Jamesrhblack

More detail later but a wonderfully assured debut. Must say, though, how absolutely outstandingly good Alexandef Vampbell is.

Have come up to town early and on an impulse have booked a ticket for today's debut. Looking forward to it :-)

A feature on Francesca Hayward in today's Sunday Times Culture section :-)

It is so nice to see handing Genesia Rosato a verbal bouquet - I think she is wonderful.

Absolutely - such a beautiful woman too. I'll never forget her as Larisch back in 2002 and it's lovely to see her illuminating character roles these days.

Full casting for Manon is now on the ROH website:

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/manon-by-kenneth-macmillan

 

Edited to paste in casting.  Apologies for the strange format.  It wasn't like that in my original document!

 

Friday 26 September 2014, 7.30pm 

Nuñez Bonelli Cervera Saunders Morera Avis

 

Saturday 27 September 2014, 12.30pm 

Lamb Pennefather Campbell Tuckett Crawford Underwood

 

Tuesday 30 September 2014, 1pm 

Hayward Watson Campbell Whitehead Crawford Gartside

 

Wednesday 1 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Morera Kish Cervera Saunders Choe Gartside

 

Saturday 4 October 2014, 2pm 

Marquez McRae Zucchetti Whitehead Choe Gartside

 

Saturday 4 October 2014, 7pm 

Nuñez Bonelli Cervera Saunders Morera Avis

 

Sunday 5 October 2014, 12 noon 

Cuthbertson Muntagirov Zucchetti Avis Choe Whitehead

 

Tuesday 7 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Osipova Acosta TBA Saunders Calvert Avis

 

Wednesday 8 October 2014, 7.30pm

Marquez McRae Zucchetti Whitehead Choe Gartside

 

Thursday 9 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Cuthbertson Muntagirov  Zucchetti Avis Choe Whitehead

 

Friday 10 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Lamb Pennefather Campbell Tuckett Crawford Underwood

 

Saturday 11 October 2014, 12.30pm 

Morera Kish Cervera Saunders Choe Gartside

 

Monday 13 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Hamilton Golding Gartside Avis Calvert

 

Wednesday 15 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Hayward Watson Campbell Whitehead Crawford Gartside

 

Thursday 16 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Nuñez Bonelli Cervera Saunders Morera Avis

 

Saturday 25 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Osipova Acosta TBA Saunders Calvert Avis

 

Wednesday 29 October 2014, 7.30pm 

Yanowsky Bolle Acosta Tuckett Morera Avis

 

Saturday 1 November 2014, 7pm 

Yanowsky Bolle Acosta Tuckett Morera Avis

No Soares and no Mendizabal - does anybody know what is going on?

A small correction, the designer for Isadora was Barry Kay.

 

I have a memory - possibly erroneous - of Galina Samsova dancing the title role when the RB toured Isadora to Manchester.

Samsova did dance Isadora in London with David Wall in what was to have been his created role too. 

I have run a search on BalletCo but couldn`t find out if it has been posted already.

 

While trawling youtube for anything relating to Kenneth Macmillan I found an old documentary about the 50^th anniversary of the Royal Ballet, made by the BBC.

 

The quality is not too good, but there many extraordinarily interesting snippets from the beginning of the Vic-Wells Ballet, interviews and recordings of rehearsals, such as “Isadora” with Merle Park, and also Monica Mason as Myrtha.

 

Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEqRTzOm7HI

 

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1SCzurD0IM

 

Part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIaKMravz7s

So enjoyed watching this, thank you. I still remember the disapproving audience at the first night of Isadora. Looking back, we all know that David Wall was the most handsome man the RB ever had but I can't be the only one to have forgotten how ravishing was Marguerite Porter.

I am not at all pleased.  I had managed to get a front row seat and a hotel for the night which, for some reason was not easy on 12 November, so it will be difficult to change my ticket now so will have to go along with the change.  I too wanted to see Osipova in Month in the Country.  Quite disappointing really

Just managed to exchange my tickets despite being in middle of Staffordshire Union Canal thanks to wifi phone signal at the pub. Or rather. I had to buy new tickets and the others will be refunded when I can return them. Graciously, the ROH isn't going to charge an exchange fee for needing to do this! Now to change my hotel booking,,..

*That's* why I was wondering why there was an "s" on the end of "Edmond" .  Sorry to see that Johannes Stepanek has been "demoted" to Gremin where he used to dance Lensky (and was one of my favourites).

 

I've always assumed that he and Radek (aka "Sexy", which I always took to be ironic) weren't related.

Yes, I remember him as a most touching and elegant Lensky. Interesting that Marquez (again). Crawford, Hamilton and McRae are all out of Onegin. The Cranko Trust does pull its rank. On other matters, Takada's O/O was surely inevitable after her cancelled debut and recent promotion. As I wrote on another post, it does seem as if Choe's Aurora jump in for Osipova was a management tactic that seems to have left her wanting in their eyes: certainly, I was surprised that having danced Swan Lake elsewhere she wash;t offered some performances but, of course, a guest has been brought in to dance with McRae. With Marquez also out of Symphonic it's looking thin for her too...

I like Yuhui Choe  very much as a dancer but as I don't know exactly the reasons and or politics why she wasn't promoted  and I won't speculate. I will only say that she is not the first or only dancer who has 'deserved'  promotion and it hasn't come as quickly as many people think it should have.  There are dancers who retired without the promotion to principal that I think they so rightfully deserved. There are principals now who are never cast in roles in which a lot of people think they'd be wonderful in ... it baffles me that a certain principal has yet to be cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. 

It doesn't always seem fair but  I think these latest promotions were well deserved....yeah Francesca!

You're right to write that we shouldn't speculate and I am as guilty as the next in sometimes so doing. By comparison, though it would seem that Akane Takada's debuts in Don Q and Beauty have struck a chord with management (of course, she was due to debut in Swan Lake a couple of seasons ago) and it will be very interesting to see how she develops from this promotion. Francesca Hayward's promotion was inevitable (and deserved), especially given recent casting announcements, but I was particularly delighted re Tristan Dyer, who impressed me enormously (with Takada) in DGV.

I can understand this must be very frustrating for Yuhui Choe and for her many admirers, especially as only a few years ago she seemed on a fast track to the top. I didn't see her Aurora so cannot comment but I do wonder if the additional performances that she was given replacing Osipova were seen as a test that for some reason found her wanting in management eyes. As I say (write). I didn't see her, but I did read some more guarded international criticism as well as the local acclaim...

Is Cuthbertson going having been injured for the last week of the London season....

Poor Federico: he must be really disappointed.  I know I am.

Steven McRae is terrific. Is it just a touch of sentimentality that makes me wish this could have been used as the opportunity to let Ricardo Cevera dance a role I understand he has requested to do, especially with Laura Morera....

Sadly the demands of work meant I couldn't attend, so thank you for writing about the service.

I have a copy of the Order of Service and could try to scan if that would be of interest....

A brief line to say how moving the Service of Thanksgiving for David Wall was this morning at an absolutely packed St Martin in the Fields. Some beautiful piano music from Henry Roach and eloquent addresses from, in particular, Patricia Linton, Lady MacMillan and James Streeter. He was one of the idols of my dance youth (we all wanted to grow up to be him as Junior Associates of the RBS forty year and more ago) and was very pleased that I managed to attend.

I appear to be in a minority as I love Sweet Violets with its dramatic intensity, amazing pas de deux, and wonderful, apt Rachmaninov music.At last night's performance the portrayals of Laura Morera and Steven MaCrae in particular were superb.In general, I don't have a problem with the storyline - except that I do not understand why, having committed Annie Crook to an asylum because of her affair with Edward, who was direct in line to the throne, the Prime Minister then brings her backstage at the theatre.

Although flawed, I also think Sweet Violets a most interesting work and its examination of how we try to sanitise and accommodate violence through art thought provoking. I don't think Annie is brought backstage as such though even if Lirtle Dot interacts with her. It read to me more as a filmic dissolve and LD's interaction no necessarily realistic but an indication that within the social context at that time another woman, dependant on a man for support (through engagement as a dancer) wouldn't support Annie's position. I hope I'm not ove complicating things ....

 

 

You might be able to check this quickly by listening to Michael Nyman's own recording on youtube. I guess that the where you thought the error occurred was at the beginning of the "5th region" which is a separate item on youtube and so more quickly accessible than on a complete recording.

I did find time to listen to the recording. The section in question is a particularly tricky bit in an already complex score. I've not had chance to look at the music but it sounds as if there are quavers going against triplets. Nearly six days on from the first performance my immediate memory is obviously less acute, and now diluted by having listened to the recoding, but my memorial impression remains that the effect in the theatre was momentarily and noticeable not  together (and understandably so). Of course. this may well have been an aural trick from where I was sitting with the timpani above the pit underneath the corner of the Stage End of the left Stalls Circle.

There have been some criticisms of the orchestra's playing of the score for DGV, eg one part of the orchestra playing faster than the other part, trumpets skipping notes, and timpani being out of synch, and I wonder whether these are simply subjective judgements or objectively based on a knowledge of what is an extremely complex score, all 168 pages of which can be viewed on the web. Now I am in no way capable of reading a full orchestral score although I have some inkling of what is supposed to be happening and I note that among other things this work is scored for both a main and small orchestra within it. So I do ask myself whether the above criticisms have any validity at all in the context of a work of this nature. However, if they come from professional musicians then I must bow to their superior judgement.

I sang professionally for thirteen years and now work as an Agent for Classical Musicians in Opera and Concert. From where I was sitting in the front row of the Balcony Stalls there was definitely a moment towards the end of DGV where the timpani seemed to be out. However, it happened at both shows so it may be intentional: I have a recording of the Nyman score somewhere so will endeavour to track down and listen.

Given that I was only a Junior Associate at the Royal Ballet and that was many years ago, I'd think I'm more qualified to write on matters musical than I am on dance ...

I've corrected the typos as requested, James: I must admit to being totally bemused about the "pet furnace"

 

At the risk of repeating myself, posters have 30 minutes after hitting "Post" in which they can edit the posts themselves: after that, it's not possible.

Thanks Alison and John (I've managed to mis spell ensemble early on too). I was writing at St Pancras awaiting my train home. I wanted to write while impressions were still strong and pressed post before I could double check as there is very limited signal between St P and Ashford and I've lost things in the past. Apologies for the length John - I'll try to be more concise in future.

Also, Scarlett not Scariest, performance not pet furnace; cause not faust

NOT as a linear narrative work. How can I edit my post please moderators to correct?

Saw this programme twice bit at the premiere and at today's matinee and hugely enjoyed.

I don't recall seeing Serenade before and was delighted to have the opportunity to revisit so quick has it definitely grows with watching, so rich in choreographic variety and expression. The Ensemnle was good on Wednesday and even better today (nothing improves dancing like more of the same) although injuries continue to strikes with Annette Buvoli replacing Nathalie Harrison and Tierney Hrap being announced as replacing Laura McCulloch at curtain up. Lovely principal ladies: for me, Sarah Lamb's cool purity (is she really that cool and pure or do we all make the assumption given her golden appearance) was even lovelier than Marianela Nunez with exquisite detail in her body placement. It was very obvious that her hair was coming down at the end of the third movement and not just because I knew what was coming. Lauren Cuthbertson was sharp, radiant, assured, Natalia Osipova breathtaking and it was good to see her in two company works in two visits even if she seemed to being try too hard just initially this afternoon. A lustrous assured Olivia Cowley had the edge for me over Melissa Hamilton as did Valeri Hristov over Matthew Golding. What a beautiful ballet.

Sweet Violets is fascinating. Yes, you need to do your homework and there are confusions (the Camden Town Murder with which it starts was 1907 and the last Ripper murder was 1888) so I think it important not to regard it as a linear narrative work. Given our national obsession with murder (witness the ongoing success of Agatha Christie's subjects and of the Jack the Ripper walks) it is surely an interesting meditation on our fascination with violence and our need to sanitise it by turning it into art. Agreed, some of the choreography is fairly misogynisyic which is inherent in the subject matter but Scarlett's refusal to sanitise that is surely laudable. We can't pretend things haven't or don't exist by ignoring them and the rapturous pas de deux for Annie and Eddy throws the first and last pas de deux into stark relief. The recreation of the Camden Town Murder by Marie with the possible suspect Robert Wood while Sickert paints and the ghost of Emily Dimmock screams silently as her agony is given to posterity thriugh art is chilling. Scarlett is also marvellous at manipulating the stage space and the skewed perspective of the Music Hall scene is theatrically very stimulating. He's so talented too: in the scene outside the Hall, Annie changes the balance of her meeting from the passer by's perspective from pick up to evening walk by the simple act of putting her arm through Sickert's. Committed performances from both casts. Standouts for me were Laura Morera and Leanne Cope (who has surely never been used to her full potential) as Annie, and it was great to see Alexander Campbell back on stage as the equivocal figure of Jack, who I take to be the dark side of the human consciousness. Superb musical performance too. Some worryingly young children in the audience, some of whom didn't return after the Scarlett. Do parents really not check the content of the programmes for which they are booking? It would seem not.

DGV is a great joy and a thrilling musical (although the timpani were out on both occasions towards the end, I'm sure this isn't intentional ) and choreographic experience: audience screamed their approval today. Wheeldon's ever inventive choreography seems to inspire the dancers to total intensity of response leaving us if not them breathless. The ensemble was terrific as were the principals, although at both performances I was unconvinced by Matthew Golding's choice of facial expression - I can't think how else to put it and have no wish to cause offence or the attention of a moderator. Of course, Zemaida Yanowsky, Eric Underwood, Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Marianle Nunez, Thiago Soares, Laura Morera and Valeri Hristov (great yet again, as he had also been as Polixenes) were outstanding in the first cast, but even more exciting this afternoon were Tierney Heap's theatrical glamour contrasting with Ryoichi Hirano's steady command, Beatrix Stix-Brunell's combination of freshness and ever greater assurance with Valentino Zucchetti's exuberant zest, and, above all, the sheer physical thrill of Akane Takada and Tristan Dyer, at one point sailing across the stage in a grand jeté matched in angle, physicality and musicality. She is already on her way to ballerina roles. I am not sure what his journey will be, but he was fantastic this afternoon.

I don't think that I heard anyone laugh at Gartside's dancing in any of his performances. He has given a finely nuanced interpretation of the character and the 'choreographic tics' have not been overdone.

There was no laughter yesterday and I don't see that irrational jealousy with potentially lethal consequences can ever have been intended as comic whether by Shakespeare or Wheeldon, it's the lack of basis for Leontes' imaginings that makes it frightening and very far from comic.

Yes.  Others who were watching more closely than I was at that point will be able to tell you more.

To my party of four it definitely came across in the Stalls as a drop - there was a definite bang as Ms Nunez hit the deck and I was delighted she recovered so quickly. One can but record one's impressions and I did cover myself by using the word "seem" so sm pleased to be corrected. I hope that my more than positive response to the afternoon will have made clear that it did not affect my realise to the work and I should also have reported that Ms Nunez was beaming as she ousted Gartside forward for a solo stage call and that he blew her a kiss and they embraced at their red runner - evidently, no hard feelings there.

Came away from this afternoon's performance moved almost beyond words. It's such an astonishing play, at least in its earlier scenes. To this day, I remember seeing it at the Oxford Playhouse over thirty years ago on a school pre University trip, knowing nothing of it and being totally gripped. It is to the credit of Christopher. Wheeldon and his team that this marvellous ballet has the same edge of seat intensity. Perhaps a second viewing would affirm or contradict this initial impression but for now I can only marvel at the achievement. It would be interesting to see the first cast on whom the work was built but no complaints about what was on stage today. As standingticket points out there are many Watsonisms in the choreography for Leontes and agreeing with aileen it seemed that Bennet Gartside dropped Marianela Nunez during the trail scene. In the last pas de deux, there is also an echo of Lauren Cuthbertsin's magical slowing of a turning arabesque for Hermione. However, the sense of an entire creative team from choreographer and composer (loved the score) to design and staging working together produced an overwhelming effect. Valeri Hristov danced with such athletic power and precision in Act One and some of the corps choreography in Act 2, as well as that for Perdita and Florizel had me gasping with delight. Perhaps some of the last Act seems a little rushed in its pacing, but the final Duet, which achieves no easy end, is absolutely exquisite and Laura Morera's desolation at the end truly moving too. There is no reconciliation here for her shattered life.