Richard LH

15 hours ago, alison said:

I'm guessing you didn't have any problems with the subtitles where you were, then, Richard?

No they were fine thanks, and good surround sound too (Cineworld Bedford).

On 25/03/2024 at 17:55, alison said:

Worth going?

Definitely!

23 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

Asmik Grigorian is said to be the sole reason for seeing this cast

"Unfair" I would say to whoever  said that... I thought all the three leading singers I mentioned are excellent in their respective roles and well worth seeing.  

Sensational, emotional and extremely heartfelt performance last night from Asmik Grigorian, very well supported by Joshua Guerrero as the cad Pinkerton and Hongni Wu as the faithful Suzuki. Brilliant in the cinema, but it must have been fantastic to see it live; the ROH audience seemed to be in raptures...

10 hours ago, JohnS said:

I found the contrasts between the ballets made for a hugely satisfying programme so was a little taken aback by the negative reaction to Different Drummer and how it had diminished enjoyment of Requiem. For future performances some posters were going to sit out the ballet or even return tickets. I fully accept that Different Drummer is the strongest of game meat and is harrowingly bleak. But I think that makes Requiem even more transcendental.

Sorry about the negativity  @JohnS !

It's great that you (and many others) found the whole programme so rewarding.

I did enjoy DC and Requiem but for me DD was the fly in the ointment... just one too many of MacMillan's depictions of horrible behaviour.  Perhaps coming so soon after Manon, and the treatment of women in that ballet, didn't help. We even had the seemingly obligatory group of harlots running on near the end, for no particular reason I could see (although I accept I have no prior knowledge of the original work that this was based on).

Your last quoted point is a cogent and  interesting one, although I would hope, as a rule, that  it is not first necessary to endure  a harrowingly bleak offering in order fully to  enjoy a beautiful transcendental  piece such as Requiem!  

As to returning tickets,  given the costs of  attending ballet (including train fares etc.) I just thank the ROH that they enable us (subject to the £4 retention) to cancel further performances  we  would not particularly enjoy, and  credit the proceeds for hopefully more rewarding future choices. 

13 hours ago, Naomi M said:

Yuhui Choe has posted on instagram that she is out from MacMillan and the rest of season as she is expecting her second child. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4voIA2IJ8j/?igsh=MWd2dWF5ZTBlcDA1ZQ==

This explains why she withdrew from recent performances at the last minute....many congratulations!

Just a point about the orchestration at the end of  Requiem (In Paradisum); the little triad motifs that run through the piece seemed a lot more dominant than in other versions of Faure's Requiem I have listened to. I think these are traditionally played on an organ, whereas I assume they were using some form of electronic keyboard last night? Anyway I did feel the instrumental   balance tended to make the end sequence sound more lightweight than the orginal  and thus not completely reflecting  the intended mood at the ending of the work.

For me this triple bill displayed (intentionally or otherwise)  two very contrasting aspects of MacMillan’s work. Taking the “dark” side first….whilst performed with admiral bravery and dedication by Hayward, Sambe and other cast members, Different Drummer suffers from the same unsavoury and dismal obsession with themes of mental illness, degradation, rape and death that characterises  a lot of MacMillan ‘s output, as also seen for example in The Invitation, Anastasia Act 3, Manon, Mayerling, and The Judas Tree. I didn’t find the story, such as it was, moving or engaging, just tedious and somewhat depressing, and after the first 5 minutes or so  I just kept wishing for the end.

What a shame, as the evening had started so brightly, in contrast, with the quirky, inventive  and clever Dances Concertantes, which I found  very enjoyable, and which was performed superbly, particularly  by the three leading ladies (Gasparini, Maeda and Hinkis) , and with Acri the stand-out  gentleman for me. It was only slightly spoiled, I felt, by the somewhat weird costume designs, including  the head pieces which unfortunately tended to make the dancers difficult to recognise, and those with little "Tin Man" stove pipes (?) atop looking faintly  ridiculous.

Also a shame that DD had to precede  the  hauntingly beautiful and impressive Requiem piece, which displayed some  marvellous dancing , brilliant  lighting and stark but elegant costume designs, and which was carried throughout by  the wonderful live choral music.  There was some tremendous, and challenging,  choreography, mostly extremely effective,  with just a few parts that didn’t quite work for me (for example I recall Cuthbertson sort of see-sawing on top one of the other dancers at the  end of one of the sections). I was holding my breath at the end when Braendsrod carried Cuthbertson off at the end….am I imagining it, or was he just holding her upright  with one hand on her lower leg?? Truly spectacular.

Overall though, mainly because of DD, I don’t feel the need to see this triple again at present and I have returned my tickets booked originally for the 27 March and 13 April.  

13 minutes ago, Fonty said:

@Amelia  I am trying to visualise what you mean by "X shaped legs", but I am not sure what you mean.  

I think it's the same as knock knees...when there is a gap between your ankles when you stand with your knees together. This did seem to be noticeable with Dudinskaya in the video....

(As opposed to bow legs where there is gap between the knees when standing with the ankles together, which must be why I am also unable to perform fouettes 😂)

36 minutes ago, Sim said:

They did?  I saw Fumi with Bonelli but didn't realise she had danced it with Will also.  Dang, can't believe I missed it. 

 

Fumi and Will only danced it once, at the Welcome performance "for people who have never been to a ballet or opera at the Royal Opera House", so I don't think you would have qualified @Sim !

7 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I assume that Derek Deane's production gets over the sticky issue of Siegfried's (mimed) vow to marry Odile at the ball on the basis that he only ever vowed to marry Odette so if it was mistaken identity, it shouldn't count!

The problem with that is, if his vow to Odile doesn't count, why all the fuss and the need for the last Act resolution? 🤔

9 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

Can the RB production be transcendent given the downbeat ending?

I find it so;  the transcedence is in the dancing and music but also in the ending; as @Linnzi5 observes, Odette takes control at the end and through her self-sacrifice defeats evil,  is released from her imprisonment, and although leaving behind her earthly body,  (literally!) rises above it all in the  end scene, reaching the spiritual realm. 

Thanks @Linnzi5....and I feel that in those lovely black and white photos Fumi and Will really give us a glimpse of the beauty and emotion to be found  in White Act ballet.

30 minutes ago, bridiem said:

Swan Lake at its best is not so much emotional as transcendent, which is ultimately even more powerful. 

Exactly! 

38 minutes ago, Sim said:

I love the white acts for their sheer balletic beauty. I find it very moving to see a beautiful corps dancing in unison. 

Me too! The White Acts are my favourites parts of the Classical ballets and can be extremely moving and emotional in their own way.....the lines, the movement, the positioning, the response to the music....fantastic when it all comes together!

2 hours ago, capybara said:

I rather think that it is the coaches who are in luck with the extraordinary talent now at the top of the RB.

Yes indeed, but I was thinking also of the dedication from the coaching team to get all the Corps dancers so well coordinated, and in time and tune with the music and the mood.

Lovely reviews from @JennyTaylor and @Linnzi5...thank you for putting into words, so fully and eloquently, what I was struggling to express...I don't have enough superlatives to give proper credit to Fumi and Will for their amazing performances last night.

What an advert for this art form..I sat next to a young man who was seeing his first ballet, and he was absolutely astounded by the skill and elegance on display. I think he is now securely hooked!

Yes it was Fumi and Will's night but I wouldn't want that to detract in any way from the performances put in by the rest of the whole Company, and from the brilliant staging and music.....the Swan Corps were sublime and their Act 4 introduction dancing, amongst the mist, a thing of rare beauty to witness.

Dance after dance, in every Act, was just exceptional. The RB  is benefiting from some outstanding coaches and coaching at present.

Can't wait to see more casts as the run progresses....!

Finally it was super to have a quick word again with @Silke H and @Dawnstar and to meet @Linnzi5for the first time.

Pure magic tonight..  ❤️

25 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Tonight's cast list has finally appeared. Leo Dixon's Benno debut, I think? 

 https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/swan-lake-by-liam-scarlett/cast-list/54701

Excellent cast! Looking forward to the  first SL of the run for me...

19 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Beryl H …is that the June 25th performance? I’m hoping for that one at public booking …does availability look okay still? 

Yep, plenty of seats currently available for 25th June....

3 hours ago, Beryl H said:

It works better during the "outage", I got a SL ticket for Takada/Sissens in June

yesterday!

🤣

Very pleased that I somehow managed to grab a pair of tickets for SL Kaneko/Bracewell on Friday despite the "partial outage"! 😄

13 hours ago, Silke H said:

Ball and Hirano are taller than Campbell, Corrales about same height as Campbell

 

Trying to recognise some of the newer dancers....does anyone know who are the three ladies behind in this picture, from left to right?

What an exemplary, emotional display of artistry from Alex and  Frankie, supported by a great cast....such a fitting tribute to Alex's final performance.  So wonderful to be able to see this, and witness all the love and respect shown by his colleagues on stage at the end. A very special night...

12 minutes ago, bridiem said:

Btw, I did go down to the Floral Hall at the first interval to see if I could find any Forumites, but the usual table wasn't there and I couldn't see anyone familiar. Apologies if there was a gathering and I didn't see it!

That's a shame @bridiem; I did the same thing and wandered around for a bit in the Floral Hall before finding a group in little  corner between the main stairs (up to the Crush Room etc and down to the old foyer) and the window overlooking Bow Street. Maybe next time ?!