The Royal Ballet: Firebird Triple Bill June 2019

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Beryl H said:

very good to see Nehemiah Kish twice.

 

 

Which other role was he dancing? Rakitin? Yslaev?

 

I've had the pre-performance email through for next Friday & I see they've revised the running times so the finish time is now more in line with what it was on the first night. If only they'd revise the start time to 7pm as well. For me 7.30pm is too late a start for a performance that runs over 3 hours (see also last month's Billy Budd).

 

Approximate performance timings:
Part 1 7.30pm - 8.20pm (50 minutes)
Interval (25 minutes)
Part 2 8.45pm - 9.35pm (50 minutes)
Interval (25 minutes)
Part 3 10pm - 10.40pm (40 minutes)

Approximate end time: 10.40pm

[Rob S]

2 hours ago, Beryl H said:

 Meaghan Grace Hinkis was sweet as Vera, she had a nice big bouquet at the end,

 

 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, alison said:

Well, interpretatively speaking only (I had a poor view, so wouldn't like to comment on the performance as a whole), I've always thought Belaiev to be somewhere in between the ages of Vera and Natalya Petrovna (who is only in her mid-20s, I believe?), and probably inexperienced enough to be unaware - or insufficiently aware - of the effect he's having on the women of the household.  It's not a question of physical age, because Bonelli can carry it off, but I felt Hallberg's portrayal was more of a mature man, who should have known better by that age, if you see what I mean.  Not sure whether the moustache helped ...

 

Wikipedia gives the ages of the characters in the play as follows:

 

Natalya Petrovna, wife of a rich landowner, 29

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Rakitin, a family friend, in love with Natalya, 30

Aleksei Nikolayevich Belyaev, a new young tutor of Natalya's son Kolya, 21

Arkadi Sergeyevich Islayev, a rich landowner, husband of Natalya, 36

Kolya, son of Natalya and Islayev, 10

Vera Aleksandrovna (Verochka), Natalya's ward, 17

 

So, assuming they're supposed to be the same ages in the ballet, then Belaiev is nearer in age to Vera than Natalya & definitely young enough to probably not be fully aware of the emotional implications of his actions. (I'm somewhat amused to find Christopher Saunders, who was using his own grey hair, was supposed to be playing a 36 year old!)

[JNC]

So interesting reading all the diverging opinions! I made a quick note of what I thought of an excellent evening last night! 

 

The firebird 

 

My first time seeing this and wow, it was stunning. Yes it’s not a classical ballet in the sense of a lot of pointe work, but you can see how Ballet Russes were shaking things up. The costumes and sets were stunning, and I was glad to hear the orchestra were on good form, and I’ve never heard the whole score live yet so that was an experience in of itself! 

 

I thought Mendizabal was a fantastic firebird - even up in the amphi her expressions (her eyes!) were brilliant and she did the ‘trembling arms’ fantastically. She looked so light and airy as she flitted about, but brought that steel and determination in the static poses. Having said that, I wish some of the jumps were a little higher with more of a perfect split in the air - I think Naghdi will deliver this. But this was a minor thought for an overall stellar performance.

 

Calvert was good as the princess - some may find the apple throwing and other non pointe scenes not to their taste but I loved them - I thought the choreography was magical with the patterns created by arms and the movements really told a story. I much prefer this style of non-pointe work as I think it is clearly not naturalistic style movement as you get in MacMillan’s crowd scenes, and more contemporary dance with clear lines/patterns. I don’t think I’ve explained very well but was pleased to see that despite others not enjoying firebird as much due to the lack of ‘pure/classical ballet’ I found it an absolute delight. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what Naghdi will bring to the role, and Watson of course as I’ve not seen him before!

 

A month in the country was absolutely lovely. I have to confess; I wasn’t a huge fan of two pigeons and AMITC got off to a bit of a slow start. I saw Osipova/Hallberg in RJ and their famed partnership didn’t quite reach the level of passion and chemistry I expected. But after a bit of a hesitant start, they brought it here in devastating waves. Osipova was brilliant as Natalia, the pure emotion and drama. I was worried she may ‘overact’ it but I thought it was spot on. Her technique was flawless too. Hallberg was much more suited to Beliaev than Romeo, all light air and dandy, not requiring the aggression and heat of Romeo. Whilst his technique was near flawless, sometimes it did feel as he was only bringing/able to bring 80% to the role, and I wonder if his injury has affected him or if perhaps he was still warming up to the role, it being his first live performance. Having said that, when he clutched Osipova’s hands at a crucial pause the spark was lit, and their second pdd brought it in spades. I could feel the famed partnership igniting and understand all the platitudes now. Shame it didn’t quite happen in RJ with all that potential but so glad I saw it here. Saying this though, I’m not sure if it was enough to make me book for them again which is odd as I did really enjoy their partnership here. Make of that what you will! I do think Hallberg is a very different dancer to other RB males which somewhat justifies his numerous guesting this season and next, but don’t think it justifies it enough in my opinion! 

 

Hinkis as Vera was good at showing pure puppy love and petulance, but I felt there was a certain depth of emotion missing which I felt Hayward would have brought. It’s unfair for me to compare as I’ve not seen Hayward though, and Hinkis made a promising debut, though it’s certainly not there yet. Acri was similar - a lot of potential but some elements of technique etc need a little more work. He brought good ‘character’ though and projected well. 

 

The end was utterly heartbreaking and I’m so glad to have seen this ballet and Osipova/Hallberg’s pure emotion - and so excited to see what Cuthbertson and Muntagirov will bring to the roles, and absolutely keen to see O’Sullivan as Vera.

 

Onto Symphony in C. Absolutely delightful! I was sorry to miss this in the Autumn so glad it’s getting a second showing. I think it showcases the talent across the RB. It wasn’t perfect but it was near enough! Kaneko was lovely, her brilliant smile and absolute elegance reminded me of Nuñez and I think she’s definitely on track for principal at some point. Of all the first soloists I imagine she is best places in my opinion for Odette/Odile. Muntagirov was absolutely stunning; what more can I say. Pure perfection. 

 

Nuñez brought it too, I always forget how good she is technically, and she has great stage presence. Not much for Hirano to do really, so can’t comment much but I think he partnered effectively. It was nice to see Campbell back on top form, again I was reminded of how good he is and he brought out some additional flair and grace with some of the arm movements. It would have been brilliant to see Takada; but well done to Choe for stepping up. I admit she wasn’t quite as graceful and technically assured as Nuñez/Kaneko/Naghdi but when you’re playing at this level, few are. Naghdi was spot on, I don’t think Zucchetti quite had the same level of stage presence but I suppose having 8 out of 8 star performances is probably too much of an ask, even for a stellar RB. I’m more than happy to settle for an superb 6/8, with excellent work from the corps too. 

 

Overall, what a night!! Despite the late finish I felt so energised after and all three ballets were so different and yet excellent - this is what mixed bills should be; why should we always accept one (or two) will be a bit of a ‘filler’? Really made me feel so lucky to be able to see the RB in a time where they have such great talent across all levels of the company. I’m very much looking forward to round 2 next week, and the sheer brilliance of the mix makes me so glad I decided to get a last minute ticket for the Fonteyn gala on Saturday. 

 

 

[Beryl H]

24 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Which other role was he dancing? Rakitin? Yslaev?

 

I've had the pre-performance email through for next Friday & I see they've revised the running times so the finish time is now more in line with what it was on the first night. If only they'd revise the start time to 7pm as well. For me 7.30pm is too late a start for a performance that runs over 3 hours (see also last month's Billy Budd).

 

Approximate performance timings:
Part 1 7.30pm - 8.20pm (50 minutes)
Interval (25 minutes)
Part 2 8.45pm - 9.35pm (50 minutes)
Interval (25 minutes)
Part 3 10pm - 10.40pm (40 minutes)

Approximate end time: 10.40pm

 

Nehemiah Kish danced Rakitin. They've actually increased the second interval by 5 minutes, agree they should have had a 7.15 or 7pm start, they still have early starts for opera.

[Jamesrhblack]

6 minutes ago, Beryl H said:

 

 Nehemiah Kish danced Rakitin. They've actually increased the second interval by 5 minutes, agree they should have had a 7.15 or 7pm start, they still have early starts for opera.

 

I am so pleased to see Kish developing in new directions. I've always enjoyed his work. He doesn't seem to be listed as yet next season but I wonder if he might be on the cusp of a sideways move to Principal Character Dancer.

[alison]

I'm not aware that that's been done before, but I guess we'll see.

[theorist]

2 hours ago, Mary said:

Could not agree more about Month in the Country,  Beryl.

 

I am puzzled by the very strong differences in opinion about Hallberg in Month though- wonder if anyone who didn't like his interpretation can say more about why??

 

To me Hallberg seemed gauche and awkward. I wasn't entirely sure whether this was deliberate. After all, Beliaev is usually supposed to be not entirely aware of the effect he is having. So perhaps Hallberg was aiming for a sort of naive and inexperienced charm. At any rate, for me it didn't quite come off. Ball the previous evening was a bit more believable. My favourite in this role remains Pennefather, however. He brought just the right amount of knowingness, I thought.

[Mary]

I remember Pennefather and agree he looked and acted the part extremely well.

Thanks for the inteersting comment.

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Beryl H said:

 

Nehemiah Kish danced Rakitin. They've actually increased the second interval by 5 minutes, agree they should have had a 7.15 or 7pm start, they still have early starts for opera.

 

Thanks. May I ask who danced Yslaev? I'm seeing this cast next Friday, hence my curiosity.

 

They didn't have an early start for Billy Budd, despite it being scheduled to finish at 10.45pm. I had to cut the curtain calls to make my train & I hate having to do that. It was likewise rather a rush after the triple bill on Tuesday. I do wish the ROH would think of those of us that don't live in London & have to get home afterwards - and I'm one of the luckier ones in that I can get home afterwards. ETA I see Nozze di Figaro is a 7pm start but a 3h40 running time so that'll be another one rushing for the train. My principal form of exercise is running for trains after theatregoing!

Edited June 6, 2019 by Dawnstar

[Jan McNulty]

Off topic but I had to laugh.  I completely misread your first couple of words as "Theresa May asked who danced"!

[Nogoat]

Tuesday & Wednesday Triple Bill
On paper this looked like an interesting and varied triple bill – and so it turned out to be.

But first a small gripe. We hadn’t seen the two ‘narrative’ ballets for a number of years, and had a few problems trying to explain the plots to someone who had never seen them (and memory can be horribly selective – or at least mine can!).

Grabbing a cast list didn’t help – there was plenty of spare white space but no sign of a synopsis.

The programme itself – a hefty 12oz for a hefty £8 – though full of undoubtedly fascinating background essays from which plot summaries might be précised, was a case of not being able to see the wood for the trees.

So, as is increasingly the case, Google was our friend (and a free friend at that).

The Firebird
This is a strange beast of a ballet that is, itself, full of strange beasts.

The music, of course, is so glorious that anything happening on stage can almost be regarded as a bonus. And what happens on stage is colourful and distracting if, ultimately, not to be taken too seriously (and not taking itself too seriously, either).

I thought Gary Avis (on Tuesday) was absolutely superb as The Immortal Kostchei; with his large black ‘hump’ and foot-long fingernail-extensions in constant, impatient motion, he scuttled around the stage like a spider that had had four of its legs pulled off in some random act of childhood cruelty and was spending the rest of eternity being resentfully taking it out on any other living thing. Unlike Saunders the following night (whose nail extensions did not appear as impressive!), Avis kept in character throughout the stage and curtain calls – jabbing at the audience with one of his very long fingers, just as he had earlier at the enchanted princesses!

I’m sure one of Kostchei’s powers was resistentialism (the malevolence of inanimate objects) as he mischievously arranged for apples to avoid being caught or not to stop rolling around, and for eggs to break of their own accord (I know this to be true because, in contrast, the bouncy ball and the kite in Month in the Country behaved themselves almost impeccably).

It was absolutely wonderful to see the peerless Ed Watson on stage once more – albeit in a role that is more about pacing around than dancing. Ed reminds me of a fully-charged battery – a compact powerhouse of pent-up nervous and physical energy just waiting to break loose. There wasn’t much scope for that here, but it was bubbling away under the surface – particularly during the bit where he faces off against Kostchei. With his tight-fitting trousers/jacket, his purposeful pacing, and his confrontational attitude a hair-trigger away from physical assault, I couldn’t help but think of him as channelling the physicality of the comedian Lee Evans!

Yasmine Nahgdi was lovely – her precise technique and striking looks (especially when made up) makes her a natural for the role (I still have fond memories of her doing a bit from the Firebird many years ago in the Deloitte Ignite event).

I don’t know enough about the history of this ballet to know how faithful this production is to the original – but to me it has the air of a revival rather than some new interpretation (even though the costumes looked quite new). As such, perhaps it belongs with The Rite of Spring and Marguerite and Armand as something that is there to be deservedly admired for what it represented then rather than its relevance to the world today.

 

A Month in the Country
Having seen and liked this during its last run (2014?) I was surprised to find myself a bit disappointed following Tuesday’s performance. I couldn’t help but compare it (unfavourably) with the recent run of Winter Dreams:- Month seemed like a bit of a melodramatic soap opera compared with the darker, more ‘meaty’ content of Dreams.

But, watching it again last night I realised this was primarily a category-error on my part – just because they are both based on Russian plays does not mean they should both conform to some imagined stereotype arising from my ignorance (I have neither read nor seen either play). The different casts, with their slightly different characterisations, also helped me see just how rich and complex – and clever – this ballet is.

Now, I don’t know if it’s Ashton being extremely clever, or me just being either particularly slow on the uptake or having an over-active imagination, but I had a light-bulb moment on the way home last night.

Yes, the ballet is based on a play, but Ashton seems to hide in plain sight the fact that he is literally presenting his one-act ballet as a three-act play. Thus, the ROH curtain opens to show a stage-wide net curtain behind which the protagonists sit; with the opening of that secondary curtain we literally see ‘curtain up’ on the play within the ballet.

It’s a busy ballet, with something happening on-stage all the time – but there are two exceptions to this, and in both cases Kolia is the last to run off to leave the stage empty. Then, after a few seconds, characters return to the stage to continue the story; I see those two brief moments as representing two intermissions between three ‘acts’. Now, this may well be a well-known and obvious part of the structure of the ballet to the experts on this forum, but if Ashton put in that sort of ‘hidden’ gem to be ‘accidentally’ discovered by audience members, I can only raise my hat to him. 

Another small point I picked up on second viewing was how, when Natalia and Beliaev are alone together, Kolia is on the background bridge with his toy bow – and he pretends to fire arrows at them. Very Cupid-like, and very clever, Mr Ashton! 

So, I’m very much looking forward to Friday’s performance to see what other details I’ve missed! 😊

 

Symphony in C
This is just the perfect marriage of music with movement – the ballet equivalent of the mapping of music to the physical world as in the Music of the Spheres. And just as that ancient philosophy is all about harmony, so too is this ballet; there’s no room for bravado or individualism – it’s all about the sum being greater than the parts. The individual orchestral instruments work together, and so do the dancers. Yes, instruments, individuals or pairs come to the fore, but it shouldn’t be about them, it should be about what they contribute to the whole. That’s why I completely concur with what has been said about what might, in a relative sense, be seen as showboating.

 

Other individuals can be picked out for their positive contribution to the overall harmony…

Fumi was superb as a replacement for Osipova. Fumi is so effortless in the fluidity of her movement; there is no evidence of exertion, no sense that muscles are straining to coerce her limbs to move against gravity or momentum; her limbs just flow naturally to wherever she wills them. Fumi also seems frictionless; I think if you started her spinning on pointe in a vacuum, she’d still be turning weeks later. She is one class act.

Sarah Lamb’s ‘character’ was the epitome of serenity. She could have been asleep for all I know, eyes closed (at least seen from the amphi), and so languid that she was carried hither and thither, basking in her natural place at the centre of the perfection that was unfolding on stage. She is just completely and utterly lovely. 

I know how the ballet ends, but it fills me with wonder every time; the cast seems to multiply before my eyes, streaming on and filling the stage; ‘can you believe what you are seeing?’ they seem to be asking me. I’m not sure if I can, so I’m happy to go back time and time again to check… 😊

 

[bangorballetboy]

25 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Thanks. May I ask who danced Yslaev? I'm seeing this cast next Friday, hence my curiosity.

 

 

Jonathan Howells

[LinMM]

Have only just got back to Brighton ( and IPad) to report on Tuesday eve performances but now don't feel I can say very much but mostly agree with the poster that this evening was "Ballet Heaven" for me.

As everyone who has enjoyed this triple has expressed already more or less how I felt will summarise Naghdi great as Firebird ( saw Fonteyn in this role as a 13 year old) and she was pretty close! Love the ending to this ballet and Gary Avis just superb ....felt I wouldn't have wanted to bump into him in a corridor with those hands in particular! 

Month is my dream ballet love every tiny little bit of it and thought Nunez really suited this role, Ball was believable and I thought did get some good body movement especially in the duet with Padjek as the maid ....lovely....Hayward so light and airey and perfect as Vera and James Hay such a sweet Kolya fabulous dancing from him. What a treat both balletically and musically. There's a lovely old Polish song hidden in that score which I knew a very long time ago and this bit is always bound to get me emotionally .....as it did!! 

I wont comment on Symphony till next week as I didn't see the whole of it but what a great evening I could go just for the music to,be honest but the dancing just  takes it to Heaven level.

 

 

[Dawnstar]

5 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Jonathan Howells

 

Thank you.

 

2 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Have only just got back to Brighton

 

I know it finished late on Tuesday but I didn't think it was quite *that* late 😉

[FionaM]

On 05/06/2019 at 08:58, Xandra Newman said:

 

Symphony in C closed the bill, Kaneko replaced Osipova in the 1st Movement and she was absolutely beautiful (she braved dancing her debut earlier, initially planned for today). Great dancing by all dancers involved!

 

 

So Fumi Kaneko has replaced Osipova in this, and learnt Medusa role in less than a week to replace Akane, all within the last month. I do hope she is promoted to principal.  Matthew Ball was in a similar situation!

[JohnS]

22 minutes ago, Nogoat said:

We hadn’t seen the two ‘narrative’ ballets for a number of years, and had a few problems trying to explain the plots to someone who had never seen them

 

Many thanks Nogoat for another fascinating, thought provoking post.

 

I share your gripe about the absence of any synopsis on the Cast Sheet and in the programme - not very Open Up.  But the website is actually quite helpful with a few lines including ‘spoilers’, although Rakitin does not merit any mention which is poor.  It would have been very easy to reproduce these brief synopses for the Cast Sheet.  And of course you need to go to the individual ballets to get to the synopsis which doesn’t help.

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/productions/the-firebird-by-mikhail-fokine

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/productions/a-month-in-the-country-by-frederick-ashton

 

I think it’s also quite useful for Symphony in 😄

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/productions/symphony-in-c-by-george-balanchine

 

Apologies for just commenting on the gripe.  Looking forward immensely to Friday’s performance and I’m delighted to have picked up an excellent return ticket for Tuesday.  I’ll hope to say more after seeing the performances.

[serenade]

I went to last night's performance and really loved it.  I think it's got to be my favourite mixed bill I've ever gone to, such a great combination of ballets...

 

I have never seen The Firebird before and actually have never listened to the score though I've always been interested to see it.  While I didn't love it I did really enjoy it and found it quite fascinating.  It's strange (in a good way) and very atmospheric and unusual.  I thought Mendizabal was really terrific, very dramatic and fierce.  Claire Calvert really stood out for me as Tsarevna but everyone was great of course, as ever.

 

I was completely blown away by A Month in the Country.  I'd never seen this piece before either and knew nothing about it going in, except it was Ashton and therefore a safe bet I would probably be a fan.  I ended up loving every minute of it and have definitely fallen head over heels with this ballet.  I think it's a true masterpiece and I wish I could have made it to another performance but unfortunately couldn't.  I really can't say enough great things about Natalia's performance in this- I thought she was mesmerising and really moving.  She really seemed to live this part and I thought she had a great connection with Hallberg.  I was a bit unsure what to expect considering a lot of the Romeo and Juliet reports weren't so positive but I thought their partnership really works (last night anyway!)  Of course I realise A Month is a different beast to R&J but still, I feel reassured enough based on last night to look forward to seeing them dance together again in the new season.  I thought Hallberg was fantastic last night.  He was always an elegant and beautiful dancer and I don't think that's changed and I thought he acted well and was entirely believable and I think they bring the best out in each other.  There is a warm quality about their partnership, it's quite hard to explain...but I like them together basically.  Meaghan Grace Hinkis I thought was absolutely fantastic as Vera , what a great actress (as well as dancer obviously although that goes without saying) ,and Luca Acri as Kolia was fantastic in a part which does not look for the faint of heart...I would be terrified of dropping the ball!  Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to the next time they stage this but in the meantime I've discovered the whole ballet with Lynn Seymour and Anthony Dowell is on youtube so off to watch it...

 

And finally Symphony in C was as brilliant as ever.  One of my absolute favourite ballets and last night did not disappoint.  Everything about this ballet, and everyone in it I thought were just superb so I'll just mention my personal highlights.  Muntagirov in the first movement...his dancing was so joyful, I found it quite infectious.  Marianela in the second movement- really something else.  For the first time watching this ballet the second movement ended up being my favourite on the night- also I thought she worked well with Hirano, I liked their partnership.  Third movement, all of it, and so nice to see Campbell and Yuhui together.  Fourth movement, I really liked the Naghdi/Zucchetti partnership a lot.

 

So yes, all in all this was a great way for me to end the season 😃

Edited June 6, 2019 by serenade

[Mary]

10 minutes ago, serenade said:

in the meantime I've discovered the whole ballet with Lynn Seymour and Anthony Dowell is on youtube so off to watch it...

One to watch endlessly, for a lifetime, serenade!

[serenade]

46 minutes ago, Mary said:

One to watch endlessly, for a lifetime, serenade!

 

Can’t wait! 😀

 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Mary said:

One to watch endlessly, for a lifetime, serenade!

Couldn’t agree more!  

[Mary]

On 06/06/2019 at 18:09, JNC said:

A month in the country was absolutely lovely. I have to confess; I wasn’t a huge fan of two pigeons and AMITC got off to a bit of a slow start. I saw Osipova/Hallberg in RJ and their famed partnership didn’t quite reach the level of passion and chemistry I expected. But after a bit of a hesitant start, they brought it here in devastating waves. Osipova was brilliant as Natalia, the pure emotion and drama. I was worried she may ‘overact’ it but I thought it was spot on. Her technique was flawless too. Hallberg was much more suited to Beliaev than Romeo, all light air and dandy, not requiring the aggression and heat of Romeo. Whilst his technique was near flawless, sometimes it did feel as he was only bringing/able to bring 80% to the role, and I wonder if his injury has affected him or if perhaps he was still warming up to the role, it being his first live performance. Having said that, when he clutched Osipova’s hands at a crucial pause the spark was lit, and their second pdd brought it in spades. I could feel the famed partnership igniting and understand all the platitudes now. Shame it didn’t quite happen in RJ with all that potential but so glad I saw it here. Saying this though, I’m not sure if it was enough to make me book for them again which is odd as I did really enjoy their partnership here. Make of that what you will! I do think Hallberg is a very different dancer to other RB males which somewhat justifies his numerous guesting this season and next, but don’t think it justifies it enough in my opinion! 

 

Hinkis as Vera was good at showing pure puppy love and petulance, but I felt there was a certain depth of emotion missing which I felt Hayward would have brought. It’s unfair for me to compare as I’ve not seen Hayward though, and Hinkis made a promising debut, though it’s certainly not there yet. Acri was similar - a lot of potential but some elements of technique etc need a little more work. He brought good ‘character’ though and projected well. 

Having just seen this cast I agree with every word here JNC, so no need to write much- I really enjoyed seeing Osipova and Hallberg- what superb artists they are:  different yes, to the RB regulars, but so glad to have seen them and a very moving performance. Osipova's final walk towards us will live with me for a long time- you could see the life, the hope, go out of her, she seemed to visibly collapse from inside. True theatre.

I agree that Hinkis and Acris were good but, Hinkis showing less emotion than Hayward  and Acri not showing the  fantastic technique of Hay in Cast 1.

 

 

[bridiem]

I enjoyed Mayara Magri's Firebird this afternoon - strong and expansive whilst also evincing a degree of softness and vulnerability. Less wild/fierce than Naghdi, and less sense of 'otherness'. But impressive nonetheless. Ryoichi Hirano was a likeable Tsarevich - a simple soul, only acquiring authority in the finale when he suddenly became a tsar in the making.

 

I thought Osipova was a terrific Natalia Petrovna - every gesture, every moment expressive and involving. And David Hallberg was an elegant, creamily beautiful Beliaev; perhaps a little too mature, but nevertheless very effective and very moving in his sudden, bewildering attraction to Natalia Petrovna. I also found Nehemiah Kish intensely moving as Rakitin - a handsome, sad, loving suitor. And Jonathan Howells was a more sprightly and sympathetic Yslaev than usual (the only disadvantage being that he was shorter than Luca Acri as their supposedly very young son). A lovely performance of this beautiful ballet.

 

And finishing with the glory that is Symphony in C. Not a perfect performance, but much to admire and much to enjoy.

[LinMM]

Ha ha Dawnstar yes I stayed over on Tuesday night with a friend met another ex dancing friend for lunch  on Wednesday as went to the Fonteyn Insight that evening so quite a balletic couple of days in one way or the other!! 

I forgot to  mention Ed Watson in Firebird on Tuesday. I know it's not the most exacting of roles but I thought he made this "Fairytale" world believable creating a bit of stage magic with the Firebird ....again can't emphasise enough just how good Nagdhi was. 

Its a strange little ballet and somewhere if I can find it is a once treasured book on Fokine where he writes about this ballet.

I believe it was very modern in its time as was moving away from the purely classical. Maybe I can find it before the 12th!! 

[Jamesrhblack]

I really enjoyed this afternoon’s matinée which absolutely justified a dawn start from Rye.

 

Interesting how different performances read. I agree with bridiem that Mayara Magri was superb, but found her aggressive, authoritative and aquiline (and not just because I like a bit of alliteration), with a thrilling jump. I was reminded more than once of Karsavina’s injunction, “Here is no human emotion.” Conversely, Ryoichi Hirano partnered well, but I thought his final gesture of authority lacked exactly that. The Enchanted Princess’ apple catching was well below championship standard too (surprised to see Christina Arestis, Claire Calvert, Melissa Hamilton and Beatriz Stix-Brunell-Brunelleschi amongst them). Even so, the glorious final tableau against Stravinsky’s wonderful score raised the hoped for lump in the throat.

 

A Month in the Country was sheer joy from start to finish. It was one of my late mother’s favourite ballets (ideally with Sibley and Wall, although she liked Baryshnikov too), and I wondered if thinking of that raised my emotional vulnerability. I can honestly say that I was damp around the gills for much of it from the exquisite matching of choreography, music and situation. Natalia Osipova seems to bend a great deal more than the last time I saw her in this, and her variety of mood (bored, capricious, despairing, longing, the astonishment of “Natalia Petrova, you are in love”), the fluency of her footwork and the remarkable bleak misery she can convey read strongly, not just in partnership with David Hallberg but in her interactions with Nehemiah Kish too (how wonderful to see him back on stage, even if in a different style of role now). Hallberg may be a little more mature in demeanour than some as Beliaev, but his beautiful long lines, articulate feet and still, burning intensity were absolutely captivating, and he has the glamour of look and magnetism of personality to make Natalia’s and Vera’s fascination, as well as Kolia’s adoration understandable. A lovely maid from Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani (good to see her back so vividly), a Kolia fleet of foot and youthful of demeanour from Luca Acri (I’d never before registered the little bits of gaucheness Ashton puts in to show youth with the upturned foot in a turning sequence) and a Vera of hurt indignation from Meaghan Grace Hinkis, swooning in Beliaev’s arms but incredulous at the hypocrisy of adults. 

 

Perhaps I’d invested too strongly emotionally in Month fully to surrender to Symphony in C. I know it is a great favourite of many people, but I have to be honest and write that although I enjoyed it I didn’t experience the euphoria which others have felt. Maybe it was concern at an early slip from Fumi Kaneko, although she recovered splendidly; a slight irritation at the slowing of the orchestral score (well though it was played under Emmanuel Plasson’s fluent baton - lovely pacing of Chopin in Month); a slight sense of Marianela Nunez in Queen Bee form, marvellous as she is; or having read some criticism of Yuhui Choe’s and Francesca Hayward’s technical prowess (bold of anyone to criticise those two on here I’d think) that seemed possibly quasi self-fulfilling in observation. Alexander Campbell was dazzling though (he really has honed his technical prowess to something remarkable - those whiplash turns) and I noticed none of the grimaces of which others have complained. I’ll confess he’s a personal favourite, but I like to think that that means not that “love” is blind but that it enables one also to be honest about failings as well as strengths. He’s going to be a wonderful Troyte.

 

This is a bill that should certainly have reached the cinema and I am sorry to have the chance only to see it once as I would very much like to have seen all The Firebird (including Tierney Heap, as it were) and A Month in the Country casts.

[Shade]

I am enjoying these reviews as I won’t be going until the final show. I am very much looking forward to it.

[AnneL]

Arestis and Hamilton were replaced as princesses- I was lucky enough to score a cast change flyer this afternoon! 

[ninamargaret]

23 hours ago, Mary said:

One to watch endlessly, for a lifetime, serenade!

I've just watched this with great interest. Lynn Seymour is, to my mind unsurpassed and to me Dowell shows why I find David Hallberg not quite right. I couldn't think who danced Vera - does anyone know?

[PatC]

13 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

I've just watched this with great interest. Lynn Seymour is, to my mind unsurpassed and to me Dowell shows why I find David Hallberg not quite right. I couldn't think who danced Vera - does anyone know?

Julie Rose

[Nogoat]

Friday noon Triple Bill
This was my third triple bill and, unfortunately, my last. 

Symphony in C
I think I'd already hit peak Symphony in C on first viewing. 

The link between the music and choreography is so clear and defined, and the casts so strong that it's difficult to imagine how it could improve with repeated viewings.

Small differences in enjoyment still arose as a result of the different permutations of casts.

For me, highlights were Kaneko in the first movement (along with Sissens in a supporting role), Lamb in the second movement, and Hay in the fourth.

Campbell's ‘showboating’ - evident on Wednesday - was not apparent today; as a consequence he was better, his partnering was better, the movement was better and the ballet was better – less definitely can be more!

The Firebird
I enjoyed this performance more than the other two I’d seen, even though Marriott’s Kostchei didn't match the outlandish stage presence of Avis' (especially when it came to finger waggling and jabbing).

Hirano's Ivan took the middle road between Kish’s rather unconvincing 'bank manager off for an adventure weekend' approach and the rather stroppy 'lads night out’ approach of Watson.

Hirano's authority was blended with kindness, curiosity and benevolence. Which is why I found it even more incongruous and jarring than usual when he spat at Kostchei: I really don't think this belongs in this ballet, any more than it belongs, say, in football punditry.
I thought Magri gave a beautifully nuanced interpretation of the Firebird. Her movements were less darting and more fluid than either Mendizabal or Naghdi: she was more 'flappy bird' than 'pecky bird'. She also used her facial expressions to help convey the feelings expressed through the rest of her body.

She was much more human - less of an otherwise alien creature - and I found I could relate to her more readily because of that. I don't know if this approach is non-traditional, but it worked for me.

I just loved the set-piece, tableau scenes. The enchanted princesses sat on the floor,  lying against each other. The Busby Berkeley-like synchronised movements of arms whilst on the floor. And the final tableau with the stage crammed full with the court. I tried to do a quick head count and thought there must be something approaching one hundred bodies on stage; does anyone know?

I started to feel quite moved by the beauty of the ballet by the end. The problem is I don't know if it was this particular cast or the fact that, on my third viewing, I am continuing to learn and appreciate what an amazing piece of dance theatre it is.

A Month in the Country
I was silently (I hope!) blubbing by the end of this. Yes, part of that was down to my increasing appreciation of the subtleties of the plot, but the major reason is Osipova's (and Hallberg's) ability to relay these to me; to turn what I initially considered a melodrama into a drama.

 

Their rendition was heart-rending. Every fibre of her body, every movement was employed to expose her inner life to external scrutiny. And when someone opens up that way, it's difficult to resist getting swept along.

Hallberg deserves special mention. I thought his Beliaev was beautifully observed; at heart he was a kind soul, and who can blame him for letting his heart rule his head? 

Now, someone who went along to see a Russian play will obviously be disappointed, and someone who went along to see the epitome of an Englishman's balletic interpretation of a Russian play might not have thought it sufficiently accurate; but I went along to see a Russian dancer’s rendition of an Englishman's balletic interpretation of a Russian play. That's what I wanted, that's what I was given, and that's why I ended up blubbing.

 

[ninamargaret]

38 minutes ago, PatC said:

Julie Rose

thank you!

[LinMM]

No it was Denise Nunn .....original cast I mean ...sorry video may not be original cast of course. The other night was trying to remember with another Balletco member who the original Vera was! 

[Geoff]

27 minutes ago, Nogoat said:

I thought Magri gave a beautifully nuanced interpretation of the Firebird. 

 

Yes: a wonderful debut, tremendously exciting. Very much hoping to see Magri in this role again soon. 

 

By the way, does anyone know anything about the rather gorgeous shoes she wore to the Insight evening on Tuesday?