Jump to content

Geoff

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    771

  • Joined

Community Reputation

929 Excellent

Recent Profile Visitors

1,754 profile views
  1. Geoff
    The person who did this lousy job is sadly also hired to conduct it, so it seems we may be stuck with it for a while. Oh for John Lanchbery!
  2. Geoff
    How sweet. But there is always an excuse. Just imagine if an accountant asked for sympathy when submitting false tax returns because of being “tired”. What is the right amount of sympathy for people unable to do their jobs professionally? By way of recent comparison I have just been to Wagner’s Ring in Budapest, where the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra played the four shows of that enormous operatic cycle on four consecutive nights (a schedule forbidden in Britain by the MU, I understand, “not enough rest breaks”).The all-important brass section sounded world-class at the end of the last show (after six and half hours in the theatre today) just as they had at the beginning, seventeen hours of playing ago. Bet they were “tired”. Incidentally, if you are going to quote an unnamed member of what is possibly the most complacent orchestra in Britain, maybe I can quote an unnamed senior member of the ROH music staff. If I understood correctly, the ROH is not allowed to introduce regular re-auditions (but if the MU is so convinced their members are immortal and never get lazy or sloppy or drunk or whatever, why not have the courage to let that be tested occasionally?) And although management have apparently calculated the cost of moving on the worst players, the bill is supposedly too high to be countenanced.
  3. Geoff
    Yes indeed Mary, not (as some recent performers seem to have been trying to indicate) that he is forgetful because he is an old man: he’s only in his thirties.
  4. Geoff
    https://checkout.timeout.com/london/33-off-the-mother-at-southbank-centre-58096/
  5. Geoff
    Dunno, but there is currently a 33% off deal out there:- https://checkout.timeout.com/london/33-off-the-mother-at-southbank-centre-58096/
  6. Geoff
    At the risk of repeating myself, maybe take a look at the YouTube recording I posted earlier (see https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/20401-the-royal-ballet-firebird-triple-bill-june-2019/?do=findComment&comment=286956 ) Imho this section of the old recording is funnier because it is so much faster (so there is less of the now-we-dancers-are-doing-something-funny style we have been seeing this run: it is impossible to be mannered when going as fast as they were in the 1970s). If the differences in tempo are linked to who is conducting; whether today's casts are not as versed in Cecchetti as in the old days; or a grumpy Sir Fred got everyone to go as quick as possible, I leave to experts to say.
  7. Geoff
    "Old hat" is the phrase which comes to my mind. Manon, R&J, even my beloved Mayerling look tired in so many ways these days, however much oomph our various favourite casts put into them. Except I know that I am wrong about this, because of what we are told: happily we can rely for many years to come on the MacMillan family guaranteeing the absolute truths that Kenneth MacMillan is the sharpest knife in the box, the greatest choreographer, and above all, the most exciting and cutting-edge radical possible, who finally did away with all those fusty dusty twee works by lesser artists such as Petipa and (mostly) Ashton.
  8. Geoff
    Lindsay, didn’t mean to smack anyone in the gob: obviously I meant, does not *necessarily* need specialist training or skill, and apologies for not spelling this out. I can promise you (don’t want to name names for fear of diverting the discussion on to private information) there have been artists who have exhibited at the Tate who did not have what anyone (including themselves) would call training and whose work required skill in marketing above all else. That cannot apply to anyone who has performed on the stage or in the pit of the ROH, as these are fundamentally different activities, requiring hours of work every day since childhood, which is the only point I was trying clumsily to make. This does not take away from any artist or movement you like, admire or support - “fine” art or not - it is a simple distinction between what is necessary and what may be optional. Apologies for not having been clearer.
  9. Geoff
    In case anyone has forgotten, before joining ROH Alex Beard spent 19 years with the Tate (having previously worked for the Arts Council for seven years): www.roh.org.uk/news/alex-beard-announced-as-new-chief-executive-of-royal-opera-house It is open to question - as FLOSS hints - whether those who have spent their formative years working with art that does not need specialist training or skill (true of so much of what has been one of the most successful elements of the Tate offering in recent years) can fully appreciate just exactly what level of dedication over so many years goes into becoming a great ballet dancer, a leading opera singer or indeed a high-grade orchestral musician, many of whom started on their professional journey as toddlers (rhetorical question, what was Damien Hirst doing as a toddler?) There is, I feel, a distinction between the work celebrated at this country's leading opera, dance and music venue - art that can take a lifetime to learn to make and a lifetime properly to appreciate - and what passes for "the arts" industry elsewhere. Whether Alex Beard both appreciates that distinction and understands what necessarily follows from it, in terms of how to lead the companies and treat his audiences, is for him to demonstrate. He is clearly a good and smart bloke (and as to passion, there is a nice story in the comments after the story linked to above): that is not in question. On the specific point I raise, the jury is still out, imho.
  10. Geoff
    And there is a separate thread on it too: https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/20136-new-osipova-documentary-live-qa/
  11. Geoff
    As has been mentioned already, the recording from the 1970s is available complete on YouTube: Very lovely it is too and very nostalgic for me (I saw this ballet during its first run, to think we almost took such genius for granted in those privileged days).Watching this is no doubt instructive for those who hold to the ever-improving-standards theory: the marvellous cast take things at such a lick compared to today that at times one almost feels the film has been speeded up. Yet SO expressive. Magnificent, thank you Sir Fred.
  12. Geoff
    Yes: a wonderful debut, tremendously exciting. Very much hoping to see Magri in this role again soon. By the way, does anyone know anything about the rather gorgeous shoes she wore to the Insight evening on Tuesday?
  13. Geoff
    Was anyone there last night? What's the film like? And how was the Q&A? A report would be great!
  14. Geoff
    Readers of other threads about the "new ROH" over the last year might be interested in this news: https://slippedisc.com/2019/05/covent-garden-chief-is-plucked-by-google/
  15. Geoff
    Good to know who’s really running the company! Does she have wider responsibilities or just in the MacMillan rep?
×
×
  • Create New...