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I was at 4 ballets in the Ballet Week in Munich mid-April, 2 of them with prominent guest stars - “Lady of the Camellias” and “Onegin”, which turned out to be below my expectations.
 
On the 12th April, Marguerite was danced by Anne Laudere, partnered by Edvin Revazov, both from the Hamburg Ballet. She was fine, but Revazov, coming from Neumeier’s emsemble, was disappointing. I thought him inadequate, both technically and dramatically.  Especially in the final black pdd he could not match the intensity and urgency of the Chopin’s Ballade and seemed not to have the stamina to finish the pdd with the necessary flourish... and sporting a hairdo more suited to Dr. Coppelius.
 
One huge blemish of this production, to me at least, is that the drama of money-filled envelope took place on the extreme right extension of the stage, not on the stage proper. So those seated on the right upper tiers were unable to see Marguerite being handed the envelope, opening it, slapping Olympia, etc. All others in the audience had to divide their attention between this and Armand’s anguish on the extreme left side of the stage and the corps de ballet dancing in the middle. Very frustrating.

“Onegin” on the 13th saw David Hallberg in the title role and Natalia Osipova as Tatiana. A case of big names tossed together, but which somehow fell flat. Friends I was with and myself missed the harmony and understanding which probably could only be there with more rehearsal time. Somehow the timing in the lifts seemed awkward, which esp. dampened our enjoyment of the Mirror pdd and I noticed in the final pdd that the lifts, with his arms raised and she inbetween them, were wrong. He had to bring down one arm to clutch her torso.
 
It’s a matter of personal taste, but we found Osipova not quite right for Tatiana. Not the introverted bookworm, experiencing love for the 1st time, she was all too ready with her bright smile ... as in the words of a friend, passionate about this ballet – “She’s Kitri pretending to be Tatiana”. And on that evening she was on the heavy side, especially in the lifts.
 
The other 2 evenings with “Taming of the Shrew” and “Spartacus” with the BSB’s own stars went off fine. Jonah Acosta cut a maverick figure as Petruchio with Lauretta Summerscales stomping as the untamed Kate, but I prefer her dancing as the tamed wife. For me Marcia Haydee is still the one who set the standard as Kate. Perhaps it’s the fact that Haydee was not pretty in the conventional sense of the word, so that her “ugly sister“ ferocity was given a cutting edge.
 
“Spartacus” too went off well. Compactly built Osiel Gouneo delivered the spins and jumps to the delight of the audience, but still could bring over the passion of Spartacus. Ksenia Ryzhkova danced Phrygia wonderfully, with the right mixture of longing, fear and despair. The male corps de ballet marched and stamped vigourously, though I’ve often wondered how they’d compare to the Bolshoi, which I only could catch on dvd.
 
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  • alison changed the title to Ballet Week at Bavarian State Ballet, Munich, 2019
35 minutes ago, ChMeBa said:
She was fine, but Revazov, coming from Neumeier’s emsemble, was disappointing. I thought him inadequate, both technically and dramatically. 

 

Yet we have to presume he's approved of in Hamburg, given that he so often seems to guest in the role - and appeared in the Bolshoi live broadcast, didn't he?

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10 hours ago, ChMeBa said:
 
The other 2 evenings with “Taming of the Shrew” and “Spartacus” with the BSB’s own stars went off fine. Jonah Acosta cut a maverick figure as Petruchio with Lauretta Summerscales stomping as the untamed Kate, but I prefer her dancing as the tamed wife. For me Marcia Haydee is still the one who set the standard as Kate. Perhaps it’s the fact that Haydee was not pretty in the conventional sense of the word, so that her “ugly sister“ ferocity was given a cutting edge.
 
“Spartacus” too went off well. Compactly built Osiel Gouneo delivered the spins and jumps to the delight of the audience, but still could bring over the passion of Spartacus. Ksenia Ryzhkova danced Phrygia wonderfully, with the right mixture of longing, fear and despair. The male corps de ballet marched and stamped vigourously, though I’ve often wondered how they’d compare to the Bolshoi, which I only could catch on dvd.
 

 

Thank you for posting your review, ChMeBa.  I too was at the four performances referenced as I was in Munich for work at the time.  Agree with sentiments expressed in the two paragraphs quoted immediately above  I have expressed my feelings about the Oneign and Spartacus elsewhere in the strand set up and dedicated to this series of BSB performances and, as earlier referenced in your critical coverage, to both Mr. Revazov and, separately, Anna Laudere in the Neumeier work in several other notations on this board when covering their home company, the Hamburg Ballet.  

 

I really do think that Acosta has come a huge distance since we last saw him with ENB and I would love it if - someday - both he and his British born wife - were able to appear in the UK with BSB so that British followers could enjoy this development.  I know it would be hugely appreciated by his many ENB fans, many of whom may well not easily be able to travel.  I very much enjoyed Ms. Summerscales in this too - indeed felt the entire Company looked joyously more of a whole in this - while agreeing that (IMHO) no one will ever meet Haydee's blazing example in Shrew.  She is - and remains - a one off - whether it be her Juliet, her Kate and, indeed her Tatiana - the latter which I was privileged to see in London with LFB/ENB.  Still, she should be.  All of these roles she originated.  All of these roles were especially focused for her enormous gifts by her loving husband.  Anyone who saw her in those parts - and I was lucky to have seen her a number of times in all three - will know how indelible her image is.  It is - in my eyes - wholly equivalent to seeing Dowell/Sibley, say, in Dream or Farrell in so many of the roles created for her by Balanchine - most certainly in Diamonds, in Mozartiana and in the last movements of the BSQ or Vienna Waltzes.  Somehow their shadows ALWAYS seem to hover.  

 

 

Edited by Bruce Wall
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