Don Q Fan

Oh golly @Ondine me neither! Yuck😂

Triple!! 

Vienna State ballet will livestream their new tripe bill - Shifting Symmetries on 27 December at 6pm UK time 7pm CET.

Hans van Manen - Concertante

Forsythe  - In the Middle Somewhat Elevated

Balanchine - Brahms Schonberg Quartet.

https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/

On 03/11/2023 at 14:04, JNC said:

I  haven't seen BRB's Sleeping Beauty before. Does the Wright choreography differ a lot from the current Royal's production? I am also very tempted by seeing Alina Cojocaru in the role, I have her Royal Ballet performance on DVD and she's just so wonderful in the role. 

Yes it's a lovely production. Both BRB and Dutch National Ballet perform it, DNB has a bigger stage and company so SPW made an expanded (number of dancers wise) version for them. Same sets and costumes.  Both shows are rather lovely. Add Alina Cojacaru in the mix = win/win so if you haven't seen it it's definitely "worth a punt"😀

^^ and lack of the summer Russian company tours now 🥺

Not fussed on any of the Swan Lake casts. The only one I would consider is Fumi/Vadim but only IF the ticket price for my usual seats isn't exorbitant......

Considering the current economic climate it's amazing that a new ballet company can be launched. I really hope they succeed. It will be interesting to see what rep is offer.  Hopefully we'll get some quality dance in the provinces and not have to go to London.  

I've been to La Scala a few times I sat high up in the Balcony or gallery above the boxes it was ok not very comfy and very hot in summer. Block of 3 seats and neighbours are close! Had to tut woman next to me on her phone all the time when Nunez and Bolle were dancing ONEGIN!!! She didn't come back after interval so something must have been up. 

I managed to get a "scal aperta" i.e. half price special, ticket one time in a box but that was disappointing as the "seats" are just stools no backs (agony)  and you sit sideways to the stage so you face the person next to you. Bizarre/antiquated. You just shift to what is comfy but I think on balance I go higher up instead in a normal forward facing arrangement. 

Thank you all for confirming the wig/minuet scenes. I'm not going mad just yet then!! 

Having been at the disrupted show last Friday I have been wondering about a couple of scenes in Act 1 that I do not recall seeing. The first was the one where Gamache is usually ridiculed by Kitri and his hat gets knocked off and she pulls his wig off I did not see this this time round. Has this perhaps been removed for not being PC? The second scene that I missed was where 3 couples are dancing Basilio and Gamache are dancing with Kitri's friends and Kitri is dancing with DonQ,  then the music stops the lights go down and we just see Kitri and Don Q spotlit and dancing as if he is in a trance. Perhaps this was in the last few minutes of Act 1 which was curtailed. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether either of these scenes are still in the ballet? 

Steven did take a tumble there I hope he's ok and it's not serious, he more or less limped off after the final bit of the duet they just danced gently holding eachother doing tiny steps instead of the usual fast foot work etc. They covered it very well and if someone hasn't seen it before you wouldn't really know. I feel for poor Steven he's had so many injuries. Bell has gone so looks like Act2 is going ahead. 

On 03/10/2023 at 03:55, suel50 said:

Does anyone know of a decent hotel near the Opera House in Amsterdam

My comment immediately above your post mentions hotels. The nearest are Ibis Stopera/Waterlooplein, Motel-One I've stayed at both and they're fine although they tend to be dear. Hotel Coin is nearby going the opposite direction, again fine. But generally the more reasonably priced hotels are further out. I've used Mercure Sloterdijk Station a lot but it's a lengthy tram ride away 20-30 mins.  Oddly the metro trains don't run directly there from the city it's a circuitous route. But the tram is fine. Buses run there too of course as there's a large bus exchange/station as well as mainline trains at Sloterdijk. There's a few hotels at Sloterdijk, eg Holiday Inn. In the city there's also Hotel Larende and Hotel Alp that I've used and been fine. 

3 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Last night’s All-Balanchine triple bill was a program made in heaven, ending in the most majestic note: Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no 2, led by today’s most queenly ballerina of the company, Sara Mearns, divinely sure in technique and airs! The gallant Tiler Angle was her steadfast prince, while Emily Kikta spread pearls of joy as the leading female soloist. The corps made the work an absolute pleasure…spot-on in the linear and circular patterns.

 

The evening began with Apollo, one of Balanchine’s gems from the Diaghilev period, here performed without the “birthing scene” that we see at ABT and the Mariinsky. Adrian Danchig-Waring rendered a noble and mature Apollo, exploring the qualities of his three muses: the lyrical Terpsichore (Unity Phelan),  the loquacious Polyhymnia (Emily Gerrity), and mercurial Calliope (Sara Adams). Phelan was gorgeous as Terpsichore, one of many leading roles assigned in this season…including the ethereal lead in the night’s middle ballet, La Sonnambula…

 

Sonnambula is a rarity in the repertoire. What a delight to experience this work again! Phelan - coached by an early exponent, Allegra Kent - was precious in her sleepwalking bourrees during the vital pdd with the poet (Taylor Stanley). Ashley Laracey was compelling as the nasty Coquette, whose gossip causes the final tragedy. I adore the early divertissements during the ball scene, with pride of place going to the Harlequin’s bouncy solo (Daniel Ulbricht in his element)! May the NYCB keep this ballet alive for years to come!

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds wonderful! 

LBC was my next port if call thank you! 

A friend has asked if I can find contact details for Bill Cooper as there's a particular BRB ballet photo she would like to source. Would anyone know how one can contact Bill Cooper please? Or should we just try BRB direct?  Thanks in advance!

Why was Osipova not dancing is she out injured? Looking forward to on Magri on 28th anyway. 

Sounds a lovely double bill! Thanks for the review. 

If ENB are not even touring to Liverpool this season, not even with Nutcracker, I don't think there's much hope for a triple bill. I love triples, that would marvellous,  I suppose we can but dream. 

Thank you Bruce for your very passionate and detailed reviews and explanations. 

Definitely agree we need to see more Ashton. I thought after the (albeit still ongoing) pandemic Fille would have been the perfect happy ballet to stage to cheer us all up. ( @Sim i don't understand what could possibly be offensive in Fille? Or am I being thick?!)

Likewise Onegin loved by dancers and audiences alike yet KOH is slow to restage it, yet again! Infuriating. I hope the fact it's a Russian story doesn't preclude it being revived because of what's going on in the real world viz a viz Ukraine. If so what a sad state of affairs. 

I'd like to see some more Balanchine as well. 

I wonder do the dancers get asked for input as to what a season's rep should include? 

I saw Friday evening's performance.

Theme and Variations was the best. Frola was beautiful and Khanuikova radiant why is she not a principal dancer?!

Four Last Songs was very nice even if the costumes were truly awful. Hate these nude bits of Lycra. Poor dancers. I quite enjoyed the patterns in the choreography and the music. 

Les Noces was, sorry to say, my worst nightmare come true. The less said the better! Matters were not helped by the amplification of the singing it was so loud I had to put my ear plugs in for both this and Four Last Songs. Someone up thread said it wasn't amplified last night, but I respectfully beg to differ,  it most certainly was from where I was sitting in 2nd circle. 

No surprise that for me T&V was definitely the best piece of the night just far too short!  I hope ENB will do more Balanchine in future. Do they do Who Cares? I feel that would suit them extremely well. 

I think you'll be ok last time I was in the theatre I took a wander down to the stalls and asked a person sitting in the front row if they could see everything including the dancers feet and they said yes (unlike ROH where the feet are chopped off)  Absolutely my favourite theatre great sight lines, COMFORTABLE, and good facilities.  I hope you enjoy the show, their new Raymonda is lovely as I saw it on its first run.

On 10/08/2023 at 09:12, Blossom said:

DNB are going to be performing their new Raymonda again this December (pitching it as the perfect Christmas ballet which is interesting).

I really want to see a traditional telling of the story so am seriously contemplating a couple of days in Amsterdam.

Any recommendations for reasonably priced hotels local to the opera house? 

How small (and walkable) is Amsterdam? What is a must see other than Anne Frank's house and how does that work in terms of proximity to opera house area?

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

Editing to add: Any advice on auditorium seating would also be a help. I'd probably look at top 2 pricing tiers for this.

I love Het Nationale Theatre. Its probably my favourite theatre in the whole world.  So comfortable and sight lines are very good.  I often sit in the 2nd tier front row and it is perfect, and the 1st tier is of course fabulous.  I haven't sat in the stalls but they seem ok too.  The Dutch being tall have a decent rake everywhere so big heads have not been an issue for me when I have not been able to get a front row seat.  Ticket prices are very good compared to London as well.  I saw the New Raymonda on its first run with Maia Makhateli as Raymonda and it is a lovely production with beatiful sets and costumes.  DNB can do no wrong in my eyes and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Hotel wise the closest are the Ibis Waterlooplein and the Motel One which someone else has mentioned.  you can walk to those.  I get the tram and stay further out at Sloterdijk Station but have also used Hotel Larende and Hotel Alp both on a tram route.  The Royal Palace is worth a visit (but leave any bags bigger than about A4 behind as they take them off you I had to leave my handbag which is NOT large and carry my purse!)  and the Nieuw Kerk next door often has exhibitions on.  Rijks Museum is good, the van Gogh gets busy so book a ticket in advance if you want to go there.  Good place to eat is the Department Store Bijenkorf on the Dam Square as it has a very nice self service restaurant and you can have food cooked in front of you or cold plate, etc  reasonable and quick and good quality.  And above all watch out for bikes, trams and cars  they're a nightmare all together in a tight space (the cyclists particularly because half of them are tourists who haven't got a clue - even the Dutch say that!)

Is anyone able to throw any light on my issue with seat booking in a smartphone? 

I can never see available seats on my smartphone with this new seat ticket system they've got,  any ideas what to do? It's all just grey. It briefly flashes the available seats but immediately goes grey so I HAVE to use a PC which is v annoying. 

After queuing for 45 mins I was looking at different shoes and after a while I got booted out saying max no tickets reached I hadn't booked any then I tried again and got an error code. So nothings improved has it! I got 1 ticket later today but £125 is eye watering for my preferred seat. 

I can ever see available seats on my smartphone with this new seat ticket system they've got,  any ideas what to do? It's all just grey. It briefly flashes the available seats but immediately goes grey so I HAVE to use a PC which is v annoying. World Class? Nope. 

I can understand that Linmm about Vasipova. Those were the days! Have seen her since and it's just never the same without Vasiliev. Nothing can come close. It's like having chippy chips without the chippy vinegar 😞