Royal Ballet Onegin 2020

[Xandra Newman]

No no Standingticket, I didn't think you were critical at all, and even if so, you have every right and are perfectly entitled to be critical, if that's your opinion, it's yours. I merely tried to express how what you said, was interpreted, intended and expressed with purpose by said ballerina 

[pasdedeux]

Triple debuts of varying impact (in my humble opinion).

 

The real standout to me was Bonelli - I hope this is not the final time we see his Onegin. His acting prowess seems to only deepen with time. Younger dancers at the RB would do well to learn from his study of his characters, so natural and in depth. His Onegin isn’t all snobbish swagger and posing - it’s a much deeper portrait of a bored and dissatisfied nobleman. There is a real journey he goes on and I agree with other posters that there is real natural sympathy for him at the close.

 

I must especially recognise Gartside’s Gremin. His is consistently my favourite and I am bowled over by the storytelling he conveys in a brief appearance. His partnering was of the highest quality and his Gremin was so acutely attuned to his wiser, more contained wife. A real exhibition of stoic but real tenderness - no praise is high enough.

 

Naghdi - I was not blown away in Act 1. For the very reasons that she excels as Aurora, she fell flat (for me) in the opening passages. Everything is slow, measured and controlled. I never felt quite that the dream pdd took on a trancelike quality. How can I describe it - she took great pains to ‘appear’ to swoon, rather than throwing herself into Bonelli’s arms. Maybe it is my personal preference. Her line of course is beautiful. I am a big admirer of Yasmine, but at the first and second intervals, I mused that, in my eyes, she had never quite recaptured the magic I felt at her October 2015 Juliet debut. 

 

I need only have waited until the final Act! The difference was apparent when she first swept into the ballroom on Gartside’s arm. Total, immersed involvement in the character and less obviously emoting to the auditorium. A whole separate review could be written of the final pdd. I have scarcely seen a finer rendition. Ragged but covered with an inner strength - from when she slowly stood up from her dresser as Onegin, contrite, appeared before her. I love the choreography of the final pdd but sometimes feel it loses the soul of Pushkin’s own ending for Tatiana, where she stands before her first love and with great feeling and pride speaks eloquently and with the dignity her younger self could not muster. It is their first and only meeting as true equals. The ballet interpretation can sometimes appear too distraught - not expressing that this is a triumph (a bittersweet one yes but still a triumph). Yet, Naghdi channelled Pushkin’s heroine. It was beautiful to behold - it was a farewell, not an attempted seduction and she displayed the tragedy with something akin to velvet covered steel. I was speechless. I can only see her portrayal through all Acts improving through time.

 

Sissens has a nervy debut, with some uneven partnering in the Act 1 pdd between Olga and Lensky. He grew in confidence and strength as the night wore on (some noisy landing aside!). His Lensky was very much the hothead sort- I imagined him not a poet but a local fan of amateur dramatics! 

 

Anna Rose was very lovely, with all the manner and appearances of the lively English rose transposed into a Russian play. A finely read and nuanced Olga, playful and arch. Much to enjoy all round.

[Xandra Newman]

17 hours ago, pasdedeux said:

Naghdi - I was not blown away in Act 1. For the very reasons that she excels as Aurora, she fell flat (for me) in the opening passages. Everything is slow, measured and controlled. I never felt quite that the dream pdd took on a trancelike quality. How can I describe it - she took great pains to ‘appear’ to swoon, rather than throwing herself into Bonelli’s arms. Maybe it is my personal preference. Her line of course is beautiful. I am a big admirer of Yasmine, but at the first and second intervals, I mused that, in my eyes, she had never quite recaptured the magic I felt at her October 2015 Juliet debut. 

 

 

Interesting but there is very little if nothing to be blown away by the character of Tatiana in Act 1 but by her facial expressions at different stages throughout Act 1. The main focus is on Olga and Lensky, all the dancing is done by these two characters, it is Olga who takes centre stage in Act 1,Tatiana is merely a silent character and there isn't much to do for Tatiana besides laying on the floor reading her book, sitting on a bench reading her book, walking around a bit, is with Onegin but for fleeting moments, and she is off stage whenever the cops de ballet, Olga and Lensky are dancing.            Act 1 merely introduces us to Tatiana. Only in Act 2 does the focus turn to Tatiana (and Onegin). One cannot compare the role of Aurora in the grandiose Act 1 Sleeping Beauty and fabulous Rose Adagio (a show stopper) with the quiet role of Tatiana in Act 1: Tatiana's role in Act 1 is to be measured, controlled and slow: she is a shy, hesitant, bookish, introvert and inexperienced young girl.

 

Onegin is a ballet I feel one has to sit as close to the stage as possible. Being able to see the facial expressions of the dancers makes all the difference, it is really important to me to be able to read the characters in Onegin, and especially Tatiana's in Act 1 as she has so little to do. Naghdi's face was very readable from the Orchestra Stalls where I sat, and clearly showed me all her thoughts, her changing inner feelings, her hope Onegin would fall in love with her, her despair and disappointment when she realises he wasn't in love with her at all (that feeling of despair and disappointment was beautifully portrayed in the very short solo she danced for Onegin during her party). Those vital details in character development through facial expressions surely can't be visible when sitting at great distance from the stage (unless one watches through binoculars). How else can someone be "blown away" by Tatiana in Act 1 (there's really no dancing to be blown away by) but by being able to read her thoughts, her feelings of confusion, doubt, disappointment and despair. 

 

Dancers are artists after all, not just bodies who dance for us, and each one of them bring to their role their own personality, their personal life experiences and individual style of dancing. Natalia Osipova brings her own Russian background, live experiences, temperament and very individual style of dancing to the role of Tatiana, and so do Marianella Nunez, Itziar Mendizabal and Yasmine Naghdi.  

[Bluebird]

43 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

 

Interesting but there is very little if nothing to be blown away by the character of Tatiana in Act 1 but by her facial expressions at different stages throughout Act 1........Tatiana is merely a silent character and there isn't much to do for Tatiana besides laying on the floor reading her book, sitting on a bench reading her book, walking around a bit, is with Onegin but for fleeting moments, and she is off stage whenever the cops de ballet, Olga and Lensky are dancing.            Act 1 merely introduces us to Tatiana. Only in Act 2 does the focus turn to Tatiana (and Onegin).......Tatiana's role in Act 1 is to be measured, controlled and slow: she is a shy, hesitant, bookish, introvert and inexperienced young girl.

 

You seem to have forgotten that the ‘mirror pas de deux’ is in Act 1. I don’t think what you say above could be applied to that. 

 

Edited to add that  maybe you you were thinking of scene 1 rather than Act 1?

Edited January 26, 2020 by Bluebird

[Geoff]

On 25/01/2020 at 10:56, JohnS said:

The ROH’s archives must be a real treasure trove and I appreciate they’re there for dancers/coaches etc to consult and probably for documentary makers but is there any public access or even a listing of what’s in the archives?

 

No, more’s the pity. I know a couple of (highly regarded and experienced) documentary makers who have tried but failed to get anywhere with this archive. There is a database (internally accessible only) which holds information but have not heard of anyone from the outside being able to use this. Not very “Open Up”. 

[onemouseplace]

Just had an email to say  due to illness, Natalia Osipova has been replaced by Marianela Nuñez as Tatiana.' for this Friday (7th February).

 

 

[SPD444]

Just received email, Natalia is ill and is replaced by Marianella for Fridays performance. Get well soon Natalia.

[bridiem]

Or, according to the website, she's replaced by Juliano Nunes... Should be interesting.

[Sim]

Wow, a new guest dancer?? 

[Xandra Newman]

Will Marianela Nunez now dance Tatiana on Friday evening and on Saturday evening (her scheduled show)? I have a ticket to see her on Saturday evening. 

[bridiem]

32 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

Will Marianela Nunez now dance Tatiana on Friday evening and on Saturday evening (her scheduled show)? I have a ticket to see her on Saturday evening. 

 

Well she's still listed for Saturday evening, so it seems so.

[Dawnstar]

I've been a bit naughty & just picked up a return for tomorrow evening, as I'd much rather see Nunez with Clarke/Ball/Hayward/Avis than with Hirano/Edmonds/Takada.

[capybara]

Takada is an absolutely wonderful Olga, Dawnstar. Just saying.............!!!!!!

[Dawnstar]

I have yet to actually see Takada live, as she was off injured for both last summer & this autumn's triple bills. So it's not that I don't like her but that I don't know yet if I do or not. Whereas Hayward I've seen in several roles & loved her in all of them, including as Olga last month.

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

I have yet to actually see Takada live, as she was off injured for both last summer & this autumn's triple bills. So it's not that I don't like her but that I don't know yet if I do or not. Whereas Hayward I've seen in several roles & loved her in all of them, including as Olga last month.

 

Dawnstar do try and get to see Takada live....she is amazing in this, and in everything else I have seen her in! 😍

 

I would highly commend Hirano's performance in this as well. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Richard LH

[Dawnstar]

I'm sure I will at some point. As for Hirano, after finding his Prince Rudolf disappointing from an acting point of view, I'm not desparate to see him in another leading dramatic role.

[Richard LH]

6 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I have yet to actually see Takada live, as she was off injured for both last summer & this autumn's triple bills.

Just to point out that  there is no reason to think her withdrawal from the autumn triple was due to injury...she danced Manon just after the cast change for her first triple was announced.

[Rob S]

I thought Takada was great as Olga

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Just to point out that  there is no reason to think her withdrawal from the autumn triple was due to injury...she danced Manon just after the cast change for her first triple was announced.

 

Sorry. There were so many cast changes for the autumn triple bill that I must have got the various reasons given (or not given) mixed up.

[cjp]

Dawnstar I agree you should see Takada live if you possibly can.  I was unsure what to expect of her Manon a few years ago and thought she was a revelation - a very unique interpretation and one of those performances you keep thinking about afterwards.  She has been superb in anything I've seen her in.

 

 

[Dawnstar]

5 hours ago, cjp said:

Dawnstar I agree you should see Takada live if you possibly can.  I was unsure what to expect of her Manon a few years ago and thought she was a revelation - a very unique interpretation and one of those performances you keep thinking about afterwards.  She has been superb in anything I've seen her in.

 

I'm sure I will at some point. There are several RB dancers who I have yet to see live due to them being off injured or for other reasons, for instance Steven McRae & Tierney Heap. Thiago Soares I will see for both the first and last time in Onegin at the end of the month.

[alison]

I've returned a balcony standing to the box office, in case anyone wants to get in cheaply tonight!  Not sure whether it's visible online, because the ROH website wasn't playing ball when I looked.

 

Edit: Yes, I think it's playing up.  It claims there are 20 tickets available, but then when you try and see which they are it claims they've all sold out, which they haven't.  Could explain why the phone lines are busier than normal?

[alison]

May I say that I thought Nunez was magnificent in Act III tonight?  I hope she's still got something left for tomorrow night's performance!

[bridiem]

This ballet has everything: a dramatic and emotional but also nuanced and intelligent plot, lovely music, gorgeous costumes and sets, and choreography that tells the story with lightness, clarity and verve. And a rare opportunity to witness the portrayal of someone consumed by passion but NOT allowing it to destroy their life.

 

I thought Nunez was incredibly moving tonight - she was completely credible as the young, initially reserved Tatiana absolutely swept away by the tall, dark, brooding Onegin, devastated and incomprehending when he rejects her so cruelly, and finally in full possession of her life and her self with her loving and loved husband, so that even the return of Onegin, now literally prostrate before her, and the overwhelming love she still feels for him, cannot fully derail her. But she pays a heavy and agonising price for her decision, and her final howl of anguish poured out into the auditorium as if she had vocalised it. A brilliant performance.

 

I thought Reece Clarke was excellent as Onegin. His initial arrogance and awkwardness were well expressed by his slightly artificial, overpointed feet, and an almost stylised element to his movement. I completely understood why Tatiana fell for him - not just his looks, but the fascination of someone so different, so apart, so challenging. Too challenging, as it turned out... And then his transformation in Act 3 into someone whose façade has finally come down and who simply cannot believe his past stupidity and blindness.

 

Hayward and Ball were heartbreaking as Olga and Lensky; what a terrible waste of a young life. The duel scene was unbearable and brilliantly performed by all the dancers.

 

Looking forward very much to seeing some other casts in this terrific work.

[alison]

You missed out Gary Avis, bridiem!  He made such a credible husband (and partner) for Nunez that I was desperate for her not to throw it all away on a former teenage infatuation.

 

Kudos to the whole cast: you change one component of it, and everything else changes, because pretty much everyone has to dance/interact with everyone else, Tatiana especially.  I don't know how much notice they had of the cast change, but I suspect it wasn't that long (and I'm not sure how long the company has been back from holiday), and I was impressed with what has been achieved in that time.  When you think that Nunez has presumably been rehearsing those tricky pas de deux with two casts at once ...

[bridiem]

13 minutes ago, alison said:

You missed out Gary Avis, bridiem!  He made such a credible husband (and partner) for Nunez that I was desperate for her not to throw it all away on a former teenage infatuation.

 

Kudos to the whole cast: you change one component of it, and everything else changes, because pretty much everyone has to dance/interact with everyone else, Tatiana especially.  I don't know how much notice they had of the cast change, but I suspect it wasn't that long (and I'm not sure how long the company has been back from holiday), and I was impressed with what has been achieved in that time.  When you think that Nunez has presumably been rehearsing those tricky pas de deux with two casts at once ...

 

Oops, yes, Gary Avis was wonderful too! Is there nothing he can't do??!

[capybara]

I thought that Reece Clarke had transformed last night INTO Onegin - such a wondrous leap from his first performance where the character was (understandably) a first sketch. A million bravos.

Marianela Nunez's Tatiana solo in Act 2 showed everything about her infatuation with Onegin, her bewilderment at his treatment of her, and her deep hurt. It was beautifully nuanced and a technical masterpiece.

On the 'opening night', the show had seemed to me to be Lensky's and Olga's story but, yesterday, albeit that Hayward and Ball were superb too, my focus had shifted to Tatiana (and Onegin), which is where the main narrative lies.

Marianela has said on social media that she has been rehearsing with both her Onegins throughout the week. I have a feeling that, despite the pressure of a relatively last minute change, having her as his partner helped Reece to reach the heights he did.

 

 

[Richard LH]

Hopefully Marianela is not too emotional/physically exhausted from last night to repeat her performance to the same effect tonight!

But I am sure she will be fine. 

[ninamargaret]

I really hope we shan't have to wait for too long for another run of Onegin. Reading the reviews on the forum, and from my own visit, it seems that it is a ballet perfectly suited to the current RB company, with the various casts all able to bring something of their own characterisation to their roles. And it does, of course, need a strong corps, which we certainly have at the moment. Good to see that it has been pretty much sold out - May augur well for a speedy return?

[penelopesimpson]

The night belonged to Nunez. Utterly superb.  My favourite role for her.  Magnificent Marianella.

[Motomum]

I went to see Onegin last night with my ballet dancing son who is 11. It was a Christmas present for him. First time in the Opera House watching  the Royal Ballet perform live. We have only ever watched them perform at cinema screenings and Sky Arts.

 

 The experience was really wonderful. It takes a lot for me to feel excited, but excited I was.

Only sad part was I booked it because it was Osipova/Muntagirov who is my son’s ballet dancing hero, 😊 but they were replaced.

 

I do feel though that I was watching a very different ballet from my fellow posters.

For me Onegin felt, light and lacked substance. The music was beautiful, but the story and the ballet left me quite empty. I said to my son it felt like ‘ballet light.’ 

 

I did enjoy Ball/Hayward, but not Clarke/Nunez. Ball has a really lovely stage presence, and a lovely quality to his movements.

Reece Clarke on the other hand had such appalling feet in a male dancer at his level, they were floppy and flat, with very poor articulation and turn out.  I thought he lacked grace as a dancer. My son, who trains with the Royal Ballet, wondered if the steps had been simplified for him as they seemed so basic set against the lovely enchainments from Mathew Ball. It was my son who grimaced first at the feet situation. The people next to us said how boring he was.

 

The other thing that struck me, please don’t shoot me for this Marinella Nunez worshippers, was the wonderful lightness and youth that Francesca Hayward brings to the stage contrasted against a much more mature approach from Nunez. Of course she is more mature, and she is of course an amazing dancer, but when I watch her I can see the effort she is making, unlike say Natalia Osipova who for me is like magic when she dances. I also think that Francesca Hayward possess some of that je ne sais quoi, that when she dances I can’t take my eyes away.

I am not a fan of Nunez, I have tried to be, I want to be, but I find I don’t quite believe her, she doesn’t transport me anywhere.

I can appreciate the technical excellency of her dancing as someone at the very top of her game, but that is all.

 

All that said we had a really lovely time, I wonder if Onegin would improve for me with the dancers we expected to see perform.

 

Swan Lake next!!

 

 

[capybara]

Thank you for this, Motomum. You came to Onegin with completely fresh eyes and your observations are all the more interesting because of that. You and your son noticed things that I did not but, just for info., it is Lensky who does most of the dancing in the ballet and the steps were not changed for Reece Clarke.

I have the same kind of difficulty as you with Nunez and always have had. It's strange how we all react so differently to dancers.

BTW, your son has chosen a very, very special dancer as his hero.

[AnnabelCharles]

It's interesting how people have different views of the same ballet and the same performance. I too saw Onegin last night. I'd never seen the ballet before though I have seen the opera based on the same source. I'm with bridiem - I think it's a marvellous ballet, partly because it is so tightly structured - no additional variations / folk dances to give the principals a break and the corps something to do - but mostly because the narrative, music and choreography are completely integrated into a piece that is emotionally nuanced, convincing and moving. For me, all the main roles were beautifully danced - with the characters well developed and the relationships clearly delineated. In my view, Marianela Nunez is always a joy to watch - and I felt she inhabited the role fully. I had a seat right at the front - so I could see every expression - and her development from a gauche, bookish girl to a mature conflicted woman was extraordinary. Reece Clarke had commanding presence on stage, showed the contrast between his glacial haughtiness at the beginning and his broken despair at the end very effectively and was a strong and considerate partner. I agree with Motomum that Francesca Hayward brings 'a wonderful lightness' to every role - and she was effervescent as Olga - well-matched by Matthew Ball, who just seems to go from strength to strength. He has always had very good acting skills, but to me his technique has developed exponentially over the last 18 months - and he projects more confidence on stage. Gary Avis and Elizabeth McGorian were, as always, superb in their roles. I thought it was a wonderful evening.

 

I am now hoping to pick up a last minute ticket so I can see the ballet again. I echo those who hope Onegin will be brought back sooner rather than later.