RB Concerto / Enigma Variations / Raymonda Act III, 2019

[Fonty]

13 minutes ago, Two Pigeons said:

 

So, on with Raymonda, something of a favourite of mine.  I was very curious to know how Natalia Osipova would fit into the Nureyev version.  I will just say quickly that I saw Nureyev dance in this production towards the end of his career.  He was no Vadim Muntagirov by that time!  So, would Natalia clap or not clap.  No, apparently ballerinas are not supposed to make a noise.  It looked a bit odd without the slap as she was so imperious in the role.

 

 

 

Didn't Osipova clap this time?  She certainly did last week when I saw her.  The noise was perfectly audible in the amphitheatre.

I made comments about the floor in Raymonda when I posted after the performance I saw.  Nobody else said anything, so I assume this looks different depending on where you sit.  I shall be interested to see how it looks when I go to an Encore performance at the cinema.

 

On the subject of empty cinemas.  I missed it because November 5th is Firework night.  I thought at the time it was a strange day to do a live broadcast. 

[zxDaveM]

2 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

Didn't Osipova clap this time?  She certainly did last week when I saw her.  The noise was perfectly audible in the amphitheatre.

I made comments about the floor in Raymonda when I posted after the performance I saw.  Nobody else said anything, so I assume this looks different depending on where you sit.  I shall be interested to see how it looks when I go to an Encore performance at the cinema.

 

On the subject of empty cinemas.  I missed it because November 5th is Firework night.  I thought at the time it was a strange day to do a live broadcast. 

 

Yes, she certainly did (make a sound when clapping)

Standing in the SC, you can see there is something of a pattern on the floor, but not what it is (same for Enigma V's). So I assume this applies to everyone below grand tier level

The 'empty cinemas' (not all were, I think the seat prices were an influence here) - shows me how insular the ballet/dance world is, as outside events are rarely considered, even between companies: see crushed calendar between ROH and Sadlers Wells every June; several companies doing the same named ballet in the same city either at the same time or at least within a few weeks of each other; and for me, the matinee the other Saturday starting at noon, when the Rugby World Cup final only finished at 11am

[Xandra Newman]

For those of us who watched at the ROH last night, nice to be able to see the Concerto cinema relay interview section with Principals Yasmine Naghdi and Ryoichi Hirano, as well as with First Soloists James Hay and Anna Rose O'Sullivan, and Kate Shipway. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM_c8MMUfZI

 

[San Perregrino]

28 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

Didn't Osipova clap this time?  She certainly did last week when I saw her.  The noise was perfectly audible in the amphitheatre.

I made comments about the floor in Raymonda when I posted after the performance I saw.  Nobody else said anything, so I assume this looks different depending on where you sit.  I shall be interested to see how it looks when I go to an Encore performance at the cinema.

 

On the subject of empty cinemas.  I missed it because November 5th is Firework night.  I thought at the time it was a strange day to do a live broadcast. 

yes she did clap last night 

[Two Pigeons]

Not what I would call a clap!

[Lizbie1]

1 hour ago, Two Pigeons said:

As for Vadim, there are no words.  I feel so privileged every time I see him.

 

Someone asked on another thread whether one could be “in love” with a dancer on stage: watching Muntagirov in a grand pas is about as close as I’ll get.

 

I think what marks out the great artists is the feeling that they were born to do exactly what they are doing: IMO he is one such.

[Mary]

Hear, hear.

 

His great modesty in interviews is also very becoming: he praised Osipova last night and said she pushed him to improve - at which I involuntarily exclaimed- 'How can you get any better, Vadim!' ( and was hushed by my husband🙂)

 

 

[Richard LH]

5 minutes ago, Mary said:

Hear, hear.

 

His great modesty in interviews is also very becoming: he praised Osipova last night and said she pushed him to improve - at which I involuntarily exclaimed- 'How can you get any better, Vadim!' ( and was hushed by my husband🙂)

 

 

And his praise was reciprocated...Osipova speaking English which is unusual, I think? She was wonderful last night too.

[Mandy Kent]

Barnet Everyman was quite full. Had the pleasure of bumping into Grey Rabbit and Minder too

[Fiz]

1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

And his praise was reciprocated...Osipova speaking English which is unusual, I think? She was wonderful last night too.

I saw Miss Osipova in an interview on YouTube last week and her English was really good. I was impressed because I believe she used to dislike speaking it because she felt she didn’t speak it very well. She should be proud of herself for that too. 

[LinMM]

Mandy Kent your post made me laugh ... sounds like two rather dubious characters you bumped into! 

[Sim]

Lin they are ballet regulars and sometime posters on this forum!

[Shade]

2 hours ago, Two Pigeons said:

Not what I would call a clap!

 I heard the claps clearly in the balcony.

 

reflecting further on last night - one advantage of mixed bills is the opportunity to see such a range of wonderful dancers at all levels. 

[Nogoat]

Last night's Triple Bill mix was a wonderful showcase for the strength and breadth of the Royal Ballet's repertoire and personnel. Covering abstract, narrative, and set-piece (with the emphasis on the 'set', which got its own round of applause), this feast for the eyes and ears had the added benefit of being beamed around the world - which can only have increased the global standing of the company. Kudos, Kevin O'Hare! 

 

I was surprised to find that two of the three pieces moved me to tears. To some extent I think I'd been primed for this, for last night should have been my third performance but turned out to be my first. The bug that's been going around kept me away, and since 'absence that makes the heart grow fonder' I went to the ROH really appreciating what an absolute privilege it is to be able to go there.

 

I'm a huge fan of both Shostakovich and MacMillan, so putting the two together in Concerto was all but guaranteed to impress. And, boy, did the cast impress!

Anna-Rose O'Sullivan and James Hay are simply made for each other, both physically and in their demeanour/style (I'm so looking forward to seeing them in Sleeping Beauty). She, in particular, simply oozes 'presence' (I've probably mentioned this before, but for me it's down to simple things like her always looking up and out at the audience).

The light, playful mood of the first movement was beautifully portrayed by the pair of them, down to that last, momentary, cheeky 'curtain call' reappearance just before the lights go out.

Shostakovich was a master of mood, and the second movement switches that mood to pure, aching beauty. The visual portrayal of this by Naghdi (ably abetted by the serene, effortless strength of Hirano and, of course, by MacMillan's choreography) reduced me to tears.

Naghdi's physical and technical beauty is the personification of the classical ballerina, and the choreography resonates with that. There was a graceful, slender strength about her that seemed so perfect - yet so far beyond us mere mortals to render her isolated, even lonely - that it made me well up.

With her beautiful, structurally-perfect, gravity-defying poses, she could be the ballet equivalent of triumphs of form and function such as the Millau Viaduct!

The third movement saw Mayara Magri take unpartnered centre stage. That she demanded and commanded attention shows just how far she has come in recent years - yet another dancer whose stage-presence is improving.

 

To all intents and purposes, last night's Enigma Variations could count as my first - since the last (and probably only) time I saw it previously was so long ago I can barely recall. The enthusiasm shown by others I spoke to before and after the performance - who have seen it many times over the years - plus my qualified enjoyment of it suggests I should persevere.

I'm sure there is a lot more to glean from the piece, but at the moment there's a nagging thought that Ashton, in putting it together, was rather picking at low-hanging fruit given the 'leitmotifs' are already there. Each character has their own variation, and the music and the copious written analysis of the music fully describes those characters; it's 'simply' (to my simple mind, of course) a matter of transposing those to movement. However, there is a clever, recursive, self-referential feel to the narrative in that it's about the composer of the music being played waiting to hear about the performance of that same piece of music, surrounded by the people portrayed in the music.

 

But the music may also be a curse as well as a gift. The 'curse' is that the music - and the consideration of each character represented by that music - is played out in a linear series of a dozen or so variations. There is not much room for narrative plot development: each variation/character takes centre stage, then fades to one degree or another into the background. The result is that the whole piece is a bit episodic, and the episodes are related less to the 'plot' (waiting for the telegram) and more to the music.

I reconciled this on the night by thinking that maybe the characters were not actually present - that Elgar, while waiting for news about his composition, was reflecting on his music and the friends and relatives that inspired it.

 

Most narrative ballets seek out music to describe characters and situations in a pre-defined story (eg Month in the County), or construct a narrative around pre-existing, but unconnected music (eg Anastasia); perhaps Ashton's achievement in Enigma Variations was managing to build any sort of narrative at all around such a uniquely-constrained piece of music.

One thing that struck me about Enigma Variations, and which may account for some of its attraction, was just how thoroughly and quintessentially English it is.

Ashton; Elgar; The Royal Ballet; the Victorian/Edwardian era staging; the eccentricity of the characters; the self-doubting, but determined Elgar; the foundational, selfless love of his wife; the supportive steadfastness (now there's an English word, if ever there was one! ) of Nimrod. And, yes, it was the 'conversation' between these three characters (to the Nimrod variation) that got my tears flowing - in particular Elgar's slow, shallow lift of his wife off the floor and to his side. Perhaps that's where the genius of this piece lies - in the little touches, the ones I will only see on repeated viewing.

On a lighter note, I thought folk back then were better-mannered than they are nowadays? So why is the telegram (presumably addressed to Elgar) opened and shown to all and sundry, with Elgar being the last to know? I get told off if I open my partner's junk mail with the simple intention to recycle it!

 

I enjoyed Raymonda (Act 3), but perhaps not as much as I thought I would. Yes, the staging was gorgeous (and was applauded), but I think it suffered from being excised from the full-length version (even though the plot in the full version is fairly insubstantial) - it didn't seem sufficiently self-contained to stand on its own merits.

 

Some of the variations were extremely well done (Fumi Kaneko springs to the front of that queue, especially if that queue is labelled 'soon to be promoted to principal'). 

 

Muntagirov was his usual flowing self, and Osipova as the eponymous Raymonda did what any eponymous character should do and laid claim to the stage (as far as I'm concerned, when it comes to stage presence she's second to none).

I think she absolutely revels in that sort of teasing, controlled exhibitionism. Like seeing a Lamborghini doing 70mph on the motorway, you not only have time to appreciate just what it is, but also to recognise just what it is capable of doing if let off the leash.

 

[Sim]

I agree with everyones's superlatives above.  I so enjoyed last night, and as with her first performance, Yasmine Naghdi was the highlight of my evening.  Could I possibly be moved again last night like I was in her first performance?  Naaah, I thought to myself.  How wrong I was.  Such beauty of movement is enough to make anyone weep.  So gorgeously fluid, so deeply interpreted, such perfection of line, such natural stage presence and most of all, such a connection to the music and the choreography.  She is a classical ballerina through and through and my goodness we are lucky to have her.  Once again, sensitive and sturdy partnering from Ryo Hirano allowed Naghdi to perform in full, beautiful flow.  I would buy this DVD for that performance alone.

 

I am afraid I am one of those who doesn't really get it with Enigma.  I love other Ashton pieces, but this just doesn't do anything for me.  Not to take away from the performances, which were all immensely enjoyable per se (especially the magnificent Morera, who really 'gets' every single role she performs), but as a whole it just doesn't work for me.  I must say I too preferred Gary Avis in the role, but in Christopher Saunders' defence I don't think there was anything unsavoury or creepy about how he looked at Dorabella.

 

I loved Raymonda...a happy, pretty piece of fluff that is great to end a mixed evening with.  Muntagirov and Osipova were not only having a ball, but ripped through their choreography with joy, class and aplomb...so much fun.  I also thought Fumi Kaneko was the stand-out of the solos;  such assured control, such beautiful arms.  One name that hasn't been mentioned yet is that of Ashley Dean, she of another fabulous smile.  She was in all three pieces last night, often at the front, and in the Raymonda pd3 she kept up perfectly with her soloist seniors and danced very impressively.  Between the smiles on her and Isabella Gasparini's faces, and the radiance of the dancing, the audience was sent home having had a blast of sunshine in the dark.  A great night.

 

 

[Xandra Newman]

38 minutes ago, Sim said:

I agree with everyones's superlatives above.  I so enjoyed last night, and as with her first performance, Yasmine Naghdi was the highlight of my evening.  Could I possibly be moved again last night like I was in her first performance?  Naaah, I thought to myself.  How wrong I was.  Such beauty of movement is enough to make anyone weep.  So gorgeously fluid, so deeply interpreted, such perfection of line, such natural stage presence and most of all, such a connection to the music and the choreography.  She is a classical ballerina through and through and my goodness we are lucky to have her.  Once again, sensitive and sturdy partnering from Ryo Hirano allowed Naghdi to perform in full, beautiful flow.  I would buy this DVD for that performance alone.

 

The moment Yasmine Naghdi set my tears rolling was when Ryoichi Hirano lifted her up in the air, giving herself completely over to the music, her delicate arm movements made the most gorgeous score visible. It really felt like a transcendent moment within the 2nd Movement. I'll buy the DVD too, just for Concerto. 

All the dancers were on fine form last night and they ALL contributed in their own way to showing The Royal Ballet at its best, for the whole world to see!

Yes, my congratulations to Mr. O'Hare too for his thoughtful and intelligent selection of ballets shown in this Triple Bill, and for selecting the amazing outstanding cast of last night.

 

[LinMM]

Ever since I saw Denise Nunn in that second movement it's easy to set me off in that pas de deux.....it's just so beautiful. 

[alison]

I was slightly stunned to see footage of James Hay dancing Concerto with a beard!  Did he actually do that in a live performance, or was it a rehearsal which they filmed?

 

Since he was clean-shaven last night, I guess if he appears as Lescaut tonight with a significant beard we'll know it's fake  

[JNC]

Has a DVD been confirmed or are we just speculating/hoping? 

 

Concerto should definitely be on a DVD - but I question whether it belongs on a DVD with Enigma Variations and Raymonda? I would prefer it to be perhaps part of a more contemporary offering (perhaps the upcoming Cellist and Dances at a Gathering combo?). I didn’t really like Enigma enough to buy a DVD. Raymonda should be on a DVD but perhaps as part of a classical set - or neoclassical perhaps like Balanchine (Symphony in C?). 

 

Just my opinion though and perhaps because I had mixed thoughts on Enigma. I would happily buy a DVD of last year’s Firebird/A month in the Country/Symphony in C mix even though they were similarly unconnected on one level, but they didn’t film that one did they (?) - a real shame/missed opportunity. Same with the Fonteyn gala. 

 

I’m still waiting for last year’s Bayadere DVD to be released! 

Edited November 6, 2019 by JNC

[bangorballetboy]

17 minutes ago, JNC said:

Has a DVD been confirmed or are we just speculating/hoping? 

 

Concerto should definitely be on a DVD

 

 

Possibly worth remembering that there is already a recent DVD that includes Concerto (with Elite Syncopations and The Judas Tree).

[MJW]

29 minutes ago, alison said:

I was slightly stunned to see footage of James Hay dancing Concerto with a beard!  Did he actually do that in a live performance, or was it a rehearsal which they filmed?

 

Since he was clean-shaven last night, I guess if he appears as Lescaut tonight with a significant beard we'll know it's fake  

 

He was clean shaving this afternoon - so unless he has incredible beard growth, its fake!

 

[JNC]

12 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Possibly worth remembering that there is already a recent DVD that includes Concerto (with Elite Syncopations and The Judas Tree).

 

Sounds right in terms of a MacMillan selection. 

 

I think last night’s performance is worthy of a new DVD but at the same time question if it would be financially sensible if a recent DVD already exists. 

[HelenLoveAppleJuice]

37 minutes ago, JNC said:

Has a DVD been confirmed or are we just speculating/hoping? 

 

Concerto should definitely be on a DVD - but I question whether it belongs on a DVD with Enigma Variations and Raymonda? I would prefer it to be perhaps part of a more contemporary offering (perhaps the upcoming Cellist and Dances at a Gathering combo?). I didn’t really like Enigma enough to buy a DVD. Raymonda should be on a DVD but perhaps as part of a classical set - or neoclassical perhaps like Balanchine (Symphony in C?). 

 

Just my opinion though and perhaps because I had mixed thoughts on Enigma. I would happily buy a DVD of last year’s Firebird/A month in the Country/Symphony in C mix even though they were similarly unconnected on one level, but they didn’t film that one did they (?) - a real shame/missed opportunity. Same with the Fonteyn gala. 

 

I’m still waiting for last year’s Bayadere DVD to be released! 

 

I got words from RB insider confirming both Bayadere and Raymonda Act III will be released in DVD 

I did not ask about Concerto or others. But I am now curious about if Coppelia will also have DVD. They seems to on some effort to build a Vadim Muntagirov collection. 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by HelenLoveAppleJuice

[LinMM]

Sorry to harp on but if there are any other oldies on here who remember Denise Nunn .....I've been trying to rack my brains who partnered her in Concerto in early 70's ( around 72-74)  it could have been Michael Batchelor or Nicholas Whittle but not sure .....have a feeling it was the former. 

There is still a video of Denise Nunn in Month in the Country.... with Seymour Dowell and Graheme Fletcher  it's on a BBC arts : Ashton's Four  Best programme......as she initiated the role of Vera in Month in the Country.

Somebody here was saying they would like Concerto and Raymonda with Month in the Country as a triple combination.....yes please....would be ballet heaven for me ....would come for the music alone!! But of course the bállets are truely delightful as well! 

[Springbourne3]

1 minute ago, LinMM said:

Sorry to harp on but if there are any other oldies on here who remember Denise Nunn .....I've been trying to rack my brains who partnered her in Concerto in early 70's ( around 72-74)  it could have been Michael Batchelor or Nicholas Whittle but not sure .....have a feeling it was the former. 

There is still a video of Denise Nunn in Month in the Country.... with Seymour Dowell and Graheme Fletcher  it's on a BBC arts : Ashton's Four  Best programme......as she initiated the role of Vera in Month in the Country.

Somebody here was saying they would like Concerto and Raymonda with Month in the Country as a triple combination.....yes please....would be ballet heaven for me ....would come for the music alone!! But of course the bállets are truely delightful as well! 

Yes I remember her LinMM - think it was Michael Batchelor who partnered her.  

 

[jmhopton]

5 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

On the subject of empty cinemas.  I missed it because November 5th is Firework night.  I thought at the time it was a strange day to do a live broadcast. 

 

Yes I thought it was a strange night to do it. Mixed bills never seem to sell as well at the cinemas and to broadcast one when many people will be either attending firework displays or staying in with pets seems quite inexplicable, especially given the very generous number of performances.

 

Anyway not having either children or pets I really enjoyed the triple bill at the cinema. I actually preferred it to last Saturday's matinee at the ROH. I don't quite know why as both were excellently danced. Perhaps the close ups helped me 'get' the ballets more. Unfortunately our Odeon cinema at Preston had the sound set far too loud for Concerto and some of the high notes were actually going right through your head; very unpleasant. I suspect they'd been showing an ordinary film in the afternoon and not altered the sound level. It wasn't just me as I was part of a queue of disgruntled ballet lovers in the interval. They did reduce the sound but it still seemed louder than normal.

 

I really love Concerto; the music and choreography go together so seamlessly it is a joy to watch. I was slightly disappointed not to see Francesca as I thought she was stunning in it last Saturday but Anna Rose and James Hay (good to see them getting some well deserved international recognition) were really brilliant and Yasmine and Ryio very romantic in the second movement. Magri added an amazing Concerto solo to the equally amazing Raymonda solo I saw last Saturday. is there anything she can't do? Surely a principal promotion can't be that far off for her.

 

Enigma variations I think benefited from the cinema close ups. You could see what a nuanced ballet this is with every look and gesture counting. I thought I slightly preferred Gary Avis' Elgar to Christopher Saunders but both were excellent as was Laura Morera as Lady Elgar. I thought I saw Romany Pajdak doing the same beautiful solo she did last Saturday but the cast sheet didn't mention her. Perhaps I got it wrong. it was great to see Romany last Saturday and I'm so pleased that at last she is getting some of the parts her talent deserves. Francesca was an adorable Dorabella. Was it her debut? if so it was incredible; she was made for the role as she was for the young girl in Month in the Country. I thought both Matthew Ball and Luca Acri were excellent in their very fast solos and it was nice to see Wayne Sleep explaining Luca's role. I think on balance I slightly preferred Alex Campbell as Troyt but both were good even though they perhaps haven't quite achieved the speed, finish and authority of Dowell. But that can't really be expected in their debut season.

 

Finally Raymonda. Love the set and it was great it got it's customary applause. The Hungarian dances were spectacular (love the cossacky costumes!) though sometimes I got the feeling the stage was a bit cramping for some of the groupings. What can I say about Osipova and Muntagirov that others haven't already said? They were just so spectacular both as individuals and together. He sailed through his variations, defying gravity as usual and always with his megawat smile. As for Osipova I thought she was sensational. She even made me consider seeing the ballet full length if she was Raymonda something I thought I'd never say as I think it is very boring as a three act ballet. She just commanded the stage like the great artist she is.

 

All in all a great night. Now all I need is the dvd, please Mr O'Hare.

[Jane S]

Denise Nunn danced Concerto with Nicholas Whittle at the 1974 RBS performance but she also danced with Michael Batchelor in the same performance in Friday in Ashton's Jazz Calendar.

[LinMM]

Michael Batchelor was a lovely  dancer and I remember some considerable excitement around when he appeared on the scene but unfortunately I think his career was initially cut short by injury .......and then he died young .....he disappeared too soon would love to have seen more of him. 

[HelenLoveAppleJuice]

5 hours ago, Two Pigeons said:

 So, would Natalia clap or not clap.  No, apparently ballerinas are not supposed to make a noise.  It looked a bit odd without the slap as she was so imperious in the role.

5 hours ago, Two Pigeons said:

 

 

She did clap. I can hear clearly at balcony but not very loud one. 

I have not attended other performance by RB for Raymonda Act III. But from the recordings I have watched it seems related to the choreography.

 

Russian. including La Scala version based on original Russian choreography : Empty fake clap. No sound. 

POB: loud clap. (Gillot and Guillem recording)

RB: Clap with sound but softer. And also the Hungarian pose are softer than POB  (Rojo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQxlfxqOtIU)

 

My friend who learnt a some ballet in school told me an explanation from their ballet teacher (not accountable though) :

Clapping with sound was regarded not graceful in Russian at the time when Raymonda was staged.

Nureyev made the clapping sound. He staged the one act for RB first with almost non exiting story line. Thus Raymonda is more or less just a happy bride.

He staged the full length for POB later, gave new concept of Abderam and Raymonda character. Arguably Raymonda has a real feeling for Abdeam. And her Act III solo shows her anger, sadness and the determination, which is not emphasized much in one act version because the audience won't understand where it comes from. 

 

 

[Dawnstar]

13 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

I thought I saw Romany Pajdak doing the same beautiful solo she did last Saturday but the cast sheet didn't mention her. Perhaps I got it wrong. it was great to see Romany last Saturday and I'm so pleased that at last she is getting some of the parts her talent deserves.

 

There must have been a cast change because it was definitely Romany Pajdak dancing & she was correctly credited when the end credits rolled. Presumably Olivia Cowley was ill/injured/otherwise engaged at the last minute.

[Jamesrhblack]

26 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

. I thought I saw Romany Pajdak doing the same beautiful solo she did last Saturday but the cast sheet didn't mention her. Perhaps I got it wrong. it was great to see Romany last Saturday and I'm so pleased that at last she is getting some of the parts her talent deserves.

 

Hi, it was Romany Pajdak.

 

It stated Olivia Cowley on the Cast Sheet but it was definitely Ms Pajdak and her name appeared on the credits at the end.

Edited November 6, 2019 by Jamesrhblack

[Jamesrhblack]

9 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

There must have been a cast change because it was definitely Romany Pajdak dancing & she was correctly credited when the end credits rolled. Presumably Olivia Cowley was ill/injured/otherwise engaged at the last minute.

Sorry, Dawnstar, crossed in cyberspace ...

[Jamesrhblack]

21 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Michael Batchelor was a lovely  dancer and I remember some considerable excitement around when he appeared on the scene but unfortunately I think his career was initially cut short by injury .......and then he died young .....he disappeared too soon would love to have seen more of him. 

 

It was always a treat when he danced Ashton's Pas de Quatre in Swan Lake. If I recall correctly, he did do some performances as Hamlet...