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That's great to hear, Jeannette!

 

Highlights from last night's show for me were:

  • Anna Rose O'Sullivan, Marcelino Sambe and Fumi Kaneko in Concerto
  • Gary Avis (Jaeger), Anna Rose O'Sullivan, Alexander Campbell, Leo Dixon, Luca Acri, Annette Buvoli in Enigma
  • Vadim Muntagirov in Raymonda

A terrific evening. What a programme and what a wonderful vehicle for showing just how good and versatile The Royal Ballet is.

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20 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Annette Buvoli, the only dance not applauded after her solo! Why not. I thought she was quite wonderful 

 

I agree that her solo was absolutely lovely.  However, there's usually a split second before most audiences applaud. Since her solo leads directly into the Nimrod music, might this have discouraged them from applauding at that point?

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1 hour ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Annette Buvoli, the only dance not applauded after her solo! Why not. I thought she was quite wonderful 

 

I tried, but noone joined me. So my 3 claps petered out..................

Audiences usually respond to a cue from the music and the end of that particular solo does not 'resolve' in such a way as to encourage applause.

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1 hour ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Annette Buvoli, the only dance not applauded after her solo! Why not. I thought she was quite wonderful 

I thought she was wonderful too!

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On 24/10/2019 at 17:27, Dawnstar said:

I hope this doesn't seem too daft a question. Several of the reviews of the triple bill have included a photo of (I assume) the entire cast of Enigma Variations. I'm trying to identify who's who but am stuck on a few of them (not helped by most of the men having fake moustaches!). Can anyone say who are the two dancers on the right of the main group, who look to be costumed as servants, and the three dancers on the staircase at the back?

 

As no one else has had a go...

 

If we are looking at the same picture: the two on the extreme right of the group are Charlotte Tonkinson and Giacomo Rovero. The lone dancer on the stairs is Leticia Stock. At the top of the stairs is Isabella Gasparini. I can't identify the man with her, sorry! His face is in shadow.

 

Artists of The Royal Ballet in Enigma Variations, The Royal Ballet © 2019 ROH. Photograph by Tristram Kenton

 

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4 hours ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Annette Buvoli, the only dance not applauded after her solo! Why not. I thought she was quite wonderful 

I always find applauding in Enigma Variations tricky since, for me, it’s about the piece as a whole & its ‘perfume’ which make it work (or not). I’m not suggesting btw that there shouldn’t be applause during this ballet. 

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This triple bill is fantastic in many ways. 

Concerto is a great opener, although with some very demanding choreography. Anna Rose O’Sullivan & Marcelino Sambe looked very happy & springy. I very much enjoyed Lauren Cuthbertson’s purity of line in the second movement (sensitively supported by Reece Clarke). Fumi Kaneko did extremely well in the very long & exposing third movement, although it never seems to have the impact I wish I could, until the corps & other soloists arrive. Reece Clarke looked very much the principal in waiting as he matched Sambe for ballon & precision, impressive for such a tall, long-limbed dancer. 

Enigma Variations shows what a genius Ashton was, & how little can suggest so, so much. I was very moved by Bennet Gartside although Kirsten McNally (while good) failed to erase fond memories of Christina Arestis. I look forward to seeing Laura Morera as it sounds like she will  be mesmerising. Good to see Paul Kay in a demi-character role again. Although I was sitting in the stalls so could see facial expressions very well, for some reason I preferred the last time I saw the ballet, performed by the wonderful BRB. 

Raymonda Act3 - as ever - looked impressive. I could do without the corps & soloists of the ‘Hungarian Dance’ but it is what it is. Mayara Magri was, as others have noted, very impressive, looking at ease & technically strong. I thought Itziar Mendizabal did very well in an extremely tricky, demanding solo but thought Melissa Hamilton unfortunately looked less secure (but, again, such exposing choreography!). I thought James Hay & (I think) Calvin Richardson looked very good in the classical pas de quatre but there seemed to be less uniformity from the other two (first) soloists. Sarah Lamb managed to suggest an ‘inner world’ during her solo & certainly seemed to have decided to clap last night. What to say about Vadim Muntagirov? He looks so relaxed & happy performing the most tricky steps, has such beautiful lines & soft, accurate landings. It is a privilege to watch him dance. A great way to end an evening.

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The Royal Ballet’s current triple bill is nostalgic for me in several ways.  I have loved “Concerto” since I first saw it in the late 1970s. The solo at the beginning of the third movement was the first one I had to teach from notation three months into my course at the Benesh Institute.  I then sat in on rep classes at the Royal Ballet School, trying to notate the corps de ballet for the whole of the third movement, both of which are happy and scary memories for me!  I have seen many performances over the years but the one that stands out in my mind was the Royal Ballet School performance in 1980 which introduced to the general public the divine Alessandra Ferri in the central pas de deux, partnered by the late, lamented Michael Crookes.  To my mind, “Concerto” is the one truly joyous piece by MacMillan from start to finish, reflecting, as it does, so beautifully the music and demonstrating what wonderfully fleet-footed dancers he had in Berlin in 1966 and then in London, a talent which is not always appreciated today when pyrotechnics can sometimes take precedence over beautiful footwork.  The piece is first and foremost a piano concerto, composed by Shostakovitch for his formidably talented 19-year-old son Maxim, and I wonder if it was his recording which inspired MacMillan in his creation of this technically brilliant piece.  On Friday evening (25th), the first movement was given a performance of sheer joy by the exuberant Cesar Corrales and Francesca Hayward who breezed through all the fiendish choreography with infectious smiles which lit up the auditorium and were admirably on the music, taken at the rollicking pace I remember from the days when Anthony Twiner was the featured pianist.  Likewise, the corps de ballet matched their enthusiasm and danced up a storm. Then came the beautiful central pas de deux, such a deceptively simple idea by MacMillan, inspired by Lynn Seymour’s port de bras at the barre.  Melissa Hamilton was simply stunning, with beautifully expressive legs and feet to die for, plus the most exquisite ports de bras which filled out the music to perfection.  Lukas Braendsrod was a handsome, elegant partner and made the ‘dead’ lifts (in which the girl is lifted from pointe and turned just off the floor without the usual help of a small plié) look completely effortless.  The third movement calls for a human dynamo and I felt Claire Calvert was too lyrical in her approach to it but the whole company gave a rousing finale to one of my all-time favourite pieces.

 

I have not seen “Enigma Variations “ for some time and again it holds special memories for me.  One of the privileges of being on the Benesh notation course was attending stage calls at the opera house and, in my first term, I remember going to one for ‘Enigma’ taken by Michael Somes, with Ashton in attendance, as well as Sir Adrian Boult, the great interpreter of Elgar’s music.  It was a truly unforgettable experience, hearing the occasional comments from Ashton and Boult, with Somes being very particular about the musicality of the piece.  Good as the dancing was, this was something I felt this cast were still getting to grips with.  I noticed that the Winifred Norbury of Annette Buvoli was slightly off the music and the Dorabella of Meaghan Grace Hinkis did not really reflect the syncopation in the music which illustrates Dorabella’s slight hesitation in speech.  However, this was created on the legendary filigree footwork of Antoinette Sibley and the last dancer I can remember dancing this role perfectly was another dancer Ashton admired, Karen Paisey, so it is a big ask for a dancer not steeped in the Ashton style to take on such a mantle!  I was also disappointed in the lack of épaulement from Fumi Kaneko in the charming pas de deux with Nicol Edmonds, especially when Mayara Magri did this effortlessly in the dress rehearsal.  Even the men in the Nimrod variation (Gary Avis and Thomas Whitehead) lacked the necessary gravitas in the recurring simple step onto demi-pointe with the back leg in low arabesque to convince me they were having a conversation.  However, my criticisms aside, it is always lovely to revisit any Ashton work, particularly one which holds special memories of performances past.

 

Act III of “Raymonda” is simply a wonderful excuse for a feast of fabulous dancing and stands alone as such, with the story told in the first two Acts almost incidental.  I remember reading about Pavlova reminiscing, probably with Karsavina, about their performances in St. Petersburg when all the company’s ballerinas would perform the variations in this Act, each tailor-made by Petipa for them, and what a line-up it must have been!  This performance left me feeling nostalgic for English National Ballet’s performances of Act III in 2013 when their casts were led by Daria Klimentova and Elena Glurjidze as the eponymous heroine with a very young Vadim Muntagirov and an older Dmitri Gruzdev, respectively, as Jean de Brienne, all bringing a gravitas and instinctive Russian Imperial style to their dancing.  All were outstanding but Glurjidze, in particular, brought an exceptional presence to her solo and the series of relevé en passant, gradually speeding up as the dancer moves downstage.  Lauren Cuthbertson brought an aristocratic feeling to her Raymonda but did not match Glurjidze in either the magnificence of her relevés or in the luxuriant use of her back.  Federico Bonelli lacked the power and style of both Muntagirov and Gruzdev and I am very happy to have the chance to see how Muntagirov has developed his interpretation when his performance is televised.  Pavel Sorokin whipped the orchestra into a passionate reading of Glazunov’s glorious score but with exactly the right delicacy for moments such as the deceptively difficult Variation1, stylishly danced by Fumi Kaneko.  In all, a great way to end an evening!

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10 hours ago, Tony Newcombe said:

Annette Buvoli, the only dance not applauded after her solo! Why not. I thought she was quite wonderful 

 

She may not have got applause but on Friday she got the most flowers :)

 

abf

 

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2 hours ago, Irmgard said:

what wonderfully fleet-footed dancers he had in Berlin in 1966 and then in London, a talent which is not always appreciated today when pyrotechnics can sometimes take precedence over beautiful footwork. 

 

Indeed! +1

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6 hours ago, Ianlond said:

I thought James Hay & (I think) Calvin Richardson looked very good in the classical pas de quatre but there seemed to be less uniformity from the other two (first) soloists.


Yes! Exactly my thought. 👍🏼 I thought the slightly more junior pas de quatre line-up on Friday (which also included Hay and Richardson) worked better.

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1 minute ago, MrsBBB said:

Yes! Exactly my thought. 👍🏼 I thought the slightly more junior pas de quatre line-up on Friday (which also included Hay and Richardson) worked better.

 

The issue here is partly that, in the 'first cast' line-up, one or more natural left-turners is having to turn to the right.

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Regarding Irmgard’s review one of my favourite performances of Concerto was also an RBS performance with Denise Nunn in the slow part

I believe some dancers from back then think they danced the other movements especially the last at quite a pace compared to today’s dancers! So may have lost some of its excitement ....I saw it in those days but not sure if I can remember that sort of detail ..,.will be interesting when see it in December.

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Someone (a critic) commented about Sarah Lamb's claps being a bit on the weak side: in the Bolshoi broadcast this afternoon, I don't think Olga Smirnova's hands ever actually met - if they did, it was silently.

 

Another vote for me for Annette Buvoli, who made a great impression in what I think is her first featured solo (Winifred Norbury).  I wanted to applaud her, but as others have already said there isn't really a gap between her music and Nimrod to do it in!

 

When I saw Raymonda on Friday night, the soloist who made the biggest impression on me was Beatriz Stix-Brunell in the final solo.  I'm not sure whether this is the same one that Mayara Magri danced on the opening night, as I wasn't there for that one?

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I have heard it said that some Russian ballerinas don't clap in Raymonda's solo because it is considered 'vulgar, just for character dancers'. Therefore they make the gesture without the sound. I suppose it's also a foolproof option for those claps which don't quite make it! It will be interesting to see what Osipova decides to do. I wonder if Bolshoi and Maryinsky dancers take a different line on this. 

 

Regarding Saturday's performance, I was slightly underwhelmed by Concerto. I love all the soloists involved, (Reece Clark, a wonderfully assured dancer and partner) but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I got more from BRB's performance at the MacMillan celebration. We have got used to such high standards from the group that I was shocked to see some different ideas about standing in line (mainly from the first soloists) which also was evident in the curtain calls in Raymonda. 

 

As for Enigma, I don't think the piece has ever come across quite as strongly to me as it did on Saturday night (sadly never saw the piece until the late 90s), although some individual performances have  previously shone more brightly. Like Ianlond, I thought McNally was  good, but Arestis is more affecting - to be fair, I think it was McNally's debut. I also don't think O'Sullivan (and I am a real fan - loved her Florine and Juliet), quite has the measure of her role yet - possibly another debut. Unlike, a previous poster, I adore Dorabella's solo, but it's funny you mentioned how long it seemed as I do remember one dancer getting audibly out of breath about halfway through, circa 2005. As expected Avis, Campbell and Gartside were their usual brilliant selves. What, to me, was unexpected, was how vividly those roles that I consider to be 'minor', shone - the guy on the bike and the two after him (Kay, Whitehead and Ella) , plus Winifred Norbury and George Robertson Sinclair as danced by Annette Buvoli and Luca Acri. I thought the Magri/Mock duet also came off beautifully. 

 

Some critics (and at least one poster here) have mentioned that it's impossible to know what the ballet is about (waiting for the letter) without reading the synopsis, but I don't think it matters, nor is it really the point: the ballet is packed with so much detail and observation about human relationships and I think that is really enough. After all, it's not trying to be a ballet with a linear narrative like Giselle or Manon, but it still has the power to induce tears through revealing the human condition. It also helps that Ashton is so in tune with his music. I found I was able to accept the character of Mary Lygon much better than before. My thoughts suddenly turned to the nymphs of pan from Daphnis and Chloe. In Daphnis the nymphs turn up to guide and console Daphnis: in similar vain, Mary appears, real or imagined, as a figure of soothing reassurance, a guardian angel figure, just as Elgar is in his moment of need.

 

Like others, I thought Lamb superb in Raymonda. Muntagirov was fabulous, but could possibly do with wearing a little more make up. He looked a little pale and the crown flattens his hair to his head and neck, accentuating his slender features. 

 

Unlike some critics, I think these three pieces work very well together, I am just looking forward to Concerto with extra fiz in December. 

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That 'clap' is silent in all Russian productions.  (Not sure if it has anything to do with vulgarity.)

 

Nureyev always insisted that the clap should be heard in his productions.

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7 hours ago, Darlex said:

I am just looking forward to Concerto with extra fiz in December. 

That’s a lovely review, Darlex. Extra Fiz would be a good thing right now for this Fiz as I had one whole hour of sleep last night!

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13 hours ago, stucha said:

That 'clap' is silent in all Russian productions.  (Not sure if it has anything to do with vulgarity.)

 

Nureyev always insisted that the clap should be heard in his productions.

When Asylmuratova guested with the Royal Ballet in November 1990, she really did give us very loud claps. 

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Well Yasmine Naghdi reminded us all tonight what we’ve been missing. Her return to the ROH stage after absence from injury heralded the most beautiful, emotional performance of the adagio in Concerto that I have yet seen. Sensitively partnered by Ryo Hirano, this was very special.  She deserved the loud cheers she got. Welcome back Miss Naghdi!  

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Agree Sim, it was a splendid second movement with Naghdi’s beautiful lines and Hirano’s exemplary partnering.  In fact, with Magri in the third movement and O’Sullivan in the first, the future of the RB’s female talent looks very secure.

 

The evening as a whole was the best I’ve seen from the RB in a while - Morera was at her sensitive dramatic best in Enigma Variations, partnered sympathetically by Christopher Saunders.  Muntagirov surpassed even his own high standards in the Raymonda variation - it’s becoming almost comical, as if gravity doesn’t apply to him - lots of fun to watch.  And Osipova made me laugh too.  I thought she looked a bit tired but she more than made up for it by vamping her way fiercely through the whole thing.  It was a long way from the ice queen that a lot of ballerinas deliver for Raymonda but absolutely no one can top her for entertainment value - you just never know what kind of crazy is going to turn up but it is never anything less than fascinating!

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Well, can’t sleep, so might as well write a review!

 

I loved it all this evening - with Raymonda probably my overall favourite, followed by Concerto, followed by Enigma Variations - but I enjoyed it all, given that I hadn’t seen any of the ballets (unless you count the Raymonda Act 3 pas de deux/principal variations on video).

 

Concerto was a lovely surprise - the bright, fresh colours, the music - and, of course, the dancing. In particular the really beautiful and moving Adagio with Naghdi and Hirano - Naghdi was simply stunning - and Mayara Magri, who seems to grow in confidence and aplomb each time I see her. Others that caught my eye were Melissa Hamilton and James Hay.

 

 I can understand why Enigma Variations isn’t, perhaps, everyone’s cup of tea, but I think if you can get your head around it as a series of character studies rather than a storyline (I know there is one, but it’s somewhat loose), then it is far easier to enjoy. I’m glad I had read previous reviews as they were helpful in explaining a lot that wasn’t immediately obvious (a better synopsis would be extremely helpful - my neighbours in the seats didn’t understand the significance of the telegram at the end until I explained it to them). I couldn’t fault any individual performance but my favourites were Francesca Hayward as Dorabella, and the very moving trio of Christopher Saunders, Bennet Gartside and Laura Morera - she never fails to impress me.

 

I loved Raymonda from the moment the curtain went up on that wonderful set - the music, the costumes and the dancing. Previous reviews referred to some raggedness in the Corps and the Pas de Quatre - I can’t say any of this was in evidence tonight. Fumi Kaneko, Claire Calvert and Beatriz Stix-Brunell all performed lovely variations, and it was very nice to see Ashley Dean getting some prominence tonight - very well performed too.

 

And really, what can one say about the Principal couple? I tend to be on the fence with Osipova - she either dazzles and charms me or leaves me cold. Tonight it was the former - her clapping variation was imperious, slightly over the top, and mesmerising to the point that it made me shiver pleasurably. Muntagirov - well, he didn’t dance, he flew - but all with such beautiful lines and understated charm that he took the breath away. The woman sitting next to me had never seen him, only other RB male Principals, but was whooping and cheering and a complete convert by the end of the evening. Really, in classical roles like this there is no one to touch him imo. The power of Muntagirov....

 

 

Edited by Balletfanp
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2 hours ago, Lindsay said:

Agree Sim, it was a splendid second movement with Naghdi’s beautiful lines and Hirano’s exemplary partnering.  In fact, with Magri in the third movement and O’Sullivan in the first, the future of the RB’s female talent looks very secure.

 

The evening as a whole was the best I’ve seen from the RB in a while - Morera was at her sensitive dramatic best in Enigma Variations, partnered sympathetically by Christopher Saunders.  Muntagirov surpassed even his own high standards in the Raymonda variation - it’s becoming almost comical, as if gravity doesn’t apply to him - lots of fun to watch.  And Osipova made me laugh too.  I thought she looked a bit tired but she more than made up for it by vamping her way fiercely through the whole thing.  It was a long way from the ice queen that a lot of ballerinas deliver for Raymonda but absolutely no one can top her for entertainment value - you just never know what kind of crazy is going to turn up but it is never anything less than fascinating!

 

Interesting, for Raymonda herself I think that the Russian choreography is more on the "icy queen" side while Nureyev version is more like demanding and arrogant with under the surface passion. I will see it next week to check what they deliver this time :)

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Highlight of the evening was Concerto, the central adagio danced by Yasmine Naghdi and Ryoichi Hirano. Their performance was pure visual poetry, classicism at its purest, continuously pleasing to the eye. Ryoichi Hirano showed us noble partnering at its best ("It's all about the ballerina, she's the most precious one" as he so generously stated during the World Ballet Day/Concerto Masterclass); his partnering, combined with Yasmine Naghdi's exquisite classical line and feet, made the 2nd Movement a real visual feast, and I fully agree here with Sim, it was the most beautiful execution of the 2nd Movement I have ever seen too (sadly I have never seen Lynn Seymour). I love Marianela Nunez in this role too but with Yasmine Naghdi one gets the essential classical ballerina line which adds to the overall visual beauty of the 2nd Movement (yes I am a total sucker for beautiful classical lines). No wonder Mr. O'Hare choose Yasmine Naghdi and Ryoichi Hirano for the upcoming worldwide live cinema relay.

As demonstrated in the Concerto Masterclass/World Ballet Day this is a notoriously difficult Movement to perfectly execute, deceptively easy, its difficulty lies in the precise mastery and controlled execution of so many details. Anna-Rose O'Sullivan in the 1st Movement showed strong dancing, as did Mayara Magri in the 3rd Movement. A beautiful performance by all.

 

Enigma Variations and Raymonda not my cup of tea, nevertheless I loved  Laura Morera and Francesca Hayward's performance in Enigma Variations, and Vadim Muntagirov in Raymonda. Some nicely danced variations in Raymonda too. 

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1 hour ago, capybara said:

Naghdi in Concerto, Morera and Hayward in Enigma and Muntagirov in Raymonda, and lots more besides.

Last night, this perfection was emotional in itself. I felt so privileged to be there.

 

And is this the cinema cast for 5 November?  Indoor fireworks kicking off Concerto.

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On 26/10/2019 at 22:32, Bruce Wall said:

please know the film of the original cast in Elgar Variations is free to all comers to watch in the Robbin's Dance Collection on the third floor of the Lincoln Center Library.  I have seen it a few times myself and always come away feeling privileged at being able to do so ... and deeply moved.  

 

I have also had the privilege of watching this important recording. As a result I would like to add a comment based on the timing of it. 

 

Last night was my second time at this triple bill and, wonderful as some of the dancing was, it gave me the opportunity to test something which concerned me when I saw the show last week. Some commentators have been less than excited by Enigma Variations but are they currently seeing the work as Ashton intended? The original cast danced it in more or less exactly 29 minutes (counting just the music from start to finish) whereas last night's music ran for 31 minutes, which is some 7% slower. There were no stage waits nor interpolations of new music so the only explanation is that the conducting was significantly slower, and therefore, by extension, so was the dancing. 

 

There are various possible reasons for this. This particular conductor is not my favourite - my view is that he has the ability to render masterpieces uninteresting by conducting too slowly - and this may simply be his view of Elgar's music. Alternatively (as has been argued elsewhere on this Forum in the past) he is taking account of a cast less drilled in Cecchetti than the original Royal Ballet troupe Ashton created the work on, so perhaps less eager to dance this at the intended speed. 

 

This is not to denigrate any specific dancer - Morera, for example, was beautiful last night - but to explore the often disregarded connection between faulty conducting and the subjective experience of a work. I have my fingers crossed for next week's Sleeping Beauty, hoping that the conductor will heed Tchaikovsky's markings and conduct the work to speed, not as we had for so many years (until Koen Kessels put things right). The sluggish pace in the past may have been one reason for people to feel this magnificent classical ballet is "too long", "slow", "boring", and so on. 

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