jmhopton

Bolshoi next season cinema dates have been announced. I didn't know if I should start a new thread but thought it seemed a bit premature as the first performance isn't until October. October 20th Spartacus November 17th le Corsaire (repeat) December 22nd Sleeping Beauty (repeat) January 19th Jewels February 2nd Lost Illusions March 30 Golden Age Link http://www.pathelive.com/fr/news It is in French but Google will translate. Like the Royal they've had to start repeating. I wish they'd repeated Bright Stream. I'd love to see it again. Also apparently the Bolshoi are acquiring Pierre Lacotte's Marco Spada next season which I really enjoyed seeing on the Nureyev dvd. Some good male dancing in it. It seems ironic they've acquired both this and Onegin after Vasiliev has left. I'm sure he'd love to dance both roles.

Was any casting given for the opening of Friends booking on the12th? Joan

Living in Lancashire really pleased at 5 cinema broadcasts. At first I groaned when I saw the Nutcracker yet again then realised even with this we are still seeing more broadcasts than ever before. Also really pleased Mr O'Hare is continuing his matinee performances. Most ballets have at least 2 matinees which means I can get home without having the expense of an overnight stay. Would have liked one for the Dream which is one of my favourite ballets and the Concert which I've never seen live but I think I've seen it on a Jerome Robins dvd if it's the one with the pianist on stage and everyone gathering round to listen. I thought it was very funny. Looking forward to Don Q and Winter's Tale. At least we haven't had to wait another 17 years for a new commissioned ballet! I've said it before; how can a Company like Northern Ballet put on a new full length production every year while RB has to wait years? I know Northern have their own choreographer, but still... Their Great Gatsby sounds really good. Also intrigued by the idea of Hansel and Gretel. However it is an 'adult take' on a children's story. ENB and Northern Ballet are creating short ballets specifically aimed as 'starters' for small children. Should the Royal Companies not be doing something similar? My only (small) gripe is that most of the mixed bills have a modern ballet in there. Surely there are many lesser known classical, Ashton or Macmillan short ballets that it would be great to revive and see. It seems ages since the Royal Ballet (or anyone else ) did Les Sylphides. Last year went to Birmingham to see Daphnis and Chloe and Two Pigeons (would love to see the latter again). Also saw Checkmate, Symphonic Variations and Pineapple Poll. Those are the sort of mixed programmes I really like and would make an effort to see. Joan

Classic FM news tonight said Dmitrenchko and 2 others had been arrested. Joan

Yes Andre is dancing Espada. Where are you seeing it next Sunday? I saw it 2 weeks ago but would love to see it again. Incidentally I emailed BelAir dvd company again and they got back to me this time and said they are negotiating the video rights so perhaps this Christmas I'll get the Christmas present I wanted 2 years ago. Joan

Interesting they may be showing Esmerelda instead of Rite of Spring. Is this a live performance replacing Rite (which is still on the Bolshoi schdule website) or a repeat of the recording shown about 15 months ago? Incidentally, any news about the filming of the Ashton triple bill at the ROH? is it going to be shown on tv? Despite the cinema screenings very little seems to be reaching the tv or dvd stage, mainly I suppose because they've all been done before. (Don't bother about spelling my name wrong, Pat. I answer to anything!) Joan

Saw the Bolshoi Don Q yesterday and it was even more amazing than what I remembered 2 years ago. There are the usual minor gripes about sometimes the camera not being where you wanted it but that was more than cancelled out by getting great close ups (something you really miss when you're in the amphitheatre). You pick up all sorts of 'business' you would otherwise miss. I'd forgotten the wonderful Andre Mercuriev was the matador which I think he also was in the recent Kirov Don Q featuring Sarafanov before he left the Kirov. I hope Andre comes with the Bolshoi this year for Flames. He's great in that too. Osipova and Vasiliev were really something else. I've only ever seen Nina Anashvilli compare with her for fouettes. I don't know which would win that competition. But her backbreaking leaps too and when she soared into Vasiliev's arms; she just took off like a rocket. he too was amazing. His jump where he turns and does the splits mid-air and that amazing turn when his legs and feet seem to be going in opposite directions. his most amazing feat was when he did the one-handed lift. Amazingly he does it on tiptoes and the second time he went into arabesque at the same time!! All we need now is the dvd. I've emailed BelAir but first they kept saying it was due out last year and recently they've just stopped replying to my emails. Oh well, there always March to look forward too!! Joan

Just been to see the live streaming of the Bolshoi Bayadere and had to say how much I enjoyed it. I had heard they were gtting new sets and costumes for Bayadere but wasn't sure if they had already got them. Well they have and very splendid they are too. Last time I saw their Bayadere it was at the Coliseum and I think it was the year Carlos danced Spartacus and Osipova and Vasiliev debuted Don Q and I thought their production of Bayadere looked old and tired by comparison to these ballets. The new sets are very splendid though I always think you could do with a bit more light in the first act (at least for filming). The palace in red and cream was very sumpuous and the set for the betrothal scene was slightly reminiscent of the Royal version; palace in the background and the foreground as if on the edge of a tropical forest; just a slight disappointment they didn't have an 'elephant' for Solor to make his entrance on! The dancing too was excellent; Zakharova and Alexandrove gave their usual very assured performances and Vladislav Lantratov who played Solor was also excellent; Vasiliev could hardly have danced it better and he had a good warrior bearing; looked as if he would have made a good prince. I'm mentioning this here rather than under the cinema heading because it's definately made me want to see their production when they bring it here. Before, seeing it and thinking of my disappointment last time I wasn't sure whether or not to bother but now it's definately a must!! Joan

Arky, it took about an hour for them to emerge at the stage door. They were both very friendly and chatty and delighted with their reception both in the theatre and at the stage door (about 20 waited, enough to give them a good reception but not overwelm them). They seem a lovely couple and it's great Marianella has at last got the opportunity to dance a role many ballerinas must covet; and dance it so passionately too and with such feeling and understanding of the role. If that was the first performance can't wait for the others!!! Joan

I waited at the stage door to congratulate Mariella and Thiago and she was walking ok then. I suspect she was just mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the performance which may have exacerbated her hip problem but it didn't seem to be troubling her then. She was carrying one of her bouquets and seemed to be really on a 'high', perfectly understandable after such a tremendous debut. They were really sensational together. It was well worth by 4 hour train journey (beset by cancellations and disruptions). Can't wait for next weekend when I'm seeing them again on the Friday and (hopefully) Alina on Sat. matinee. Can't imagine a better weekend!!! Joan

Has anyone heard if Osipova/Vasiliev are dancing anything other than Flames of Paris? Joan

Thanks for this, Janet. I've just booked. Joan

The Odeon have just announced the repeated Bolshoi Don Q on their Culture Plus at 3pm Feb 10th. Blackpool again, hurrah!!! The cinemas listed are Blackpool, Braehead, Chelmsford, Hatfield, Kettering, Taunton, Tunbridge Wells. It's worth keep checking as they usually add more cinemas as time goes on. The thought of seeing Osipova and Vasilev again is keeping me going through this cold, miserable weather. A bit of Spanish warmth and colour to look forward to and the Mikhailovsky still to come!!

If the Royal Ballet, for example, were allowed to film it for their live cinema broadcast that would have the dual effect of bringing the ballet to a much wider audience and would also help with the financing. If then the BBC or SkyArts were to buy the tv rights, coupled with the fact that the ROH own their own dvd company, Opus Arte, surely this would bring down the cost of producing it. Stuttgart could insist on one of their own dancers (Jason Reilly?) in the lead role, satisfying everyone. The cinema broadcasting has highlighted the comparative lack of ROH full-length ballets, as opposed to opera. Quite a few have been shown twice (Nutcracker 3 times) and there are only 3 ballets filmed a year as opposed to 5 or 6 operas. it would be great to have a full length ballet like Onegin broadcast on the big screen. Incidentally, what has happened to the tv broadcasting of the big screen recordings? 2 or 3 years ago SkyArts showed all of them but since then, nothing. Perhaps it's because so many are repeats. Joan

They didn't just say they didn't have the casting info. for any of the Giselles he showed me his computer screen all showing TBC for all Giselles. When I said casting was on their website he just said staff hadn't been told. Joan

Well, I made it from Lancashire. Once I realised the train I was booked on wasn't running and I had 10 minutes to get to the station to get the one before I was fine!! Made it and enjoyed the performance which was virtually a full house so people perhaps took advantage of the returned tickets and booked at the last minute. Hope the rest of the run is similarly full. Onegin is one of my favourite ballets and I suspect the reason it isn't shown as often as Manon, Mayerling etc is that people don't know it as well and therefore don't book for it. (Perhaps another reason is that it isn't available as a dvd or for big screen filming so people can't get to know it before the performance; whose fault is that??????) Didn't particularly enjoy the 4 and a half hour coach journey home but am doing the same thing next weekend (though train both ways) and the weekend after, so fingers crossed for the snow to go away!! Joan

Thanks Hobbit for the programming and Caspermil for the booking dates. I personally find the programme very disappointing. 12 days of Swan lake and Sleeping beauty with just 2 days each given to the other 3 programmes. Much as I like Bayadere I would have far preferred to see Pharoah's Daughter, Bright Stream or even Esmerelda which hasn't been performed here yet. At least it means a cheaper summer than it has been for their last few visits.

I went to the Coliseum yesterday and decided to risk booking for a possible Osipova/Vasiliev as first night Giselle casting. The ENO box office didn't have any Giselle casting at all despite every night but the first having being announced for a while on both the ENO and the Mikhailovsky websites. Joan

I'm hoping to get to the ROH from Lancashire for tonights performance! There is only a dusting of snow here and no current news of major rail disruption. I'll keep you posted!!! Joan

I noticed an article about this on the ROH website yesterday. I don't know how long it's been there. it was under 'News' but doesn't seem to be there now (been ousted by info about the snow!). My first thought was, will this affect the Bolshoi/Kirov summer seasons at the ROH? Does anyone have any more info on this? Perhaps if we're only talking about a couple if weeks there would be opportunity for both though I assume any building repairs/maintenance will also need to be done in the summer months and there isn't a huge amount of closure time. Joan

No, the Royal box isn't a good view at all, especially for narrative ballet (not that I've sat in it but I have had experience of sitting in a box). the view is too much to the side to get a good all-round view of the action though you would get some good close-ups of the dancers. it is there for the royal family to be seen by all the patrons paying high sums of money for the privilege of attending a 'royal' performance rather than the royal person herself getting a good view. It is her 'working' seat! In my opinion the best view is the front row of the grand tier. You get a superb view there, even the end seats. I speak from experience because I used to belong to the Friends of the Kirov (now Mariinsky Theatre Trust) and when the Kirov visited we got the chance of attending rehersals for £10 a time and we were always shown into the Grand Tier and had a fabulous view. Indeed, a couple of times I did stray into the box nearest the grand tier just to try it out and ended up returning to my original seat in the interval. Even the furthest boxes didn't give as good a view. Front row of the rear Stalls Circle is probably very good too though I haven't tried it.

I too had a similar experience to Alison and Meunier; had seats and then hadn't got them; error messages, money not tallying, extra tickets I'd booked to replace ones that were lost but then re-appeared later, had to sign in and out and really worried because I was at work and it took me over an hour. Finally, I did manage to sign in and get the tickets I originally wanted. The whole thing took about 10 minutes when it's working well but I had to go without lunch and breaks all day to put back the time I had lost when trying to book. Joan

Have booked my tickets for Don Q and Lauencia. Does anyone know if Vasiliev and Osipova are scheduled to dance Giselle on 27th March as Bluebird posted? it's just it's their one ballet whose performance date was unconfirmed on the ENO website and when I booked the box office assistant wasn't sure so I thought I'd wait until it is confirmed. All the other dates are as they were on the Mikhailovsky website so I assumed this was but I didn't want to book in case this was the ballet that was changed. Aileen, unless there has been a new posting I've missed I don't think the Bolshoi are scheduled to dance Don Q this summer so it may be as well to see them with the Mikhailovsky. Joan

Thanks very much for this Bluebird and Haydn. Like you say it may be subject to change but it's interesting to see how they are possibly thinking of dividing up the visit and it gives you an idea about casting. presumably they are thinking of making some changes for it to vanish from their website and this will have to be sorted before it appears on ENO website and people start booking for individual casts. I hope they keep to the idea of giving Osipova and Vasiliev 2 performances for Don Q and Laurentia as my husband and I both want to see them but will have to go separately because of the dogs!!

As the Mikhailovsky casting has vanished from their website can Meunier or Lgny (or anyone who saw it) remember the approximate order in which the ballets will be perfomed? it's just I will need to get time off work for the ballets I wish to see and it will give me some idea though I know if the casting has vanished the order may be changed also. it's a Russian company so there must be changes!!! it's just so great they are coming. Can't wait!!