FionaM

Loved the triple bill so much, that I’m thinking of going to the encore screening this weekend to catch more of the fabulous dancing.  

24 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Hasn’t this been the case for a long time anyway when it comes to the most senior principals?

It depends what you mean by a ‘long time’ and ‘the most senior principals’.  

So yes it has been the case for a few years.   Although not as long as one might think.  Eg.  this was one of Sergei Polunin’s reasons for leaving in 2012, and that’s only 7 years ago.  On the other hand Sylvie Guillem before that was able to dictate her schedule.   

However this wasn’t the track I was heading down, I was originally responding to the comments about the gaps over December/January for Osipova and Nunez and remarking that they might have alternative projects / guesting opportunities rather than just extended breaks over that period.  And applauding KOH for accommodating these.  I suspect he may also has a hand in arranging other opportunities too. 

But we are now getting off topic for this thread ....

49 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Hoorah as long as they are still able to fully meet their commitments at RB.

What I was trying to say, is that many dancers appear now to be able to negotiate their future external schedules and RB commitments with RB management.  So someone like Natalia Osipova might choose to not participate in this run of Coppelia, if she has something more interesting to do or prepare for, from her point of view.  After all, it’s their career and it’s a short career, so each dancer must use it to their satisfaction, not anyone else’s view or demands.

Regarding gaps over December/January for Osipova and Nunez, I’d guess they have international commitments elsewhere?  North (ABT?) and South America respectively?  Or guesting elsewhere ....

Thanks to KOH’s enlightened management these principals and many other RB dancers are increasingly juggling external projects and guesting elsewhere with RB repertoire (eg. Melissa Hamilton with BRB in Northern Ireland this weekend, Valentino Zucchetti’s Bolero in Mexico a week ago, to name just two).  Hoorah.  

5 hours ago, ToThePointe said:

This is a very gushing review, but I thought you might like to read my views on the Hayward/Campbell cast!

 

https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2019/11/08/Manon-at-The-Royal-Ballet 

Thank you for the gushing review.  Completely agree.  I don’t want to see another Manon pairing after that superb performance 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Link to final performance in Biwako Hall, Otsu Shiga

https://www.biwako-hall.or.jp/en/performance/2019/03/alina-cojocaru-dream-project-2020.html

My thoughts on Coppélia in Münich

Saturday 26 October 2019

Sergei Polunin excels in dramatic roles (Mayerling, Spartacus, Manon, Giselle, Marguerite & Armand, Rasputin .....  aa well as the pure classics Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Nutcracker, Don Q, etc)  and so it’s been a wonderful year for me to see other facets to him, including the more romantic carefree young Romeo in Johan Kobborg’s R&J in Verona and now his comedic side in Coppélia.  
 

And he was very good  - great comic timing and fun interplay with Virna Toppi as Swanilda ... along with his usual commitment to the character and technical virtuosity on show too.  Virna is a new principal at Bayerische Staatsballett joining from La Scala this season.  They were a good partnership as her technique is both secure and accomplished - beautiful lines and arms, turns and jumps, and so she could fully inhabit her role and they could play off each other.  The energy and sheer fun they were having in their roles bounded out to the audience.  Congratulations to Bayerische Staatsballett in bringing this ballet and this partnership together in Munich 👏
 

Javier Amo as Dr Coppelius was refined and sad as a man just trying to find a woman to love him.  He danced the most wonderful and hilarious waltz with his Coppélia doll (before Swanilda inhabits her).

I loved the Roland Petit version for its simple stage design and limited extras.  Six friends for Swanilda and just 12 couples of townspeople (ladies) and their military partners.  It highlighted for me how cluttered many of the Royal Ballet productions are, with unnecessary extras and invasive stage sets.  We are there for the dance and the story - give them space so we can see it.  My new mantra 😉
 

A joyous and uplifting evening of wonderful ballet.  As one Munich local alongside me remarked ‘at last a principal dancer to match Sergei’ and ‘we hope he will dance here more often’

56 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

 

Difficult to put it into words  adequately - I just felt that both Akane and Alex truly inhabited their characters and that you could see every confused  emotion they were experiencing throughout the whole conflict of love, sensuality, and the pull of luxury and riches - starting from the moment Alex  showed Des Grieux's yearning for Manon  with his lovely, controlled, lyrical  Act 1 solo. 

I was particularly struck by the sheer exuberance of their dance-expressed love-making in Act 1, and in Act 2 by  Akane's movements and expressions as Manon  allows herself to be literally thrown from man to man in Act 2 , and as she  positions herself  so as to be dancing  half for Des Grieux, half for Monsieur GM -  enjoying the attention and the power of her sensuality but at the same time in much doubt, conscious of what she also feels for Des Grieux. 

In Act 3 we had Gary Avis ( a cast change from Bennet Gartside) in his particularly horrible gaoler role,  followed by such emotional dancing and characterisation from Akane and Alex, as  Des Grieux desperately tries to save the broken Manon and get her out of the swamp. Her air-spins in his arms were just amazing, the last of which, of course, amounting to Manon's death throes. 

I do think the partnership they had in  the last run of Manon,  which was tremendous  in itself (and cast again due to McRae's unfortunate absence),  really helped them cement their connection and performance last night.

I am pretty sure they felt so as well - it was lovely to see Akane looking really happy during the curtain calls, (once recovered from the initial emotion of the ending)  whereas she was clearly distressed at the end of  the first performance  which resulted in McRae's injury. 

Yes I did absolutely love James Hay as well, as a wonderful Lescaut, but for me this performance must belong to the main couple! 

You have found some wonderful words to express your impressions, thank you so much.  

8 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Outstanding, breathtaking, beautiful performances from Takada and Campbell tonight to finish  this run of Manon ....

so thrilled to read this , for both of them 👏👏.  I would have loved to see this pairing.  Do tell more .... 

6 hours ago, Sim said:

I mentioned Ryo, and so did a few others!  (Refers to FionaE’s post above)

ok good!
 

it is not easy to be so smooth, calm, unhurried and in sync with the ballerina 👏

51 minutes ago, Douglas Allen said:

Sorry, who is AR?

 Anna Rose O’Sullivan

Absolutely loved the triple bill in cinemas last night.  I won’t be able to attend any performances at the ROH so have none to compare to, and thought the entire company were on excellent form.  

Reference the cinema screenings , I do so wish they would ditch Darcey from presenting ... she is still awful (uncomfortable and messes up, too much giggling) after so many attempts over so many years.  Time to move on surely, please.  

Anyway back to the show, there were so many fabulous performances  ....

CONCERTO

I loved the lively Anna-Rose O’Sullivan, but was disappointed by James Hay who I usually like.  I didn’t think he had the same sparkle in his personality, nor clarity of movement nor technical surety that AR did.  And he usually does.  Mayara Magri was accomplished and confident in the solo role.

The second movement is a wow and Yasmine Naghdi brought wonderful serenity to it, but I have seen Marianela Nunez online and she is supreme in this role.  I though Ryo Hirano was a classy partner as the role is best if the male partner ‘disappears’.  In order to do so the partner’s movements must be seamless and unrushed, and performed calmly to highlight the ballerina.  This is not easy to do, and he achieved it, I believe, because no one has mentioned him!

ENIGMA VARIATIONS

It does help if you take this as a series of vignettes of Elgar’s friends, and are willing to accept it for the period piece it is.  The bulky and/or frilly costumes can be a distraction.  Francesca Hayward was outstanding as Dorabella - charming and lyrical in a fast paced solo.   Other commendations to Calvin Richardson, Luca Acri, Matthew Ball for their clear technique and interpretations.  Also enjoyed Bennet Gartside’s Nimrod interpretation.  Understated and perfect.

RAYMONDA ACT 3

The set was applauded even in my local cinema.  Reece Clarke made a fine Hungarian lead, maybe not as showy as a Russian performer would do it, but he is making strides (pun intended) with both his long legs on show and in portraying characters.  I was disappointed with Itziar Mendizabal as his partner.  Needed someone taller and more demonstrative, I felt.  

The soloists were all very good.   I knew Fumi Kaneko would be - she is just a lovely dancer and so serene.  Meaghan Hinkis is usually not my favourite but she was very accomplished and pure technically last night. Claire Calvert was just dreamy, perfect and controlled.  Wonderful.  Special mention also to Beatriz Stix-Brunel who had soloist roles in all 3 ballets, and did a super job in the different styles. I noticed Isabella Gasparini in the trio - would like to see her taking on more solos.  And also noticed Cesar Corrales’ superior technique in the pas de quatre.

I liked Natalia Osipova’s interpretation even though I don’t like her technique.  I admire her commitment and interpretation.  Her personality shines through.  And Vadim Muntagirov managed to make Nureyev’s technically difficult choreography look easy.  He was obviously enjoying himself, as it seemed were all the cast.  Joyous!

On 28/10/2019 at 14:55, Naomi M said:

Yes it was not a major role and Polunin's acting was not impressive, but the role of Yuri Soloviev is not a minor role, he did appear in some important scenes such as the night cruising with Pierre Lacotte and Clara Saint on the night they met (he was there to watch over Nureyev), the scene that they went to a toy store to purchase some railway figures and playing together in the hotel room, and the defection scene.

They shared the same hotel room in Paris.  

There are a couple of short scenes in the shared hotel room, one where it’s implied Nureyev/Ivenko is looking at Soloviev/Polunin’s naked body/bottom (!) and another scene when they are setting up the train set and Nureyev leans on Soloviev who shrugs him off. 
 

Polunin fans will be disappointed by how little there is to see of him in this movie.  As you say he is in a few scenes, but most are short and he has little to do as the focus rightly is on Nureyev and his story.

It’s an interesting movie to understand Nureyev’s motivation, and also as a reminder of the restrictions on Soviet people at the time.  

11 hours ago, capybara said:

 

She is at the Mariinsky 🙂 ! But definitely a Principal in all but title.

yes sorry don’t know what I was thinking there, I did know that!  

Was Olesya Novikova in Akimov’s class?  I thought I saw her?  
 

(She would classify as a first soloist that dances principal roles.  Should be a principal if not for politics.) 

On 27/10/2019 at 01:57, Amelia said:

Dear FionaE, the name of a former Principal and now a répétiteur at Bolshoi Ballet is Maria Allash. (Incidentally, the word you wrote means "a habitual drunkard" in Russian.😜)

 
I am so sorry autocorrect kept changing it and I did not notice the final version. Thanks for spotting it and for the information.  #learningallthetime

19 hours ago, assoluta said:

 

First soloists at Bolshoi most of the time dance soloists roles, not principal ones.

 

 

You probably have missed that but the Allash class was pre-recorded. If it wasn't, Olga Smirnova could not be shown as she had the evening performance on the WBD while, according to Shipulina, the purpose of that class was apparently to feature Smirnova without other prima ballerinas of Bolshoi, like e.g. Shipulina, present.

Thank you for confirming my thought.  I have been wondering whether the Allash class was pre-recorded as I saw Elizaveta Kokoreva in the class and I know she was in Yekaterinburg that evening to dance Don Q pdd with Leonid Sarafanov as part of Sergei Polunin’s tour.

Really enjoyed the Roland Petit COPPÉLIA in Munich last night.  It is a treat .... as it has so much dancing for the lead couple.  Only 1.5 hours long plus an interval and you will not feel short-changed.  Joyous. 
 

Javier Amo was a delightful Dr Coppélius - portraying both brilliantly comedic moments and a sad older man just wanting someone to love him.  
 

Maria Baranova, new principal at BSB previously principal at Finnish National Ballet, was delightful with secure technique.  https://instagram.com/mariaelisabaranova?igshid=vpka95e5yo69

Stand-out performance of the night was Dmitrii Vyskubenko.  Only 21 and already a first soloist with BSB.  Lovely comedic talent and beautiful lines, jumps and spins.  One to watch.  He’s already debuted as Jack in Wheeldon’s Alice, Lensky in Onegin amongst others.  You can sense his trajectory 😉 https://instagram.com/ballet_force_97?igshid=1d5yq195mnqpj

First soloists at Bolshoi dance principal roles almost exclusively, so I consider them in the same bracket.  Unlike at RB where first soloists do principal roles occasionally and soloist roles more often.   
 

So in Akimov’s class we saw Ovcharenko, Belyakov, Tsvirko, Motta Soares and Anna Tikhimorova.  As well as others in Alkash class that I am not familiar with.   I think that’s a pretty good representation as any that performed on the previous night couldn’t be expected to be in class at 10am .... an hour earlier than usual.  
 

There obviously is a timing overlap of the normal day between Bolshoi  and RB.  The organisers of WBD need to have a rethink about timings.  My suggestion would be to show pre-recorded rehearsals ahead of classes at normal time, and then a few live rehearsals afterwards.  

10 hours ago, Lark said:

Shipulina complained in an instagram post that she and other primas were not invited to film, so that's the reason Smirnova was in a class of her own.  Krysanova had some time in a different segment, but that was about it. Very disappointing for those of us who had hoped to see an Akimov class full of principals as we did in the 2014 World Ballet Day!

I only saw a brief section of the Akimov class and noticed principals/first soloists Artem Ovcharenko, Anna Tikhimorova and David Motta Soares.  There may have been more - it switched over to the Allash class and also I’m not so familiar with all the faces.  Was Lantratov there too?  

I use this list from ROH website to help choose:

Saturday 18 January at 1.30pm
Cuthbertson*, Soares#, Hinkis, Donnelly*, Mock*

(Tatiana, Onegin, Olga, Lensky, Prince Gremin)

Saturday 18 January at 7pm
Osipova, Muntagirov*, Hayward*, Ball, Avis

Tuesday 21 January at 7.30pm
Nuñez, Hirano*, Takada, Edmonds, Clarke*

Friday 24 January at 7.30pm
Naghdi*, Bonelli, O’Sullivan*, Sissens*, Gartside

Friday 7 February at 7.30pm
Osipova, Muntagirov, Hayward, Ball, Avis

Saturday 8 February at 7.30pm
Nuñez, Hirano, Takada, Edmonds, Clarke

Wednesday 12 February at 7.30pm
Osipova, Muntagirov, Hayward, Ball, Avis

Friday 21 February at 7.30pm
Naghdi, Bonelli, O’Sullivan, Sissens, Gartside

Saturday 22 February at 7pm
Cuthbertson, Soares, Hinkis, Donnelly, Mock

Monday 24 February at 7.30pm
Naghdi, Bonelli, O’Sullivan, Sissens, Gartside

Thursday 27 February at 7.30pm
Nuñez, Hirano, Takada, Edmonds, Clarke

Saturday 29 February at 7.30pm
Cuthbertson, Soares, Hinkis, Donnelly, Mock

Lots of debuts *

I’d be interested in views of which cast to see in Onegin.   I am interested in seeing Thiago Soares as I assume he is retiring from principal dancing soon ...

15 hours ago, annamk said:

 

Very interested to read your detailed thoughts Irmgard, thank you for taking the time to post them.

 

It had slipped my mind when I posted that even I, someone with a tin ear, found the tempi yesterday insufferably slow. I agree with your thoughts about the ENB orchestra and Gavin Sutherland. I had a similar revelation in Stuttgart recently where the Staatsorchestra made the Mayerling score sound immeasurably better than it ever does in London. 

It’s disappointing to hear that the RB orchestra/conducting is sub-standard.   Our brilliant dancers deserve better.

15 hours ago, Irmgard said:

When the score was re-orchestrated, a piece was inserted before the gaoler's pas de deux to cover the scene change.  I am not convinced by it or by its necessity!  The interlude before the bedroom pas de deux in Act I has always been there , or at least as long as I have been watching the ballet which is since the late 1970s!

thank you. Very helpful.  
 

Both could be cut in my opinion!

Regarding the music, it seemed to me that there have been a few extra ‘pieces of music’ unrelated to the MANON score spliced in inbetween scenes. One was before the bedroom pdd in Act 1 and one before the gaoler’s pdd in Act 3.  They seemed to be there to allow the scene changes to happen but were not really needed.  Anyone have any info on this?