Geoff

I am not qualified to comment but can add a recent observation from someone who is. During this latest run of Jewels, I went to see it with a friend who until recently was Prima Ballerina somewhere (no names, sorry). Despite much other great dancing that night, out of all the cast she singled Melissa Hamilton out as truly exceptional. So all seems to be going well.

The tragedy at Mayerling is a rare example of a historical event where new and dramatic evidence has emerged, not so long ago. Not only is any speculation about murder (including that promoted by, for example, the Empress Zita) now known to be nonsense, much of the rest of pre-2015 writing on the affair needs to be either revised or (the more outre work) abandoned. Why? The sources are in German but briefly summarised in English on Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayerling_incident ):- >>On 31 July 2015 the Austrian National Library issued copies of Vetsera's letters of farewell to her mother and other family members. These letters, previously believed lost or destroyed, were found in a safe deposit box in an Austrian bank, where they had been deposited in 1926. The letters - written in Mayerling shortly before the deaths - state clearly and unambiguously that Vetsera was preparing to commit suicide alongside Rudolf, out of "love". They will be made available to scholars and are likely to be exhibited in public in 2016. The case now seems to be finally closed (it is generally accepted the letters are authentic and they are certainly entirely clear on the matter). I had a quick look in the present ROH programme but it does not seem to have been updated. Interesting that Macmillan should have left us two ballets which are subject to new historical evidence: Anastasia is the more serious case, as the DNA evidence led to revisions to that ballet when it was revived recently.

Might I second what Alison says? I have been going to Mayerling since the premiere in 1978 (when I didn't like it, have rather changed my view since) yet can still get muddled at points if I haven't seen it for a while. This short summary is fine (basically copied from the text in the programme):- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayerling_(ballet)#Synopsis One problem is that there really are a LOT of female characters in the show and, as they are mostly in similar period costumes, it is easy to get them muddled up. And although the character's ages range from 14 (or 17, depending on whose account Macmillan and Freeman were relying on) to over 50, they are of course danced by women of more or less the same age, which doesn't help distinguish between them. The end result is one can get confused about who is who at certain points. Which is a pity, as the ballet is even stronger when one can follow all the details.

I've scored a ticket as well so all is well for Friday!

Reading some of the comments about Watson versus McRae, I think back to the time when Edward Watson was starting out in major roles. Plenty of people did not think much of him: it was felt he was rather a "nothing" performer and there was even some disappointment when he danced Rudolf. Then during one night of Mayerling people felt Watson "grew up", showing a maturity and depth not previously associated with him. Now, years later, he seems to be seen as some kind of gold standard. It has been wonderful to see this development. I saw Watson on Friday and McRae yesterday. Both gave substantial performances and deserve the praise they have got here. McRae was remarkably good for what was his first time in the role. As it happens this performance moved me more overall - in part because of the pleasures of many of the rest of the cast (particularly Loise, Empress, Stephanie, as mentioned above) - mainly because Sarah Lamb seemed a more vulnerable partner than Osipova (however she hasn't got the beats with the skull and the pistol quite right yet: the first time she saw them she went to them as if she already knew they were there) Much looking forward to Bonelli/Morera on Friday.

Me too - and I'll also take a cheap amphi. So if anyone wants to get rid of a pair, Annamk can take the first and me whatever else!

Ticket now spoken for.

I now have a single SCS for the 12 o'clock Bank Holiday matinee (McCraae//Lamb) spare. Please PM if interested. I will be going myself so can hand the ticket over.

All sorted now, thank you.

Does anyone have a spare for the Monday matinee?

Although the Wikipedia articles about the tragedy are rather confusingly put together, they are informative and worth looking at. Mary Vetsera is of course not buried at Mayerling but down the road at Heiligenkreuz (not at the monastery but in the public graveyard about fifteen minutes walk away). The monastery has been doing rather well, also musically, as this article from last year in the Catholic Herald explains:- http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/march-25th-2016/a-hot-spot-for-spirituality/

There is currently a single, rather amusing, comment posted on the ROH website:- http://www.roh.org.uk/news/your-reaction-what-did-you-think-of-thomas-ades-the-exterminating-angel

Sim, saw a critic friend yesterday who knows the work from seeing it in Salzburg last year. A few headlines: faithful to the film (although without the ending in the cathedral); female voice parts pretty unforgiving (not all the cast love the work); theatrically very enjoyable; John Tomlinson is not given a lot to do; there are live sheep. Most critics gave the Salzburg performances respectfully positive reviews, till someone (forgotten who) came out with an Emperor's New Clothes review, saying there is nothing of interest here. Looking forward to reading what you think.

To me the Emeralds chandeliers look like Tiffany lamps. Wrong jeweller, no doubt, but that's the reference for me.

One person's view, from another forum: http://www.talkclassical.com/35345-metropolitan-opera-broadcast-listeners-31.html#post1227324

Just to say, Hugh Canning of the Sunday Times saw Eugene Onegin live and in his column today encourages people to try and get to the cinema to see this. I saw it yesterday and it has an exceptional number of exceptional (and exceptionally idiomatic) voices, although I heard a few surprising problems with the Met orchestra and chorus. Canning points out that the encore screenings are on Tuesday so there is time to go!

Ticket gone now

Hi Elisabeth, please check your messages (PM in forum jargon) - I have just written to you!

I was sorry to have to miss this cinema transmission (as by coincidence I had to miss one last year): has anyone noticed any encore screenings scheduled for London?

I have a central SCS available for the last performance of Jewels on 21 April (eticket). Face value is £9. Please PM if interested.

Just trying to make sense of this theory in a Royal Opera House context:-- * Lets assume that Lull is on to something and that some ROH tickets end up with a vendor who uses dynamic pricing (we know the ROH does not use it directly but only sells tickets at fixed face value) * So if ROH shows a performance as "Sold out" this will encourage people to buy tickets at higher prices elsewhere. * So if the ROH eventually gets unsold tickets back from this vendor (which, the theory goes, is what has just happened) the trade off for the ROH can only be:- WE AT ROH MAKE SO MUCH MORE MONEY FROM OUR CUT OF SOME OVERPRICED SEATS THAT IT IS WORTH US ENDING UP WITH SEATS UNSOLD AT NORMAL PRICES. Does that make sense?

For those interested in the life of Doreen Wells, now Marchioness of Londonderry, I have just come across an interesting section about her in the memoirs of her friend, the writer Brian Masters ("Getting Personal"). Perhaps his recollections are already well-known. If not, and if people have a serious interest but have trouble locating the book (published 2002), feel free to send me a PM.

Sorry Lindsay, don't agree with you on this (as it happens I spent some of the 1980s working on a low budget TV quiz show): I find all three acts elegant and cleverly designed. On at least some performances this run, the audience has applauded at the opening of an act, in part in response to the glamour of the setting.

Just out of tonight's performance, Lamb/McRae stepped in instead of Takada/Campbell in Rubies. This was my fifth (?) time this run - including the General and the Russian gala a few weeks ago - of seeing McRae do Rubies. I would say that tonight - while being just as technically dazzling as ever, rightly eliciting cheers and bursts of applause - it seemed almost as if he has been reading the irked comments on here and adjusting accordingly. Less constant smiling, except when "in character" and towards the end, and this made a good impression. Vadim, on the other hand, seemed more smiley than I have ever seen him - and that in turn suited him. Made for more of a personality. In any case, another great night.

Not many at the Phoenix in East Finchley (usually rammed) either. But then it's a new(ish) work, based on a book many people in the UK don't know. I know what you mean Trog. My heart sank slightly when the (always amazing) presenter, who yesterday I finally worked out is the head of the Bolshoi press office, told us that the book A Hero Of Our Time is "perhaps the most famous book in Russian literature" (there was me thinking this might be War and Peace, Brothers Karamazov or Eugene Onegin). My sense is that the makers of this ballet therefore relied heavily on the audience's familiarity with the source material, a familiarity we don't share. Having looked at a summary of the book online it seems the novel is not only episodic but also multilayered in its narrative styles and somewhat interior in its expression (indeed as hinted at by the presenter of the ballet). This might further remove it from direct appreciation by a western audience. Which is another way of saying, like many novels, particularly clever and complicated ones, it is not perhaps obviously well suited to be set as a ballet. However my real problem with the ballet was the relatively limited range of choreographic expression. There was a lot of dancing, yes, and it was all pretty amazing in a Bolshoi sort of a way, but the vocabulary struck me as fairly repetitive, which may have drawn attention to narrative slackness. Perhaps that is another reason you might have found it dull? I have a completely different question: anyone know why the Bolshoi website has this marked as "Adults only"? Yes, the choreography for the women had a few visit-to-the-gynaecologist lifts but everyone stayed dressed and nothing explicit happened, so what am I missing?