Bluebird Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, jmhopton said: Are there no official reviews of the RB in Madrid? Here is a review (in Spanish): https://elasombrario.com/royal-ballet-real-apabullante-lago-de-los-cisnes/ Edited July 22, 2018 by Bluebird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 34 minutes ago, jmb said: The fast clipper carrying the film of Swan Lake has just docked in Sydney. It was becalmed for some time in the doldrums - it appears somebody shot an albatross.😊 As for performances, I am now a fully paid up member of the Alex Campbell fan club, Welcome to the Club!!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Doh! For some reason I completely forgot that of course all the official reviews would be in Spanish and that's why they're not in the reviews section (bit of a senior moment there!) Also I never intended to belittle the comments of Capybara and Jenny whose posts I've really enjoyed (and been slightly envious of!) This latter point only occurred to me after I submitted my previous posting about 'official' reviews which might be interpreted as being more valid than those of genuine ballet enthusiasts which was certainly not the intention. I'm really just generally curious as to how different people/countries see the new interpretation. Thanks to Capybara and Bluebird for helping me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Bluebird said: Here is a review (in Spanish): https://elasombrario.com/royal-ballet-real-apabullante-lago-de-los-cisnes/ Hmm, loved the designs, but doesn't say much about the dancing. In fact, it looks like little more than a rehash of the press material, unless my rusty Spanish is failing me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) 47 minutes ago, alison said: Hmm, loved the designs, but doesn't say much about the dancing. In fact, it looks like little more than a rehash of the press material, unless my rusty Spanish is failing me. I don’t think your Spanish is failing you, Alison. Because the item was dated two days after the first night, I assumed it was a review of a performance. I hadn't yet read it when I posted the link. My Spanish is also pretty rusty but I’ve now read the review and have been unable to find any reference to the dancing. In fact, I’m having trouble finding anything which shows that the writer actually saw a performance. The only performance related comment I can find is one where he praises Koen Kessels and the orchestra. Interestingly, he uses the future tense when giving details of the casting (in the final paragraph) as if the bulk of the article was written before any performances had taken place. Edited to say that I've just done another search and have found another review. Although it also seems to concentrate on the production itself, it does seem to have a few comments on the dancing: http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/cultura/noticias/9282569/07/18/El-lago-de-los-cisnes-ahueca-sus-plumas-en-el-Real-con-el-Royal-Ballet.html Edited again to link to another review which also concentrates on the production but which does devote its final paragraph to the dancing. The ballet is....... "...maravillosamente bailado" (wonderfully danced). https://www.abc.es/cultura/abci-lago-muchos-quilates-201807191020_noticia.html Edited July 22, 2018 by Bluebird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) There is an appreciative review by Christina Marinero here:http://www.elmundo.es Choose Cultura, then Danza on the website menu. Despite several attempts I have not been able to copy and paste a direct link to the review, though I succeeded in copying its text into Google translate. This (presumably) Spanish reviewer was not keen on the Spanish dance, describing it as 'anachronistic', if Google translate is correct. Edited July 22, 2018 by Josephine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) Not a review, but this feature from 13 July includes some interesting insights from Marianela Nuñez and Sarah Lamb. Again, I used Google translate. https://m.elcultural.com/revista/escenarios/Royal-Ballet-bailando-con-cisnes/41288 Edited July 22, 2018 by Josephine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Final performance - just as you thought Marianela and Vadim couldn't get any better - they did! Phenomenal - every superlative you can think of * 10. Quality of dancing, technique, additional degree of difficulty, emotional content, - I'm still on the ceiling, and it finished 4 hours ago. Needless to say another standing ovation. The whole cast pulled out the stops again and deserve huge accolades. What a ballet! I've decided what makes it such a crowd pleaser for me - there are so many more things to genuinely applaud - and that's down to the choreography first and then how the dancers execute. I've loved this whole tour experience - beyond all my expectations and so glad I took the plunge and decided to do it. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 On 20/07/2018 at 23:33, JennyTaylor said: Back to Von Rothbart - so, he definitely goes off the stage to the left as we look at it, and tonight, I think the Von Rothbart double was also in that same mix of people at the back of the stage and then climbed up the stairs with the crown before being lit when he was half way up. He definitely did not come down from above. So, no need for 2 crowns. . I've now also checked with those who have first hand experience of this action - and this is the correct interpretation of what happens! They swap the crown to each other at the back of the stage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I agree with Jenny. The atmosphere on stage and in the audience last night was electric and it was a very fitting end to the RB's season. 10 stars indeed. Looking back over the Swan Lakes, for me, Muntagirov has confirmed his place as the RB's "superstar", Takada and Naghdi have shone extra brightly, and Bracewell has also become something very special. And the whole company has given the production their all. So a huge "well done" to everyone. THANK YOU. P.S. Why can't the ROH audience manage to get on its feet with appreciation more often? I think I will have to start a trend. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alina Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I bought a last minute ticket and I saw Yasmine Naghdi and Federico Bonelli on Saturday at 10:00 pm (!). An avid reader of this forum, I was so impatient to see the new Swan Lake and to see Miss Naghdi dance for the first time - and I was really impressed. I was wondering if there is a way to find a complete cast sheet for the show, because in my (free) programme there was none. I was too far away to recognize all the dancers, I just realized that Benjamin Ella replaced Trystan Dyer. I was speechless seeing Yasmine dance, totally captivating. My friend, who is not a balletomane, less so. This intrigued me at first. Then I realized that her only other experience was seeing Alina Cojocaru. And yes, for me there is a big difference! I was amused to see that nobody in the audience was in a hurry to leave before the last curtain call, even if it was 1:00 pm. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alina Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Sorry * 1:00 am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) I too was there, Jenny - and agree with every word. I don't think I have ever seen Marianela and Vadim better. I felt quite tearful at the end of Act 3. They absolutely brought the house down. Marianela’s technique was phenomenal - her control amazing throughout. Vadim absolutely nailed his variations, especially those double double tours - each lot bang on. And emotionally, as you say, they pulled out all the stops. A huge crowd waiting to see them outside. The whole company were on blistering form. The national dances really sparkled. I took the chance after Act 3 to ask the woman sitting next to me with whom I’d been chatting, what she thought of the Spanish dance, as a Spanish person. Her reply? “I’m so sorry, I’m actually French!” 🙄 But she thought it was fabulous, anyway! Edited July 23, 2018 by Balletfanp 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 38 minutes ago, Alina said: I bought a last minute ticket and I saw Yasmine Naghdi and Federico Bonelli on Saturday at 10:00 pm (!). An avid reader of this forum, I was so impatient to see the new Swan Lake and to see Miss Naghdi dance for the first time - and I was really impressed. I was wondering if there is a way to find a complete cast sheet for the show, because in my (free) programme there was none. I was too far away to recognize all the dancers, I just realized that Benjamin Ella replaced Trystan Dyer. I was speechless seeing Yasmine dance, totally captivating. My friend, who is not a balletomane, less so. This intrigued me at first. Then I realized that her only other experience was seeing Alina Cojocaru. And yes, for me there is a big difference! I was amused to see that nobody in the audience was in a hurry to leave before the last curtain call, even if it was 1:00 pm. Thank you for reporting back on the show Alina, London regular RB goers have been waiting for reports back from people who were fortunate enough to attend the various shows in Madrid. To compare Alina Cojocaru with Yasmine Naghdi makes no sense but I can understand your friend, a non-balletomane, who has only ever seen 1 ballet performance, 1 ballerina: Alina Cojocaru. Alina was a very special ballerina when she danced with the RB, but she's a very different ballerina to Yasmine Naghdi, not only in physical appearance but also in their style of dancing. It's like comparing a Gala apple with a Pink Lady apple: both are delicious but different in taste. Yasmine Naghdi is the youngest and newest Principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet, promoted to the highest rank in June 2017. She danced her debut as Odette/Odile in London last month. When your non-balletomane friend saw Cojocaru I assume she was already at the height of her career with many many years of experience behind her so these two ballerinas can not be compared as such. I am glad to read you enjoyed the performance of Swan Lake on Saturday night. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 19 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said: Alina was a very special ballerina when she danced with the RB And of course she remains so, just thinking back a few weeks to her fabulous Aurora with ENB, one of the most memorable performances I've ever seen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 13 hours ago, Josephine said: There is an appreciative review by Christina Marinero here:http://www.elmundo.es Choose Cultura, then Danza on the website menu. Despite several attempts I have not been able to copy and paste a direct link to the review, though I succeeded in copying its text into Google translate. This (presumably) Spanish reviewer was not keen on the Spanish dance, describing it as 'anachronistic', if Google translate is correct. Full link http://www.elmundo.es/cultura/danza/2018/07/20/5b51949d22601d734e8b46d4.html. I think Google translate is correct, the critic describes the Spanish dance as anachronistic with regards to both costumes and choreography. Other links http://www.diariosigloxxi.com/texto-ep/mostrar/20180719004010/emocion-lago-cisnes-royal-ballet-inunda-teatro-real-paso-londres. A review of the opening night, the article highlights the applause and standing ovation https://elpais.com/cultura/2018/07/19/actualidad/1532001318_762937.html. A mixed review of the opening night. "La función de debú de “Lago” anoche tuvo sus luces y sus sombras." - "the opening night had its lights and shadows" (see the 3rd paragraph); further details in the 4th paragraph. https://www.eitb.eus/es/cultura/videos/detalle/5739484/video-itziar-mendizabal-presenta-el-lago-cisnes-madrid-/. An interview with Itziar Mendizabal (I don't understand what she says, I read Spanish but listening understanding is pretty limited) and showing rehearsal extracts. https://elpais.com/ccaa/2018/07/18/madrid/1531905100_992313.html. An interview with and portrait of David Yudes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alina Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Thank you, Xandra, for your reply. I totally agree, it makes no sense to compare dancers. I booked the show too see Yasmine after reading the reviews on here, expecting to see a wonderful young ballerina. (Thank you to all the members of the forum who posted reviews 😊). 30 seconds after she started dancing .. I had a lump in my throat, I was .. mesmerized. Which, of course, did not happened with every ballerina I had the chance to see, so it was really special. I did not think one moment of Alina Cojocaru, even if in my eyes she is in an other league, out of this world. But .. this is the subject of another thread. I must say that I often wonder how subjective I am, given that I am ( as my friend) .. Romanian, and Alina Cojocaru is the very reason why I became passionate about ballet. It was a review written by Katherine Kanter (maybe an old or present member of this forum, I’m not sure) qualifying Alina as a genius in 2002 I think, after a performance of Tatiana, that started all this interest in ballet for me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 5 hours ago, Alina said: I bought a last minute ticket and I saw Yasmine Naghdi and Federico Bonelli on Saturday at 10:00 pm (!). An avid reader of this forum, I was so impatient to see the new Swan Lake and to see Miss Naghdi dance for the first time - and I was really impressed. I was wondering if there is a way to find a complete cast sheet for the show, because in my (free) programme there was none. I was too far away to recognize all the dancers, I just realized that Benjamin Ella replaced Trystan Dyer. I was speechless seeing Yasmine dance, totally captivating. My friend, who is not a balletomane, less so. This intrigued me at first. Then I realized that her only other experience was seeing Alina Cojocaru. And yes, for me there is a big difference! I was amused to see that nobody in the audience was in a hurry to leave before the last curtain call, even if it was 1:00 pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I have a cast list produced by the Royal Ballet in spreadsheet format. It was sent out a week before the Tour started so there might be a couple of tweaks, but essentially accurate. Do you still want this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 6 hours ago, capybara said: Why can't the ROH audience manage to get on its feet with appreciation more often? I think I will have to start a trend. I agree - certainly at a very special performance where it is richly deserved, like last night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 6 hours ago, capybara said: P.S. Why can't the ROH audience manage to get on its feet with appreciation more often? I think I will have to start a trend. There's a famous story about Dustin Hoffman complaining that in London "you have to ******* die" to get a standing ovation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 27 minutes ago, Alina said: Thank you, Xandra, for your reply. I totally agree, it makes no sense to compare dancers. I booked the show too see Yasmine after reading the reviews on here, expecting to see a wonderful young ballerina. (Thank you to all the members of the forum who posted reviews 😊). 30 seconds after she started dancing .. I had a lump in my throat, I was .. mesmerized. Which, of course, did not happened with every ballerina I had the chance to see, so it was really special. I did not think one moment of Alina Cojocaru, even if in my eyes she is in an other league, out of this world. But .. this is the subject of another thread. I must say that I often wonder how subjective I am, given that I am ( as my friend) .. Romanian, and Alina Cojocaru is the very reason why I became passionate about ballet. It was a review written by Katherine Kanter (maybe an old or present member of this forum, I’m not sure) qualifying Alina as a genius in 2002 I think, after a performance of Tatiana, that started all this interest in ballet for me. I think if one only ever sees one cast, or one ballerina, one is obviously subjective and as a result you cannot "measure" other ballerinas dancing the same role, unless you see several casts but as a rule each Principal ballerina is truly unique. Many years ago when Alina Cojocaru, Tamara Rojo, Darcey Bussell, Marianella Nunez,... were all dancing at The Royal Ballet people had their favourite(s) and that's fine. To compare Rojo with Bussell or Nunez with Cojocaru or Cojocaru with Rojo was useless. They were each unique in their own right! When Cojocaru left the RB many were very sad indeed, including myself, she was just SO special! I saw Naghdi in London on the Covent Garden stage and she brought tears to my eyes too, especially in Act4! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 10 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said: There's a famous story about Dustin Hoffman complaining that in London "you have to ******* die" to get a standing ovation. I have experienced a couple of standing ovations at RB performances recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alina Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 1 hour ago, JennyTaylor said: I have a cast list produced by the Royal Ballet in spreadsheet format. It was sent out a week before the Tour started so there might be a couple of tweaks, but essentially accurate. Do you still want this? Yes, I am really interested, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 7 hours ago, Duck said: Full link http://www.elmundo.es/cultura/danza/2018/07/20/5b51949d22601d734e8b46d4.html. I think Google translate is correct, the critic describes the Spanish dance as anachronistic with regards to both costumes and choreography. Other links http://www.diariosigloxxi.com/texto-ep/mostrar/20180719004010/emocion-lago-cisnes-royal-ballet-inunda-teatro-real-paso-londres. A review of the opening night, the article highlights the applause and standing ovation https://elpais.com/cultura/2018/07/19/actualidad/1532001318_762937.html. A mixed review of the opening night. "La función de debú de “Lago” anoche tuvo sus luces y sus sombras." - "the opening night had its lights and shadows" (see the 3rd paragraph); further details in the 4th paragraph. https://www.eitb.eus/es/cultura/videos/detalle/5739484/video-itziar-mendizabal-presenta-el-lago-cisnes-madrid-/. An interview with Itziar Mendizabal (I don't understand what she says, I read Spanish but listening understanding is pretty limited) and showing rehearsal extracts. https://elpais.com/ccaa/2018/07/18/madrid/1531905100_992313.html. An interview with and portrait of David Yudes. Thanks very much indeed for all these links. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 The lighting for the production was dodgy throughout (not the RB's fault) BTW. I've mentioned the flickering moon on Performance 3 - but there were a few other glitches too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 The orchestra was a bit ropey in places too last night, especially in Act 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Balletfanp said: The orchestra was a bit ropey in places too last night, especially in Act 3. I know Koen Kessels was conducting but which orchestra was playing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 I think it was the Teatro Real Orchestra but if I’m wrong, someone please correct me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 It was. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 And, since we're being (rightly) critical of the Teatro Real, the front part of the stage had rippled flooring which threw a few dancers off balance. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) Not the Teatro Real’s fault, but it was obvious once or twice that the stage must be slightly smaller than the ROH - the Corps ensembles looked a bit cramped on a couple of occasions, and I also noticed that some of the dancers were only just able to move out of the way of the main performers in the nick of time because they had less room. That said, none of this detracted from a magnificent performance from all the cast; and Nunez and Muntagirov coped with the Act 3 musical bloopers with style! Edited July 24, 2018 by Balletfanp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 2 hours ago, Balletfanp said: Not the Teatro Real’s fault, but it was obvious once or twice that the stage must be slightly smaller than the ROH - the Corps ensembles looked a bit cramped on a couple of occasions, and I also noticed that some of the dancers were only just able to move out of the way of the main performers in the nick of time because they had less room. That said, none of this detracted from a magnificent performance from all the cast; and Nunez and Muntagirov coped with the Act 3 musical bloopers with style! Act I looked pretty cramped at times at CG, if I'm honest. Did anyone else notice that at every performance someone appeared stage right (on the left as you're viewing it) to shuffle a bench back a few inches? I kept thinking it would look less odd if he removed it altogether! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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