Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty, 2019-20

[Lizbie1]

I actively dislike the earlier Lilac Fairy tutu - maybe it's the time of year but it reminds me of '80s tinsel and lametta.

[Douglas Allen]

23 minutes ago, JNC said:

I actually quite like the Messel designs

 

This just goes to show how people react differently when faced with the same picture. I've always felt the Messel designs are overpraised. I'm not saying that you are wrong and I am right, just two people having different preferences. I take the view that the Messel designs, both for sets (but particularly) costumes are too garish and the costumes are too fussily delineated. Part of the reason for the praise lavished on the Messel designs  was relief after the relative drabness of the war years when material was rationed and so much seemed to be swathed in grey. The primary colours lavished on the production must have seemed a blessed relief to audiences.

 

The de Nobili costumes for the 1968 production still seem to me to be unsurpassed. The tutus in particular looked ravishing and harked back to the style of the early productions in St. Petersburg. I know that some of the dancers felt unhappy with the length of the tutus (Sibley, I know, didn't like their length and felt they tended to obscure the line of the upper leg) but from the viewpoint of the audience they looked majestic. They were shaped, wide and not too detailed in their trimming.

 

Away from the design element, even if there isn't a new production in the offing, I hope the company takes a long hard look at some of the technical details of what is presented. Too much of the present stylistic approach is simply presenting and perpetuating the accretions of past productions without any clear insight as to what should be the choreographic text, let alone thinking how the text should be performed - to take just one example the lack of the use of epaulement in any of the Prologue fairy variations as well as the slowing of the tempi virtually randomly throughout performances. The Royal has currently an outstanding set of dancers both male and female and I have concerns that what they are being asked/encouraged to do is unworthy of their abilities.

[FionaM]

On 11/11/2019 at 23:18, JNC said:

 

I may be mistaken but I don’t think that was Takada...perhaps Sae Maeda? 

 
was it ever confirmed that Sae Maeda danced Act 2 on this eventful night?

 

Alex Campbell’s IG seems to infer so ...

 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by FionaE

[Rob S]

I came here specifically to ask what Alexander meant re Sae Maeda 

[Richard LH]

When Takada pulled out, Maeda finished Act 2 for the kiss before Naghdi took over for Act 3.

[LinMM]

That picture isn't of Sae Maeda though is it?? 

Looks like Hayward....but prob got wrong end of stick 🤔

[Rob S]

26 minutes ago, LinMM said:

That picture isn't of Sae Maeda though is it?? 

Looks like Hayward....but prob got wrong end of stick 🤔

 

He's thanking all his Auroras and illustrating the post with a pic of one of them as I presume a pic of all of them together would need to be photoshopped

[Lizbie1]

Speaking of the choreographic text - my favourite moment of the Rose Adagio (possibly of the whole ballet) as performed by the Royal Ballet is the passage about half way through, just after the shoulder lift, where Aurora bourrées on the spot with deep bends and extravagant port de bras. (See Fonteyn at the beginning of this video: https://youtu.be/Ff9wotb7pyM)

 

I *think* I've only ever seen RB and RB derived productions having this way of doing it: other companies' versions, as far as I've seen, range from an elegant sort of repeated charge forwards to some rather aimless twirling.

 

What I wonder is: is the RB version how Sergeyev instructed it, or is it perhaps another of those enhancements Ashton cooked up for Fonteyn? (The bends are certainly Ashtonian.)

 

Does anyone know the likely answer?

 

[bridiem]

8 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Speaking of the choreographic text - my favourite moment of the Rose Adagio (possibly of the whole ballet) as performed by the Royal Ballet is the passage about half way through, just after the shoulder lift, where Aurora bourrées on the spot with deep bends and extravagant port de bras. (See Fonteyn at the beginning of this video: https://youtu.be/Ff9wotb7pyM)

 

I *think* I've only ever seen RB and RB derived productions having this way of doing it: other companies' versions, as far as I've seen, range from an elegant sort of repeated charge forwards to some rather aimless twirling.

 

What I wonder is: is the RB version how Sergeyev instructed it, or is it perhaps another of those enhancements Ashton cooked up for Fonteyn? (The bends are certainly Ashtonian.)

 

Does anyone know the likely answer?

 

I don't know the answer to your question, Lizbie1, but that's one of my favourite moments too. It was especially beautiful on Tuesday evening as performed by Yasmine Naghdi - it was as if she was turning and bending almost in a trance of joy as her life opened up in front of/around her. Exquisite.

 

(And a terrific Rose Adagio from Fonteyn on the video!).

[alison]

8 hours ago, Odyssey said:

Well the background to the current design, including the costumes is proudly promoted on the website

Sixty years later, in 2006, the original 1946 staging was revived by then Director of The Royal Ballet Monica Mason and Christopher Newton, returning Oliver Messel’s wonderful designs and glittering costumes to the stage.

The Messel designs are lovely in their own way, but are a little heavy for quite a few people's tastes. I suspect this may well be the last time they will be seen and The Sleeping Beauty may have a complete overhaul next time it is in the repertoire - just my guess of course

 

 

Somehow, I rather doubt it.  The "original" ones in this production were designed rather as rather bland "one look fits all" costumes, I think, which could later be slotted easily into another production (at least, that's my assumption of what happened to them).  Peter Farmer was ill during the production process and so didn't immediately get the chance to create tutus after the original Messel designs, which was why the new ones were only introduced a few years later.

[redshoesgirl2]

17 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

No, unfortunately not - I'd booked for Tuesday evening when Naghdi stepped in. But 'lumbering' was a bad choice of word in my previous post in any case - the fish dives I've seen in this run have been good; they're just a lot slower now than in the Sibley/Dowell clip. You can see them unfold, whereas they used to be a real and apparently reckless headlong dive.

i remember the first time i ever saw one, years and years ago and i literally gasped!

[redshoesgirl2]

9 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

Speaking of the choreographic text - my favourite moment of the Rose Adagio (possibly of the whole ballet) as performed by the Royal Ballet is the passage about half way through, just after the shoulder lift, where Aurora bourrées on the spot with deep bends and extravagant port de bras. (See Fonteyn at the beginning of this video: https://youtu.be/Ff9wotb7pyM)...

 

wow! that is amazing!

[redshoesgirl2]

21 hours ago, Odyssey said:

Re : Fish dives.

 

You might be interested in this rehearsal of Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell by Michael Soames

https://youtu.be/_k3g8DMOIOU

 

well that is interesting. dowell's legs in the fish are in a totally different position than now, especially the second one. looks as if he was getting ready to lift weights. but the speed was certainly exciting.

[redshoesgirl2]

17 hours ago, HelenLoveAppleJuice said:

 

There is a very low quality video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zytPve7iEG4  

 

And here is a photo

 

I much prefer the old version, more "fairy" like in my opinion. But I admit that it is really up to personal taste... 

 

these long waisted tutus make the dancers legs look short and their upper bodies way too long. in the fonteyn video i loved the shorter tutus, those are the type i remember from when i was much younger. 

[Geoff]

13 hours ago, Douglas Allen said:

Away from the design element, even if there isn't a new production in the offing, I hope the company takes a long hard look at some of the technical details of what is presented. Too much of the present stylistic approach is simply presenting and perpetuating the accretions of past productions without any clear insight as to what should be the choreographic text, let alone thinking how the text should be performed - to take just one example the lack of the use of epaulement in any of the Prologue fairy variations as well as the slowing of the tempi virtually randomly throughout performances.

 

+1

 

At the ‘Sleeping Beauty and Me’ short Insight event earlier this week conductor Simon Hewett took a question about whether one can rely on Tchaikovsky’s metronome markings. Although he did not answer directly (speaking only of vaguer terms like allegro rather than the exact tempi shown on the score) his lengthy and discursive reply was nonetheless most interesting. His description of the conductor following the dancers might have surprised those who assume dancers always ‘dance to the music’. And his account of the dynamic relationship in rehearsals between, first, a pianist able to respond quickly and then, later, with a less easily manoeuvrable orchestra was illuminating.

 

At one point Hewett - as he referred to himself, an Australian ‘new boy’ to the Royal Ballet and its traditions - spoke of watching recordings of the company dancing Sleeping Beauty in the 1960s and being “astonished” at how fast the music was and how fast those dancers danced. This was as close as he came to speaking about the metronome markings, sitting as he was next to Monica Mason (which may have inhibited some of what he said).

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Geoff

[Odyssey]

7 hours ago, alison said:

 

Somehow, I rather doubt it.  The "original" ones in this production were designed rather as rather bland "one look fits all" costumes, I think, which could later be slotted easily into another production (at least, that's my assumption of what happened to them).  Peter Farmer was ill during the production process and so didn't immediately get the chance to create tutus after the original Messel designs, which was why the new ones were only introduced a few years later.

I think the current production design and costumes have been around since 2006 .There is an interesting short video about their recreation as part of the much missed digital programmes that used to accompany screenings.However, I found this short video from  five years ago which explains the historic nature of the production .

 

[bridiem]

So Helpmann was Carabosse as well as Florimund?!! I hadn't remembered that. So there must have been more changes to the text than I realised, since there are times now when both are on stage at the same time. (Did Ashton ever play Carabosse?).

[Geoff]

15 minutes ago, bridiem said:

So Helpmann was Carabosse as well as Florimund?!! I hadn't remembered that. So there must have been more changes to the text than I realised, since there are times now when both are on stage at the same time. (Did Ashton ever play Carabosse?).

 

Yes Ashton indeed did and very good he was too. There is a wonderful American tv recording of the company doing (much of) Sleeping Beauty, available on dvd here: 

 

www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Sleeping-Beauty-Fonteyn-Sadlers/dp/B0002VGRAE/

 

Incidentally may I add a plug for Beryl Grey’s iconic Lilac Fairy? The clips of her doing the Prologue variation seem to have sadly vanished from YouTube but she is captured in her full glory on this dvd. An object lesson in how to dance the Lilac Fairy, and a corrective to some of the views expressed here about some more recent dancers who have attempted the part.

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Geoff

[bridiem]

13 minutes ago, Geoff said:

Yes Ashton indeed did and very good he was too. There is a wonderful American tv recording of the company doing (much of) Sleeping Beauty, available on dvd here: 

 

www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Sleeping-Beauty-Fonteyn-Sadlers/dp/B0002VGRAE/

 

Incidentally may I add a plug for Beryl Grey’s iconic Lilac Fairy? The clips of her doing the Prologue variation seem to have sadly vanished from YouTube but she is captured in her full glory on this dvd. An object lesson in how to dance the part, and a corrective to some of the views expressed here about some more recent dancers who have attempted the part.

 

Thanks Geoff!

 

Another DVD to add to my wish list...

[Xandra Newman]

The only 3* review Sleeping Beauty has received this run...after Natalia Osipova danced Aurora on Wednesday. 

I wondered why so few had commented on her Aurora. 

Mark Monahan explains it all. 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/sleeping-beauty-review-royal-ballet-royal-opera-house-schlepping/

[capybara]

5 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

The only 3* review Sleeping Beauty has received this run...after Natalia Osipova danced Aurora on Wednesday. 

I wondered why so few had commented on her Aurora. 

Mark Monahan explains it all. 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/sleeping-beauty-review-royal-ballet-royal-opera-house-schlepping/

This review is behind a paywall.

I *had* noticed how careful people were being on here about the Osipova/Hallberg performance.

[bangorballetboy]

It’s a 2 star review...

[Rob S]

15 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

The only 3* review Sleeping Beauty has received this run...after Natalia Osipova danced Aurora on Wednesday. 

I wondered why so few had commented on her Aurora. 

Mark Monahan explains it all. 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/sleeping-beauty-review-royal-ballet-royal-opera-house-schlepping/

Worse than that, it’s two stars! 

[Xandra Newman]

Thank you both for your correction (must check my eyesight!).

 

I didn't attend (frankly I have no desire at all to see Natalia Osipova dance in any of the tutu classics) but friends of mine did and they were greatly dismayed and shocked to see such a low standard of classical dancing at Covent Garden. 

To me this explains why the Bolshoi seemingly only ever allowed her to dance soubrette roles and not the great classics (I say this based on  articles written about Natalia Osipova when she left the Bolshoi).

If Naghdi, the youngest RB principal, can rake in 5*star and 4* star raving reviews on Opening Night, I wonder why Osipova is allowed to dance the great tutu classics (resulting in a 2*star review. Thank goodness she didn't dance the Opening Night!) 

[Jamesrhblack]

It’s interesting to see the critic voicing so directly things that I’d be cautious of posting. It really wasn’t a good evening ...

[Sebastian]

54 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

It’s a 2 star review...

 

I wonder what's up. I have accessed the piece via a professional online news source (as used by the city, lawyers etc) and there this is shown as a 3-star review. Maybe there was a computer glitch or a revision? Not that the difference really matters. 

[JohnS]

Not having seen the performance,  I would only say that at least Mark Monahan explains his views and I thought it very well written - a welcome contrast to Bidisha’s recent Observer review.

[Tebasile]

It wasn't that bad. I did think that Osipova could perhaps do with going to class a bit more often, but she still brought something individual and special to the role. At times her dancing was breathtakingly beautiful; at others, it was messy and disappointing. I have often felt this ambivalence with her performances, but I would still rather see her than someone who does all the steps perfectly but dances without flourish or personality. Though I agree with some of the misgivings about her technique in the Rose Adagio, I loved her characterisation here. Why does every princess have to be shy and reserved? It's her 16th (or 20th) birthday party, after all. I was actually more disappointed with Hallberg who, though elegant, was rather weak in the 3rd act, and the fact that they had to change the choreography to avoid some lifts flattened the overall effect. They certainly don't have much chemistry, but I don't think anyone's to blame for that. 

[Ian Macmillan]

Alone, I think, amongst the nationals, I'd noticed that Mark Monahan had not reviewed the early shows of this run, but he appears to have made that up now with some style.

[JohnS]

14 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

Aurora bourrées on the spot with deep bends and extravagant port de bras.

 

13 hours ago, bridiem said:

It was especially beautiful on Tuesday evening as performed by Yasmine Naghdi - it was as if she was turning and bending almost in a trance of joy as her life opened up in front of/around her. Exquisite.

 

Thank you Lizbie and bridiem for highlighting this. One of the joys of an occasional visit to the Royal Ballet School (particularly when combined with Sleeping Beauty visits) is seeing Nicola Tranah encouraging her students to make the most of such deep bends and really using their backs. No doubt there’s an element of exaggeration when Nicola Tranah demonstrates what she means but it really is lovely to see and I’d certainly welcome more in performance. I’d be very interested to know if she were particular known for her use of her back when dancing - I’ve searched for video clips but no success.  

[Lindsay]

37 minutes ago, Tebasile said:

It wasn't that bad. I did think that Osipova could perhaps do with going to class a bit more often, but she still brought something individual and special to the role. At times her dancing was breathtakingly beautiful; at others, it was messy and disappointing. I have often felt this ambivalence with her performances, but I would still rather see her than someone who does all the steps perfectly but dances without flourish or personality. Though I agree with some of the misgivings about her technique in the Rose Adagio, I loved her characterisation here. Why does every princess have to be shy and reserved? It's her 16th (or 20th) birthday party, after all. I was actually more disappointed with Hallberg who, though elegant, was rather weak in the 3rd act, and the fact that they had to change the choreography to avoid some lifts flattened the overall effect. They certainly don't have much chemistry, but I don't think anyone's to blame for that. 

 

I agree with this.  Osipova is many things but she is never boring.  You can tell that she has spent hundreds of hours on stage and is a thoroughly theatrical animal.  Although for anyone who has seen more than a couple of Rose Adagios it was evident how much she was struggling in Act I  (shaking and at times off the music and what on earth was going on with the hand gestures on the supported attitude turns and constant hand fluttering in her solo?) she delivered it like the pro she is and most of the audience roared their approval.  I was then amazed to see her come out and deliver an immaculate and rock steady Act II.  I don't know what she took in the interval but it worked.  I also agree with Tebalise that Hallberg, although his line is undeniably beautiful, was the weaker of the two in Act III - I thought that skipping all the overhead lifts was shocking - although they sold it with such aplomb that anyone not familiar with the pas de deux would never have known.

 

BUT, and it is a big but, I was not bored at any point in the proceedings.  And this is by no means my favourite ballet, even when immaculately performed.  Totally agree with everyone that this was not an evening for lovers of pure classicism but as a spectacle it was entertaining!

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

This review is behind a paywall.

I *had* noticed how careful people were being on here about the Osipova/Hallberg performance.

 

You can register (for free) and get access to 1 or 2 premium articles a week.  That's how I was able to include it in Today's Links.

[Xandra Newman]

16 minutes ago, Lindsay said:

 

I agree with this.  Osipova is many things but she is never boring.  You can tell that she has spent hundreds of hours on stage and is a thoroughly theatrical animal.  Although for anyone who has seen more than a couple of Rose Adagios it was evident how much she was struggling in Act I  (shaking and at times off the music and what on earth was going on with the hand gestures on the supported attitude turns and constant hand fluttering in her solo?) she delivered it like the pro she is and most of the audience roared their approval.  I was then amazed to see her come out and deliver an immaculate and rock steady Act II.  I don't know what she took in the interval but it worked.  I also agree with Tebalise that Hallberg, although his line is undeniably beautiful, was the weaker of the two in Act III - I thought that skipping all the overhead lifts was shocking - although they sold it with such aplomb that anyone not familiar with the pas de deux would never have known.

 

BUT, and it is a big but, I was not bored at any point in the proceedings.  And this is by no means my favourite ballet, even when immaculately performed.  Totally agree with everyone that this was not an evening for lovers of pure classicism but as a spectacle it was entertaining!

 

I understand some people enjoy watching a spectacle and feel entertained as such, I have nothing against that.

 

When I attend a Royal Ballet performance I expect the highest standard of dancing, certainly in the great classics I expect the principals to respect the choreography and execute the choreography as notated. I am not attending in order to watch a spectacle but to see superb execution of the classical ballet technic. I also expect principals who dance the title role in the classics such as Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake for example to have the highest standard of technical command, facilities, control and artistry. Technical weaknesses in dancers are easily exposed when they have to dance the great classics, and not every dancer is suited to perform those ballets. No dancer is good at everything, some are great in MacMillan, some great in Ashton, some great in McGregor, and a few are truly great in the classics.