Jamesrhblack

I’m intending to if I can get a ticket ...

Well, Manon and Fille are compilations, although to be fair what we hear in the theatre for Beauty and Swan Lake doesn’t exactly reflect what the composer originally wrote. I’m not sure that Minkus as a composer per se ranks with Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky, although much his writing is fluent and rhythmical (and was, indeed, preferred, if my understanding is correct as “fit for purpose” by the dancers of the late nineteenth century).

How wonderful to see. Monica Maon’s Explanation of the architecture of the choreography is just wonderful. I habe such lovely memories of Deirdre Eyden in this solo and wish it were still in the Florestan Pas de Trois...

There’s a similar instance in today’s Times review of The Magic Flute where the photograph credits Rupert Charlesworth as “the petty villain Tamino.” Of course, Tamino is the hero if the piece and the “petty villain: is, as the holy of the review makes clear, Monostatos, sung by Daniel Norman.

Deborah Bull cites the phrase in “The Everyday Dancer...”

Corrected, Mary 🙂

A few brief comments on Tuesday’s performance (was travelling to Europe with work yesterday). I’d seen the original run with Tristan Dyer, Sarah Lamb and Nehemiah Kish, and, with reservations, essentially enjoyed. Despite what I had read on here, the theatre was almost full (including the extremes of the Upper and Lower Slips) and the audience was noisy in its enthusiasm. The lady visiting from the USA next to me who had been discussing her favourite companies during the interval “absolutely loved it” and admitted the construction whereby after the expository narrative of Act One the dancing increases through to the climax. I’d agree it was odd that there were no red-runners though, especially with two debuts. The Frst Act still doesn’t really work for me: it starts promisingly with the children, the switch to the adults (helped ny the fact that Alexander Campbell and Meghan Grace Hinkis were able to look so young) and the really lovely moment when both sets are on stage at the same time (“the child is father to the man” - probably need to write “The child is parent to the adult”) which reminded me of the end of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. I’d not previously noticed that it is Victor’s dizzingly excited spin around his mother that triggers her collapse, although somebody in the advanced stages of pregnancy dancing en pointe even within the ballet convention is unlikely to end happily. It helps set up Victor’s guilt over his mother’s death though. The dissection scene goes on too long surely, and the Tavern scene adds nothing, surely being there only to cover some scene setting. Being set stage left probably does nothing for sight lines in a horse-shoe shaped theatre either. The ‘Let’s Make a Body’ scene essentially works on the pyrotechnics and some dazzling dancing from Campbell, who is becoming a real virtuoso. Maybe Scarlett brings it out of him: I remember a new brilliance in his execution (which has always been very accomplished) during Age of Anxiety last year. Yes, the initial meeting with The Creature is surely too brief although I have read varied and convincing explanations for that. Act Two again starts with what I think is unnecessary: we don’t need to see The Creature attacked. It adds nothing, other than raising unnecessary questions, such as why he hasn’t found any other clothes during the period or, indeed, discovered The Book. I’m not convinced by Victor’s nightmare either. However, once we move to the mountains, I think the ballet picks up dramatic and choreographic pace very well. The relationship between William and Justine is beautifully charted, the pas de deux between Victor and Elizabeth is beautifully eloquent and breautifully danced Baty Campbell and Hinkis. He’s a true dance actor who brings such variety to all he does, whilst she surely deserved the epithet I once read to describe Sibley of “swallow swift.” The Creature’s solo of discovery is also beautifully set out and I think this one of the finest things I have seen Kish do: I’ve always enjoyed his work, and his long limbs seem convincingly “baggy” and stitched together here. The pas de deux with WIlliam (exacting stuff for a child and superbly delivered by Ptolemy Gidney) is also first class dance theatre and the climax of the act sheer horror. Act Three, with its tribute to La Valse, makes an eloquent start. I’m not sure everyone else can see The Creature. After all, he’s dressed now in an approximation of breeches and jacket, whereas when he returns at the end he is back to his “naked” self. The start of the killing spree isn;t entirely convincing: Father simply discovered lying on the staircase. However, the Pas de Deux for The Creature with Elizabeth is very powerful as he attempts to force courtesy on her and the way in which she wants with horrified fascination as the denouncement builds towards her own death is truly unsettling. Campbell and Kish bring real passion to their final duet and The Creature’s desperate attempts to win his Creator’s love become truly moving. His actions may become monstrous but he is not a monster: others have brought him to that. Of course, the sets are magnificent and the orchestra played wonderfully well to deserved cheers under Barry Wordsworth. It’s not a perfect ballet, and I am surprised that more revisions do not seem to have been made. However, I cannot agree with those who think it meretricious and find it examines ideas of responsibility, relationship, creativity and loss in ways that can move one greatly. I thought it significant that the loudest cheers were reserved for Kish at curtain call as Scarlett had managed to turn on the conventional head the anticipated response to such a character.

Is it heretical to write that the one she did with David Wall was, if possible, even more breath taking (I did see her with Dowell post return in consecutive seasons), although I accept that my loving memory of that performance has as much to do with my childhood veneration of Wall. I came to love Sibley later, even though she was my first Giselle on the occasion of her ROH debut in the role. However, the final Sibley / Dowell Manon is an absolutely indelible memory.

What a fantastic season this has been for Yasmine Naghdi. She really does seem to have established herself ast the top of her game and more than justified her promotion.

Sadly, I’m only here for two nights and have an artist in DIe Walküre this evening so can’t get to any ballet performances this time.

I’m in Munich with work and have a meeting with the Munich Ballet this morning. It seems that Nancy is also guesting here... https://www.staatsoper.de/en/staatsballett/ensemble.html#c6061

Wendy Ellis definitely danced it

Isn’t it The Firebird four principals (the three leading ladies are exactly for whom I should have hoped, although I don’t know that I like Firebird per se enough to go three times) plus the three Natalias and a rogue Bracewell? Will be lovely to see Arestis back, although, if I’m allowed to write this, and I’m sure I’ll be told off for speculating, I can see some valedictory casting going on...

One should never underestimate Ashton. The subject matter might seem light, but the treatment isn't.... 🙂

Hurrah! I’d really hoped for this. I think out will be Alexander Campbell’s first broadcast in a principal role too (I’m not really counting Hans-Peter or Benno)...

Of course, it is all personal, and I am limited to the Royal Ballet. Anyway, my top five standouts in alphabetical order Federico Bonelli / Laura Morera as Crown Prince Rudolf and Mary Vetsera Alexander Campbell as Des Grieux - astonishing that this was a last minute jump in Tierney Heap in Corybantics Yasmine Naghdi as Odette / Odile

I’ve just been watching some of the 1978 South Bank Show Mayerling on YouTube. My goodness, David Wall and Merle Park are good. He says at one point that he doesn’t want just to be a monster and he isn’t: he is charming, even romantic, yet also vulnerable and ultimately damaged; she is glamorous, chic and manipulative but also evidently in love with Rudolf. What dancers (she was a famous technician, but he is no slouch) and what dance actors (he is famous for that, she less so). I don’t dispute that great things have happened since then, but this was absolutely thrilling to revisit.

Although hie isn’t cast in La bayadère, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet this time ...

Will this take McRae out of the Don Q broadcast? Corrales anyone? It will necessitate a complete change of cast for their Nutcracker dates too...

Interesting to read Jann Parry’s review of the Bonelli / Morera cast at Dance Tabs. With the benefit of hindsight it’s possible to see that MacMillan started to create the role of Rudolf on Anthony Dowell (just as one can see Jennifer Penney’s feet in Manon’s first entrance) and its turns and extensions have proved as taxing for many other dancers as Des Grieux’s first solo. It’s also interesting that David Wall who eventually created the role was 32 and in his prime at the time of the premiere. Although remembered more as a dance actor he was no tehchncal slouch. In trying to rationalise why the MacRae / Lamb cast was chosen for the cinema, when many on here, myself included, were hankering for Bonelli / Morera, I think the answer lies in MacRae’s greater youth and technical command. I didn’t find his characterisation in the theatre eighteen months or in the cinema this month as nuanced or moving as Bonelli’s but he really could dance it all and a wider audience might have been unable to reconcile Bonelli’s struggles with that first solo with his principal status and the reputation of the Royal Ballet in a way that a possibly more informed and supportive Royal Ballet audience would. Pace Penelope Simpson, I enjoyed Mendizabal very much and felt the casting of a more senior dancer appropriate in a way I can’t imagine it would have been with Heap (who is a favourite). Re JohnS, fantasy casting is obviated by the fact that we are unlikely to see Bonelli and Morera in these roles again but I would very much like to have seen their intelligence and theatrical command against the Larisch of Sarah Lamb. It’s a role that has seemed ideally suited to her intelligence and sophistication when I have seen her dance it. Looking ahead, I know many are eager to see Francesca Hayward as Vetsera and I certainly look forward to seeing Matthew Ball next time with, in my own imaginary ideal. Yasmine Naghdi as Larisch.

“Just a comment about Campbell being cast as the idol It sounds to me as if the company is expecting to issue a new DVD of La Bayadere which suggests that the three Shades who dance solos in the Kingdom of the Shades in the streamed performance are likely to be equally distinguished.” Choe, Naghdi and Takada it seems if today’s General is any indication ....

I had artists in the ROH Ring Cycles and the only cycle I could get to was the third so Mayerling came after eighteen plus hours of Wagner in the theatre over the last week.

I’m inclined to agree Sim, although I think Bonelli was a little slow burn tonight. Morera was exceptionally good. I appreciate Kobayashi was coming back after time away but Larisch is such a wonderful role and I found her performance under characterised and under danced - remember, it was created by Merle Paarl, one of the great virtuoso dancers in the company’s history. Tristan Dyer and Beatrix Stix-Brunell-Brunel were first class, Mendizabal ideally cast (although I would love to have had her as Larisch) and beautiful to watch with Kish, Was I physically and emotionally tired after the Ring? Yes. Did it match up to possibly enhanced memories of April 2017? Perhaps not....

As anticipated, no Romeo for Bonelli, Kish or Soares (.or Watson) but also surprised that no Romeo for Campbell (Frankenstein title role a sop to that)?

Sorry not to see Heap who I like enormously but Mendizabal seems excellent casting for Elizabeth. Very much looking forward to this next week, even if there’s a bit of me that is aprehensive lest Bonelli and Morera fail to match the sensational heights of last time, especially as embellished within the memory ....