JohnS

I enjoyed New Works last night and good to see the Royal Ballet’s commitment to new choreography alongside the fabulous Nutcraker and Manon runs. ‘Twinkle’ was undoubtedly the highlight for me, a ballet which would grace many triple bills. The pathos and wit, ever changing groups of dancers, exits after the variations and entrances, all reminded me of ‘Dances at a Gathering’. And how good to see a new work so clearly steeped in ballet. Good too to see and hear Kate Shpway on stage, quite a change from the orchestra pit.

Having renewed my Friends subscription I took the opportunity to ask if Ashton casting would be published before booking opens - 20 February for me but I imagine already open for Patrons. I was told Ashton casting is still changing and that casting will be published as soon as possible. The reply continued: ‘We do not wish Patrons to book for a certain cast which will then not reflect who dances in that performance.’ I don’t know if that means it’s better not to publish anything in case it’s wrong but I think I’d prefer to see something even if it ends up not being 100% correct. Surely we accept that casting information is based on best available information and casting can change?

Many thanks for the reviews and @Rob S for the photos. Very much looking forward to tonight.

I meant to say how very much I enjoyed Sunday afternoon’s Manon encore on the massive screen at Rheged. It’s great that Osipova’s Manon has been filmed and I do hope at some point there’ll be chance to see the performance again on the streaming service. While I’m becoming more appreciative, I’m still not fully persuaded by Clarke but I think that’s in part because Ball and Bracewell have been outstanding and I’m sure there’ll be other very strong Des Grieuxs this run. Osipova and Campbell I thought made the most of their brother/sister relationship. I agree with the praise for the ‘cello solo at the start of Act 3 scene 2. On first viewing I’d wondered if the close ups of Christopher Vanderspar were a bit intrusive but I didn’t find that on second viewing. He’s been Principal ‘cello for many years now and I fondly recall him, Vasko Vassilev and Robert Clark performing Rachmaninov’s Trio elegiaque 1894 for Sweet Violets.

Having read the various posts highlighting a preference for principals, I can’t help but recall some of the debuts of today’s principals when they were up and coming dancers: to give a couple of examples, who could forget the fabulous Naghdi/Ball double debut Romeo and Juliet in 2015; or Hayward’s stunning Manon debut back in 2014? I think Kevin O’Hare manages such a tricky balancing act pretty well although I’d still prefer to see slightly longer runs of some ballets.

Fingers crossed for the General Rehearsal?

If you look at the four March Manons, there are 126 ‘available’ seats ranging from £43 to £140. The only seats showing on the seat maps and available for general booking is one box, for the Hamilton Manon on 5 March. I appreciate that those people who have registered for the various access schemes may well be able to log on and book the seats. I don’t think it’s possible for non registered general public to glean anything about the distribution of these tickets - how many seats there are at the different prices. But I’m happy to be corrected if there is any information. @alison had asked about £34 tickets and that might have been for the 2x Manon on 17 February where ‘availability’ lists £34 seats for both performances but they are not on the seat maps and we don’t know how many seats there are: the descriptor is ‘last few remaining’ for both performances rather than the number of seats. When there was a lot of discussion about the access seats upstream (Swan Lake tickets were made available for general public booking around 19 January), the Box Office team were hoping there’d be greater clarity about tickets held for access and when they’d be released if they were not taken up by those who had registered for access. It doesn’t look as if there’s been any progress: for the general public not registered under the various access schemes, March Manon performances are at this point in effect ‘sold out’ until there are any returns, Friday rush, and any unused access seats are released for general booking.

I don’t think so @alison as the ‘available’ seats never show on the seat map.

Very sorry you’re having to miss Saturday’s matinee. I’m sure 27th February will be great. I was just wondering if you’ve looked at 2nd or 8th March: Hayward, Campbell, Zucchetti and probably Choe. Hayward and Campbell were great last time and 8th brings the curtain down on this run.

Is there still a problem with how access tickets are being treated? The later Manon performances show availability as 20 plus for each performance but there’s hardly anything when looking at the seat maps and nothing for the Hayward performances when 55 are ‘available’.

I very much enjoyed the cinema relay, more so than the Saturday matinee. It was fabulous to see the detail of Osipova’s Manon and all the cast. I’m hoping to see Sunday’s encore screening (unless the weather dramatically improves) but I just wanted to offer a few thoughts from Wednesday evening. I found Clarke’s Des Grieux much more impressive in the cinema than in the matinee but I still thought at times there was some insecurity and with all the close ups a little too much bewilderment. I recognise I’ve been rather spoiled by Ball and Bracewell and I’m very much looking forward to seeing Sambe again. I’m not seeing Bolle but Muntagirov, Richardson and Campbell are still to dance and I’m very keen to see their Des Grieuxs. I’ve liked the observations about Manon and Lescaut being so close, equally committed to getting their hands on the money. Osipova and Campbell came across very strongly but Campbell (with Hayward) and Acri (with Cuthbertson and Naghdi) were also very impressive. Hayward finds she’s partnering Campbell as Lescaut and Des Grieux at the end of the run and she mentioned how she’ll have to check if Campbell is lover or brother but with Lescaut pimping Manon I can’t help but wonder where the boundaries lie. I’ve very much enjoyed seeing Magri, Mendizabel and O’Sullivan’s Mistresses. They all made the most of the role and their relationship with their Lescauts. For the relay the cinema in Keswick displayed the autocue words as subtitles so departures from the autocue were even more obvious. I don’t recall this happening in previous cinema relays. I thought some of the camera choices looked a bit odd, particularly at the end of Act 2 where I don’t think GM’s backhanded cuffing of Lescaut quite worked and where the camera cut away just when GM fired his pistol so it wasn’t clear who he’d shot. I rather liked the cut away to Manon’s and Lescaut’s knowing disgust when GM became ‘over excited’ in Act 1 as Petroc Trelawny so delicately put it but I thought we missed rather too much of Des Grieux’s Act 3 scene 1 solo when the camera cut to Manon and the Gaoler.

Sadly only the Swan Lake casting was announced so we’re still waiting for Ashton (and Winter’s Tale) - see thread on Summer 2024.

I hope so Dave but I don’t know. Also the e-news tends to come out late afternoon so I’ll have to patient.

I think the fortnightly Friends news is emailed today so hopefully we’ll soon see some casting information.

Many thanks for the casting information @capybara. I don’t really follow the Requiem casting as regards Ball and Bracewell. Ball is in the Lamb cast but also dances the opening night in the Cuthbertson cast. Bracewell is then in the other Cuthbertson performances including the cinema relay. I wonder if opening night is correct? Having booked for the General Rehearsal, opening and closing nights, I should see all dancers in the theatre, save for Bracewell?

I very much agree. I’ll be very pleased to see Sarah Lamb’s Manon later in the run and it’s only a few months ago when Laura Morera was astonishing audiences with her fabulous performances. But I think I’d prefer slightly longer run’s, particularly of Manon and Mayerling.

A few thoughts on Saturday’s double Manon. I found Saturday evening’s performance fabulous. From his first entrance Will Bracewell’s Des Grieux made for a philosophy student drawn to poetry, which he sustained and developed throughout the three Acts. His Act 1 solo must rank as one of the most ardent expressions of love I’ve ever seen in ballet leaving Yasmine Naghdi with no choice but to fall for him. Bracewell’s desperate tussling with Gary Avis’s Gaoler at the end of the first scene in Act 3 was gripping, making for an exit so anguished that it foretold of the appalling final two scenes. Naghdi rose to the occasion and Saturday evening became one of those so special performances that will live long in the memory. It must be wonderful partnering such a sensitive Des Grieux and with Naghdi really seizing the opportunity, they made for a compelling pair. Their scintillating PDDs were ‘edge of the seat’ as far as I’m concerned. I’d have loved them to have had another performance this run as one or two gestures might have looked a touch more natural with an extra performance. For example when Naghdi lent forward during Des Grieux’s Act 1 solo it seemed a little too considered to me as if a move suggested during rehearsal rather than a spontaneous reaction to Bracewell’s astonishing poetry. I very much enjoyed Luca Acri’s Lescaut and Anna-Rose O’Sullivan’s Mistress and thought the whole cast were on top form, all contributing to this tremendous performance. It seems very remiss to me that we may well have to wait 3 years to see Naghdi’s/Bracewell’s next performance and that’s if they have chance to reprise this particular partnership. I’ve never really understood why so often we only have a couple of chances to see partnerships when there has been such an investment in rehearsal: all that time, effort and emotional commitment for two performances. I’d much prefer partnerships to be given three performances even if that means longer runs and probably one or two fewer productions in the season. Or one or two productions staged in the Linbury rather than main house? I don’t know how the finances stack up although I’d have thought it easier to recover the fixed costs over a longer run. And there is of course merit in variety and new works. But with so many ‘must see’ pairings and some dancers I’d like to see not even cast this run, I do think it would be good if future Manon and Mayerling runs were extended. For the matinee I’m afraid I wasn’t convinced that Natalia Osipova and Reece Clarke were in love in Act 1 where I thought Clarke rather struggled with the choreography which surprised me as I’ve always found him a hugely stylish dancer. It seemed to me Osipova came alive when offered GM’s furs, jewels and riches. I’ve seen the comments about the risks taken and the Act 3 thrown spins were excellent (as they have been for all the couples I’ve seen) but when Osipova falls towards the end of Act 3, Clarke was alongside her throughout and caught her when she was still virtually vertical: there was certainly no dash from the back of the stage for him (as Matthew Ball incorporates). There also seemed a bit of a ‘back from holiday’ untidiness in the matinee performance. For example I thought the three gentlemen a little ragged in the matinee and much crisper in the evening. And as a matinee, I think the audience weren’t as ready to respond to the drama and jokes. I’m hoping the cinema relay will help add to the adrenaline levels as I’m sure there’s more to come from this cast. Many dancers were performing double Manons and how lovely to see Elizabeth McGorian’s Madame twice. Fabulous to see Yasmine, Will, Anna-Rose, Luca and others at the Stage Door after such a performance and offer congratulations.

I very much enjoyed an all Mendelssohn ’cello recital at the Wigmore Hall last night - the two ‘cello sonatas and various ‘Songs without words’ transcriptions. Jean-Guihen Queyras and Kristian Bezuidenhout were the soloists and I was particularly impressive with the second sonata closing the programme. The highlight was the encore - Mendelssohn’s own ‘Songs without words’ for ‘cello opus 109, used so tellingly in The ‘Cellist. I can’t resist adding a link to Jacqueline du Pre’s recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7P6YBc9KFA When I got to the Wigmore Hall I asked if they knew what the prepared encore might be to be told encores weren’t always given and depended on the reception given. Sadly Wigmore Hall was perhaps half full - a great shame as those who went seemed enthralled and thankfully more than sufficiently enthusiastic for the encore.

Double Manon for me @Missfrankiecat and very much looking forward to both performances. We seem very fortunate having multiple casts offering so much.

I see Birmingham Nutcracker tickets are already on sale, Birmingham Fille tickets marked as ‘coming soon’, with other venues saying ‘on sale’ but the links don’t yet seem to be working. I thought I’d seen something giving Fille ticket dates in the next few days depending on priority but can’t seem to find it.

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/musicians-union-statement-on-strike-action-at-english-national-opera Equity and Musicians’ Union strikes are suspended pending further negotiations.

Looking forward to Saturday’s double Manon. We still don’t see the Mistresses listed: are we expecting Magri for Osipova’s cast and O’Sullivan for Naghdi’s cast or has anyone heard anything different?

I couldn’t make the cinema relay but I’m hoping at some point Rusalka will be added to the ROH’s streaming service where I’ve just renewed my subscription.

I see Katie Mitchell and Oliver Mears are fronting an Insight on 11 April: ‘Directors … Who needs them?’ It’s sold out and I don't know if it’s being streamed. The blurb refers to joining the directors to discuss the director’s role but it’s not made explicit if this includes audience questions/comment. https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/insights-directors-who-needs-them-details

I knew I’d posted something praising the revival and I think it was the first time I’d realised there was such an interesting opera section on BalletcoForum. Seeing Lucia rather restored my faith in opera having been so spoiled in the 30 plus years to 2004 and a move to Cumbria. It’s been good to see further productions since Lucia, some very impressive, others not albeit invariably reaching musical highs.