Geoff
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Posts posted by Geoff
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I've donated my tickets to the Box Office so they are there for anyone who would like them (though I won't get the money)
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There are still some tickets left for the wonderful Piemontesi at the Wigmore Hall this coming Thursday, 15th, an all Mozart programme:-
https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/mozart-201612151930
To my great regret I can't now use my two tickets, so am offering them for sale. As it happens they are probably the best seats going for the price (£20 each), as they are AA 1 and 2, ie for those who don't know the hall, these are seats at the very front, close to the back of the player, where you can see his hands perfectly. Ideal for those trying to improve their technique (or stretch their legs out, as there is an aisle in front!) PM if interested.
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I organised two tickets for visitors from abroad (hence my asking how the show works for those who don't know the film). My guests went on Thursday night. Their comments are interesting: story, dancing, sets, costumes, all lovely BUT the music turned them against the production...
Even though there was a live band, apparently the music is also powerfully amplified (to the extent of distortion, they could hear the speakers crashing). They found the sound levels painfully distracting and it spoiled their evening.
Anyone else find this?
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Here is the link for tonight's packed and starry Insight evening on the Royal Opera's new Rosenkavalier, most enjoyable:-
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I don't recognise any of the names!
Sim, I agree it's not like comment threads where (as I have seen on Lebrecht's blog and elsewhere) major opera names like Peter Jonas and Kasper Holten pop up. So maybe it depends on who one knows. But, one example, David Nice is a pretty distinguished critic, not usually associated with such unbuttoned remarks, which adds to the interest.
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Haven't seen the show yet but am curious about one basic question: does it work if you have never seen the film and don't already know the story?
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An interesting set of comments about the current state of the ENO (including some notable names):-
http://slippedisc.com/2016/12/what-the-eno-chief-executive-wears-to-work/#comments
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Here are the latest details of the BBC Peter Wright documentary:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/52/sir-peter-wright-at-90
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This is when the BBC film is going out over Christmas:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/52/sir-peter-wright-at-90
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Reverting for a moment. Some of the most interesting postings on the Forum re "nostalgia" / "olden days" / "improved technique" / "worsening standards" are those illustrated with comparative video clips. I can't get enough of these: the chance to see something carefully selected from one date and compare it directly with the same thing danced by others at another time, is just so instructive.
Just saying. Thank you all those with the time and knowledge to search YouTube or wherever. There is a lot of Nutcracker out there, so this post is (just) still on topic!
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Here are the latest BBC announcements:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/xmas16tv/bbcone (Margot Fonteyn)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/xmas16tv/bbctwo (film about the Nutcracker)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/xmas16tv/bbcfour (Peter Wright)
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A quote from the Luke Jennings review (not as uncritical as some have reported):-
>>I’m not alone in my deep concern about the Royal Ballet’s lack of direction, and the role that McGregor and his spectacular but narrow-spectrum productions are to play in its future. If O’Hare has a vision, he has yet to communicate it.
For the whole piece, here's the link again:-
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Has this triple bill - an evening of the relentlessly repetitive, in some ways anyway - actually done Wayne all that many favours? Doesn't he often come up best when set against very different kinds of piece? Maybe some eyes were opened by this collection of works.the article is entitled "Review: A Decade On, Wayne McGregor Continues to Energize the Royal Ballet". With encouragement like this, it's difficult to see McGregor being dislodged anytime soon.
Just a thought, please forgive any trespassing on holy ground.
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Who knows the Alvin Alley dancers well enough to name the one who towered over the rest of the cast in the curtain calls, at eg the dress rehearsal? Given the names to choose from I am rather hoping it is Jeraboam (which might just be nominative determinism!)
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I am afraid I don't know how to access a channel called PBS America here but the listings are praising a feature-length documentary about ABT, to be shown in the UK this coming Friday at 7.50pm. There are sections on Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Balanchine, and Alicia Alonso is among the veterans of the early years who contribute.
Maybe someone could post extra information on how to watch as this sounds most interesting.
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Is it worth watching?
People have had different reactions but broadly favourable:-
Bachtrack ★★★★★
The Times ★★★★★
Evening Standard ★★★★
The Stage ★★★★
The Guardian ★★★
The Telegraph ★★★
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I made a fixed appointment to watch ROH "The Nose", streamed tonight - but in fact they said at the end that it will stay online for another six months (so I needn't have stressed):-
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Why was Anastasia's iconic sailor suit ditched
Following on the theme of our hope that feedback is listened to, just want to second this comment (which was deep inside a much longer and most interesting set of remarks amd so may have got overlooked). The sailor suit is one of the things which stuck in my memory from all those years ago. Iconic is indeed the right word.
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Yes, I was at the Phoenix for that screening too (in addition I had also - some weeks previously - had a rather time-consuming set of discussions with various members of staff about the start time of 1pm as against to - just about everywhere else - 3pm) The staff are sweet but pretty clueless: they often don't understand technical questions and this latest failure was possibly foreshadowed by their confusion about the timing of what was a repeat screening.
However I had time on Sunday so got a Phoenix refund and went on to the screening (at 3pm) at Vue Finchley Road, virtually empty so a pity that others of the 75 weren't there. I liked much of the ballet but apart from the male Giselle found little as funny as promised. It was mostly "funny", in other words wacky or exaggerated or such, rather than actually provoking laughter. Compare say an Ashton work, which gets genuine unforced laughs from the audience. Perhaps Ashton's work in the commercial theatre helped him learn how to be funny, rather than simply signalling "funny", an arch mannerism I am increasingly impatient with amd which is often at best no more than "amusing" or even just "unserious".
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me and a couple of other old timers are arguing this out in email exchanges right now. I would say that the radical changes to the sets tend to be so overpowering that the other changes diminish in comparison. Memories fade over time but there is an uneasy feeling that something isn't right without being able to precisely put your finger on it...When I've researched this a little more I'll comment further.
Much looking forward to whatever you discover MAB. Also, might I expand this to include (as I asked earlier but no one picked up) the question to what extent, if at all, the last act was changed when the other two acts were added?
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That's morbidly fascinating. Is there an article on this you could link us to?
Here (with plenty of comments) Tatiana:-
http://slippedisc.com/2016/10/dallas-opera-buff-is-named-for-scattering-human-remains-at-the-met/
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More here (including a wonderful story relating to Berlioz):-
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No guessing needed, a bit of Googling around of (for example) the conductor amd cast of the Don Carlo produced these extra details (and no, this is not actually from La Scala):-I'm guessing these are probably La Scala productions
Another site bills the All'Opera series as "the best of Italian productions".
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There are some opera screenings I was not aware of coming up, offered by All'Opera and shown by the Odeon group (and maybe elsewhere as well):-
Dance on "Christmas" TV and Radio 2016
in Ballet / Dance news & information
Posted · Edited by Geoff
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/52/sir-peter-wright-at-90