Christine

On 22/01/2024 at 12:39, LinMM said:

Id love to go to Munich too as it’s years since I’ve been there and it’s a lovely city ( I used to go to Germany a lot as I studied the language) but haven’t been to the theatre there yet and the Company today has so many really good dancers! 
Thanks for reviews and piccies Don Q 

... and it's only two hours by train from Munich to Stuttgart. So, if you're feeling very spontaneous 😉 you might even be able to add Stuttgart Ballet's very promising new triple program Shades of Blue and White (Makarova/Forsythe/Uwe Scholz's Beethoven's 3rd Symphony). 

I completely agree, the Bayerische Staatsballet has some marvellous dancers, I'll try to see their Onegin.

This was my first RB Nutcracker live and I did enjoy this sumptuous production; the second half more than the first, simply because there is so much more exciting dancing.

But then, this is first and foremost meant to be a Christmas treat for children and for adults to revisit and indulge in memories of Christmas cheer.
 

After having seen the Stuttgart SB‘s new Nutcracker which puts the coming-of-age aspect of Clara firmly into the foreground (culminating in the final PDD danced by Clara & the Nutcracker/D‘s nephew), thereby gaining some dramatic pull, the pace of this traditional version seemed almost sedate. I do hope this does not sound too negative, I just can‘t think of a better word. 
There was certainly time to dwell on the infinite amount of lovely detail during the first act.

I haven‘t seen Madison and Liam dance before and found them both very good and fresh, but agree with those above who commented on the less successful PDD work (too much focused on themselves, so that potential rapport suffered) compared to when they danced on their own. 
 

Great to see Gary Avis live in this role for the first time.

After the many furry and winged animals of the Stuttgart Ballet version, it was fun to see the traditional tea & coffee etc. 
The dancing I found admirable throughout, with the men‘s jumps especially impressive. 

Masciari in the Russian dance was a standout - someone further up wrote that he occasionally takes this to the point where it can become a distraction. This was not the case for me yesterday with the dance performed  completely in character and with great esprit.

I had expected a little more from Yuhui, I admit, but feel that this may well have to do with the slow pace of the music, or rather, the conducting. On videos Yuhui comes across as a very charming, very lively dancer, little of which transported to me yesterday (Centre stalls circle, third row).

In fact, my only quarrel with yesterday‘s performance was indeed the conducting. To me it seemed almost devoid of contour, moving though the gorgeous tunes like clockwork, almost deadpan.

For some reason, the slow pace and even-tempered rendition of the score did work miraculously well in the final PDD of the  dream team. Marianela certainly knows how to fill the space between the notes with grace, grandeur and beautiful detailing, Had the tempo been even slower she still would have been mesmerizing. The same is true of Vadim - his gorgeously clean lines and velvety-pawed landings are just breathtaking.

So, in brief, I had a great evening at the ROH yesterday!

PS: lovely to see so many young visitors in the House and also at the stage door after the performance! 

We are going to see the RB Nutcracker on the 5th Jan. Is anybody else on the BCF forum going that night and would like to meet during the break perhaps? Or is there a place in the house where BCF members habitually gather during the break or before the performance?

Happy New Year to all and huge thanks to the Mods! This forum is such a wonderful platform for an exchange on the art form we all love so much and I‘ve benefitted greatly from all contributors. I wish I found the time to write more but am currently quite simply often too busy.

14 hours ago, annamk said:

@Richard C If you manage to fit Stuttgart into your trip and you fancy something different from an opera house tour I highly recommend the Mercedes Benz museum. I’m not in any way interested in cars but I thought it was really brilliant. 
Please report back and tell us about the performances you see. 

 Sadly, I do not think Stuttgart will fit your schedule, as you will probably have found out yourself by now. Anyway, it might be worth checking out Stuttgart Ballet (including a visit to the wonderful Mercedes Benz museum mentioned by Anna) on a separate trip, as it does have some of the best dancers and the "Shades" program will be a highlight this season! This is not terribly realistic, I fear...

28 minutes ago, Sabine0308 said:

I was surprised to see that some companies did not go live, but showed recorded classes/rehearsals. E.g. Staatsballett Berlin and Munich. Was it the case with other companies as well?

Re Munich, the "Le Parc" rehearsals (with Corps and soloists, coached by Laurent Hilaire) were interesting to watch. Premiere is November 25. Still some work to do...

I believe that the reason for some of the German companies not performing live for WBD was that in these German states today was a bank holiday - All Saints!  

Tamas Detrich, the artistic director of Stuttgart Ballet, explains this for the international audience in Stuttgart Ballet‘s contribution, which I , naturally, very much recommend for anyone interested in watching one of John Cranko greatest works „R.B.M.B“ 

I love their contribution to WBD this year -sadly it‘s  the last performances of Cranko’s R.B.M.E. for quite some time probably (together with the iconic „Requiem“ by MacMillan). It is work in progress, but it clearly shows SB’s approach to keeping such important pieces alive at the present moment.

in act one, Adhonay Soares da Silva was just stunning, his technical skills dazzling in the first act.

Act 2 always used to be a favorite of mine, especially musically. There were very strong performances here, especially from Marti Paixa Fernandez. (Mind-bogging throws of 3 ballerinas over his head in succession). But also the wonderfully charismatic Reilly, and, Anna Osadcenko, who embodied Birgit Keil.

Time ran out towards the end, so there wasn’t much time for corrections.
Not that much was needed, for the third act with the two protagonists, Elisa Badenes and Friedemann just dancing all out as though it was the actual performance:

a lyrical dream with Elisa interpreting Marcia Haydee  in a heart-tugging quest for companionship & higher truth together with the yearning and beautifully expressive, elegant and yet very natural Friedemann’Vogel.

Or for the fourth, where Matteo Miccini demonstrated his wonderful grasp of the role: („E“ for Egon Madson), joyous, quick-witted & nimble footed, with a dash of - „devil-may-care“ attitude thrown I 

it is such a complex piece of choreography for everyone involved, with the Corps often having to replicate the Principals‘ steps.

IMO (and from a very partial viewpoint of course), they all acquitted themselves exceedingly well, given that this was for just one week of remaining.performances of this great bill.

On 23/10/2023 at 21:35, Sabine0308 said:

I found the video of the PDD I mentioned above:

 

Thank you for this, Sabine! This PDD is amazing! 

Thank you for unlocking this thread, zxDaveM!

Not really that much, I’m afraid, as I had a little less than 48 h in Stockholm. 
 

I know there is a dance museum there, but I had no time to visit. Having never been to Stockholm before I visited the Royal Castle and the historic city centre Gamla Stan.

I also enjoyed the Fotografiska Museum.

Pre-performance I had some nice Köttbullar (Swedish meat balls) at the Operabaren (Backfickan) in the Opera House building.

I am sure there will be many BCF members who are more knowledgeable about Stockholm and it’s dance /ballet scene than me.

Anyway, I am sure you’ll have a wonderful time there - the production & dancing are great and everyone is so relaxed in Stockholm, it just makes for a lovely break!

On 10/08/2023 at 15:25, art_enthusiast said:

I've seen that Royal Swedish Ballet's Manon is back in September 2023? I was thinking of going. (Or potentially to to their Corsaire in October/November instead)

 

Does anyone have any tips on seating? This would be my first time going.

 
I sat in the stalls in row 2, which was perfect, as I love sitting close to the stage. Tickets at the Kungliga Operan are much less expensive compared to what you’d pay in London or Stuttgart.

As @annamk said, the opera house is lovely.

6 hours ago, PeterS said:

The Neumeier Nijinsky Gala in Hamburg sounds fascinating.
Did anyone attend this year?

How does one get tickets and when do they go onsale? 

Hi Peter,

I did attend this year and it was a very special gala as this was the 50 anniversary celebration and and more than 4 hours long. 

I can let you know what the procedure was for this year's gala and am guessing, it will be similar next year. Perhaps somebody has more accurate advice.

This is how it worked this year.

Tickets sales are based on a kind of lottery draw.

There is a brief window of a few days a couple of months (February in my case) before the actual gala during which you can apply for a ticket (stating your seating, pricing preferences, no. seats etc.. ).

A few months later you'll receive information (April in my case) if your application was successful and you can then buy the ticket.

Important seating advice: Avoid rows 2 to 10 in the stalls. There is no rake and you might get trapped behind giants (as happened in our case. We did manage to "work" our way forward, however).

Views from the balcony (first, second or even 3rd tier) are preferable.

Seating in the stalls starts to climb from row 11, from here you have excellent views.

Here's the link to the page for next years's Nijinsky-Gala XLIX: https://www.hamburgballett.de/de/spielplan/stueck.php?AuffNr=196311

Keep checking the page (there must be an English language page, too) for announcements.

Postscript: According to IG posts by Anders Rosen (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cta0H1kog1t) Sarah Erin Keaveney was promoted to first soloist (one level below principal) last night and her partner, Kentaro Misumori - already principal dancer with the Royal Swedish ballet -  were awarded a scholarship after yesterday's performance of Manon. Other promotions were Taylor Yanke and Anna Cecilia Meyer to second soloist. Definitely deserved and I wish them the best of luck for their future careers.

I am so sorry you were one of those affected by the Bucharest cancellation @annamk

Yes, a Jürgen Rose design for Manon would have been a dream, it is not going to happen though as I cannot imagine that at his age he is going to take on another project on that scale.

If you like the Ladies of the Camellias there is a good chance to catch Elisa Badenes and Friedemann Vogel in Stuttgart or fairly likely at one of the guest performances of Stuttgart Ballet in Hamburg on the 4th or 5th of July.

The casts have not been announced yet, though. 

Sitting on my plane back to Stuttgart as I am writing this. When Velvet praised the evening she definitely did not promise too much: it was this intense, I got so much drawn into the story by this performance that it was over, before I could as much as blink.

I jumped at the chance when, not very long ago, it was announced that Friedemann Vogel would be dancing Manon with the Royal Swedish Ballet. Firstly, because I love seeing him dance in a Macmillan story ballet which they do not perform in Stuttgart - and he had excelled as Crown Prince Rudolph in Mayerling there. Another lure was the beautiful Kungliga Operan in Stockholm that I had long been keen to visit.

All in all, minimal problems and mishaps aside, this production really worked for me on all levels – especially, however, musically and in terms of the dancing & acting, but also atmospherically, thanks to an enthusiastic audience, even if though the house was not fully sold out.  I liked the fact that the sets by Mia Stensgaard were rather unobtrusive and that the somber atmosphere seemed to  have chiefly created by this and the lighting. The simplicity of the costumes were fine for me, although they cannot of course rival the elegance, splendour and more authentic 19^th century vibe of Georgiadis’ sets, except for the tutus in  Madame’s etablissement in act two which were too garish and looked like candyfloss puffs to me, clashing with the tragedy and grim subject matter of this tale.

Just like the first time I saw Manon, I was struck by the beauty of the  Manon score played live which was directed with great aplomb by Philippe Béran Even if the tempi seemed unusually slow in the beginning, he built the dramatic climaxes in a way which, in concert with the action on stage, drew audible gasps from the audience, especially towards the end of act II. But not only here.

Saraherin Keaveney was a revelation. “Only” a second soloist, I was slightly surprised at first that Friedemann would be teamed up with her but learned on Instagram that she suffered a foot injury last year that must have stopped her progress short. She not only went for the role with everything she’s got, I soon felt that this was actually brilliant casting: she is and looks very young indeed, perfect as the girl just arrived from the country as the fresh-faced, beautiful and highly vulnerable ingenue that was going to be put through the grinder. Her dancing may not (yet) have the elegance and finesse of some long-standing first soloists but she portrayed the dilemma of being torn between true love and the temptation of a life with diamonds and rich admirers with utter believability and complete naturalness, great charm (not a hint of cloying sweetness) and soul-shattering vulnerability. This alone together with the music really killed me. But her dancing, too, seemed very strong.

There is not much that I can add to what Velvet already wrote about Friedemann, “magnificent and majestic”, yes. At 42 years, ever youthful,  Des Grieux is a role that suits him very well, from the book-loving dreamer courting Manon where he dances with a poetry of movement that alternates between shyness and outbursts of ardour, through the fulfilment of romance to the despair over Manon’s rejection of love in favour of a life of glamour where his disappointment and anger palpably bite, to the complete abandonment to love and grief in the final scene. It seems to me that his portrayal of Crown Prince Rudolph in Mayerling in recent years has added new layers of depth to his performance.

The highlights for me were indeed the PDDs, but there were many other scenes too, which stick in the memory. Taylor Yanke and also Gianmarco Roman in the drunken number in act 2 Taylor eloquently expressing her disgust at the lover who shows her off and Gianmarco who has given himself up completely in his blind ambition to make money were hilarious and it was another moment of wonderful dance-acting. The corps were very good, too.

I found the gaol scene  particularly cruel this time, thanks no doubt to an effective portrayal by Danial Goldsmith of the gaoler while  Manon by this time had clearly reached the dregs and was reduced to a pitiful waif. Terrible.

The performance was again met with a prompt standing ovation. Deservedly so!

So sorry, Anna.
Will report.

That would be nice. Will be sitting in row 2/stalls.😉

5 hours ago, Velvet said:

I watched last night. It was the most stunning production. The orchestra are superb. Staging, costumes, lighting great. But of course the most important bit, the dancing. I have never felt so drawn in and moved by ballet before. Friedemann Vogel and Sarah Erin Keaveney have tangible chemistry. Their acting ability is off the scale so they captivate you with their story telling. Friedemann at 42 is majestic and magnificent. Sarah at 22 is tiny with a light ethereal quality. I was riveted from start to finish and have never experienced a ballet fly by before like this. At the end the audience erupted out of their seats into standing ovation, many of us with tears streaming down our faces. If you want to experience beautiful dancing and story telling then I highly recommend this production. So much so I have booked to watch again on Monday. 

Thank you for this, Velvet! Now I am looking forward to Monday even more. 
 

According to IG Sarah’s debut in Manon yesterday was received with standing ovations.

I’ll be going to see it on the 5th. I’ll give a report, however I am no expert on Manon having only seen it once live and and probably an RB recording, if I remember correctly…

Thank you ctas for the tip about the pre-performance guided tour, I’ll try to book it!

Oh, please don't, Angela. I just had a bit of a fright since I had booked my hotel for the 9th... 

16 hours ago, FionaE said:

In the recent London Ballet Circle interview with Olga Smirnova she expressed regret that the Dutch National Ballet calendar meant she had had to drop out of performing in Nijinsky with Hamburg Ballet in June/July (as previously announced).  She said she hopes to be able to perform it later in 2023/24 season.  

Sad news! I was hoping to see her.

16 hours ago, Angela said:

 

 

No news yet about the international guests for the Nijinsky Gala XLVIII on 3. July.

 

 Ops, this is probably just a typo, the Nijinsky Gala XLVIII is on July 9th. I just checked my ticket. 

1 hour ago, Angela said:

Only in Mid-June, as far as I heard, nothing official yet. Stuttgart State Theatre is always the last 🙄

The Annual Press Conference will take place on June 14th. The night before, sponsors and friends get a sneak preview. This is at least what it says on the SB website. This page is only available in German. (https://foerderverein-staatstheater-stgt.de/veranstaltungen/)

On 14/03/2023 at 17:27, Sim said:

Genuine question:  do ballet/opera audiences in, say, Paris, Vienna, Milan, Stuttgart take food and drink into the auditoriums?  

Please excuse the late reply, I‘ve only just discovered this post: no, people are not allowed to take their drinks or food inside the theatre / concert halls (classical music/dance, not pop music, jazz venues etc.) in Stuttgart. I would find this very distracting! It‘s a different matter with performance relays in cinemas, but that will be the case everywhere, I guess. 
It will be similar in other German cities, I‘m sure.

 

53 minutes ago, capybara said:

Pleeease don’t let’s take anything away from the dancer(s) who won.

Congratulations to them and to all the participants.

 

 

My post was certainly not intended to take anything away from any of the competing dancers and without any doubt, Daichi absolutely deserved this prize, his was a stunning performance!

I just indulged in a little bit home pride of Stuttgart Ballet. So I am sorry if I caused offence.

I really enjoyed watching this, despite the late hour, so pleased more of these events are actually streamed live.
 

Yes, congratulations to all three winners, they certainly deserved it! I loved Roman Novitzky‘s piece „A Dialogue“ which l thought combined storytelling with exciting to watch moves and real spirit.

Loved Daichi, too, although I do have a hunch that had Gabriel Figueredo been able to participate there might well have been three prizes for Stuttgart.