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Geoff

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  1. Geoff
    For those who haven't seen today's Guardian, here is their review (today's paper): https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/nov/13/la-bayadere-review-ratmansky-staatsoper-unter-den-linden-berlin
  2. Geoff
    As someone whose career oddly straddles both academia and showbusiness, might I add a point of clarification, as I think the word ‘dangerous’ is being misunderstood? When the word is used in a scholarly way - as I believe jmb is using it - it does not have quite the same flavour as in everyday use (such as ‘playing with knives is dangerous’). So just as, say, the word ‘attitude’ means something specific and different when used in a ballet context, so do words like ‘dangerous’ change when used in the academy. One can probably safely replace ‘dangerous’ with ‘problematic’, as that gets to almost the same place. Hope that helps smooth out what to me seems to be a linguistic misunderstanding.
  3. Geoff
    Yes, that now definitely wakes the snake up and makes it dizzy and cross! On a serious note, I am so pleased to see that this wonderful artist, who I remember from ten years ago as primarily a supreme technician, has matured into a dancer of great expression. Hope we see more of her in Britain soon.
  4. Geoff
    You can say that again! Thankfully (though this probably belongs in another thread) we have some recordings to remind ourselves of the two of them together.
  5. Geoff
    Yet the brass are still the laziest section of any orchestra in Britain. Is it too much to hope that the delightful Pappano - who is rightly adored by singers and audiences alike - might use his new security as an opportunity finally to tackle the institutional weaknesses of the ROH band and form them into a dependably world-class operation. Of course they can sound wonderful on occasion (the recent Verdi Requiem, for example) but far too often there is dodgy civilservant-like routine playing (and worse).
  6. Geoff
    Here is a recent interview with Maria Khoreva with some good pictures: www.bontena.com/contents/2018/09/Interview-with-Ballerina-Maria-Khoreva-18090403
  7. Geoff
    And not just Guillem/Bussell: the truly wonderful Viviana Durante was set against Bussell from way back, even as early, some believe, as the time of that documentary about the two of them as teenagers in White Lodge. There are those who believe the RB actively encouraged (encourages?) this sort of thing, as it sells tickets and generates publicity. How good it is for the art or individual dancers’ careers is a different matter.
  8. Geoff
    And not only ordinary fans. By chance my seat was next to a member of the current ENB company. He estimated at least twenty of the company had come to see their former colleague!
  9. Geoff
    If it's the brass players, they are probably getting a beer. What the official reason is, who knows.
  10. Geoff
    Not for the first time, Richard LH, you have twisted the meaning of what I wrote. I will be generous and assume you are not mischievous but just have a slim grasp of grammar. I'll leave it to others to fill in the rest, if they can be bothered.
  11. Geoff
    I have a striking example from another part of show business. A friend got leading roles in major Hollywood films throughout her teens but had little stage experience. So she joined the RSC - and spent the first two years of her time there doing no more than putting chairs on the stage.
  12. Geoff
    Some people are horrible. We need to be careful, though. I witnessed a similarly unpleasant incident in the ROH amphitheatre last season - only it was the other way around, as it were. I'll summarise as briefly as I can. A persistent sweet-wrapper rustler (throughout the whole first act) ignored all attempts by various people in neighbouring seats to shush her. So a man sitting behind tapped her on the shoulder. In the interval this really kicked off: the woman was screaming "assault" (that word again); her son said he would call the police; while the excellent staff tried to mediate, while clearly sympathising with the tapper rather than the tapped. The ROH are doing everything they can to "open up": this inevitably brings people into the house who are at the other end of the spectrum of experience from the sit-quiet-and-behave regulars. I don't know what best to advise - nor do I know the current legal definition of assault - but fear we are in a difficult world.
  13. Geoff
    Missing those side Stalls Circle seats that are (usually) no longer available? It turns out the story is not yet over: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/royal-opera-house-granted-permission-appeal-musicians-hearing-loss/
  14. Geoff
    A review: https://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music-opera/verdis-requiem-royal-opera-pappano-review-all-heaven-allows In passing I note that the usually awful brass section just showed that they can do fine when they want to. Is it because they practice more before such an event; stay sober; try harder; or (whisper it who dares) substitute players are brought in on special occasions?
  15. Geoff
    Maybe, jmhopton, if you get a substantive reply you might share the gist with the rest of us? I for one would be very interested.
  16. Geoff
    It has always "snowed" in these scenes. Perhaps the balance between the projection and the rest of the lighting is set by hand, which might explain variations over the years. Where one sits certainly makes a difference.
  17. Geoff
    Let's hope...
  18. Geoff
    Indeed. And my suggestion was that it is surely worth pointing this out to them, so that they stop thinking we are both dumb and docile. Any note one sends at this point (ie one has complained, reasonably and politely; they have replied dishonestly or otherwise inadequately) should ideally be copied to Alex Beard, so that management can't subsequently say, as so often happens, that they were never appraised of what underlings were doing.
  19. Geoff
    ...a point which it would be very well worth SPD444 making in their reply to Lucy aka Graham Boland (just in case SPD444 has not already done so). The ROH should not be able to get away with using weasel language without being held to account.
  20. Geoff
    This sort of thing really needs everyone to whom it happens to raise it (politely) with the ROH (they tend not to read this Forum, it seems). An email to the appropriate type of person, followed up by a repeat (copied to to someone higher up) if there is no acknowledgement, is the only way they will learn.
  21. Geoff
    Many thanks Don Q Fan - what magic did you use to post those photos, I have never managed this?
  22. Geoff
    As part of another discussion on the Forum I wrote recently: >>Just one recent example: last Monday's opening of Act 3 of Gotterdammerung. The (sadly so often awful, lazy) brass section led off with some horns who even for them were really not bothering. Half the amphitheatre burst out into exactly the sort of pure natural instinctive laughter any career comedian would be delighted by. This sound no doubt reached at least the ears of the conductor, and perhaps led later to some firm words and a bit of practising (even if not, as I would counsel, some re-auditioning and perhaps early retirement). However I am wondering whether my long-held view about that section might need an adjustment. There was recently rather a thoughtful and informed review of the same show, followed by comments ditto, on a New York-based website. Deep in the comments they start discussing the brass section in Gotterdammerung (which the reviewer had picked on) http://disq.us/p/1wbizjg If one reads the comments from this point, the issue does seem to be somewhat more complicated. Are there any horn players on the Forum who feel like adding their thoughts?
  23. Geoff
    Bonkers? I have previously told the story of an exhausted senior arts venue manager trying to game the Arts Council system by seating certain kinds of people in certain seats on certain dates. Here is another example of how the system produces stupid results, when a now defunct Arts Council-like organisation (the UKFC) let an entrepreneurial film producer create a film he knows is bad but which nonetheless got its funding for political reasons: >>They cared more about promoting diversity and fulfilling social quotas than about strong scripts. For that reason Nina’s Heavenly Delights (the worst film that I or anyone else has produced) was given £250,000 by the Film Council via Scottish Screen, not because it was a good story — far from — but because it was about Asian lesbians making curry in Glasgow, and so the perfect PC trivector. It was a critical and commercial flop, but no matter; we ticked the boxes. (The full article is here:- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/good-riddance-to-the-uk-film-council-z7v8nf9q6g2 )
  24. Geoff
    We won't get any different (let alone more thoughtful) replies until the bosses start taking this seriously. But the more of us who write in or post on the ROH website the more likely the ROH will realise they need to address this properly.
  25. Geoff
    More helpful comments have been posted on the original article, worth checking back: https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/article/dancing-pinhead-pricing I wonder if Lucy Sinclair of the ROH feels she only speaks to her bosses, her paid advisers and the Arts Council, or whether she might also consider the public? This is turning into quite a mess so her ongoing silence is unfortunate.
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