Sebastian

@Roberta, a quick check suggests midnight blue was selected for the original costume (the colour which in the right light appears "blacker than black"). The contemporary 1890s sketches - so says a distinguished costume historian from New York - show “a kind of aurora borealis tutu designed with multicolored rays that fan over the bodice from the waist and that shoot from the waist to the tutu's edge”. British ballerinas apparently even wore red on occasion before the 1940s, which might be where Alastair Macaulay got that date from. Perhaps also worth pointing out that the west didn’t see Swan Lake as we know it until Sergeyev’s 1934 production for the VicWells ballet, so we really need Russian reports, sketches and photographs for the first forty years.

While we wait for hopefully definitive information from Russian historians, here are some interim notes. Wiley, who examined the papers in the 1980s, says there were plans developing before Tchaikovsky died. And Petipa, in his memoirs, writes of Tchaikovsky‘s „delight“ at the thought that Petipa would do Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky‘s death prompted a production of the Odile act as part of a memorial concert, extracted from what had already been set for the autumn 1894 season. The costume for Odile is not necessarily a small matter. Contradicting a scholarly critic is best done on evidence so I just had a quick look through The Ballet Called Swan Lake. This book suggests nothing definitive either way but the first illustration of what could be a black costume is a photograph from 1921. As ever, more research is needed.

13 April tickets now gone. 27 March still available.

Different Drummer is based on what was once very well-known source material, the play by Büchner. Over the years it became almost as ubiquitous a story as Faust or Romeo and Juliet. A useful list of just some of many versions is given on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woyzeck#Adaptations Back in 1984 MacMillan may have assumed his audience was familiar with the stark outlines of this drama and so felt free to work variations on it. Some of the comments here - and overheard after the performance - suggest this is no longer the case. Seen in the correct context it is a shattering work, among the most successful of his later creations, as indeed I felt it to be yesterday.

Having much enjoyed the rehearsal today I am sad to learn there are two performances I now can’t go to: — 7.30pm 27th March - Muntagirov, Osipova, Lamb, Hamilton cast - £16 each for end of row E Amphi - two tickets for sale — 7.30pm 13th April - Rovero, Osipova, Lamb, Lubach cast - £16 each for end of row C Amphi - two tickets for sale Will sell pairs or singles. If interested please PM as well as posting here.

The matter seems to be resolved but perhaps I can add a few grace notes. First @Balletbloke I suspect you might have got a quicker reply if you had formulated your enquiry more along the lines of "I have done a fair bit of reading about the classical tradition and Petipa in particular, but I am not sure exactly what you mean here, might you be so kind and explain at more length?" After all, the way you put the question could be read as suggesting the phrase used - which seems perfectly straightforward to me - is so obscure that the poster "has to" explain. Which might be taken as rude. Breaking the phrase down, presumably you don't need an explanation of the "idiom" of Swan Lake (ie not the French style of romantic ballet but the later classicism as developed from the Italians and reaching a highpoint in the great works by Petipa, and in the case of Swan Lake, also Ivanov). So you already understand what "non-idiomatic" means, ie that which Petipa/Ivanov would not recognise. "Emotionalism" is more interesting. There are those who argue that one consequence of years of dominance at the Royal Ballet of what was at the time "new" work from Kenneth MacMillan was to breed a new way of seeing ballet. It is said that both audiences and performers now have at the back of their minds that all ballet strives to the condition of a narrative MacMillan ballet. This is obvious nonsense but one can see how the idea might take hold, even subconsciously. As a result we see, even in The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, RB corps members developing "back stories" for their "characters", miming little narratives to keep the "background action" going and trying to imbue people on stage with motives and emotions more along the lines of soap opera than classical ballet. "Emotionalism" would seem to be a striving for emotion where it is out of place. Aurora is not deeply conflicted about which of the four suitors she fancies most - her choice is a symbolic one, representing the four corners of the globe, ie everyone - indeed she is more involved with the rose and her family than with them. The sort of narrative "emotion" which arouses our empathy is a million miles from the abstract and symbolic court drama of what noble 19th century audiences were familiar with. This, as others have said, does not mean one is not moved, but our response is a higher order one than "ooh she's upset so I'm feeling along with her and feel upset as well". There is a library of literature about the classical tradition - idiom - and these ideas are far better developed there than by me, but perhaps this offers a few clues.

Postponed again. Now September:- https://anthempress.com/the-petersburg-noverre-marius-petipa-in-russia-hb

akh, in case of interest, I have sent you a private message to your inbox.

Ticket gone.

I can’t use slips seat AA22 for the General on Tuesday 27th February, 11:30am start. £9. Please PM if interested.

Ticket sold

Spare ticket I can’t use. Please PM if interested. Thank you.

Ticket back at the box office

Front slips CC21 If interested please PM as well as posting here

I feared as much. RIP.

What a wonderful discussion Roberta, thank you for finding it. A year or so ago I tried to find the indefatigable Ballet Alert contributor Mel Johnson but didn’t think to ask the Forum. Does anyone have an update?

A thoughtful article about this phenomenon from 2017: https://hazlitt.net/longreads/selling-china-sleeve-dance

Barak?! One wonders how on earth they justified that to themselves.

Please forgive my curiosity: might we know which opera? I thought I knew the Strauss repertoire but this has me stumped.

Richard Bratby in The Spectator seems to like the singing and the production. And also the conducting, the review concludes:

Just to say Irmgard, it’s a wonderful programme, thank you very much. I have not been able to get to the Coliseum until this afternoon (super show) so have only just bought one. Are we allowed to know who is responsible for the unsigned parts? I was going to stay and watch again this evening but a family emergency meant I had to hurry home. However I am much looking forward to going to the last performance tomorrow.

Ticket taken

Suddenly available: Balcony D28 - £20 Please PM as well as posting here if interested.

Tickets just gone

Tomorrow Friday Giselle, £25 each. Row D (ie near the front without having the rail in your eye line) If interested please PM as well as posting here.