Jamesrhblack

Mayerling is back next season Penelope

I'd be inclined to disagree with this statement. In a narrative work, I like the choreography to relate to situation and to respond to the music, otherwise there is the risk of something becoming just a sequence of technical stunts. I appreciate that this is a personal response, and it may be why I respond to Don Quixote and Le Corsaire less positively than many others....

Clement Crisp is such an eloquent writer as well as hugely experienced critic: I was so pleased to read his wonderful words about Takada. I've not yet managed to see her in a full length role but have really enjoyed her work in smaller roles and have been baffled by what seems a general lack of enthusiasm on this site for her work. I very much hope to see her in a full length role next season and am fairly confident that she will be appointed a principal from next season.

It's possible that one of the dancers who had a bad night and a wardrobe malfunction might not wish the experience to be preserved for posterity and universally distributed ....

Irrespective of personal allegiance, isn't an artist's first responsibility to the audience that has paid good money to see them? I appreciate circumstances are not always simple...

One can understand her wish to concentrate on creating Elizabeth and not to lose out on a second broadcast. Particularly sad re the Giselle though, although I understand Takada has been doing wonderfully well....

According to Norman Lebrecht, Tiberiu Soare has been removed from his post .... http://slippedisc.com/2016/04/mayhem-as-bucharest-replaces-opera-chief-after-four-days/

Absolutely loved watching this, truly insightful. Music, choreography and design look wonderfully integrated and I have the intensity of Liam Scarlett's demonstrations was truly remarkable.

Perhaps exaggerated by the cinema cameras for me the incessant staring became rather tedious. The wry smile that Nunez allows herself in the earlier DVD is much more interesting and true authority comes from inner strength not eternally enforced lack of emotion. Who knows, if she'd relaxed her face a bit more, she might have danced father better (having been very impressed on previous occasions with her I was truly disappointed on Tuesday) and given a more interestingly nuanced portrayal.

Apart from any Oder considerations, I doubt they could issue given Mendizabal's costume malfunction and disappointingly unsteady dancing unless there are more successful rushes from an earlier performance....

I'd agree that if she seems too fragile some contrast is lost, although, being pedantic, she is, despite the name, a German peasant girl....

I'd agree with that Mary, although would love to see Cowley and Clarke (I doubt that will happen). Personally, I'm delighted that Anastasia is back. Even if we now know that Anna Anderson was an imposter, the quest for identity remains potent and I can imagine Cuthbertson, Morera and Ospipova being astonishing in that last act, and possibly Hayward too. With Acosta, Kobborg and Pennefather gone, who will be the new Rudolfs? With Benjamin, Cojocariu, Galeazzi and Rojo also gone and Hamilton still on leave, there will have to be some new Marys too.

Absolutely packed cinema here in Rye. Enjoyed hugely. Giselle was the first ballet music I heard (on the Isle of Sheppey on my Aunt's old Ace of Clubs disc with a picture of Fonteyn on the cover) and the first ballet I saw at the ROH (Sibley and MacLeary: it was her London debut and I was too young to appreciate the finer details although I still recall her ankle deep in flowers). The benefits of the cinema broadcasts were very apparent tonight: Barry Wordsworth discussing the music and Peter Wright on the emotional journey of the Mad Scene were really enlightening. The announcer was excellent too in his enthusiasm allied to articulation and a great improvement on La Bussell. The First Act seemed to be almost flawless. Such detail, such care. Yes, I can see what Swiss Ballet Fan means re the age difference (who would have thought that would ever have been cited with the seemingly ageless Nunez) but the dancing and characterisation was so precise and so beautifully nuanced that even in cinema close up I was able to ignore. Her coquetry, her fighting against physical frailty (a surprise to her as well as to us given her amplitude of physique), his amused affection turning deeper, her hollow laughter in the Mad Scene will stay with me. Grand character work from McGorian, Arestis (such languor, but also such a sudden interest in Giselle if only to revive a flagging afternoon's hunt), Avis and Howells (replacing Underwood), whilst Bennet Garstide is a truly valuable dance actor. Will he get another go at Rudolf next season I wonder. Glorious Pas de Six too - bookending Hayward and Naghdi, bouncing Acri and Sambé, charming Choe and the irrepressibly wonderful Campbell: really hoping next season opens up his career and artistic horizons. Act Two didn't quite fulfil expectation, at least initially. I'd had high expectations of Mendizabal after her stunning Gipsy Girl but a fixed impression, over heavy makeup, a bad wobble in arabesque and a wardrobe malfunction (her tutu rode up inextricably over her wings) made for some very uncomfortable moments. The corps were beautiful, of course, and Cowley is such a glorious dancer - such languor. Is she strong enough for Myrtha? Is Marguerite and Armand with her and Reece Clarke just wishful thinking? However, Nunez and Muntagirov were just exquisite. She is less obviously "released from the earth" than Osipova but, I also found her up there with Collier, Park and Osipova as my most memorable Giselles (all, interestingly, great in Fille, which isn't quite what you'd expect other than nailing the bucolic First Act) and there were precious moments when the Acts were linked: never before had i realised how Giselle's spirit evasiveness in Albrecht's arms mirrors her physical evasions in Act One. Her maturity and tenderness were heartbreakingly beautiful here and his youthful spirit, ardent romanticism and technical brilliance were truly outstanding. It didn't quite his as absolutely as anticipated (the difference between cinema and live experience) but it was a most rewarding and beautiful evening.

Last time I saw Heap who was hugely promising, and seems to have built on that promise this time round, and Kobayashi, who didn't do it for me. I'm not seeing a live performance this year but am looking forward very much to Mendizabal who I imagine will be ideally suited - was astonished that Ismene Brown was so dismissive of her. Can't imagine Crawford in the role (I've only seen her three times in featured roles, twice as Lescaut's Mistress and once as Lilac and she stumbled each time, and she's also not good in the Concerto DVD) but would imagine Calvert might grow in to it well. I'd agree with Nunez that it is a ballerina role and am sure she was wonderful last week. My mind's eye remains haunted by Mason (with input from the Nureyev film, late in her dancing career but still hugely compelling) and would very much like to have seen Yamowsky. DId anybody see Bull in this? She was one of my favourite dancers and I'm sure her strength and attack would have been well suited although I wonder if her jump was big enough to make the fullest impact. I also have generalised but positive memories of Manola Asensio with LFB dancing an even longer version of the role (that was a lovely performance with Patricia Ruanne and Jay Jolley at the Coliseum).

I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be more positivity re Takada. I have to been honest and write that I'm yet to see her in a major role live but the critics seem to have been very positive on her performances in Beauty and Don Q, and management seems very sure of her potential. She also looks absolutely lovely in the ROH rehearsal video for Don Q (although I can appreciate her delicacy might not read well in a large theatre).

Sadly, it had no effect re Rhapsdy with Hayward / Hay and / or Pigeons with Choe / Camobell / Mendizabal...

David Wall all the way. When I was a JA, we all wanted to be him when we grew up

A friend in house this evening has confirmed that Osipova is dancing with Golding and that Nunez is Myrtha.

Somebody above (sorry couldn't find the post) referred to Giselle as seeming simple minded caressing Bathilde's dress with her cheek. I've always seen that as a mime gesture showing how fascinated she is by rich clothes rather than anything particularly literal (how do you show in mime terms, "Her dress looks beautifully soft and rich in texture'). I don't think ballet is a literal art but find some of its subtleties extremely touching and more.

Moderator, also unabridged not abridged please. Serves me right for posting at speed :-(

Moderator, in my recent post might you change overgrown to overthrown and add a see before Akram: I thought I'd edited typos before pressing send but auto correct and simple omission still caught me out ....

"I know it's just a stupid, simple story..." I slightly disagree with this comment in SMballet's detailed and beautifully expressed review. Was it Alistair Macaulay who said of La Fille mal gardée that "the story may seem slight but the treatment isn't" (words that might also apply to The Two Pigeons). The scenario of Act 1, of love betrayed and comfortable normality overthrown by glamorous circumstance (I'm sure a pre Loys Giselle might have been very happy with Hilarion) is surely universal, whilst Act 2 with its metaphors of forgiveness, self denial (Giselle "reborn" as a Willi can take to the air in the dancing she loves but has to subdue this urge to save the man she loves even more) and the Romantic vision of the idealised woman (think Sylphide) turned into vengeful furies (themselves capable of moments of the most exquisite beauty) is a striking expression of the nineteenth century artistic mind set. I think this, quite apart from the choreography and score (both edited over the years, of course) is why the ballet has lasted. I'm sorry I never saw Matz Ek's modern take on this (and with his universal withdrawal of rights now never will) but will try to see Akram Khan's version as well as the Mary Skeaping which I recall as being a just about perfect version of the original (and which, using an unabridged score, is even tougher for Myrtha).

That's a very interesting Pinter diversity of styles MAM. When Osipova first joined full time I remember being astonished that she seems to be cast in almost everything (OK, that go for box office too) but was obviously pushing herself to the limit to encompass a wide range of repertoire which must out immense pressure on her physicsally. She and her audience have had a difficult and frustrating season but it's important to remember that a dancer would always rather perform than not and that she isn't not dancing Giselle through lack of intention - she injured herself during a stage call of which there are photographs.

Great to see Myrthe casting being announced - it's such a difficult and important role and great that Nunez will reprise it, although sadly I won't be there to see. Very pleased that Mendizabal will do the cinema relay, I'm sure she will be wonderful too.

And she had, of course, been cast for only one public performance in this run ...