The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker, London, November 2016

[alison]

I was reflecting yesterday on what a luxury it would be to be able to have male soloists of relatively uniform height, just like e.g. the Mariinsky have in the corps de ballet

[annamk]

I was reflecting yesterday on what a luxury it would be to be able to have male soloists of relatively uniform height, just like e.g. the Mariinsky have in the corps de ballet

 

 

I totally agree, although the RB does seem to have improved in this regard recently - is it me or does Reece Clarke not stick out quite as much as he once did ? The choice of male soloist Cavaliers in Nutcracker yesterday was curious - I mean why would you put Dyer with 3 much taller men ? I thought the same in Anastasia I think with Zucchetti ? Having said that, my criticism of yesterday's cavaliers was as much to do with poor technique and ragged individual finishing as with lack of synchronicity. 

[Geoff]

Reverting for a moment. Some of the most interesting postings on the Forum re "nostalgia" / "olden days" / "improved technique" / "worsening standards" are those illustrated with comparative video clips. I can't get enough of these: the chance to see something carefully selected from one date and compare it directly with the same thing danced by others at another time, is just so instructive.

 

Just saying. Thank you all those with the time and knowledge to search YouTube or wherever. There is a lot of Nutcracker out there, so this post is (just) still on topic!

[WoodlandGladeFairy]

One of my favourite things about the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker is the Angels costumes, they are so, so pretty and it's a shame the Royal Opera House does not produce dolls, tree decorations or tree toppers of them, I think they would sell very well!

[alison]

Good point, WGF - a missed opportunity there!

[Jacqueline]

One of my favourite things about the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker is the Angels costumes, they are so, so pretty and it's a shame the Royal Opera House does not produce dolls, tree decorations or tree toppers of them, I think they would sell very well!

I agree and remember a few years ago, the shop had some pretty little embroidered swan decorations, which sold out quickly. It sounds like good marketing to have performance related items in the gift shop at any time of the year and particularly around now. Much better than some of the ghastly, over priced tat they keep putting out that seems to bear no relation to anything, other than having the ROH emblem.

I would even buy an umbrella if they produced a replica of the one in La Fille.

[Anna C]

I agree and remember a few years ago, the shop had some pretty little embroidered swan decorations, which sold out quickly. It sounds like good marketing to have performance related items in the gift shop at any time of the year and particularly around now. Much better than some of the ghastly, over priced tat they keep putting out that seems to bear no relation to anything, other than having the ROH emblem.

I would even buy an umbrella if they produced a replica of the one in La Fille.

Ditto. And dd would have continued to buy a poster each time she saw a production for the first time, but they've stopped doing those too.

[alison]

 

I would even buy an umbrella if they produced a replica of the one in La Fille.

 

 

Can't you get them from the umbrella shop (Smiths?) on New Oxford Street?

[Jacqueline]

Can't you get them from the umbrella shop (Smiths?) on New Oxford Street?

Thanks for the tip, just had a look at their website but no luck. I even clicked on their exotic option, but there was nothing like that. Nothing exotic at all in fact!

[Melody]

Sounds as though they should be asking audience members what sorts of things they'd like to buy at the shop, if the stuff on offer is that different from what people want.

 

When we went to the Nutcracker here a couple of years ago, there were all sorts of fun Christmas decorations and small nutcrackers on offer, and they were doing a very brisk job of selling things in the interval as well as before the performance. Our nutcracker display still has a couple of items from there, as well as a Clara on the nutcracker tree.

[alison]

Only a couple, Melody?    (BTW, are we to expect another production like last year's? )

[Melody]

Erm, yes, only a couple.   The thing about nutcrackers is that I don't remember which ones we already have, I just knew that two of them weren't already in our display (they were standing on little boxes containing a chocolate truffle) so I got them. In the Washington Ballet Nutcracker, the nutcracker is a George Washington one, and I'd have loved to get one like that but they didn't have any. I assume the items for sale weren't all custom-made items and George Washington nutcrackers aren't that much of a thing in Christmas shops.

 

Production being worked on as we speak...

Edited December 2, 2016 by Melody

[Nina G.]

I am rather surprised not to have seen a review (or did I miss something??) by a Ballet critic on Miss Hayward's debut as the Sugar Plum, it has been so uncharacteristically quite.

Normally we get a few reviews, at least one by Mark Monahan, who attended the School's Matinee of "Fille" when Miss Hayward danced Lise. I guess I'll have to wait until 24th to see it for myself.

[alison]

Louise Levene was certainly there. I don't know about the other critics: what I think of as the "critics' seats" on one side of the orchestra stalls were largely empty at the start of the performance. 

 

It may be that some critics will lump several performances/debuts together, of course.

[Sim]

Same here, NinaG!

[capybara]

It has been the case before, hasn't it, that most critics review the first night (as they did this time) and then re-visit for a sort of round-up on debuts. I should imagine that some of them at least share our interest in Naghdi/Ball and Clarke as well as Hayward?

[Lily_883]

Apologies if I'm sharing old news, but Louise Levene's review of Miss Hayward's debut was in the FT last week. Very much looking forward to the BBC documentary!

[JohnS]

Thank you Lily - lovely to read Louise Levene's review and bring back memories of last Tuesday. Looking forward immensely to Christmas Day 4pm and what I'm sure will be a delightful programme.

[Sim]

Me too...will have to make sure we have finished eating by 4.00!

[Bruce Wall]

Always refreshing to reflect on the history of THE NUTCRACKER ...

 

http://tendusunderapalmtree.com/doug-fullington-examining-history-behind-nutcracker/

Edited December 6, 2016 by Bruce Wall

[capybara]

Pleased to be able to report a better showing from the 4 Rose Fairy cavaliers last night: Ball; Hay; Mock; Zucchetti.

 

As others have said: Naghdi absolutely lovely as the Rose Fairy. Nunez and Muntagirov glorious as ever in the pdd.

[Estreiiita]

I happened to be last Saturday at "The Nutcracker" of the Paul Hamlyn Christmas treat - lucky for me, I managed to get the spare ticket at the entrance.

What a lovely performance it had been! It was the first time I saw sir Peter Wright's choreography and I liked it enormously. I saw it as having major reference to Christian traditions and values then the other "The Nutcracker" performances.

Meaghan Grace Hinkis was a lovely Clara and Valentino Zucchetti - a perfect Hans-Peter/Nutcracker. I also liked a lot Marcelino Sambe as Drosselmeyer's assistant - great jumps!

Everybody danced beautifully, especially Yuhui Choe as Rose fairy. The Sugar Plum fairy (Marianela Núñez), however, hadn't been at her top - or, what's more likely, was a bit unlucky: the Pdd was danced gloriously, but there was an unsteady moment at the beginning of the Sugar Plum fairy's appearance and then something happened with her petticoat - at least Vadim Muntagirov spent a couple of awkward moments doing something under her costume. He was, as expected, a brilliant partner!

In the whole, one of the best performances of the year!

[Estreiiita]

Sorry, it was last Sunday, of course, not Saturday.

[thewinelake]

No talk here about the cinema relay last night?

Must say that I was extremely taken by Francesca Hayward. Something about the way she exuded childlike joy melted my Scrooge-like heart. Especially the bit at the end when she realises that it was more than a dream.

[nycitybird]

Me too! Her face is so expressive. That last bit made me shed a tear and if she can do that in the nutcracker she would probably ruin me in a dramatic role.

[thewinelake]

Ok, one question that my daughter asked that stumped me - when did the gingerbreads appear?

[FLOSS]

I do hope that your daughter was not too upset by the lack of gingerbread.The answer is that while Mother Ginger and her brood appear in Balanchine's version of the Nutcracker they don't appear in Peter Wright's production for the Royal Ballet. If Balanchine's version is true to the original then Mother Ginger is no great loss as there is very little of interest in the stage action which she and her brood are given. What you do get in Sir Peter's version for the RB is the music played in the right order; the grand pas de deux performed at the point in the ballet which Petipa intended, Balanchine moves it; the SPF's cavalier retains his choreography rather than having it cut, as Balanchine does,  and unlike Balanchine's version there are no interpolations of music from other Tchaikovsky ballet scores.

[Fonty]

 What you do get in Sir Peter's version for the RB is the music played in the right order; the grand pas de deux performed at the point in the ballet which Petipa intended, Balanchine moves it; 

 

 

Good heavens.  Sacrilege!  That wonderful music is the highlight of the evening, and the whole point of going to see the Nutcracker (for me, anyway),  I find it deeply moving.  

 

I've never seen Balanchine's Nutcracker.  Where did he move it to, and why did he do it?

[Jan McNulty]

ENB have had at least one version in the past with a Mother Ginger.  I don't think it is a loss that it is in neither of the current SPW versions.

 

I really don't like SPW's production for the RB but his production for BRB is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!

 

(PS - Balanchine uses the Nocturne from MND for the comedy section between Titania and Bottom in his production of MND!)

[alison]

There was certainly a Mother Ginger section in the Hampson/Scarfe ENB Nutcracker.  I've yet to see any production which makes particularly convincing use of the music.

[taxi4ballet]

Did anyone else see the live relay and get a bit frustrated by the camera work in the first half? Whether or not it was our cinema screen being the wrong size or not I don't know, but you couldn't see the dancers' feet properly - they were cut off at the ankle for much of it.

 

I'd rather see the front of the stage than an acre of upper scenery (as long as they don't lose the top of the tree!)...

Edited December 9, 2016 by taxi4ballet

[bridiem]

I went to the cinema relay. Absolutely dazzling. Fantastic performances and complete commitment from all. Gary Avis the most tremendous Drosselmeyer - evoking the power of the act of divine creation in his command for the tree to grow and grow and grow, thereby creating and releasing the love that ultimately frees his nephew. And delighted to see Sir PW come on at the end. A great evening.

[Colman]

@taxi4ballet, I thought the camera crew were working specially to elicit a torrent of obscene tweets from me: "SHOW ME THEIR FEET, NOT THEIR **** NOSTRIL HAIR".  "DON'T CUT OUT HALF OF A PAIR OF DANCERS AND COMPLETELY RUIN THE POINT OF THE DANCE".

 

But I resisted: obviously we need lots of cutting around or we'll get bored.