Jump to content

bridiem

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    4,141

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by bridiem

  1. bridiem
    I don't think that the opposite of 'loud and brash' is necessarily 'underpowered'. Either way, if this production is 'underpowered' I'd hate to see a powerful production... (I did see a Kirov Don Q many years ago, but I can't remember how that struck me.)
  2. bridiem
    I said it may provide real information, not that notice will necessarily be taken of said information!!
  3. bridiem
    The newsletter said that questions could be given to the chairman in advance or on the night so I assume that's still the case. I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to go, but I'm sure it will be interesting.
  4. bridiem
    In which case, what sort of rubbish data is it going to supply for the ROH??? These surveys are mainly designed to get marketing feedback, i.e. which phrases resonate most with 'customers', and so should be used in future marketing. I doubt if they ever actually give - or are even intended to give - useful information. The only section which may supply something 'real' is the 'other comments', which is less easy to analyse/break down anyway.
  5. bridiem
    Stylebook?? Unlikely concept, I fear...
  6. bridiem
    Yes - and that's not 'News' anyway - it's feedback, or whatever other word could be used. The mere fact of it being 'new' as in updated doesn't make it 'News'! It makes it appear that some very illiterate (in all sorts of ways) people are dealing with the website.
  7. bridiem
    And in any case, why not use social media IN ADDITION TO the News section of their website, rather than INSTEAD OF?? Is it really so onerous to put this comparatively small number of news items on the website too?? (Though anything about the website seems unduly onerous for the ROH at the moment.)
  8. bridiem
    I wonder why a) the ROH gives so many tickets to agencies given how popular their performances generally are anyway, and b) why this performance seems to have sold so poorly through the agencies when DQ has generally sold so well through the ROH itself?
  9. bridiem
    Oh, maybe that is what capybara meant. Though I'm still not sure why it would be 'counter-productive', since that implies an actual outcome. All we're doing on this forum is expressing opinions, and in respect of assessments of dancers I doubt if anyone posts with the aim of persuading anyone else. (And in respect of Campbell in particular, the views expressed here are not in fact always wholly positive. There are other dancers who get more consistent praise; I think with Campbell there is a sense amongst some of us of injustice in respect of casting decisions, which isn't necessarily a concern in respect of other dancers.) And no, I won't hear a word against Muntagirov either!!
  10. bridiem
    You surely aren't suggesting that KOH is influenced in his casting decisions - either to cast or not to cast - by comments on this forum??! I'd like to think we had such influence - or would I? - but I think it highly unlikely.
  11. bridiem
    You shouldn't publish changes without checking your OWN work too. They're not updating a private database - it matters that what is entered is correct. Cross-checking by colleagues should only pick up (if anything) minor typos, or editorial queries. Not whopping great howlers.
  12. bridiem
    For crying out loud.
  13. bridiem
    No, still The Young Man! So clearly just old-er, rather than old!! And yes, it would be interesting to see it with this different slant.
  14. bridiem
    According to David Vaughan, Britton was injured on the day of the dress rehearsal. And he says that (because Gable was younger and less virtuosic than Britton) this changed the ballet so that it became the story of a young man who had to sow his wild oats before learning the nature of true love, as opposed to the original conception of an older man not quite ready to settle down with a younger woman. Apparently when Seymour danced it with Alexander Grant and later with Britton, the ballet reverted to Ashton's original conception.
  15. bridiem
    Do you mean because they haven't heard of it, or because it wouldn't appeal to them for some reason, thewinelake?
  16. bridiem
    I wonder if the RB/the dancers know that the ROH staff are being told to say this? Who IS telling them to say this?
  17. bridiem
    It just no longer surprised me that the cast sheet was so poor. Both in the omission of Lorenzo and Gamache although they were mentioned in the synopsis, and in the fact that Espada, Mercedes and Amour WERE listed and yet NOT mentioned in the synopsis. There was space for the synopsis to be slightly longer; there was plenty of space to list GA and TW. I'm afraid I just put it down to yet more daftness from the ROH. I kind of expect it now. Which is sad.
  18. bridiem
    Very good point, capybara. And rather than just having a drink (of whatever type) it would have been better if he'd somehow linked the artistic activities of the School and the Company by showing some of the historic photos, or a shot of the auditorium, or whatever.
  19. bridiem
    Me too; but I do wish that when the conductor takes his/her solo front of curtain bow, they wouldn't gesture down into the orchestra pit, which they often do - I know the orchestra do the actual playing, but it just highlights the fact that they've all long gone. Either the orchestra should stay until all the applause is over, or the conductor should simply take a solo bow and not draw the audience's eyes into the empty pit.
  20. bridiem
    Honestly - ??!! Do they just cut and paste the text from last time??
  21. bridiem
    I enjoyed this - thanks, Rob S.
  22. bridiem
    Yes, I thought the extras were excellent too - really good interviews, as always, and an enlightening few minutes of Darcey Bussell in the studio with Takada. And I thought Kristen McNally was a very good presenter, but I do wish that the script for the presenters would sometimes be a bit more informative and not just endless enthusing about the production. It makes it all sound a bit juvenile. The audience is quite capable of deciding for itself if what they are seeing is exciting and wonderful; what some might need or appreciate is a quiet bit of exposition about the work we're about to see/are seeing. (Some of this is provided in the interviews, but the presenters could/should do it too.) That said, I really like Ore Oduba as a presenter.
  23. bridiem
    So sorry, Fiz!
  24. bridiem
    I saw the live screening tonight - full house in Wimbledon. Scintillating dancing from everyone, and such commitment and energy - just brilliant. In fact it was almost too much for me - there was so much activity and busyness and acting going on that I felt quite exhausted (sitting there in my comfortable seat...). Maybe it was seeing it all in close up that made it a bit much; it'll be interesting to see what it's like seeing it from the Amphi later this month. Takada and Campbell both pulled out all the stops. Unfortunately the second one-handed lift in Act 1 went wrong, but they dealt with it very professionally and the rest of the performance was immaculate. I did find Takada too reserved though; she smiled winningly, but I never felt she was actually inhabiting the character. But technically she was amazing and so beautiful. Campbell was brilliant technically AND I found him totally credible (and very amusing) as the charming, smitten lover. The rest of the cast worked their socks (or tights) off, and I thought Anna Rose O'Sullivan was a thrilling Amour - so fast, and so bewitching. I can't say that Don Q will ever be my favourite ballet (and I'd forgotten quite how bonkers the plot is), but it's worth seeing for all the superb dancing opportunities (and the striking design, in this production).
  25. bridiem
    I don't think that choices are always just 'preferences' (though sometimes they are); sometimes I do think they're actually flawed (though I fully respect the right of others to make them, and to disagree with me.) And my comment about Scarlett was responding briefly to the previous post, which had made and quoted brief general comments about him as a choreographer. I didn't expand further because I didn't think this thread was the right place to enter into an extended discussion.
×
×
  • Create New...