Geoff

I carry no brief for this Twitter person (and have no idea who they are) but I just searched for your reference and that is not quite what was said:

Ah, thank you. And also for the warning: I am beginning to understand how this works!

I have got myself into a muddle this morning with attaching small snapshots. I found the page My Attachments but there doesn't seem to be a facility to delete old attachments (which I had previously not realised were stored). What does one do to get the attachment allowance back to full size?

I carry no brief for this Twitter person (and have no idea who they are) but I just searched for your reference and that is not quite what was said: (APOLOGIES - SUDDENLY HAVING TROUBLE POSTING THE SNAPSHOT OF THE TWEET, TECHNICAL HELP WELCOME, THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE VERY RESTRICTIVE FILE SIZE, WHICH CAN't RIGHT GIVEN THE GORGEOUS PHOTOS UPLOADED)

I carry no brief for this Twitter person (and have no idea who they are) but I just searched for your reference and that is not quite what was said:

Not to be a nitpicker Richard LH, but just in the interests of accuracy, Hayward has danced Aurora just once in her career so far, at one single performance, or so I understand. Even allowing for the usual standards of ballet delicacy/tenderness/hyperbole, what is the evidence base for her "excelling" on this one and only occasion? In comparison with who or what? Do you mean she did jolly well, never having danced it in public before? She outclassed other current RB principals in the role? Or our memories of Fonteyn? I know people were pleased by the debut but not sure that is equivalent to what you have written. In any case "all accounts" is an overstatement: see for example Jonathan Gray in The Dancing Times. I get the argument you are making in general about classicism, btw. So apologies for concentrating on a minor aspect of what you wrote.

Just to add to the variety of opinions about last night, this was sent out by a frequent opera and ballet Twitter commentator:

Would it be ok to point out that this run of Manon has coincided with the 90th birthday this week of the great American humorist and mathematician, Tom Lehrer? But why, you ask? >>Don't solicit for your sister, that's not nice Unless you get a good percentage of her price.

Far from wanting to point fingers, but first the extended muddle of the seating (is all that finally resolved now?); then the casting vagaries; and now the ongoing mystery of the 19th, anybody coming to this from the outside might form the impression that the people running this show are out of their depth. No doubt everything has an explanation, but really...

Just noticed a little block of seats for this - previously sold out - Insight has come free overnight. Six left at the moment.

Just to say, we Friends have just received this statement by Alex Beard in an email:--

Sadly clashing with the first night of ENB Sleeping Beauty at the Coliseum. Tried searching for encore screenings but - as yet - not found any. As Pulcinella says, there seems to be no single site listing all the screenings. Maybe someone with Italian could tackle La Scala's site?

For those who don't know about the row with some of the critics:https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/09/no-more-operas-from-turnage-as-twitter-row-turns-toxic

Sure! I have that recording (as well as Mara Zampieri and of course Callas 1952) and also heard both Grace Bumbry and Renata Scotto do well live. But none of those ladies is going to be singing the role at Covent Garden again any time soon. Comparing a living voice with a remembered or recorded past is certainly interesting but I'm also more than happy to celebrate what is in front of us at the moment.

Yes! I was lucky enough to see her live three times this run - and then decided to go to an encore screening as well yesterday. It is really not often that a performance comes round which reminds me of the great singers who got me into opera some fifty years ago, so repeated trips seemed called for. This is is the first time I have been able to do a direct comparison between the live show and the cinema transmission (and a real comparison too, as the encore was of the performance I had attended in the theatre on Wednesday). The most striking differences were the many details of the production I missed when seeing the show in the theatre. For example, the business with the witches and the letter (before Lady's entrance aria) had completely passed me by, even though I have seen this production a dozen times over the years (tending to sit to the left of the auditorium, which perhaps is part of the reason). And all the cast gained greatly from the transmission: their performances seemed more detailed, more interesting, more thoughtful. All, that is, except for Netrebko: I was amazed to find that what Netrebko communicated on screen was what I had already experienced when seeing her live in the theatre. Perhaps that is another measure of her greatness: the ability to communicate the tiniest details right up to the Upper Slips. There are know alls who seem to take pleasure in finding fault with Anna Netrebko but I have never been disappointed. Lucky us who were there!

Alternatively I have an Amphi seat. Will PM.

Anything like this, capybara?

Yes Ian: in fact I question the legitimacy of the report as such, so am not yet ready even only to "note" it. It is not clear whether we have been presented with just a poor translation or perhaps something worse. In other words, there is currently a chance that, like much which floats around the Internet, this may not be worth any attention at all. Maybe the writing is accurate and well-sourced, maybe not. For the time being I suggest dismissing it in toto until such time as something more competent is published.

That's a long story full of specific accusations. But is it a translation or not, I can't tell? Appearance suggests the original is in English yet we get a phrase like "they were trying to titillate with him" which isn't English. And what about the headline? It says he is accused, among other things, of "insinuations" (a claim repeated later). What does this mean? One might for example "insinuate" that someone is as good a dancer as one had ever seen, surely not grounds for complaint. What word did they mean to use?

Anyone seen this show? Buried inside what is otherwise a wholly positive review is the hint (in brackets) that some might not like it. So I'm in two minds about going: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/30/coraline-review-neil-gaiman-barbican

Apologies if I have told this story before but a good friend (no names, sorry), a leading ballerina in her country, told me that her training was, if you want to do 32, you work in class until you can do 96. Then you will be safe on stage. 96. I thought this was her rhetorical exaggeration till I started asking around, particularly among eastern European / Russian trained dancers. I think someone here once posted a clip of something like that. So that is some kind of answer to the (different) question, what is necessary to do 32 fouettes. I'll think I'll leave others to debate whether it is necessary, but every dictionary definition of the word "art" includes the idea of "skill", so I for one am happy to see this level of technical skill.

And this section also currently seems to be the laziest in terms of playing as well (cracked, wrong and missing notes; poor intonation / articulations, etc etc). IMHO - though I am not the only regular ROH attendee to have noticed.

Not much to add to the above except to point out that Jaho is back, good news. And I too support Forza: I continue to go each time it is put on in the hope of one day seeing a production which works. As to the countertenor business, this is presumably something to do with JEG. Hope we get an explanation.

Off the point but this weekend's local Palm Sunday reading of the Gospel featured repeated references to someone called Pontius PeeLatte (as in "doing pilates"). The congregation tried to keep a straight face but then some people started giggling so that was it, all over, end of solemn liturgy. Since then I have wondered whether this may in fact be some kind of authentic / academic / ancient Roman pronunciation.

Many thanks Alison. In fact the problem is going to be even more disruptive (may be worth putting up a general alert for the benefit of those who don't read this particular thread?): Northern line: Friday 30 March - Monday 2 April There's no service between Charing Cross/Moorgate and Golders Green/East Finchley while we carry out points works at Camden Town. Please use alternative Tube, bus or rail replacement bus services.