Jeannette

I thoroughly enjoyed this. San Francisco Ballet and NY Theatre Ballet seem to be the only USA companies streaming films of  complete ballets during this period...rather than little rehearsal snippets or exercises/classes.

1 hour ago, Scheherezade said:

True, although sometimes real life partners have less chemistry on stage - perhaps feeling that this would, in a way, be intrusive. 

Exactly. That’s what made/makes ABT’s Catherine Hurlin & Aran Bell so special in AR’s new ballet Of Love & Rage. They’re fine alone but extraordinary together.

I agree with everyone that this is a very enjoyable production. 

By the way, Don Q is one of the few well-known classics that’s not among the ballets in the Sergeev Collection (Harvard notes). 

Thanks, David. As a DVD collector and general collector of ballet on film (3,000+ titles on specially-built shelves taking up three walls in the guest bedroom), I’ll be darned if I abandon my collection! Which  leads me to...oh, what a smile you brought to my face by pointing out how many companies are being less than forthcoming by oh-so-generously offering “free streams” of performances that many of us acquired years ago. Ok, I totally understand how these generous streams are a bonanza to novices to the art. BRAVO to that...it’s important to build the audience.

 ...and now it’s ABT cancelling its entire Spring/summer season at the Met. (ABT Facebook) Sigh. Good thing that I saw Ratmansky’s new ballet in Calif in mid-March! 

@stucha The Mariinsky Sleeping Beauty (K. Sergeev ver.) with Somova and Schklyarov is actually available as a commercial DVD through a Japanese site, as are many other of the Mariinsky’s MezzoLiveHD telecasts. I’ll add link if I can find but I’m pretty sure that I bought this through an Amazon site 3-4 years ago. Of course, it’s also great to have “free” streaming options.

On 04/04/2020 at 05:50, stucha said:

 

Thanks @jeanette.

The Vsevolovsky designs are the least interesting part of that particular Mariinsky production for me.  The sets and costumes for ABT's version are much more interesting but suffer from having to be made for touring.

 

 

@stucha The Mariinsky’s Imperial-Era SB designs also toured, quite extensively. They were on a plane to New York within two months of the April 1999 St Petersburg premiere, then to London a year later, to Paris and DC. Sorry, I cut no slack to ABT for the cheap look of its designs...for touring. 

Only the Mariinsky’s rolling Panorama portion of the set could not tour (that I recall).

The sheer luxury of Vsevolozhsky’s multilayered Apotheosis, with the garlands lowering from the ceiling, alone are worth the price of admission. I still get chills thinking about that! However, that version is flawed for keeping too many USSR-era dances; Ratmansky was much more faithful to Petipa’s steps and overall style.

I’m doing a “ballet of the day” from my DVD collection. Yesterday was EXCELSIOR. Today it’s a deep dive into Yakobsen’s SHURALE...the 1980 Kirov film with Terekhova, then the recent-ish  Mariinsky revival with Obraztsova/Matvienko then, to cap things off,  this season’s Mezzo Live HD telecast from Kazan in Tatarstan...a somewhat shortened version (omitting dances for children) BUT gorgeously filmed, with bright designs. Why on earth doesn’t the Mariinsky tour this ballet internationally? It is my favorite ballet of the Soviet era, for music, designs, corps  & solo dancing, etc. The Kirov-Mariinsky’s secret gem.

Alison, you’re thinking about the late Sergei Vikharev’s 1999 staging for the Mariinsky, based on the Sergeev-Stepanov notations. Unfortunately, the changes were too shocking for “Mariinsky Powers” so Vikharev was cajoled into reverting to the USSR versions of several dances, such as Prince Desire’s pdd solo...but the great coup of that (Vikharev) staging is that it incorporates the original 1890  designs by Vsevolovsky. Imperial Romanov splendor to the max!

Perhaps the staging that’s most faithful to the Sergeev-Stepanov notes is Ratmansky’s 2015 version for ABT...but with relatively cheap-looking decors/costumes (bland attempt at Bakst 1921...cheap fabrics). 

In many respects, the current RB version is most satisfying, overall. Derived from the traditional Sergeev-Stepanov AND with gorgeous substantive designs, as the 1946 Oliver Messel creations are, IMO, second to none. Win-win situation!

The Ratmansky program is especially exciting. Wondering which ballets will be shown? The company already performs his Seven Sonatas and Bolero, so I’m guessing that they’ll be included.

I hope that Ratmansky’s Preludes (formerly 24 Preludes) is back on the schedule for 2020/21, as it was originally planned for the current season before being cancelled/replaced.

On 31/03/2020 at 03:01, bridiem said:

Fully agree with Floss both about the likelihood of this season resuming and the likely impact on next season. (My comment above, and I imagine that of Rob S, was of course a tongue in cheek reflection on the truncation of another highly significant season rather than a real comment on that of the RB. And I still hope that that other season will be finished when possible. Liverpool champions and a revised/restored SL at the ROH - now that would be a thing.)

Bring on the warhorses!

This was in summer 2010 at the Coliseum. I went specifically to see the rarities, incl Laurencia (Perren & Matvienko), mixed  bill with Cavalry’s Halt (Lomachenkova, Ploom) and, of course, Cipollino (Kuznetsov & Yapparova...different from the stars of the film that I found on YouTube). 

Thanks for your educated guess on the date of the film.

Aqualia2008, I found another recent Mikhailovsky treasure (Act I of two) - Cipollino by Mayorov/K. Khachaturian. It’s a beautiful, crisp professional film. (Unable to copy-paste the direct link...search Cipollino ballet - channel Ballet Opera.)  

I’m curious about the date of this excellent filming. Do you know? I saw this during the London tour ca-2011 and was wondering if the film was made at around the same time. I’m also wondering if you happen to know who danced the twin Countess Cherries, as these aren’t listed at the start of the film, with the others?

Main cast, listed:

Cipollino - Denis Tolmachev

Little Radish - Yulia Tikka

Main pdd. Act II:

Magnolia - Olga Stepanova

Count Cherry - Artem Pukhachev

Prince Lemon - Alexander Omar

Signor Tomato - Vladimir Tsal

Conductor/Cactus - Mikhail Pabyzin (?)

Thanks, in advance, for your insights! What a delightful ballet and colorful production. A perfect antidote to these troubled times.

Sounds like everyone had a grand time! Just reading this thread brings smiles. Dear Hubby & I will try to join next time. 

1 hour ago, alison said:

I suppose that the US companies, by and large, don't have the sort of richness in recordings that e.g. the Royal, Bolshoi and even Paris Opera Ballet have, given that they generally don't do cinema showings.  Or has there been rather more televised dance in the US than I'm aware of?

 No televised ballet on the USA since the taped “Balanchine in Paris”...unless you count the small ballet numbers in the annual Vienna New Year program. However, all of the companies have “house cam” recordings of all ballets. Would it be so difficult to waive union rules and show some, during these extraordinary times?

Bravo, Kazakhstan! Sure beats the American companies (ABT and NYCB in particular), which are only streaming  dancers stretching or giving classes from their flats. Great way (not) to maintain or build the fan base during these difficult times. Sorry, rather frustrated here.

6 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

When David Bintley re-made Cyrano for Birmingham Royal Ballet he got the RB set and costumes to cut down on costs.

 

With the new RB Swan Lake I don't know how many of the interpolations are Scarletts but would it be possible to strip them out...

I totally agree. It shouldn’t be a big deal to replace the moments that are uniquely by Scarlett. Keep the beautiful decors, costumes, etc. Imagine the wonderful Dowell production (incl. the historic 1895 segments) in these sets & costumes!

Beautiful! Thank you, aqualia.

Thanks. That’s probably the one that I saw in the ‘90s (staging by Boyarchikov?), which retained some Petipa elements, such as the A1 Village Waltz with the stools and maypole.

Most definitely, aqualia. I’m particularly interested in the Mikhailovsky’s rarities but appreciate the better-known ballets, such as the Messerer Swan Lake. I wish that the theater would bring back its full-length Esmeralda - a real treasure. The brief (one-hour) mid-1990s DVD starring Khabibulina does not do that production justice. I saw the full ballet many times during my years living in Russia, with either Kirsanova or Khabibulina in the leading role.

You’re a wizard, aqualia! Thank you.

4 hours ago, aqualia2008 said:

https://www.danceeurope.net/

 

 

At the Mikhailovsky Theatre with Mikhail Messerer

 

This film goes behind the scenes at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg with Principal Guest Ballet Master Mikhail Messerer, and follows the company's dancers  in class and in rehearsal for Messerer's staging of Laurencia.

Thanks, aqualia! Any hope that the Mikhailovsky might make their complete Laurencia available, either as a webcast/stream or DVD-Blu-ray? It’s a lovely ballet that’s rarely seen in the West.

Dare I suggest...

The 24 July  1970 Gala-tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton, upon his retirement as A.D., featuring numerous rare & well-known excerpts of the great choreographer’s ballets...from Capriol Suite (1930) to Lament of the Waves (1970). The program featured Fonteyn/Nureyev in a scene from Apparitions, among other treasures. Even if an archived film may be scratchy or in black&white, this would be a joy to rewatch. 

Scarlett’s version of Swan Lake will continue? Guess so...too expensive to scrap.