Sebastian

The distinguished critic Alastair Macaulay recently gave an illustrated lecture to DANSOX at Oxford University: "On Meaning in 'Swan Lake'". Happily this was filmed and is now on YouTube. It is a most illuminating talk, going a long way to rescue Swan Lake from being, to quote Macaulay, "a stupid ballet for stupid people". As the lecture was uploaded by DANSOX itself I hope it is legitimate to link to it here. Whatever one feels it will certainly provide food for thought for those enjoying the current Royal Ballet run: https://youtu.be/4uoVO76hjZc

This image is easily found on the internet - it became a popular print - but I found myself sitting opposite the painting itself last night, very striking it is too, so here it is.

The Royal Opera House has published this online, with a lovely quote from Sir Peter Wright: https://www.roh.org.uk/news/remembering-henry-danton-19192022

This is terribly sad news. The time I was privileged to spend with Henry was some of the most informative about the art of ballet I ever expect to have. His memories were historically significant, of course, but also deeply touching with regard to colleagues he admired and fervently focussed on how the essence of the art form was at risk of getting lost. He and I discussed attending certain shows together but Henry advised against it. "I might groan, I am apparently known to groan" he said. One day I might write up what I learned of his high standards, where they were rooted and what exactly made him groan. RIP.

(As I am not sure which of the two parallel threads on this subject is the right one, here is what I just posted elsewhere) I complained to the Friends office. They have just written to me and a couple of the points they make might be worth sharing here: >>Our web team have been redeveloping the website over the course of the last year to make it more user friendly and efficient for booking tickets. This work is being carried out in stages and after a lot of testing, we have recently launched a new ticketing platform which was rolled out for the Spring booking period. Unfortunately, as you are all too aware, a number of issues have arisen and the booking experience did not go quite as planned. and >>We have held meetings with our IT and web team to ascertain the problems and find the solutions. We have also escalated the issue to Alex and the executive team and solutions are being discussed at the highest level.

I complained to the Friends office. They have just written to me and a couple of the points they make might be worth sharing here: >>Our web team have been redeveloping the website over the course of the last year to make it more user friendly and efficient for booking tickets. This work is being carried out in stages and after a lot of testing, we have recently launched a new ticketing platform which was rolled out for the Spring booking period. Unfortunately, as you are all too aware, a number of issues have arisen and the booking experience did not go quite as planned. and >>We have held meetings with our IT and web team to ascertain the problems and find the solutions. We have also escalated the issue to Alex and the executive team and solutions are being discussed at the highest level.

Just to say, I am now sadly otherwise committed that evening and so have two spare seats for this, if anyone would like them perhaps they could send me a PM.

These are interesting points @Lizbie1. In relation to The Sleeping Beauty, it is worth considering what one might call the “Frenchness” of Tchaikovsky. The best work on this issue has not been done in Russia - perhaps unsurprisingly - nor either in France, but rather in Germany, by the respected academic Lucinde Braun, whose several works on the subject I can heartily recommend. For more on the overall questions you raise, and at the risk of self-promotion, you could have a look at my old post here:

Thanks. It would be good to see examples of this, can you point to where they are to be found? If you scroll up you’ll find my post from Monday with an example from an official Imperial Theatre’s programme of 1893 (three years after the premiere). This shows the Russian name: Spyashchaya krasavitsa. Other examples showing something different would be really interesting.

Indeed!

That's a fun question! A quick look through a random selection of postWW2 programmes shows everyone - including the Kirov when they appeared in London - using The Sleeping Beauty. But on the other hand, it's a Russian ballet and there are no words in Russian for 'the'. So for example here is what the title looks like on the cover of the 1893 Imperial Theatres programme in St Petersburg:

The programme has, along with the usual sections, an interview with Tamara Rojo on her vision for the ballet; an article by Jane Pritchard on the history of Raymonda; an article by Doug Fullington on the original notation; and articles on Florence Nightingale, the score and the Crimean War. What the programme does not have is any detail of the (in my view not unproblematic) differences between Petipa’s choreography and structure, and what has been put on stage in the West End this week. An interesting Raymonda discussion between three experts - including Doug Fullington - has recently appeared online: https://www.alastairmacaulay.com/all-essays/byq3y6560y798jcrlmiwp4s4su9ii6?rq=Raymonda Along with much else the fascinating exchange includes more about the process behind this production. It also corrects a mistake in the programme and offers examples of recent Bolshoi programmes helpful to those interested in the history of choreography. Imho the ENB could have helpfully learned from the Bolshoi: >>Konaev 8. I appreciate the practice of explanations given in programs by choreographers: what sources were used, what pieces were reconstructed and what was composed anew. In this respect, the trend-setter was the Bolshoi Publishing Department, which included a special table in the program of Alexei Ratmansky’s and Yuri Burlaka’s Le Corsaire (2007). In the program of Ratmansky’s Giselle (2019) I edited, this table was extremely detailed.

For example this device is used in Carlos Saura’s broadly wonderful film Carmen from 1983. Well worth looking at, especially for the magnificent flamenco dancing.

Done. Thank you everyone.

Here for example is the review in The Observer: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/dec/18/tosca-royal-opera-review-freddie-de-tommaso-oksana-lyniv-handel-messiah-hanover-band-kings-place?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

There is a nice piece about this new tenor (the first English Cavaradossi at Covent Garden since 1963) in today's Times. As it happens I heard him (in a smaller part) in Vienna in September: I (and the local crowd) were most impressed. The article is behind a paywall but happy to help those who send me an email address by PM.

Thanks Fonty. Some of us tackled this in some detail back in 2017, when ENB mounted their production, see these posts and the subsequent discussion: English National Ballet: Mary Skeaping's Giselle, London Coliseum 2017 - Page 4 - Performances seen & general discussions - BalletcoForum https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/14339-english-national-ballet-mary-skeapings-giselle-london-coliseum-2017/?do=findComment&comment=200100

This has gone back to the box office now.

Returned to the box office

Sadly I can’t use my ticket for Traviata on Monday, Upper Slips BB1 £17 for e-ticket. Please PM as well as post here if interested. Many thanks.

(Also posted on Tickets) Sadly I can’t use my ticket for Traviata on Monday, BB1 Upper Slips. £17 for e-ticket. Please PM as well as post here if interested. Many thanks.

Ticket now spoken for

(As just posted in Tickets) It now looks as if I won't be able to make the Friends rehearsal for Macbeth, Amphitheatre Row A, centre. £30 for e-ticket. Please PM as well as post here if interested. Many thanks.