Beryl H

I keep having funny thoughts of how to present ballet in the outdoors, but this looks very uncomfortable 

Watched the ballets again last night, Fumi Kaneko and Reece Clarke were particularly serene in Concerto, likewise Mayara Magri and Matthew Ball in the Wheeldon, I've made a nice 2 hour DVD now with Men at the Barre and most of the Re-opening. 

I enjoyed the whole programme live, but probably will only watch the ballets repeatedly, I found it slightly odd to be looking into the empty auditorium as a background, but I think that was the idea, it was very well recorded and as capybara says, a joy to watch on TV. All the ballets were beautifully danced and expressed, my highlights at the moment are Cesar Corrales and Vadim Muntagirov, so different but so marvellous!

Sad news, I always enjoyed his dancing, wish him well for the future!

I am also biased in favour of this ballet, but this La Sylphide was beautiful in every way, the dancing, costumes and scenery, and so well recorded too, one of the few times I was able to really connect with seeing ballet on my tinny lap top, wish there was a DVD available! 

7 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

all the staying 6-7ft apart, wearing face masks, etc, whenever venturing out; working from home all week (rather than just 'working from home' on a Friday) if lucky; eveything closed unless social distancing can be maintained - all that malarkey been branded the 'new normal'. 'New', as its not normal at all

 

Malarkey is a very polite word for it

The BBC are showing the highlights on Friday 10th July, 7pm-8.30pm, BBC4.

All the ballet choreographers are mentioned in the RT, so as the total ballet probably amounts to about 30 minutes, we might see it all.

21 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

To be fair to them, they're probably working with a skeleton staff at the moment and putting this out in the way they did was probably the simplest and most cost effective way available. (The payment and access part will have added complexity which the website isn't intrinsically equipped to deal with.) They probably didn't foresee the Smart TV problems, but I don't think, given the experimental nature of these concerts, that this is unforgivable.

 

I haven't always approved of or understood the ROH's actions, but they're doing their best in what must be very stressful circumstances and with the threat of redundancies hanging over them. A little more good faith from us would not go amiss.

I got an E-mail thanking me for my Friends renewal, and apologising that they cannot send out a new card until they are back in their office, which was nice of them.

Just signed, 85876, it was at least nice to hear the arts discussed at last evening's Briefings.

Thanks for this video, it certainly is a beautiful solo. The BBC film will include highlights from all 3 programmes, so we should hopefully be able to see all the ballet sequences, looking forward to it.

I was going to watch this live and had been trying to improve the dreadful sound quality of my laptop but gave up, have just watched the short ballet on YouTube and liked it very much indeed, especially the lithe movements for Cesar Corrales, though agree they didn't match the music.

I've just read my  E-mail and am confused (my usual state these days), the first one is free, then £4.99 for the remainder, so you can't pay as you go, since the next one is Song of the Earth without the dancing I wouldn't want to see this if they paid me

As for the questionnaire, I tried to complete it but came up against a blank page with lots of ticks, nothing more, this happened twice.

Pleased to see that at least highlights will be shown on BBC later, I've read the McGregor is an intimate new piece, sounds more like a pdd, I suppose we will be in for a multitude of "social distancing" ballets soon, actually the new way of moving out of people's way whilst trying to avoid joggers is quite choreographic!

I enjoyed NBT's Dracula very much, thought it captured all the essential elements of the story very well without being too repulsive, but mostly it was pure dance almost non-stop, the choreography was very expressive and the acting tremendous, I liked the various composer's music too, and although the scenery was obviously dark, the dancers were well lit, quite an achievement these days!

Actually, Amazon does have this double bill due for DVD and Blu-Ray release, no other details yet.

21 hours ago, Ellie said:

I remember this too (I think it was more than a decade ago). Also wasn't Laura Morera featured ? IIRC she was a First Artist at the time - I may be wrong.

Yes it was Laura Morera, and I'm pretty sure also Iona Loots, and then all 3 of them were promoted soon after 

Men at the Barre was less serious than I had hoped, though the preview did say ballets fans would be irritated, Steven McRae provided real emotion describing his feelings after his injuries though, I felt so sorry for him. Surprised Vadim Muntagirov and Alexander Campbell shared a room, don't any of the principals get their own?

The 2019 Cats is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on June 1st, Amazon have it as a best seller, I might try it as I won't be spending any money on tickets for a while.

On ‎18‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 21:58, toursenlair said:

would have been Neumeier's for Hamburg Ballet

I have this ballet on DVD, I find it the most powerful of his works.

On ‎20‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 22:52, LinMM said:

I sympathise Quintus! 

Have been trying to record the birds in my garden but it is Sod's law that just as you get camera and set to video they all fly off 😩

Today I was trying to record all the baby starlings in the garden ....SO NOISY! 

If I do get a reasonable recording that's short enough will try to post here!! 

 

I've had so many starlings feeding their babies in my garden this morning, about 50 birds at least, that I'm trying to keep a low profile in case the noise irritates my neighbours, don't think they share my enthusiasm.  At the moment they have gone and the sparrows are back!

All of my ROH refunds seem to have gone through now except the June triple bill, only found this out by my bank statement today as the ROH don't send E-mails, still waiting for a SW Creature refund, I have re-booked one performance for November, but there is another one outstanding, I did get an E-mail about the BRB triple. Unfortunately theatres come off worst of all any likely re-openings, cinemas will be easier as they have many more shows and can space people out without it mattering.

I used to always enjoy Checkmate in the past, but was bored by the last revivals by both BRB and RB, the vigour and excitement seemed to have faded, perhaps another revival now could revitalise it. I liked The Rake's Progress ( in 2006 thanks to above poster) when Johan Kobborg danced it, this ballet could look very good again too, think it really captures the atmosphere of the paintings, perhaps better in the Linbury.

Glad it's not just me who can't really connect with watching ballet on my computer, I only have a laptop and the sound quality is atrocious.

At last I've seen a young bird in my garden, a robin who has instantly become very bossy, there are plenty of other adult birds about but no babies, think it's suddenly going to get crazy but I love it!  Can't remember when I last heard a cuckoo. As well as the peace and quiet, has anyone noticed how clean and healthy the air is these days, I can see things in the distance in such detail too, especially trees, makes me realise how foul the traffic fumes normally are.

I'd only just renewed my subscription too, but they have E-mailed me to say it will be extended.

I missed the opening and closing scenes very much too, but great to see NYCB dance Apollo, liked the side shots which showed the people watching from the wings!