Sebastian

A very good point JNC, thank you.

Completely agree

I would be interested in Dec 7 if Thalia doesn’t take the ticket for some reason - have sent a PM

The ticket has now gone.

I booked for this fascinating-looking film screening back in August but will now be away so can't use my ticket: https://www.pushkinhouse.org/events/the-brothers-karamazov Next Sunday, 10 November, 3.15pm, Pushkin House in London (unreserved seating): £12. The screening is currently sold out. I have an eticket so can send it by email. Please PM as well as posting here if interested.

To add a little more about Lydia Pahkova. The always impeccable Roland Wiley, who never goes beyond his voluminous sources, writes this of Pashkova in "The Ballets of Lev Ivanov": "A Parisian bohemian and occasional correspondent for Le Figaro who (as rumour had it) was related to Vsevolozhsky, Pashkova wrote...libretti for St Petersburg, one of which - Raymonda - brought her such recognition as she enjoys in the history of the ballet." A footnote: the claim that Pashkova was Vsevolozhsky's wife - repeated this Sunday during the live transmission of Raymonda by the delightful and multilingual head of press at the Bolshoi, Katerina Novikova - is not correct.

Just sent you a PM Wendy

Ticket now spoken for.

No comment on the dress rehearsal today, for the usual reasons, but did anyone happen to catch the pre-show announcement about two (I think) cast changes? I missed this as my neighbour arrived rather noisily at exactly that moment and so I am puzzling as to who we saw who isn't on the cast list.

Ticket gone now.

(Bouncing this up as the show is tonight. Sold out so we’ll sell on the door if no one here wants the ticket)

Owing to illness one of us can’t go tomorrow night (Osipova-Hallberg) One side front amphi (row D) for sale at £18 PM if interested.

I mistyped. I should have written (apologies): Amphitheatre Upper Slips CC2 available FOR 7 November - £11 eticket Please PM if interested.

Ticket now spoken for

Welcome to the Forum Alla! Tuesday 5 November in the evening - if you would like to know more, please send me a PM (private message) by clicking the symbol by my name.

Amphitheatre Upper Slips CC2 available on 7 November - £11 eticket Please PM if interested.

I have one ticket for sale in row C of the Stalls Circle (bench seat) at £26 (O'Sullivan, Hay, Naghdi, Hirano, Magri, Vassilev, Morera, Saunders, Hayward, Ball, Osipova, Muntagirov) Please PM if interested.

This year's London Film Festival includes the new film about Merce Cunningham. I see there are still tickets for one of the showings: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=cunningham

Might I take this ticket Aimee? I can send you the money by electronic transfer if you give me your bank details. Best wishes, Sebastian

Shiryaev wrote an extended memoir, mostly about the period before the revolution, ie his work as a dancer and assistant to Petipa during the glory days of the Imperial Ballet. Nadine Meisner refers to this rare document in her recent biography of Petipa. The book was finished but never issued: it was prepared for publication in 1941 but the whole edition was destroyed in the siege of Leningrad. Luckily a single advance copy survived in the Russian National Library (Meisner used a photocopy). It was eventually published in full in 2004 in a Russian film journal, after which it was translated into English and published in 2009 as part of the book "Alexander Shiryaev: Master of Movement". This excellent English-language publication is hard but not impossible to find. One can try writing to the Italian publishers, who offer the book for sale (there is also currently one copy available from a reseller on Italian Amazon). Although the British Library do not hold a copy, nor does the BFI Library, there is a copy in the library of the University of Bristol. The memoir is well worth seeking out by anyone interested in learning more about Shiryaev and Petipa's era at the Mariinsky. We know - direct from Petipa - that Shiryaev had an excellent memory, so this may be a more reliable account than most, with stories about Pavlova, Kschessinskaya, Marie Petipa and other stars of the period.

By the way, I see some people spell his name Shirayev (perhaps this helps those doing internet searches)

For those with an interest in ballet history, here is a truly extraordinary film (it dates back a few years but has not been, so far as I can see, mentioned anywhere on this Forum): https://vimeo.com/50213327 This is a documentary compilation of the pre-WWI films of Alexander Shiryaev, Petipa's assistant. Many treasures to enjoy on a bank holiday.

Tickets gone back to box office

As posted elsewhere, ROH Fille du régiment is not nearly sold out this Thursday, despite the presence of the new super tenor, Javier Camarena. However the slips are pretty much sold and I happen to have the best of the Upper Slips, DD1/2, £11 each, but can sadly no longer attend. Etickets therefore easy to send. Anyone interested please send me a PM as well as posting here

The opera Fille du régiment is not nearly sold out this Thursday, despite the presence of the new super tenor, Javier Camarena. However the slips are pretty much sold and I happen to have the best of the Upper Slips, DD1/2, £11 each, but can sadly no longer attend. Etickets therefore easy to send. Anyone interested please send me a PM as well as posting here.