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Mary

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  1. Mary
    I very much enjoyed yesterday's matinee-Lamb/Hristov-;yes there was a missing chair but she just bent over and wrote her letter at the table as if she was too excited to sit down, which worked rather well. Lamb and Hristov were beautifully matched- their heights and styles go well together, and the great contrast of pale/dark was so suitable to this ballet. I was a little less convinced by Hinkis/Nicol Edmonds. He gave a promising perfomance with sensitive expression, especially in that wonderful solo- and for him this is clearly a big step-up so well done. . She was charming and acted strongly- perhaps too much so? but I felt there was a stiffness of the shoulders that was a bit of a problem. Again I was reminded of the beautiful sets and costumes that I love in this ballet. The orchestra seemed to play well though once or twice perhaps a little fast and there was some coarse brass rasping! It was a strong perfomance all round, though, moving and greatly appreciated by an attentive audience.
  2. Mary
    I enjoyed Bolshoi Swan Lake yesterday. This was not the mouldy production I saw on tour in London a few years ago- the costumes were new and sparkling ( and very lovely in the ballroom scene)- and Zhakarova and Rodkin were on sparkling form too. I am looking forward to new technology which will allow me to use a zapper to edit out the jester..... It is indeed intolerable that he weaves between the dancers and upsets other dancers' symmetry and rhythm in e.g, the pas de trois. However.. there was still much to enjoy. one plus of this rather strange version is that the Prince gets more dancing and I personally can't have too much Rodkin. It is interesting the way in which the culture /audience in which the company operate at home has moulded their style. There is some truth that it produces a display of dancing rather than a whole performance. Certainly when claques are banging and shouting for curtain calls after each variation, the whole rhythm and atmosphere of the performance is destroyed. But my what dancing some of it is. All in all a great way to spend a dull January Sunday afternoon...
  3. Mary
    My sympathy for people's disappointment , but: Nunez is an outstanding Kitri I don't think most of us go just to see one performer but to see the performance as a whole. I don't think RB should behave as if the ballet was a star vehicle. Injuries are a sad fact of life and we all know it. The ROH seems to have behaved reasonably in this case, as it usually does in my view. I know we've had this discussion before so I shall shut up now!
  4. Mary
    Never known it before.......
  5. Mary
    Watching Winter's Tale- a third viewing now- on BBC4, I was impressed anew and the experience has confirmed my earlier feeling that this is a major new work that will stand the test of time. Ballet on TV does not work all that well for me ( especially on my small and not very good TV) but I was still entranced by the powerful, expressive choreography, beautiful sets and indeed the music, which is growing on me. Furthermore the 3 elements worked together to form a meaningful whole. (Still not keen on some of the costumes though....those trousers...) Of course the very fine performances also helped a good deal. What do others think, does it stand up?
  6. Mary
    I blame this forum for the state of my credit card! I see this is selling out fast.
  7. Mary
    Yes I loved it when I saw it 3 years ago- the tree is the best in any Nutcracker, and I remember being impressed by the smoothness of all the transitions between scenes-which is partly why such a magical effect was created Also, The Hippodrome is a beautiful theatre.
  8. Mary
    I agree, Ribbons...panto- or Nutcrackers-or carol concerts- nothing else for weeks. I am always looking forward to January and normal life resuming!
  9. Mary
    I'd love to see it in the cinema -I wonder whether they will start doing screenings.....
  10. Mary
    Lovely to be reminded of all this. It's been a very full and interesting year. I would probably say: RB Sleeping Beauty McRae and Lamb RB Midummer Night'sDream (Ashton)-loveliest set in ballet in my view. but also Ballet Black-Arthur Pita's brilliant A Dream within Midsummer Night's Dream-fthe only genuinely funny ballet I've ever seen but also lovely dancing esepcially the gay ballerinas-fabulous A Month in the Country-Zenaida Yanowsky, and the last Symphonic Variations with Muntagirov- and getting to know him- hurray!-the debut of young Reece Clarke and hope for the future The Winter's Tale- so good to see a successful new full length ballet. The Bolshoi live screenings-here's to many more companies doing this.
  11. Mary
    It didn't only happen today- it didn't work for Friends packages last week. I wonder whether booking packages is now more popular as you can make up your own and only need 2 productions, so most ballet fans will want them...hence more demand, and it is more complex with many different options, so the system is suffering under the strain...
  12. Mary
    Looking forward to this on 10 Jan. Who in particular should we watch out for Janet? You sound as if you know! I am delighted to be getting a chance to see them at long last.
  13. Mary
    Hear, hear. It was an extraordinary performance. The Bolshoi screenings have added much to the gaiety of life this year.
  14. Mary
    I see Steven Mc Rae now has a baby daughter- so he has a few other things to do......
  15. Mary
    Why is most of it on Sky TV? Surely the BBC should be showing a good selection?
  16. Mary
    Friends package booking today- we were emailed that we could not book online and would have to phone, so it was back to the bad old days of hanging on the phone for hours. There was no music while you wait either! The process has been so smooth recently, for me anyway, that this was disappointing- also harder to ask for what you want, and I only got a rough approximation of it in the end. Shame. I felt sorry for the- always excellent- ROH box office staff.
  17. Mary
    Sounds like the ideal situation to me! :-) Seriously, their website is not a very sophisticated one. I have had several problems, -including recently their claim to have no trace of my existence whatsoever despite my having booked with them for many years- always sorted out when I ring up, I should say. This never happens to me with ROH.
  18. Mary
    I saw last night's performance with Nunez/Acosta and agree they were on fine form. Nunez seems to have made the role her own and the evident enjoyment and fun she and Acosta were having was indeed infectious . I did miss Laura Morera. Mercedes did not make a great impression, I felt, but agree that her dress really needs to be more distinctive from Kitri's, esepcially on such a busy stage. I saw Hirano last year as Espada, and once again I thought he was superb in the role, with just the right kind of haughtiness. It did seem to me there was less shifting about of sets in Act 1 - but I can't quite be sure. Overall it was tremendous fun. Echoing Oscar Wilde I must congratulate the audience, who were really quiet at the right moments and really warm and apprecative as well! There was a very happy atmosphere last night with a strong feeling of affection for the principals whcih added to the pleasure of the evening.
  19. Mary
    I agree and Luke Jennings' comment on J Mackrell's blog seems especially relevant to many recent works. Some narrative pieces do seem very old fashioned in their themes and attitudes. Some were just never going to work-and an expereinced observer would be able to point this out. Even better, would be for choreographers and designers to consider the audience a little more with respect to angles of viewing and lighting- I am sure many forumers would be happy to volunteer their services as audience guinea pigs in rehearsal!
  20. Mary
    I wonder when we will get to see them in the UK? I do fancy Flames of Paris.
  21. Mary
    I really enjoyed your review Frank. I feel just the same about the music for the grand pas de deux-it makes me cry very time ( and I must have seen it 100 times.) There is a fabulous dvd recording of the Royal Ballet with Johnny Cope and Miyako Yoshida dancing this pas de deux which is The Best. I shall be looking out for Moscow CB near me.
  22. Mary
    Indeed, Arky, it's not as if I expect better behaviour in the posh seats...far from it. More that, having paid more, the annoyance is EVEN more when the performance is disrupted. I have a new theory for why the amphi behaviour is better- we are all packed in so tightly, like sardines, that we have less scope to misbehave like the drunken lady or the lady putting her feet in my face......
  23. Mary
    Saw Tuesday night. SV was excellent! Far the best of the 3 performances I have seen, this was the only one which I think achieved the sense of serenity intended by the piece. It was beautiful and Reece Clarke most excellent once more, with the right calm, majestic presence- bravo to him-also Nunez. James Hay jumped superbly. I loved Month this time- Yanowsky inhabited the role so convincingly. I was a little less impressed by Pennefather( nice hair though) but very pleased to see and impressed with Emma Maguire who had great sprighliness as Vera. I agree that Scenes was not quite all it should be and for me it was the corp being a mite untidy that slightly let it down. I liked McRae and Lamb very much. I thought McRae had the sharpness, style, elan and precision the piece needs ( didn't Ashton say the piece is meant to be "sharp and precise" or something, and "NOT too English"? The corp needed to be just that tiny bit sharper, in my view. But still very enjoyable. Crawford was good as Isadora , despite a couple of slight slips. She got a great reception.
  24. Mary
    So agree with all this re the ROH amphi. But I have just treated myself to a v posh seat in the grand tier no less ( a special occasion for me.) To my personal amusement the bad behaviour was just the same - only....somehow more so. The woman jangling throughout the performance was jangling the chain of her chanel handbag....people were unwrapping sweets and talking during the musical opening of a piece etc as per usual. To my astonishment, a woman behind me took her shoes off (fair enough in itself)- and put her stockinged feet up on the seat back in front of her! I turned round to get a faceful of foot! I also notice that the people in these seats clap a LOT less than the amphi people. Back to the amphi for me...
  25. Mary
    Jacqueline you have said what I felt but more so! It made me laugh. I do so agree, especially re the Brandstrup and all the angst, (-seen it all a 100 times! I don't feel your pain, I'm just bored! ) -though was more entertained than you were by Age of Anxiety, mainly because the sets and dancers were so good I would like to say though that, disappointing as it is when an evening fails to take off, I go to every production of RB, and this disappointment ony happens to me about once every 2 years, which is really not bad going. RB give me a huge amount of joy - I have seen so many wonderful things- so I am going to let them off this triple bill and look forward to seeing the Ashton one more time tomorrow..
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