelly been dancing otherwise or is he injured/ill? Do we know? Either way, I'm very sad for him. Hopefully, he'll get a chance in the future to dance the role.

He’s injured, unfortunately 

40 minutes ago, RobR said:

Julia has danced; Myrthe, Lilac Fairy, Queen of the Dryads, Big Swan, Dancing Mistress?

And Rose Fairy 😉

Julia has danced; Myrthe, Lilac Fairy, Queen of the Dryads, Big Swan, Dancing Mistress?

24 minutes ago, MAB said:

 

I am going to Winters Tale next week to see some dancers lower down the RB ranks.  I rather like the middle act.  I don't think I could ever stomach another viewing of the chocolate ballet again though.

😀 I wanted to check who the lower ranked dancers were but Lamb, Cuthbertson, Kaneko, Hayward, Mendizabel, Corrales, Muntagirov, Sambe, and Acri all seem to be top drawer 😉

I also like Act 2 (and 1 & 3). 
 

I also had reservations after watching LWFC the first time but after a couple more viewings I positively liked it. You never know, it may grow on you as it did me

I can understand that we all have different tastes in ballet but in TWT I see dancers/dancing that resonates with my two favourite Ashton ballets; La fille mal gardee and Les Patineurs. 
 

The first certainly involves a full act of rustic dancing and the second, falls, grimaces and a euphoric Blue Boy to exhilarate the audience and send them home happy, a feeling I have after watching TWT

I only saw this cast in the General but I thought Mayara Magri danced and acted beautifully as Paulina. 
 

I hope she was as good in tonight’s performance.

I very much enjoyed WT tonight and I’m sure I’ll post in the WT thread presently. 
 

This is to continue the discussion about standing ovations. 
 

I had an SCS in the centre (D35) and the view was good but, as the curtain descended at the end of Act 3, and the audience applauded two adults in row A stood. Not to spontaneously applaud, not to shuffle out to make a quick getaway but to stand up to use their phones to take photos of the cast. Just standing, photographing but not applauding. 
 

The people in the rows behind that to stand up to see. 
 

Interestingly, despite not being able to see the stage, I was able to see the stalls and that section of the audience was seated and applauding. 
 

So, not euphoria in the moment just

selfishness and a disregard of the people behind them. 

It might conceivably be thought to be selfish and entitled - as in ‘my wish to stand and applaud is more important than your wish to see the stage and curtain call’

Those who were following the posts about ‘standing ovations’ might be interested to read two letters published in today’s Times.
 

The correspondents write that, ‘Sadly, this behaviour is creeping in here, and ruining theatregoing for the well behaved.’ and that, ‘… audience members who rise to their feet en bloc  make it difficult for others to remain seated.’

41 minutes ago, alison said:

I'm thinking I might need to make sure I have Kleenex when I go to the cinema.

It’s Act 3 that always gets me.
 

Paulina recognising the emerald parallels Jenny Agutter recognising her “Daddy” at the end of The Railway Children.

12 minutes ago, Sim said:

Lindsay posted a few words above.

Thanks Sim 😀

So, did anyone see last night’s performance?

As a ballet watcher who generally prefers classical ballet to modern ballet, my vote, if I have one, is to continue with the Petipa choreography and keep the cygnets.

I also like the idea of that ‘golden thread' which could, if need be, trace the history of any traditional piece of choreography, that is to say, every established classical company, will have dancers who have a direct link to earlier dancers, either by coaching or by having performed with, dancers who in turn will have a link to the original performers.

7 minutes ago, Tiptoesmama said:

So excited for tomorrow evening’s swan lake! Is anyone able to tell me roughly what time the Saturday evening performance finishes? Is it 3 hours including the intervals? 

The cast sheet states various times that total 175 minutes (sorry for the pedantry) but by the time the flowers have been handed out and the curtain calls taken it’s nearer 3 hours plus 5-10 minutes. I hope you enjoy it 😀

26 minutes ago, mari said:

I’m sorry, I was honestly trying to honor the performers by giving them a standing ovation. I think THEY and their arot are the ones we should think about and honor. Especially considering that rows before were also doing so… 

It was a great performance and I’m pretty sure that everyone in the audience thought so and wanted to share in the occasion. The trouble is, if people stand at the front, those at the back can’t see and share …

9 minutes ago, alison said:

Unfortunately, not everyone is always in a position to be able to stand up in such circumstances

And people standing prevent people sitting behind them from seeing … which is, perhaps, a little thoughtless 

Oh no, I’ve offended everyone. 
 

I thought it was an amusing story. I checked Serge Lifar’s Wikipedia entry. 

He was clearly a Russian citizen. 
 

I quoted the letter, which described the Marquis de Cuevas in the terms I used. 

I checked the information contained in the letter. I didn’t realise that I would cause any offence or upset. 

8 minutes ago, Irmgard said:

Just a small correction.  Lifar was Ukrainian, born in Kyiv where he trained in the ballet school attached to the opera house when Bronislava Nijinska was ballet mistress.  The Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition has been held in Ukraine since 1994.

Thank you. His Wikipedia entry describes him as Russian, born in Kiev when the Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire in 1905

3 minutes ago, Rob S said:

Is it time we had a Duelling section on the forum?😄

En garde? 😉

The Times has recently carried a news report about duelling and the fact that although it is generally believed to have died out (no pun intended) in the UK in the 19th Century, it continued in other countries, including France, well into the 20th century.

Today’s Times carries a letter describing how, “In 1958, the Marquis de Cuevas, a Chilean theatre producer, and Serge Lifar duelled after an argument over the proposed choreography of a ballet” .

(Lifar was a noted Russian dancer and choreographer and subsequently director of the Paris Opera Ballet.)

I know that this Forum occasionally expresses views on choreography and choreographers but whilst it might be safe to do that in the UK, a little circumspection might prudent elsewhere.

It’s partly my fault because I contributed to the thread on the orchestra, but I now wish I never had and regret both the thread and my involvement in it. 

…. continuing the thread,

 I have absolutely no doubt that the Director of Music, the conductor, the first violin, etc have ears so attuned to the instruments that they can hear and identify (and subsequently deal with) any issues such as described above.

Edit. Exactly what @Lizbie1 says 😀

I’ll pm you about the 7 pm performance 🤞

22 minutes ago, MAB said:

I'm completely nonplussed as to why there are so few complaints about them, they are the worst opera house orchestra in Europe.  I'm currently half way through a ring cycle in Zurich and have yet to hear a bum note.  Unlike my last ring cycle at ROH. 

 

They are a disgrace and the brass section in particular.  Back in the 60's they screwed up R&J nightly.  It took years for them to get it right.

Well, I have to say that I imagine that 99% of the audience (me and my tin ears included) have no problem with the ROH orchestra and the music they play. 
 

And, whilst on the subject of the orchestra (and I imagine that the suggestion was made tongue in cheek) of annual auditions for the musicians, I am not in favour of short term contracts or the ‘gig’ economy either …..