Ballets which have fallen by the wayside

[aileen]

Janet, on trawling the internet I noticed that Bejart's Songs of a Wayfarer was recently performed by National Ballet of Canada with Zdenek Konvalina, who is a recently appointed principal at ENB but is still a guest dancer with his former company, in one of the lead roles (are there just two roles in the ballet?). The ballet was staged and coached by Maina Gielgud who apparently danced with Bejart's company before she came to LFB. I wonder if Tamara might be persuaded to stage it for ENB.

[tim b]

Aileen, the other man in Wayfarer was Guillaume Cote who has also guested regularly with ENB and - as Maina stages it - I think that would be a smashing idea

[Jan McNulty]

That sounds good to me!

[alison]

It's in ENB's dormant repertory, anyway: last performed in the 80s, I believe, although I never saw it.

[aileen]

Tim, I didn't know that Guillaume Cote had guested regularly with ENB. I have seen him dance with Tamara in Cinderella at the ROH. Who's going to speak to Tamara?! What a small world the ballet world is!

[MAB]

Would like ENB to revive, Piège de Lumière, Swan Song, Witch Boy and Onegin,

[alison]

I don't know the first one of those, but certainly agree with Swansong, since Rambert now seem to have dropped it as well. Wonder how Witch Boy would hold up now? (I last saw Matz Skoog in it with London City Ballet). And as for Onegin, the last time they tried bringing it back, in around 1999/200, I'd guess, something went wrong, and they didn't. And then the Royal got hold of it. Is there room for two UK companies to do it, or would it end up like Manon did?

[aileen]

MAB, with the exception of Onegin, who choreographed these ballets? Have any of the UK companies done any Bejart recently? Maina Gielgud is obviously familiar with his work having danced with his company.

 

Apart from Apollo and Ballo della Regina (both of which I have seen these year) what Balanchine ballets are in the repertoire of the UK companies?

[aileen]

One could go on for ever, but has anyone ever seen any of the Ana Ricarda ballets? Perhaps Tamara could be persuaded to stage a Spanish themed programme.

[MAB]

MAB, with the exception of Onegin, who choreographed these ballets? Have any of the UK companies done any Bejart recently? Maina Gielgud is obviously familiar with his work having danced with his company.

 

Apart from Apollo and Ballo della Regina (both of which I have seen these year) what Balanchine ballets are in the repertoire of the UK companies?

 

John Taras, Christopher Bruce and (I think) Alan Carter.

[Ann Williams]

'....Apart from Apollo and Ballo della Regina (both of which I have seen these year) what Balanchine ballets are in the repertoire of the UK companies?,...'

 

Aileen - off the top of my head (and all from RB) are: Serenade, Jewels, Agon, Prodigal Son, Symphony in C, and there are others (The Four Temperaments?) which I can't now recall without digging out my old programme, but. other forumers will will surely post these.

[bangorballetboy]

and there are others (The Four Temperaments?) which I can't now recall without digging out my old programme, but. other forumers will will surely post these.

 

Yes, RB have The Four Temperaments in their rep but I think that completes the Balanchine rep there.

[Bluebird]

Yes, RB have The Four Temperaments in their rep but I think that completes the Balanchine rep there.

 

.........there are a few more that I, personally, have seen them do in the last 10 years.

 

 

Ballet Imperial

Theme and Variations

Duo concertant

Tzigane

Stravinsky violin concerto

Tchaikovsky pas de deux

 

I've a feeling there are more. I'll have a look in the performance database.....

[bangorballetboy]

.........there are a few more that I, personally, have seen them do in the last 10 years.

 

 

Ballet Imperial

Theme and Variations

Duo concertant

Tzigane

Stravinsky violin concerto

Tchaikovsky pas de deux

 

I've a feeling there are more. I'll have a look in the performance database.....

 

Doh!

[Bluebird]

OK. I've found some more:

 

Symphony in 3 movements only performed in 2001

 

Stars and stripes excerpt done in a gala in 2007- only one performance though (Alina Cojocaru and Steven McRae) so probably doesn't count as being in the rep.

 

Liebeslieder Walzer – 5 performances in 1979

 

+ a ballet I’ve never heard of: "Bugaku" only performed once in 1988 so I don’t know if that can count as being in the rep!

 

Edit: Just realised that the question wasn't just about the Royal. Apart from a number of the ballets already mentioned, Concerto Barocco and Mozartiana are in the BRB rep. and Who Cares? is in the ENB rep.

 

I'm sure people more knowledgeable than I about these two (and other UK) companies can add more.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Bluebird

[Bruce Wall]

I put my dibs in for Liebeslieder Walzer .... SUCH A STUNNING BALLET. . When asked about it not too long ago Dame Monica apparently simply rolled her eyes skyward .... Perhaps now with a new administration there will be a different wisp of imagination about .... Course can't please all of the people all of the time ... Who knows ... Perhaps the Liebeslieder's time has come ... Fingers et al crossed from this end

[Bruce Wall]

Oh, and if Vasiliev and Osipova were ever to guest together .... the last movement of Stars and Stripes would be wunderbar ... Wouid so love to see Nunez in the opening movement ... Somehow I think she would give great 'baton'!!!

[aileen]

Of course, Jewels (the RB did it last year and I saw it!) and Serenade, which BRB did only two or three years ago and which I also saw and loved.

[Wulff]

Bugaku - Balanchine's sensual Japanese ballet - certainly received more than one performance by the RB, as I well recall. Liebeslieder Walzer, although very well performed by both dancers and singers, did not go down at all well with ROH audiences who gave it a decidedly lukewarm reception. Maybe all that singing put them off. Whatever the reason, it did not appeal to the taste of audiences at that time.

[Jan McNulty]

BRB have performed a number of Balanchine productions over the years I have been watching them. Some I have enjoyed more than others! The following spring to mind: Concerto Barocco, Apollo, Symphony in 3 Movements, Serenade, Duo Concertant, Agon, 4 Temperaments and Western Symphony. If I never saw Orpheus and Mozartiana again it would be too soon!

 

ENB also used to perform Symphony in C and Apollo.

 

ENB also had some superb Christopher Bruce creations: Land, The World Again, Swansong, a fantastic production of Symphony in 3 Movements (which I saw before I ever saw Balanchine's) and they also revived magnificently Cruel Garden.

[Bluebird]

Bugaku - Balanchine's sensual Japanese ballet - certainly received more than one performance by the RB, as I well recall.

 

The ROH Collections database is clearly inaccurate then.....

 

http://www.rohcollec...tion=6508&row=0

 

....as it only records one performance. I suppose that they must rely on the programmes they have in their collection and there are presumably some programmes missing.

 

edited to add link

Edited July 24, 2012 by Bluebird

[Beryl H]

I'd like to see Bugaku danced again, I've seen it at the ROH but think it was during a visit by NYCB, another Balanchine I'd like to see is La Sonnambula, LFB used to dance this, it's a costume, story ballet so would be popular.

 

 

[Jane S]

BRB in its various earlier incarnations also danced Allegro Brillante and, of course, the one Balanchine made specially for them - Trumpet Concerto.

[Bruce Wall]

Knowing how much the RB thrive with children's ballets ... why not have them stage the delightful Harlequinade by Balanchine... Such a fantastic piece - It is a two act story ballet ... with so much glorious dancing for young people ... something that could go a long way to giving young students at the RBS (be they British born or otherwise) much and very valued experience ... Oh, and nowhere does a dancer have to wear an animal masque - so refreshing - and thereby protecting them against that element of injury. Just a suggestion.

[Ann Williams]

I agree with Beryl in wanting to see Balanchine's 'La Sonnambula' (I've got it on video somewhere danced by Baryshnikov and Alessandra Ferri in an ABT production). It's a strange, haunting work, most untypical of Balanchine and I'm impatient to see it again.

[mijosh]

Certainly Bugaku should be revived by the RB; a wonderful ballet last performed here by the San Francisco ballet in their ill-advised ROH season.A great role for Akane Takada.I still cherish the memory of NYCB performances of it here in the '60s with Mimi Paul and Arthur Mitchell and with Patricia McBride and Edward Villella.

 

And of course the gorgeous Liebeslieder Walzer,but I've pleaded so often for that one and I fear I'm just banging my head against the wall.

 

The one great work of Mr B's which has never been danced here, and yet would seem suit the RB perfectly, is Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet. And then there's Vienna Walzes,but no-one has ever been able to overcome the intransigence of the Richard Strauss trust to permit it's performance outside of the USA.

[Ann Williams]

I'm curious, Meunier - why Takada in particular for 'Bugaku'? I ask, because it's the only one of Mr. B's works that I hated. To be more accurate, it's the only one I feel conflicted about; the choreography is uniquely inventive and sometimes rather beautiful, but on the other hand I personally find the subject matter offensively sexist - I'm surprised others don't.

 

Akane, of course - or any other dancer - might feel different if offered the role!

[Wulff]

I am sure that Bugaku received more than one performance by the RB as I distinctly remember seeing Bryony Brind in the leading female role on more than one occasion. The ballet formed part of a triple bill, but how many performances it received in total and whether it lasted for more than one season I don't recall. Bugaku has remained in the repertoire of several US companies, most recent performances being given by the Miami City Ballet. A clip of part of their performance can be found on Youtube.

[Bruce Wall]

Anne said: I'm curious, Meunier - why Takada in particular for 'Bugaku'?

 

Dear Anne, I didn't mention Bugaku as far as I can recall.

 

Sorry about that .... For me Bugaku was always about some rather eccentric performances by Heather Watts .... and a divine one (one of the few I ever saw her give) by Allegra Kent. It would not be in my very top list of Balanchine ballets for the Royal Ballet, however. What about La Source?

[Jane S]

The RB did 9 performances of Bugaku in the 1987/8 season but I don't remember it coming back later - if it did, I didn't see it.

 

Jennifer Penney and Fiona Chadwick were both scheduled to dance it but I don't know if either of them actually did - on the other hand Gail Taphouse did at least one performance, replacing Chadwick I think, and I remember her as being much better suited to the role than Brind.

[Ann Williams]

'...>Dear Anne, I didn't mention Bugaku as far as I can recall,...'

 

Apologies, Meunier - my comments should have been addressed to Mijosh!.

 

And thank you, Jane S, for the informaton about previous RB castings for Bugaku - I'm surprised the work got so many performances.

[DavidW]

Janet, on trawling the internet I noticed that Bejart's Songs of a Wayfarer was recently performed by National Ballet of Canada with Zdenek Konvalina, who is a recently appointed principal at ENB but is still a guest dancer with his former company, in one of the lead roles (are there just two roles in the ballet?). The ballet was staged and coached by Maina Gielgud who apparently danced with Bejart's company before she came to LFB. I wonder if Tamara might be persuaded to stage it for ENB.

 

I was lucky enough to catch Guillame Cote and Zdenek Konvalina perform Song of a Wayfarer at National Ballet of Canada last month (whilst passing through Toronto for a conference - perfect timing!). In a very strong (and varied) mixed bill it was sandwiched between Elite Syncopations and Chroma. For me, Song of a Wayfarer was the stand out performance of the night - if not my stand out performance of the season (out of performances from RB, ENB, ABT and NB of Canada).

 

It is a rather dark and intense male pas de deux which, for me, spoke of a man battling against his conscience, or perhaps his inner demon. A demanding piece for the dancers (neither leaving the stage for the duration) and set to some stunning music by Mahler the piece blew me away. I certainly hope it gets a chance to be performed here in the UK. Obviously with it now in Zdenek's repertoire it would certainly make sense for Tamara to place it on ENB - I wonder, however, if it is enough of a 'seller' to warrant inclusion in today's tough financial climate, especially if there is the added cost of Cote (who is superb) guesting. I hope she is allowed to take such a risk! I think Muntagirov would be great in the 'innocent' role also.

 

I feel it would be a safer bet at the Royal Ballet where they could absorb the financial burden of a lower turnout for less well-known triple bills (at least that is my uninformed impression!). I could perhaps see Bonelli and Watson in the more 'innocent' role alongside perhaps Acosta or Soares as the inner demon. Allowing for non-principal dancers to be given a chance I think Dawid Trzensimiech would be superb to inject youth into the piece.

 

Anyway - a fantastic piece that I think would well deserve a place in a UK company's repertoire!

 

(EDIT: Bits and pieces of bad grammar - oops!)

Edited July 26, 2012 by DavidW

[alison]

I've always understood that the second dancer is his Doppelgänger. Having had a quite read through in my "Balanchine's Festival of Ballet" book, I wonder whether its length may be part of the problem? Too short to make one third of a triple bill, but too powerful to be paired with anything else as filler?

 

Does anyone know why LFB/ENB haven't performed it since the 80s? (Apart from Nureyev being a hard act to follow)