The Royal Ballet: Swan Lake, anticipating the new production, Summer 2018

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Buflesse and welcome to the Forum!

[buflesse]

Thank you so much! <3

[Legseleven]

4 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

Given how wonderful she was as Sugar Plum Fairy, I find it difficult to understand why there should be any doubts about Hayward's suitability for 'tutu' roles.

I don’t disagree bridiem - I just remembered that Hayward hadn’t been cast in the traditional tutu lead roles before she became a principal and thought at the time that perhaps she hadn’t been considered the best choice for those roles. As you say, she has now danced the Sugar Plum Fairy and Aurora and obviously any doubts as to the tutu roles have been dispelled. 

 

I suspect that Hayward’s casting as Manon and Naghdi’s as Odette/Odile does indeed ‘balance out’ the roles for the most junior principals, as Sim suggested. We are certainly in for several treats this season!

[londoner]

Naghdi doesn't do The Winter's Tale either, does she? That would affect Hayward's comparative rehearsal load into March, even though it's a role she's done before.

[capybara]

 

Fear not, everyone: the wonderful Frankie will surely be dancing Odette the minute that Swan Lake comes back into the rep. It was probably impractical for the RB to rehearse more than 6 casts for the initial run. And the article in the ROH Magazine does mention that other dancers will have their opportunity in due course.

[Sophoife]

5 hours ago, londoner said:

Naghdi doesn't do The Winter's Tale either, does she? That would affect Hayward's comparative rehearsal load into March, even though it's a role she's done before.

I saw Naghdi do the Shepherdess in Brisbane twice in a day with two different partners. Okay only act 2 but still, definitely a reasonable-size role in Winter's Tale.

[Bruce]

10 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Many years ago, the more junior ballerinas only danced two of the main classics with any regularity. Nutcracker wasn’t much in the repertoire, but Sibley danced Odette / Odile and Aurora, Park danced Giselle and Aurora and Seymour danced Odette / Odile and Giselle. There were exceptions, usually on tour, but Sibley didn’t dance her first London Giselle until 1971 (I was there, my first ballet at the ROH) and Park didn’t dance Swan Lake until 1973. I seem to recall Cojocaru wasn’t immediately cast in Swan Lake either (but am willing to be corrected). I am sure that Swan Lake will be back next season and there will be further debuts (including, hopefully, Hayward: just as with Collier, I am sure she will find her own way in to the roles). It must have been difficult for KO’H to determine whether to cast Hayward or Naghdi (or to give fewer performances all round) but, apart from anything else, learning and rehearsal time will have been paramount for a new production in which much is being invested. 

 

For info Alina Cojocaru joined RB in Nov/Dec 1999 and in June 2002 debuted as Odette in Sydney. So that's around 2½ after joining as a member of the corps.

But there is always a bunhead who knows more, so await other bids for Alina's first Lac!

 

[Geoff]

On 12/28/2017 at 10:38, capybara said:

the Royal Opera House magazine has an article about the new production.

 

 

For those who aren't Friends, the ROH has now published a version of the article online:

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/how-choreographer-liam-scarlett-is-reimagining-swan-lake

Edited January 20, 2018 by alison
To shrink link

[Jamesrhblack]

9 hours ago, Bruce said:

 

For info Alina Cojocaru joined RB in Nov/Dec 1999 and in June 2002 debuted as Odette in Sydney. So that's around 2½ after joining as a member of the corps.

But there is always a bunhead who knows more, so await other bids for Alina's first Lac!

 

As I say, always willing to be corrected. My memory was at fault: maybe it was her first London performance that seemed slow in coming.

 

Sibley's first London Giselle was 1970 not 1971 so I got that wrong too.

[alison]

Uh-oh ...

 

" Macfarlane’s designs root Siegfried’s life in a small-state monarchy some time in the 1890s. "

 

Bang goes the medieval setting, then.

[alison]

On 1/19/2018 at 03:48, Legseleven said:

if I remember correctly Hayward hadn’t danced a lead ‘tutu’ role before she became a principal, which in itself is surprising

 

But scarcely unheard of: Mara Galeazzi, Sarah Wildor are two who spring to mind.  Come to think of it, presumably Laura Morera, as well.

[Lizbie1]

19 minutes ago, alison said:

 

But scarcely unheard of: Mara Galeazzi, Sarah Wildor are two who spring to mind.  Come to think of it, presumably Laura Morera, as well.

 

And I may be mistaken, but weren't there relatively slim pickings in terms of available tutu roles in the couple of seasons before her promotion?

[MAB]

58 minutes ago, alison said:

Uh-oh ...

 

" Macfarlane’s designs root Siegfried’s life in a small-state monarchy some time in the 1890s. "

 

Bang goes the medieval setting, then.

 

So exactly the same as the last production.

[Bluebird]

4 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

As I say, always willing to be corrected. My memory was at fault: maybe it was her first London performance that seemed slow in coming.

Alina Cojocaru's Odette/Odile London debut was just a few months after her Australian debut:

http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=5359&row=152

[assoluta]

On 12/28/2017 at 02:46, Sim said:

Thanks for taking the time to sum up the article, Capybara.  Hmmm some interesting concepts.  I hope that the ending stays the same, i.e. the two lovers throwing themselves in the lake.  I really dislike the happy ending version!

 

There are other possibilities than "happy ending". I am at a loss why the Royal Ballet, priding itself on preserving the (almost) authentic versions of the Imperial ballet classics decided to celebrate the Petipa Bicentenary year with this, I am sorry to say that, caricature of Petipa's most famous work. I would much more prefer if instead they used this opportunity to put on stage "Swan Lake" or "Sleeping Beauty" in all of its restored splendour.

[Balletfanp]

I think that people are being a little unfair. No one has seen it yet!

[Anna C]

On 20/01/2018 at 12:13, MAB said:

 

So exactly the same as the last production.

 

Yes, isn't that strange? The period was one of my biggest gripes with the last version.  It always seemed far more likely that a Prince and his entourage would be hunting swans with a crossbow in medieval times.  In late Victorian/early Edwardian times I'd have thought he'd be dressed in tweed, shooting deer or pheasants. 

[Lizbie1]

Possibly it's just me but I don't find it a massive leap from "late 19th century sanitised pseudo-medieval" to just "late 19th century".  More shocking IMO would be an attempt at "authentic medieval" (which would probably also risk looking rather Monty Python).

 

I do take the point that it may not afford that much of a contrast with the most recent production. I still think the best position is to wait and see, however!

[Anna C]

That's where I think the Mariinsky got it right with sets and costumes, Lizbie - if I recall, it's a (very beautiful) suggestion of a Medieval era, without being too specific.  

[Lizbie1]

59 minutes ago, Anna C said:

 

Yes, isn't that strange? The period was one of my biggest gripes with the last version.  It always seemed far more likely that a Prince and his entourage would be hunting swans with a crossbow in medieval times.  In late Victorian/early Edwardian times I'd have thought he'd be dressed in tweed, shooting deer or pheasants. 

 

I'm not sure I'd single that out as the least realistic aspect of a production of Swan Lake

[Anna C]

18 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I'm not sure I'd single that out as the least realistic aspect of a production of Swan Lake

 

Haha! Fair point. 

[Pas de Quatre]

But in the 19th Century all things Gothic were very popular, e.g Pre Raphaelites, much architecture in London, Wagner's operas etc. So I think the periods  marry well.

[Sophoife]

On 1/20/2018 at 11:14, alison said:

Uh-oh ...

 

" Macfarlane’s designs root Siegfried’s life in a small-state monarchy some time in the 1890s. "

 

Bang goes the medieval setting, then.

 

On 1/20/2018 at 12:13, MAB said:

 

So exactly the same as the last production.

 

4 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

But in the 19th Century all things Gothic were very popular, e.g Pre Raphaelites, much architecture in London, Wagner's operas etc. So I think the periods  marry well.

 

I think Stephen Baynes and Hugh Colman in 2011-12 were on the same page! 

 

"...to place the Prince within the context of his court surroundings – a hierarchal, aristocratic, nationalistic and military environment. Within this court the Prince struggles to fit in."

 

"Most importantly, Baynes wanted to emphasise the profound romanticism of Tchaikovsky’s score, not only within the choreography but also by setting it in the late 19th century as opposed to the medieval period in which it is frequently set."

 

Australian Ballet produced a glossy PDF with Baynes' inspirations, readable at the link provided. Quotes above from Australian Ballet's website btw. 

 

Photo of Rudy Hawkes, Lisa Bolte and Andrew Killian by Jeff Busby below shows act III. The red wigged violinist is Rothbart. Oh yeah he "plays" the solos. Oh yeah what they "play" bears little relation to what we're hearing from the soloist in the pit.

 

Edited January 21, 2018 by Ian Macmillan
Font size reduced to Forum norm

[alison]

6 hours ago, assoluta said:

 I am at a loss why the Royal Ballet, priding itself on preserving the (almost) authentic versions of the Imperial ballet classics decided to celebrate the Petipa Bicentenary year with this, I am sorry to say that, caricature of Petipa's most famous work.

 

Is your time machine for hire, assoluta?   I'll try and wait and see it before I judge it.

[buflesse]

I have to say I'm a little nervous about Scarlett doing this given that he's made a bit of a hash of a few productions so far.

[Scheherezade]

3 hours ago, buflesse said:

I have to say I'm a little nervous about Scarlett doing this given that he's made a bit of a hash of a few productions so far.

 

With Symphonic Dances providing the honourable exception. Unless, of course, the comprehensive run of turkeys pretty much across the board in respect of recent RB commissions has reduced our discernment threshold.

[Nina G.]

I'd add Liam Scarlett's Asphodel Meadows, a very beautiful creation and I wish the RB would bring it back. 

[Vanartus]

And - shock horror - I thought Sweet Violets also good...MacMillanesque but also special...

[Lizbie1]

It occurs to me that if KO'H is still keen on only programming commissions from this decade in 2020, we might have a quiet season for their revivals in 2018/19.

 

Or has that been quietly shelved?

[Josephine]

7 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

And - shock horror - I thought Sweet Violets also good...MacMillanesque but also special...

I agree re: Sweet Violets, in its original version. Scarlett's revision (which attempted to depict Annie's admittance to the asylum) undermined some of the impressionistic elements which had made the work succeed for me. I accept that this is a minority view, but do feel that its critical reception was greatly prejudiced by dance reviewers refusing to accept a non-linear narrative.

[Sim]

37 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

It occurs to me that if KO'H is still keen on only programming commissions from this decade in 2020, we might have a quiet season for their revivals in 2018/19.

 

Or has that been quietly shelved?

I sure hope so.

[capybara]

50 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

It occurs to me that if KO'H is still keen on only programming commissions from this decade in 2020, we might have a quiet season for their revivals in 2018/19.

 

Or has that been quietly shelved?

 

Such an approach would surely leave many top dancers underused, corps members underoccupied and at risk of losing aspects of their technique, and regular audience members in despair.

And would all those companies and individuals with deep pockets really  subscribe to such a season?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Sim said:

3 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

It occurs to me that if KO'H is still keen on only programming commissions from this decade in 2020, we might have a quiet season for their revivals in 2018/19.

 

Or has that been quietly shelved?

Could 'commissioned' also extend to new productions, ie the new Swan Lake, Don Quixote and hopefully the new Cinderella?