The Royal Ballet: Sylvia, London, November 2017

[Wulff]

17 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Today was the first time I've seen Sylvia and I loved everything about it, especially that it makes no claim to be anything other than a beautiful thing to look at.

 

Fonteyn was before my time, and I've never seen footage of her Sylvia, but I wonder if those who saw her could tell me if I'm being fanciful: I had the curious sensation watching Osipova today that I was seeing a sort of "tracing" of Fonteyn (not really the right word as it implies that Osipova was not full of her customary dynamism, which she certainly was). I've never had that feeling before - do I make any sense? And if I do is it particular to this role?

 

Apart from that: Muntagirov was just as fabulous as everyone said (I too would love to see him partner Osipova more) and of the rest of the cast Anna Rose O'Sullivan's goat really stood out.

 

I think that those of us who saw Fonteyn in roles originally created for her will inevitably see "echos" of her when those roles are performed by other dancers., so I don't think that such an experience is peculiar to Sylvia although this was a role created specifically to show off Fonteyn's talents. The big difference between Fonteyn's performance and those of the current run of Sylvias is that today's dancers have a more athletic attack and bigger jump than Fonteyn.

[Timmie]

It was so good to see Osipova partnered with Muntagirov at last and they did go well together, both ‘in-hold’ and when apart. When dancing the solos their jumps seemed to echo the other’s. The individual highlight for me was Osipova’s pizzicato section, her dancing just played with the music, so lovely to watch! As said above Anna Rose O'Sullivan's goat was excellent and I loved Mayara Magri’s Persephone. And the Tutu clad girls were fabulous. How many of them should there be? Were there really only four yesterday versus eight two weeks ago?

Act 2 didn’t do much for me the first time around but from a very different angle yesterday’s was much more enjoyable.

Definitely a wonderful ballet and as said should be brought back more frequently and recorded next time!

[Jam Dancer]

I could only attend one performance of Sylvia his run unfortunately. I really enjoyed yesterday’s performance and I thought it was well danced. I would’ve loved to have been able to see Cuthbertson and Nunez as well... (sigh)

I couldn’t believe it had been 7 years since I saw it last. I went home and took out my previous cast sheets (2008 and 2010) and I think I’m missing one or two. I know I attended a performance where Laura Morera dances the role of Diana but I couldn’t find that sheet.  Poor record keeping on my part or am I imagining things?  Did anyone else catch this “imagined” performance. 

I took it all in yesterday and it was wonderful. Good to see Fuki Kaneko back dancing and it was my first time seeing William Bracewell. I really noticed Annette Buvoli yesterday day and gosh Reece has changed since I saw him last in Symphonic Variations and Symphonic Dances(??)... lots of chiseling has occurred.

Anna Rose O’Sullivan mad WMU hear skip a beat as usual and it was a pleasure just to watch Joseph Sissens even in the little bit he did. I can’t add any more superlatives about Vadim Muntagirov...

There’ll be lots of trawling this forum from Tokyo for the next 3 years.

Now for my Nutcracker fix ...

[Mummykool]

10 minutes ago, Jam Dancer said:

it was a pleasure just to watch Joseph Sissens even in the little bit he did. 

 

Yes he definitely got the prize for beautiful bearing and arched feet, but what a shame he wasn't given more to do. I would have loved to see him dance Eros

[Guest]

On 12/16/2017 at 21:09, jmhopton said:

it would be brilliant to have a Christmas Ashton double bill, perhaps with Pigeons and Patineurs.

 

 

YES, STRONGLY AGREE! But the other way around...Patineurs/Pigeons.

 

Hoping that in 2019 (next season and the one after) there will be a chance to celebrate Fonteyn's centenary year with a pertinent choice of repertoire.

[Mary]

On 16/12/2017 at 21:09, jmhopton said:

Reece Clark was a revelation in the second cast I saw. Difficult to believe he is only a soloist; surely promotion due next summer. He reminded me slightly of Jonathan Cope.

Me too- more than slightly- a very welcome thing!

[JohnS]

I’m sorry this is such a late post but I’ve been meaning to add a brief comment on the final Sylvia in this series of performances.  It was an opportunity for me to see the Natalia Osipova cast with Vadim Muntagirov, as Federico Bonelli was injured, having seen the other two casts.  I'd not seen Sylvia in the theatre until this run and it has certainly grown on me.  I found Natalia brought a real sense of developing the character over the three Acts, as well as wonderful dancing.  I love her attack and ability to be in position that mili-second before the beat and then hold it.  As everyone has said, Vadim was stupendous (as was his Nutcracker Prince the previous afternoon).  And Anna Rose O’Sullivan and David Yudes were brilliant goats.  I agree with others in hoping that Sylvia will regularly return to the Royal Ballet.

 

[jmhopton]

Have just watched the Sylvia dvd as I can't see any more live performances, alas. It was interesting to see Sarah lamb and Lauren Cuthbertson as 2 of Sylvia's attendants and Thiago still playing the villain! However, the performance as a whole didn't 'grab' me like the live performances. I know you can't really make comparisons and seeing it on a small screen, not even the cinema screen will inevitably reduce the scale and impact of the ballet but it is the sheer quality of performances by everyone that made this seasons run so memorable and exciting whereas I didn't find the dvd very exciting at all.

 

However, my memory is not very good, but I'm sure there were at least a couple of differences between the 2 productions, possibly more if my memory was better. The most noticeable one was in the choreography in what I call the 'Wilson, Kepple (without Betty)' sand dance in the second act. In the dvd they did separate cartwheels but in the 2017 production I'm sure they did more complicated moves, almost pulling each other over into cartwheels where they are joined together. Also when Sylvia changes her dress in the 2nd act on the dvd she changes into a gold dress whereas this year she had a rather splendid peacock blue dress. if there was a change in the choreography who is authorised to change it? Similarly, who decides on the costume change?

 

I see the dvd I have was a recording from Christmas tv, possibly 2005. if only we had a similar treat to look forward to this year!!! here's hoping for next year (Mr O'Hare, please take note!)

[Mummykool]

16 hours ago, jmhopton said:

Have just watched the Sylvia dvd as I can't see any more live performances, alas. It was interesting to see Sarah lamb and Lauren Cuthbertson as 2 of Sylvia's attendants and Thiago still playing the villain! However, the performance as a whole didn't 'grab' me like the live performances. I know you can't really make comparisons and seeing it on a small screen, not even the cinema screen will inevitably reduce the scale and impact of the ballet but it is the sheer quality of performances by everyone that made this seasons run so memorable and exciting whereas I didn't find the dvd very exciting at all.

 

However, my memory is not very good, but I'm sure there were at least a couple of differences between the 2 productions, possibly more if my memory was better. The most noticeable one was in the choreography in what I call the 'Wilson, Kepple (without Betty)' sand dance in the second act. In the dvd they did separate cartwheels but in the 2017 production I'm sure they did more complicated moves, almost pulling each other over into cartwheels where they are joined together. Also when Sylvia changes her dress in the 2nd act on the dvd she changes into a gold dress whereas this year she had a rather splendid peacock blue dress. if there was a change in the choreography who is authorised to change it? Similarly, who decides on the costume change?

 

I see the dvd I have was a recording from Christmas tv, possibly 2005. if only we had a similar treat to look forward to this year!!! here's hoping for next year (Mr O'Hare, please take note!)

 

We also watched the Bussell DVD recently and were quite underwhelmed with it, especially in comparison to the quality of performances seen in this run. Having initially wondered why on earth I got tickets for four performances this time, I am now sorry I didn't get more and am extremely sad to see it end.

 

You are quite right about the slave dance being different. This time the cartwheels were done holding each other around the waist and was much more exciting. They got better at it as the run progressed too!

 

One can only hope, with all the positive comments over this run, that we don't have to wait so long to see it again. This is a ballet that needs to be shared with a wider audience via a live screening/DVD rather than wrapping it in mothballs for another nine years. Caesar Corales for Orion next time? It's a thought......

 

[grey]

I hope this post is not too late, but I have a question about the 2005 DVD.

 

Could anyone tell me the name of the dancer in the role of Persephone? She dances with Gartside as Pluto in Act III.

She's also one of the woodland creatures in the opening scene and the camera lingers on her quite a bit, as if she were a rising star. Is she still with the company?

 

(Incidentally, it was interesting to see Cuthbertson, Lamb, McRae and Liam Scarlett in supporting parts. And I thought Martin Harvey was perfect as Eros - handsome, haughty and mischievous at the same time).

[alison]

Total guesswork, as I don't have access to my copy, but: Caroline Duprot?  In which case, no, she isn't.

[grey]

Thank you!

[Shade]

I keep hearing the huntresses theme on classic fm and it reminds me of this wonderful ballet. So dramatic.

[assoluta]

Natalia Osipova on "Sylvia":

 

"I thought that the choreographer wanted to just kill the ballerina" and "I don't believe that Margot Fonteyn, for whom Ashton produced the ballet, could do such things. But the recordings haven't survived, you can't verify that."

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kommersant.ru%2Fdoc%2F3534359

[Lizbie1]

Thank you for the link Assoluta - most interesting that she's planning to dance Tudor's Lilac Garden.

[MAB]

10 hours ago, assoluta said:

Natalia Osipova on "Sylvia":

 

"I thought that the choreographer wanted to just kill the ballerina" and "I don't believe that Margot Fonteyn, for whom Ashton produced the ballet, could do such things. But the recordings haven't survived, you can't verify that."

 

 

Of course Fonteyn could do it, I never saw her dance the full length work, but she danced part of it in her gala repertoire when she was well over fifty.  Do we need a recording to verify that Legnani could dance 32 fouettes?

[Sim]

One assumes that since Ashton made the ballet on Fonteyn that she could really do the steps!  A bit patronising of Osipova methinks!

[bangorballetboy]

9 minutes ago, Sim said:

One assumes that since Ashton made the ballet on Fonteyn that she could really do the steps!  A bit patronising of Osipova methinks!

 

Im afraid arrogance was the word that sprang to my mind! Hoping it's the translation to blame...

[MAB]

23 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

Hoping it's the translation to blame...

 

You're very charitable.

[capybara]

I felt that Osipova was struggling with the role of Sylvia. What she says reinforces the point about how difficult much of Ashton's choreography is. And, of course, it wouldn't (couldn't) be that way if the dancers on whom he made his ballets hadn't be able to perform them.

[Mummykool]

I would imagine her sense of humour has got lost somewhat in the translation. I have been interviewed/reviewed in my own field many times and unfortunately it seems the norm to be either misquoted or misinterpreted.....and that is without transposing a single word into another language.

[HappyTurk]

Natalia has spoken of her admiration for Fonteyn in a few interviews before, so I highly doubt she was trying to criticize her as a dancer. It seems to me she was actually criticizing whoever was responsible for re-staging this ballet, believing it not to be authentic/true to Ashton's original choreography and what he intended for Fonteyn (I have seen a few people question the validity of it as well). 

[joe blitz]

would be great if there were a new dvd of Sylvia.  especially after all the rave reviews and comments.

[FLOSS]

 

 

I think that if Dowell had not decided to stage a new Swan Lake which returned to a more authentic choreographic text than the company had danced from 1963 onwards which required a great deal of Ashton's choreography to be dropped we might have had a full scale Ashton revival with more of his works including Sylvia retuned to the stage under his supervision in the years leading up to his death.As it turned out we only got the restored Ondine and the " great falling out" which meant the Neapolitan Dance disappeared from the company's Swan Lake and was not restored to the text until after Ashton's death. The question of how authentically Ashtonian the company's Sylvia is, only seems to have emerged fairly recently one French website referring to the most recent revival went so far as to describe it as an inauthentic pastiche. I think part of the problem is that Ashton is probably the most difficult choreographer to pin down. if you only know him say from The Dream, Fille and Rhapsody and perhaps Two Pigeons you are going to have a very different picture of him than you might if you knew him primarily from Cinderella, Symphonic Variations and Scenes de Ballet. The point is that these latter works were all created with a central role for Fonteyn whereas the former works were created on a totally different generation of dancers. Who Ashton the choreographer is and what is authentically Ashtonian depends on your knowledge of the range and extent of his choreographic output.  The fact is that Ashton is incredibly difficult to pin down and place in a simple marketable category.The only obvious generalisation you can make about him is that he is a choreographer who makes ballets about dancing in many forms and styles but whether you are watching Capriol Suite, his earliest surviving work,or Rhapsody his last major work you are watching choreography created by a man who respects and loves the classical dance vocabulary and classicism.

 

In the pre-war period he was generally producing entertaining works which pushed the company to develop technically and as artists, frequently commented on the dancers and works that they had recently performed. The dementedly forlorn Julia in Wedding Bouquet is said to be a reference to Fonteyn's Giselle. In the immediate post war period he was reacting to the expressionist works created by Helpmann which had come to take centre place in the company's repertory during his absence serving in the RAF and he was a  polemicist for classical choreography both on the stage and in print. In the 1950's he seems to have set himself challenges which ranged from responding to a younger choreographer who created a ballet which seemed to him to be far too reliant on lifts for its effect by creating one in which there were scarcely any to restoring major ballet scores to the stage. Sylvia is one of the latter.

 

As far as the authenticity of the text of Sylvia is concerned it  is not as if there are no records of the ballet on film at least. I think that there is a film in the Esme Wood collection of Gable and Wells rehearsing the full length version and I have seen a colour film of Doreen Wells and Donald McLeary dancing a very impressive account of the final pas de deux. In addition there were the memories of dancers who had  appeared in one or other version of the ballet. In 1952 Fonteyn was at the height of her powers and I have no difficulty in believing that she danced the choreography as set. I have heard older balletgoers discuss in some detail what Fonteyn did and did not do in each act. Apparently originally in act 2 she plied Orion with grape juice which she squeezed into a goblet which was miraculously transformed into wine by the time he drank it. Perhaps the most difficult aspects when discussing the authenticity of the text are the jumps as Fonteyn famously  did not have much of a jump. Here I think that I would rely on her appearances in the Firebird where she clearly persuaded those who saw her in performance that she had enough of a jump to be convincing in the role. Let us remember that Sylvia was restored to the stage as part of the Ashton centenary celebrations. At that time there were any number of dancers who had appeared in the ballet in both its full length and one act version; there were critics who had seen it in its various forms and there were innumerable ballet goers who had seen pretty much every cast who had appeared in both versions of the ballet. I don't recall anyone at the time calling the authenticity of the text into question. Older ballet goers who have spoken to me about Sylvia have not questioned the text danced although they have mentioned missing bits of business such as the one mentioned above what they have questioned is the casting and the quality of some of the performances. Generally speaking Bussell was not thought up to it because there was no character while Osipova was given high marks for her first two acts. One or two thought that in act two she was the best they had seen since Fonteyn herself but they thought that she lacked the natural ballerina command and Fonteyn's musical playfulness in act three. As far as I am concerned I cannot understand why the company has not , so far,managed to find a couple of men who could do full justice to the roles of the slaves. The fact that the roles were created on Shaw and Grant should have  indicated to someone that they are roles in which the characterisation is far more important than technical correctness and that they need to be far more quirky and far less "classical" in performance.

 

In discussions about Fonteyn, the ballets created for her and other ballets created at the time, everyone begins from the position that technique has "improved" since the work was created which leads them immediately to the conclusion that the dancers who created the roles had a weaker technique than dancers working today possess. This  seems to lead them to the conclusion, if a dancer finds a ballet difficult to dance, or their favourite dancers struggle with the choreography, that either the work was so carefully crafted to accommodate the weaknesses and strengths of the original cast that it is impossible for anyone else to perform the choreography or that it is, in some way, inauthentic.  No one ever seems to ask whether the much vaunted technical "improvements" are simply the result of concentrating on aspects of technique which were not emphasised previously and ignoring aspects of technique which were once accepted as central to everyone's training. The most obvious example of the shift in emphasis is that fifty or more years ago pretty much everyone accepted that all movement originated from the central core of the body and that the movement of arms and legs began and ended there which meant that arabesques were lower and the overall aesthetic emphasis was on symmetry and balance rather than asymmetry and extremes. In the discussion which is essentially " classicism for or against ?" everyone has managed to forget that Fonteyn was at various times taught by what today appears to be a who's who of teachers working in the West and that for a time Vera Volkova, one of the greatest of the twentieth century teachers, had worked with the company as well as giving lessons at her own London studio. 

 

Somehow everyone has become so impressed by the idea that technique has " improved" that it has blinded us with the result that we tend to look at the great dancers of earlier generations as if they must be technically deficient  in some way. We discuss them in terms of what they can not do rather than what they can do. In addition we tend to forget that ballet is a theatrical art form and that every choreographer who is any good will take the basic building blocks of the classroom steps and modify them for use in  the performance of their ballets. In other words it is unreasonable to expect to see perfect classroom renditions of steps in performance because in most cases that is not how the choreographer intended them to be seen.  Today there seems to be an emphasis on displaying every step rather than showing the steps in the context of a phrase and giving them the emphasis which the choreographer wanted. All of this I think gets in the way of how we see and appreciate a work like Ashton's Sylvia and how we judge the authenticity of its text.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by FLOSS

[joe blitz]

Thanks for your interesting comments about Sylvia.

[_emeralds]

3 hours ago, FLOSS said:

No one ever seems to ask whether the much vaunted technical "improvements" are simply the result of concentrating on aspects of technique which were not emphasised previously and ignoring aspects of technique which were once accepted as central to everyone's training. The most obvious example of the shift in emphasis is that fifty or more years ago pretty much everyone accepted that all movement originated from the central core of the body and that the movement of arms and legs began and ended there which meant that arabesques were lower and the overall aesthetic emphasis was on symmetry and balance rather than asymmetry and extremes......

.........

Somehow everyone has become so impressed by the idea that technique has " improved" that it has blinded us with the result that we tend to look at the great dancers of earlier generations as if they must be technically deficient  in some way. We discuss them in terms of what they can not do rather than what they can do. In addition we tend to forget that ballet is a theatrical art form and that every choreographer who is any good will take the basic building blocks of the classroom steps and modify them for use in  the performance of their ballets. In other words it is unreasonable to expect to see perfect classroom renditions of steps in performance because in most cases that is not how the choreographer intended them to be seen.  Today there seems to be an emphasis on displaying every step rather than showing the steps in the context of a phrase and giving them the emphasis which the choreographer wanted.

 

 

 

Couldn't agree more with this!

 

This has pretty much summed up what 'bothers' me about so many of today's dancers.