Royal Ballet: The Two Pigeons, Monotones I & II, November 2015 & Rhapsody January 2016

[Odyssey]

Just back from the cinema and a fine evening of dance it was. Rhapsody saw an accomplished performance from its two principals. You can't fail to be impressed by McRae's technique in this role and his evident pleasure in performing. Osipova, although clearly accomplished didn't thrill me, but I can't put my finger on why. The Two Pigeons is as rewarding as I remember - a real gem. No fears about Kanenko as she sizzled through the gypsy role. The final pas de deux was exquisitely danced by Lauren and Vadim. He is a revelation - his solo just prior to the final scene was so moving with exquisite port de bras. An unexpected treat was the interview with Alfreda Thorogood who reminisced about how she and David Wall learnt the roles from Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable in a couple of hours in a Church hall. Yes a lovely evening.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Odyssey

[Jan McNulty]

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the cinema this evening.

 

I thought Osipova and McRae looked sensational in Rhapsody but I have to say my stylistic preference is Hayward and Hay.

 

Two Pigeons showed yet again what a glorious actor as well as dancer that Vadim Muntagirov has become.  He and Lauren Cuthbertson were splendid together.  Fumi Kaneko was a splendidly fiery gypsy and I greatly enjoyed Ryoichi Hirano's performance too.

 

On a fashion note, I loved Darcey's red dress.  What a treat to see Alfreda Thorogood talking about Two Pigeons.

[Balletfanp]

Back from the cinema as well - yes, yes, I know I only saw it on Saturday, but I had to see these two gorgeous ballets again, and was glad I did. I felt that the casts performed even better, and also the cinema view actually showed me some details I had missed on Saturday from my side on one side of the stalls circle.

 

McRae and Osipova were just wonderful in Rhapsody tonight; they danced as though there was no tomorrow.

 

Lauren and Vadim were heartbreaking in The Two Pigeons tonight - again, the cinema close-ups give a different perspective and there is no forgiveness. I defy anyone to say that Vadim can't act after tonight's performance; he was incredibly moving, his dancing was a delight and overall he showed why he won the Best Male Dancer award yesterday. I'm so glad he is getting a shot at the cinema relays ; the world needs to see more of him. And when he dances it looks like such a joyous thing - which, for me, is the difference between him and McRae. Lauren was charming and I loved the contrast between her gauche young girl in Act 1, and the more mature heartbroken one in Act 2. Oh, and the pigeons weren't bad either....

 

However, I had to restrain myself from giving loud hoots of mirth upon hearing Darcey's mangling of Vadim's surname! Oh dear, oh dear....WHAT did she call him?? Come on Darcey, it's not that difficult! )

Edited January 26, 2016 by Balletfanp

[alison]

My appreciation of this evening was perhaps a little muted due to the failing of the heating system in the cinema (no apology from the management, let alone any offer of a possible refund) and the minor hell of South London's transport links falling apart at the seams again (I've been to dance-related events maybe half-a-dozen or so times this month, and for 3 of those the transport has been disastrous), but it was an enjoyable evening.  Once again, the lighting looked distinctly on the dark side, though - I don't remember cinema broadcasts always being this way?  However, those of us who did go to the cinema broadcast did get to see a lot of Laura Morera's dancing as the Gypsy - presumably this was filmed back in the autumn?

[alison]

We were posting at the same time, BFp.  Perhaps it was the dyslexia striking?

[jmhopton]

Just got back from the cinema. Rhapsody and Two Pigeons were beyond wonderful! I don't remember seeing Rhapsody before and if I did it would be nothing like Steven's amazing performance. I know he's been criticised a few times on the forum but I don't think anyone could criticise his performance tonight. All I can see is I'm sure Ashton would have been pleased and prod and I can't imagine even Baryshnikov (my favourite male dancer) could have danced it better. Those amazing turns just at the end when you would think he would be exhausted. I don't know how he did it. No wonder someone tweeted they were amazed he wasn't in bits by the end! I enjoyed Osipova's performance too. She was incredibly fast, though said in one of the interviews she found Ashton difficult to do for this reason. You wouldn't have thought so tonight! However, I did really enjoy Francesca Hayward's performance also. She is a brilliant Ashton dancer.

 

Vadim was very special in Two Pigeons. His dancing is so beautiful and lyrical and his smile lit up the (rather murkily lit) stage. he said how lucky he is to dance in such a wonderful ballet which he wouldn't have had the chance to do if he'd stayed in Russia. I can't understand why more companies don't perform Ashton's ballets, especially Two Pigeons which is so special. 2 hours after leaving the cinema I'm having withdrawal symptoms already and I'll definitely be going to see the Encore at Southport this Sunday. Can't wait for the dvd. I want it NOW!

[alison]

Those amazing turns just at the end when you would think he would be exhausted. I don't know how he did it.

 

That reminds me: it occurred to me to wonder whether they were as originally choreographed, or whether he'd embellished them?  (The incredibly complex ones he makes an entrance with)

[Arky]

  Once again, the lighting looked distinctly on the dark side

 

It was the same in the cinema where we were, especially for Two Pigeons, but we still found the evening most enjoyable, with Steven McRae on fire, and both casts giving of their best.

[Petunia]

I also went to see the cinema broadcast and I agree with the forum member who wrote that you have to see Pigeons at least twice. I love how -like in Fille- the storyline develops entirely through the choreography and the transitions from solo / duo / group actions go smoothly and logical (except for the gypsy group dances which I still think are too long and not very interesting).

 

I particularly found the girls in the first act wonderfully individual and their different actions and groupings were exciting to watch (whenever the camera work allowed it). Yasmine Naghdi’s extra mean poking with the paintbrush into poor Vadim had me laugh out loud.

 

It was lovely to see a different cast in Pigeons, I couldn’t say which I’d prefer. I can understand everybody who goes several times!

 

For me this doesn’t apply to Rhapsody – I clearly preferred Francesca Hayward to Osipova. I don’t know – maybe it’s because I saw Hayward from the distance of my seat, but I never realized the difficulty of the steps in the first place but how the beauty, the speed, the joy, the musicality all together created a harmony that was very special and radiated up and outwards to the amphitheatre.

With Osipova I think I saw too much of the work that was done (although it was firework) but I felt it was not “rounded”. I feared for her after her little stumble, and also the ratty shoes were a distraction.

 

As much as I like the pyrotechnics by McRae, and although I know this part was made for Baryshnikov, I felt more at ease with Hay’s noble and more restrained  interpretation. He has room to develop into the role, and he will, if he gets the chance (which I hope).

 

But I can’t find enough words to praise the ladies and gentlemen in the supporting roles. The men were so much better, really sharp, and the women! My god, every time I see Naghdi’s smile I know everything will be alright and the world is fine.

Their dancing is so serene, so confident and musical, they move as If they listen to the same heartbeat and they create lines of pure, limpid beauty, it makes one cry with joy.

 

If there ever will be a DVD, I will eternally switch forward and backward to relish this wonder.

[capybara]

However, I had to restrain myself from giving loud hoots of mirth upon hearing Darcey's mangling of Vadim's surname! Oh dear, oh dear....WHAT did she call him?? Come on Darcey, it's not that difficult! )

 

Oh no: that's down right disgraceful. It also happened (to a mild extent) at another 'public' event this week.

 

Looking forward to the cinema Encore on Sunday!

[Sim]

Sadly I wasn't able to be at the ROH or at the cinema last night, so very much look forward to the DVD....I'm assuming there WILL be a DVD! 

 

Not meaning to sound like a broken record, but.....surely there must be someone else they can hire to present the interval interviews?  Why does it have to be Darcey Bussell every time?  A fresh approach might be welcome.  I'm very pleased that they had Alfreda Thorogood talking about her experiences with 2P.   I hope all these things are kept on the DVD for those of us who missed it!

[billboyd]

Sim - Alfredo spoke 'live' - I don't think those 'live' interviews go on the DVD or the ROH website. Only the pre-recorded bits do.

[Sim]

What a pity....I thought it might be included in the DVD extras or some such thing.  Oh well.

 

Petunia, what a lovely review.  I wrote further up the thread about how impressed I was with the 12 supporting dancers in Rhapsody.  I think the RB is in a really good place right now as far as the talent of its young dancers is concerned.  There is loads of it, and across all styles.  I very much look forward to watching them develop and deepen as artists.

 

May I also add that having seen Corsaire on Saturday, and other recent programmes,  the same applies to ENB, too.

[Jan McNulty]

Could you get to an encore showing Sim?

[Mummykool]

That reminds me: it occurred to me to wonder whether they were as originally choreographed, or whether he'd embellished them?  (The incredibly complex ones he makes an entrance with)

I'm pretty sure the opening jumps are embellishment. The spins at the end, however, were definitely one of Baryshnikov's party tricks but when he did them you didn't see the mechanics of it...one spin the standing leg was there, the next spin it simply wasn't. The first time we saw him do it we had to check with each other that we hadn't imagined it! All for $9 a ticket...those were the days!

 

From what you are all saying about Darcey's presentation (or lack of it) I'm glad those of us the house were spared. Unfortunately I now want to see lots of the other 'filling' pieces in the relay which means I'll have  to endure it anyway at the  encore showing

[Petunia]

  I think the RB is in a really good place right now as far as the talent of its young dancers is concerned.  There is loads of it, and across all styles.  I very much look forward to watching them develop and deepen as artists.

 

May I also add that having seen Corsaire on Saturday, and other recent programmes,  the same applies to ENB, too.

Yes the future for dance in England surely is going to be exciting. I hope I'll be able to witness some of it!

[pompalompa]

This was the first time I've been to see a live cinema relay - normally I'm lucky enough to be at the ROH.  However, I was SO glad to be sitting in the cinema rather than up in the Amphitheatre when it came to Rhapsody.  What detail and intricacy!  I really felt that I would have missed a lot if I hadn't had the benefit of the cameras and close ups. 

 

I'd never seen either ballet before and loved them both.  Steve McRae was fabulous (how did he fit all those steps in?) and Vadim was just charming - I have the feeling that he's just going to get better and better as he grows in confidence.

 

What a lovely evening and I'll DEFINITELY do the cinema relays again.  The atmosphere's not the same (I was itching to clap) but great view and £15 instead of £55 for a seat in the rafters.

Edited January 27, 2016 by pompalompa

[Sunrise]

Sadly I wasn't able to be at the ROH or at the cinema last night, so very much look forward to the DVD....I'm assuming there WILL be a DVD! 

 

Not meaning to sound like a broken record, but.....surely there must be someone else they can hire to present the interval interviews?  Why does it have to be Darcey Bussell every time?  A fresh approach might be welcome.  I'm very pleased that they had Alfreda Thorogood talking about her experiences with 2P.   I hope all these things are kept on the DVD for those of us who missed it!

 

Maybe Bussell is contracted to a certain number of performances? I thought her interview with Cuthbertson and Collier was nicely done, more relaxed in the studio than the weird tea-time setup of past interviews and her live interview with Thorogood was good. In the live bits, it's lovely she's so enthusiastic but her off-script gushing makes me a bit uncomfortable.

 

My partner whispered to me early on in Rhapsody that he didn't think McRae was that great (he's still at the stage of judging male dancers by how high they jump)...until he saw those stupendous jumps, and then he quickly took it all back

 

I don't love Two Pigeons, but Kaenko was fabulous, so much sass! :-)

[Beryl H]

Last night was technically even worse than expected, apart from dire lighting in Two Pigeons there were continual glitches where the picture broke up for a few seconds, I think the cinema you see these relays in matters a lot, I'm hoping for a Blu-Ray (PLEASE)

so I can really see it! 

 

Two men were the standouts for me, Steven McRae's outstandingly clean fast technique in Rhapsody and Vadim Muntagirov's totally different style of dancing and charm in Pigeons, and the birds of course, bless them, Vadim was the best bird handler of the 3 men I saw. 

[Sim]

Could you get to an encore showing Sim?

 

I will have a look Janet, thanks....it will depend on when they are.  However, if there are lighting issues I would rather wait for the DVD in the hope that the editing process will have included fixing the gloomy lighting!

[Mary]

Yes the future for dance in England surely is going to be exciting. I hope I'll be able to witness some of it!

I have felt for a while now that, despite the occasional moan and grumble we all make, we are fortunate enough to be living through a golden age of ballet in this country, with perfomances of exellent quality left, right and centre and the screenings opening up another world- the different companies screening to the whole world seems to raise the stakes for them, as each time the dancers seem to rise to the occasion and give of their best ....and of course build new audiences.

Whenever I see the Bolshoi screenings I marvel at their male dancers but last night we lobbed back 'Steven McRa'e and that will keep them quiet for a while :-)

[Fonty]

Have the bookings been better for the second run of Two Pigeons, or have there been a lot of empty seats? 

[Jan McNulty]

I will have a look Janet, thanks....it will depend on when they are.  However, if there are lighting issues I would rather wait for the DVD in the hope that the editing process will have included fixing the gloomy lighting!

 

 

 

I didn't find the lighting particularly dim if I am honest (and nor did I for Nutcracker).

[Colman]

Well, that was delightful - Rhapsody was lots of fun, though I though Osipova felt a little tentative or unsure of herself. McRae was great, and our seven year old boy dancer was suitably flabbergasted.

 

Pigeons was lovely, though I could feel both my son's and my attention wavering during some of the gypsy dances. Even the romantic scenes held his attention and he can sometimes get antsy during those - maybe it was the pigeons!

 

I suspect the lighting being too dim or not probably depended on the competence of the cinema - it certainly could have been better on a few occasions where we saw it.

[MAB]

First time I've bitterly regretted seeing something live.  Had I known Alfreda Thorogood was taking part in the filmed introduction I would have made my way to the cinema instead.  I adored that dancer and for my money she was the best of the lot in the role of the Young Girl.

 

Were there dancers on stage other than McRae and Muntagirov?  I suppose there were but they didn't register, I thought it was their night: one for the fireworks the other for his irresistible charm.  

[Arky]

However, I had to restrain myself from giving loud hoots of mirth upon hearing Darcey's mangling of Vadim's surname! Oh dear, oh dear....WHAT did she call him?? Come on Darcey, it's not that difficult! )

 

Poor Darcey!  Yes, she did stumble over the pronunciation of Muntagirov, but we can all do that at times. OK, we’d prefer it if she had said it correctly [presumably, though not necessarily, Muntageerov], but that was the only slip she made.

 

Anyway, do we all pronounce the various Russian names we come across correctly? I once asked Natalia whether she pronounced Osipova as Oseepova or Ossypova, the main variations we hear on her name. It was neither!  Even after three or four attempts, with her correcting me each time, i could not pronounce it 100 % accurately. I apologised, and she smiled gracefully. She was not hung up about it. Foreigners have a habit of funny pronunciation!

 

Do we all castigate the BBC and other news channels for their pronunciation of Putin as Pewtin, when the Russians pronounce it Put – in?

 

I have had the same problem over the years with an unusual English surname as a maiden name, then also with a relatively common married surname, both being mis-pronounced,. Obviously I prefer it if people make an effort to get it right, but it now flows over me if they make an error or a slip. Life is too short.

 

 As Sunrise said of Darcey “her interview with Cuthbertson and Collier was nicely done” and that with Thorogood was “good”. Apart from that one slip with Vadim’s name, I felt that Darcey presented  the programme well and with several interesting insightsPoor Darcey!  Yes, she did stumble over the pronunciation of Muntagirov, but we can all do that at times. OK, we’d prefer it if she had said it correctly [presumably, though not necessarily, Muntageerov], but that was the only slip she made.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Janet McNulty
Edited at request of OP to remove duplicated paragraphs

[Ian Macmillan]

No lighting issues where I was, and I found it an enjoyable evening - and I'm in danger of warming to Ms Osipova!  Pigeons went well and I can report that one of the original gypsies had no complaints to make about the performance.

 

Fonty: right now, there are over 100 seats free for tomorrow and 17 for the Saturday closing performance.  Coming out last night, a lady (old enough to have been around in 1961, I'd say) was saying to a friend that she'd never heard of Pigeons, had thoroughly enjoyed it and was sure it would now be toured all over.  She was somewhat surprised when I interjected to say that was probably unlikely given the unsold seats for both Ashton runs.

[Jan McNulty]

Have the bookings been better for the second run of Two Pigeons, or have there been a lot of empty seats? 

 

 

It may be difficult to tell; how many people (like me) have taken advantage of the Timeout offer?

 

On Friday 15th January there were quite a few seats showing in the orchestra stalls for the matinee on 30th; on Sunday 17th (when my credit card period had tipped over!) the stalls were showing as sold out.  I tried the Timeout offer and, although I do not know where the ticket is, I have got a ticket in the stalls.

[Arky]

Janet.

 

Help, please! I've tried to edit my post, but cannot get rid of the repetition! Please could you do it?

 

Many thanks.

[FLOSS]

A few Ashton ballets such as Fille and Marguerite and Armand have made it into the repertory of other companies but you have to know that a ballet exists in order to want to stage it. The Royal Ballet acts as a magnificent shop window for MacMillan's three successful full length ballets in a way that it does not for Ashton's works. It revives Romeo and Juliet, Manon and Mayerling with such regularity that they appear to be on a timetable for perpetual revival which means it is impossible for people to forget that they exist. Ashton's works are revived with far less regularity than MacMillan's and so lack the "brand recognition" that his name and  works have. While the Dream and A Month in the Country are rarely out of the repertory for long and are sometimes taken on international tours there are many that haven't been revived in years such as Façade last seen in 1994 and Les Illuminations last seen in 1996.The bulk of revivals in this century have been connected to high days and holy days such as the Ashton centenary and the company's seventy fifth anniversary.The full length works come and go without any obvious revival pattern Sylvia was last revived in 2010 and Cinderella in 2011 who can say when they will be revived again?

 

If Jeremy Isaac's memoirs are to be trusted then the Royal Ballet's attitude towards its MacMillan and Ashton repertories are not simply a matter of chance or the effects of time and changes in taste but the result of decisions made by the company management not long after Ashton's death. He gives an account of a meeting at which he, Lady MacMillan and Kenneth MacMillan were present at which Lady MacMillan argued that as MacMillan was still able to make ballets the company should concentrate on his works rather than Ashton's which were old fashioned. Isaacs records that he was told that Anthony agreed with this approach and he says that he too agreed that MacMillan's works should be promoted.. This plus the loss of Michael Somes, a staunch custodian of the Ashton repertory. goes a long way to explain the decline in both the frequency of Ashton revivals and their quality during Dowell's directorship.

 

The quality of performances which you see inevitably influences your judgment of the quality of a choreographer's work. Badly danced un-nuanced Ashton is extremely boring, If you see unsuccessful revivals of works with which you are unfamiliar you quickly come to believe that not only are the ballets not very good but the choreographer is not up to much either. Ashton is very difficult to dance well. It has to look effortless, the choreography is exposed. The steps have either been danced correctly or they have not. Even if the steps are reproduced correctly and cleanly that is not the end of it. They have to be danced and danced with ease and elegance. There is no opportunity to fudge, sprawl and emote in the way that there is in some of the MacMillan repertory and then there is the choice of steps which one of the earlier posts has singled out. Ashton requires his dancers including his male dancers to do  a lot of terre a terre dancing. He does not use steps of elevation to the same extent that MacMillan does. It is much easier for someone who knows little about dancing to recognise that a dancer has jumped high or turned quickly than it is to register and appreciate the easy elegance of a dancer who is dancing  petite batterie and whose upper body is in continuous movement. This is probably why the male variations in so many of the nineteenth century classics were reworked in the twentieth century with steps in the heroic Soviet style substituted for the original choreography.

 

 MacMillan has a single advocate for his works while the Ashton repertory is now owned by at least six people none of whom has the single minded determination which Lady Mac Millan seems to have for promoting her late husband's works. Sarasota Ballet have Ashton ballets in their repertory that I have only seen once or twice, and that a long time ago such as Les Apparitions and Capriole Suite, but of course it is run by two very committed Ashton enthusiasts for whom staging the works is a labour of love. Perhaps the answer is to ensure, as far as the Royal ballet is concerned, that we ask for the Ashton repertory from Capriol Suite and Façade to Daphnis and Chloe to be revived and that the full length works should be revived as regularly as the MacMillan full lengths are.

Edited January 27, 2016 by FLOSS

[Jan McNulty]

Janet.

 

Help, please! I've tried to edit my post, but cannot get rid of the repetition! Please could you do it?

 

Many thanks.

 

 

I've removed the duplicated paragraphs Arky.

[Arky]

Thanks very much, Janet.

[FrankH]

(This is a response from someone who has only been really interested in ballet for less than two years, and is still largely uninformed about many of the details of the art-form)

 

I watched the live relay at my local Curzon. No technical glitches, and I didn't find the lighting too dark.

 

A thoroughly charming evening. I realise better now why Sir Frederick Ashton has such a high reputation.

 

Rhapsody. I wondered if my problems with mild sleep-apnoea would kick-in during an "abstract" ballet with no story-line, but found my attention only failing once, and very briefly. Of course, the glorious Rachmaninoff Rhapsody helped. Or did it? If the choreography isn't the inspiration of a genius, and if it isn't danced with passionate involvement by inspired and very talented dancers, it would be only too easy to just sit and listen to the music. I never felt the temptation to do so. Instead the dancing heightened my enjoyment and appreciation of the music. So, this piece alone makes Ashton a genius in my eyes. As for the dancers, not only the principals, but the whole ensemble, tremendous not only in their technicality, but in their obvious intense enjoyment of, and commitment to, what they were dancing.

 

The Two Pigeons. Absolutely no problems with attention-wandering in this! And, contrary to some, I didn't find the Gypsy ensemble dances too long - for me, they were exhilarating. As usual, with every ballet company I have watched over the past year (7 different ones, including two often criticised - unfairly in my opinion - Russian touring companies), I have been especially impressed by the talent and dedication of the Corps.

 

An additional appreciation for the extras - the pigeons, and their trainer, in TP, and, of course, the pianist in Rhapsody.

 

I generally find myself being more impressed by the women, but this proved an exception. Nothing against Osipova, Cuthbertson, Kaneko etc., - they were all superb - but this time what lingers especially in my memory are the performance of the men. Especially the two leads. They are of course magnificent dancers, but in addition - Steven McRae, what an athlete, Vadim Muntagirov, what an actor!