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ninamargaret

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Everything posted by ninamargaret

  1. ninamargaret
    What a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening! Thrill highly enjoyable with Sambe and Hay both on top form. And lovely dancing from Hayward, Mendizabal and Stix-Brunell. Tarantella great fun with a beautifully elegant Alexander Campbell and Megan GH. But the. Came Strapless to spoil the fun. Nothing wrong with the cast; I thought Lauren Cuthbertson did everything possible to make it work but I think it really should be consigned to the depths, or wherever ballets that don't work go. Symphonic Dances stunning. Loved all of it, apart from rather a lot of it taking place on the right side of the stage and my side stalls circle seat wasn't the best place to see what was happening! Yanowsky, James Hay and Reece Clarke all marvellous, in fact the entire company looked in really top form. I hope this stays in the repertoire. I'm surprised that the music hasn't been used for ballet before- perhaps it has but I haven't come across it before, although I've known the music for years. Would love to see it with Morera!
  2. ninamargaret
    Without being flippant, McRae looked to me as though with a few minutes rest he could have done the whole thing again! Seriously, I've got Campbell down for a future Rudolph. And I would love it if Bonelli and Morera were cast in Manon.
  3. ninamargaret
    Reminds me of a documentary many years ago on tv about a drama school in London, where they were interviewing potential entrants and one lad, when asked why he wanted to be an actor replied ' because I 'll earn lots of money and won't have to do any work!' He wasn't accepted.
  4. ninamargaret
    What a marvellous art ballet is! We're all reminiscing happily about the run that has just finished and already looking forward to, and speculating on the next run of Mayerlings! I think K O'H will have some interesting choices to make.
  5. ninamargaret
    I've always thought his sorrow was directed at Mary.After all, he is pretty closely involved in taking her to meet Rudolph.
  6. ninamargaret
    What an interesting couple of weeks with seeing all four casts! Of the Rudolphs/Marys I enjoyed Bonelli/Morera the most. Felt more sympathy and involvement with them. For me, Watson/Osipova were somewhat more withdrawn, although I didn't see the third performance, which others on the forum have commented on. McRae danced is marvellously - probably the best danced performance of the lot, but to me his interpretation came over as somewhat manic. Soares a bit wayward, although I loved Cuthbertson. There has been a lot of comment on here about the characters of Rudolph and Mary and it's tempting to make our own judgements about the real historical characters and transpose them to the ballet characters. So it's possible that all four Rudolphs bought something of the character to their performances - we will never know. Apart from the casting of the two leads, I think all four casts have been superb, and I think we have the most brilliant collection of dancers at the ROH in the many years I have been going. Like other members of the forum I loved Alexander Campbell's Bratfisch, and the various Hungarian officers have all been superb - some future Rudolphs among them? Will now have to settle down and look forward to the delights of the Quadruple bill next week!
  7. ninamargaret
    I think it's a question of two different interpretations. You're quite right - if Watson had taken the purely classical route I dread to think what we'd have missed out on! I just thank my lucky stars that I've been able to see two such marvellous performances in this run. Just out of interest, we talk about the Ashton or Balanchine styles, is there such a thing as the Macmillan style?
  8. ninamargaret
    Have seen three casts - Soares to come tomorrow. For me the stand out cast was Bonelli/ Morera. I think they seemed more attuned to Macmillan's roots in classical ballet. Badly explained, I know, but a look at the David Wall version might show what I mean. I love the Ed Watson DVD and in fact got to know the ballet from that before I saw it on stage, but to me his interpretation,and sometimes movements, seem more rooted in contemporary dance. I would be more than happy to see either performance at any time and I suppose it's really just a matter of taste. Haven't seen many, if any, comments about McRae. I felt it was beautifully danced, but a bit manic, even for Rudolph!
  9. ninamargaret
    For anyone interested in the music, Radio 3 has Liszt as composer of the week - every day at noon, repeated easy evening. Listened today, and it made me realise what an amazing job John Lanchbery did. Must admit it's Mayerling that prodded me into listening to Liszt's music.
  10. ninamargaret
    Thanks for this Alison, I think I noticed the presence, or absence, less with McRae or Watson as they are both light haired and I was further back in the SC.
  11. ninamargaret
    I think the disappearance of the facial hair was what we might call a malfunction! I was sitting very near the stage on Friday and thought, when Bonelli came on in Act1 that a beard really didn't suit him. And then in the third act I noticed he just had a moustache. Whether this was intentional, of whether there was some problem i don't know, although both McRae and Watson were bearded throughout.
  12. ninamargaret
    Agree with MAB's comments. There was a very long gap in my ballet going and so I didn't see Mayerling until the last revival when I was lucky enough to see the final performance with Cojocaru and Koborg. But I had watched the documentary about it and also the Mukhamedov DVD. This time I have thoroughly indulged myself and have seen three casts so far with Soares next week. It is a complex story -it was made easier as I have a little knowledge of the history of the period and through watching the DVDs. It seems to me that several of MacMillan's ballets benefit from a bit of study before seeing them, Anastasia being another, like Mayerling, that can be confusing to first time audiences. I spoke to a couple of people in the audience last week who were horribly confused but it's difficult to persuade people to do a little bit of research before they see something. The full programme is excellent and worth the money if you are new to the ballet. I am, of course, excluding everyone on the Forum- thinking more of the occasional ballet goer! It may not be an easy ballet but what a marvellous one
  13. ninamargaret
    Yes, I looked at it as well. Think the whole thing is strange, particularly as Exeunt is so reluctant to make any comment or reply to complaints made by members of the forum.
  14. ninamargaret
    Thanks for this, so used to seeing no dance on tv I'd missed it!
  15. ninamargaret
    Yes please to Campbell as Belaye! Haven't seen it since it was a speciality of David Blair's.
  16. ninamargaret
    I think Theatre goers would win the endurance stakes! For years the RSC has put on tri!ogies of Shakespeare plays coming in at around 9 hours, and apart from the James plays at the National there have also been trilogies by Shakespeare, Chekov, David Hare and Tom Stoppard. How about a ballet trilogy of Nutcracker, Sean Lake and Beauty?
  17. ninamargaret
    Considering that the ROH publishes in its programmes and cast lists a note about their zero tolerance approach to anyone interacting with staff or fellow audience members in an intimidating,aggressive or threatening manner I should think that they can certainly deny the writer of this odious piece entry. And I speak as one of those she probably objects to-being elderly, sitting in a SC seat, because I can't cope with the amphi and going to ballet rather than spending money on holidays.
  18. ninamargaret
    Just back from the Bonelli/Morera performance. Absolutely stunning, to my mind the best of the three I've seen this week. I thought Bonelli paced his performance perfectly both from the dance and acting point of view. Morera excellent - the whole performance had that slightly 'over the top' feel about it that it can take.
  19. ninamargaret
    Did the RSC 's complete histories in 2008, 8 plays over 4days, with 2days having 3plays on each. And each play was around 3hours long!. So at least some theatre goers are a hardy bunch
  20. ninamargaret
    And we've all seen athletes a sporting events clutching posies of flowers, so why not dancers?
  21. ninamargaret
    Thanks for the book recommendations - always interested in what my husband rudely called 'mouldering royalty'! Would also recommend the old DVD published by the BBC called Fall of Eagles, about the Hapsburg, Romanov families.
  22. ninamargaret
    And the presenter was pretty good too!
  23. ninamargaret
    I think all of the recent Insights are available in You Tube
  24. ninamargaret
    Definitely think it's a ballet that benefits from a bit of homework before you see it. It does help if you know a little about the history of that period. The programme is very helpful in giving background.
  25. ninamargaret
    What an awful choice to make! But for a start Four Schumann Pieces, les Noces, Concerto Or Daphnis, Macmillan 's Rite of Spring, Enigma variations
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