Ian Macmillan Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 Just watchediThe Cellist again, for the first time since the Premiere. I can only say that it appears to have grown in intensity since then - a thoroughly satisfying piece of dance theatre, remarkably interpreted by all involved. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Our original discussion thread for The Cellist (together with Dances At A Gathering) is here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_New Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) 11 hours ago, Ian Macmillan said: Just watchediThe Cellist again, for the first time since the Premiere. I can only say that it appears to have grown in intensity since then - a thoroughly satisfying piece of dance theatre, remarkably interpreted by all involved. I completely agree about the fact that it was dance theatre, Ian - it was certainly that, and it was very intense. But at the risk of being controversial, I had the same reaction last night as I did the first time I saw it - the dancing just didn't move me. There was so much lifting/swirling etc and to my mind little actual dance. Any emotion I felt came from the music, and the knowledge that it was a real loss of such great talent so young, not from the dancing itself. That's not to criticise any of the performances - the three leads were outstanding. But when I saw the double bill in the ROH (it seems so long ago now!) , DAAG had me in floods of tears it was so beautiful, and I had the same reaction to R.B.M.E. when that was streamed from Stuttgart recently. But maybe I'm just looking for something different from my ballet-going - Matthew Bourne's productions don't really move me either, probably for the same reason. But for example, Lensky's solo before the duel always has me in tears, and the emotion in that is equally intense but it has beauty too. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned! I don't usually post longer opinions, and it's probably because I have time on my hands. But thank goodness for the chance to see these productions at home - like Sim, I'm finding it hard not to be able to be in a theatre - any theatre really! (I meant to say that I'm not totally old-fashioned - I loved Woolf Works, much to my surprise, and Akram Khan's Giselle was mind-blowing) Edited May 30, 2020 by J_New 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 13 hours ago, SPD444 said: DVD please Agreed, but more to see Dances at a Gathering again ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Actually, Amazon does have this double bill due for DVD and Blu-Ray release, no other details yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 I was quite entertained that the Royal Opera House's email advertising The Cellist also had this. In what way is Beatrix Potter in any way "related" to The Cellist (other than being performed by the Royal Ballet)!! More like this... Enjoyed The Cellist? Why not try one of these related productions: Tales of Beatrix Potter Join everyone's favourite mischievous rabbit and friends in Frederick Ashton's family ballet, based on Beatrix Potter's classic stories. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 My reservations about The Cellist still remain - too many people milling around almost detracted from the three leads. But it was certainly worth watching for those three! And the,DVD is a must for DAAG, which like,others,on the forum I found,far more emotionally moving. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janite Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 On 29/05/2020 at 20:32, ChrisG said: Just watched the livestream of The Cellist having missed it when it was on at the cinema. As a result my only experience of it had been from the front row of the Amphitheatre, and seeing it close up was a revelation. By the end I'm afraid I was in floods for various reasons - because of the beauty of the music, the tragedy of the story and the sensitive way in which the story was told, and the sorrow that we likely won't see these gifted dancers again for some time yet. It was the last thing I saw at the ROH before the lockdown and I'm missing the place very, very much. P.S. What I missed from up high was the fact that you see from the LP cover that the recording that inspires Jackie is Paul Tortelier's Elgar recording. That is such a wonderful detail and gave me an added frisson because one of my earliest classical musical memories is seeing Paul Tortelier perform the Elgar with, I think, the Hallé sometime in the mid 60s in Chester Cathedral. I would only have been about 10 at the time but I remember it vividly. I remember that evening, what a fantastic, beautiful and moving performance it was. Unlike you I had already seen the cinema screening and I remember at the time thinking that what I appreciated from front row amphitheatre was being able to see the whole pattern of chorus and main story tellers, they worked together so well. I had also wondered having seen it up close in the cinema if the emotion would register all the way back and up in the amphitheatre and I felt it did. Who knows when theatres will open again and like you ChrisG I long to be back . I felt in this last season that I was seeing a golden time for the royal ballet and how wonderful that was. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 I haven't actually got around to watching Woolf Works yet, but to judge by the comments below the line a LOT of people have, and were very moved. Even by "Act II"! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanJL Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Woolf Works has a special place in my heart for several reasons, but I have to say this is a wonderful filming of it that really highlights the expressive nature of the choreography and the performances. Whilst I prefer Acts I and III (just as I prefer Mrs Dalloway and The Waves to Orlando), the filming is so well done for Act II, I too was moved by it, much more so than I expected. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 I'm still intrigued by the apparent cut in Act 2. We did not get the appearance of Eric Underwood in his gold Elizabeth 1 outfit, although we did see him at curtain call. What happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 9, 2020 Author Share Posted July 9, 2020 I too have to agree: this strikes me as one of the best-filmed dance broadcasts I've ever seen. Glorious. Lucy Carter's lighting must have made a huge contribution to that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 If you missed Woolf Works or just want to see I again it appears that Marquee TV has it up for free (at least in the US) until 25 July. https://www.marquee.tv/videos/roh-woolf-works Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 I really enjoyed watching the R&J broadcast even though I’d seen it in the cinema in June last year. I was able to appreciate it more this time without distraction of people around me. Also I could get closer to the screen at home. I wasn’t that convinced by Yasmine Naghdi in the earlier acts (Too careful? Too may fluttering eyelashes) but she was a tour de force in Act III and gave herself fully to the role. Superb. Matthew Ball’s portrayal was lovely throughout ... those cinema close-ups are so revealing and he was in the role throughout. I also notice how much his technique has improved since this performance last year ... more good stuff to come 🤞 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 Am I the only one to have watched and thoroughly enjoyed Sleeping Beauty? I loved the rapport between Kaneko and Bonelli - they appeared to really enjoy dancing with each other. Bonelli's little skip when he took his solo curtain call suggested that he was pretty pleased with things! The actual filming seemed spot on, possibly focussing more on telling the story than the actual dancing but highly enjoyable. I think several other forum members commented favourably when this was shown in cinemas so I'm probably just a bit late to catch up with it. One small point about these transmissions - it would be good to have access to a cast list somewhere - the quick scroll down at the end is not enough, especially for a ballet like SB where there are many characters. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 26, 2020 Author Share Posted July 26, 2020 Haven't they listed the casting at the bottom of the YouTube page as usual? I haven't had a chance to watch it yet - don't know about anyone else - but it's on for a couple of weeks yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 24 minutes ago, ninamargaret said: Am I the only one to have watched and thoroughly enjoyed Sleeping Beauty? I loved the rapport between Kaneko and Bonelli - they appeared to really enjoy dancing with each other. Bonelli's little skip when he took his solo curtain call suggested that he was pretty pleased with things! The actual filming seemed spot on, possibly focussing more on telling the story than the actual dancing but highly enjoyable. I think several other forum members commented favourably when this was shown in cinemas so I'm probably just a bit late to catch up with it. One small point about these transmissions - it would be good to have access to a cast list somewhere - the quick scroll down at the end is not enough, especially for a ballet like SB where there are many characters. There's a link to the castlist on the YouTube page. Here it is (scroll down for the full cast): https://www.roh.org.uk/showings/the-sleeping-beauty-live-2020 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clara_f Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 I just read Ballet News' Cupcakes and Conversations with Fumi Kaneko and apparently she only found out on the day she would be dancing aurora and hadnt practised the role in a month (excerpt and link below) !! Quite extraordinary to rewatch the SB broadcast with that in mind. Loved watching: -Mayara Magri, Anna Rose Osullivan and Yuhui Choe again in the prologue -The rapport between Fumi Kaneko and her princes in the rose adagio, and seeing how pleased the whole company were for Kaneko (Hannah Gremmell looked like she about to burst into tears and so was I) - Bonelli in his solo and his PDD with Kaneko in the vision scene... Made me pine for what would have been their Swan Lake! Watching this made me wonder who would have been made a principal at the end of this season: Kaneko, O'Sullivan and perhaps Magri surely all candidates depending on how SL had gone... “Which role has tested you the most & how ? The cinema relay of The Sleeping Beauty in January was an experience that I‘d never had before …. I was told to do Aurora on the same day, which I hadn’t done for more than a month.. I couldn’t have done it without my friends and colleagues support. I could enjoy the performance and live in the present on stage.“ http://www.balletnews.co.uk/cupcakes-conversation-with-fumi-kaneko-first-soloist-the-royal-ballet/ 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 42 minutes ago, Clara_f said: Watching this made me wonder who would have been made a principal at the end of this season: Kaneko, O'Sullivan and perhaps Magri surely all candidates depending on how SL had gone... With 8 principal women currently, and absent anyone leaving, I wonder if anyone would have been promoted? Not that they don't deserve it but how many does a company need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 1 hour ago, ninamargaret said: Am I the only one to have watched and thoroughly enjoyed Sleeping Beauty? I loved the rapport between Kaneko and Bonelli - they appeared to really enjoy dancing with each other. Bonelli's little skip when he took his solo curtain call suggested that he was pretty pleased with things! The actual filming seemed spot on, possibly focussing more on telling the story than the actual dancing but highly enjoyable. I think several other forum members commented favourably when this was shown in cinemas so I'm probably just a bit late to catch up with it. One small point about these transmissions - it would be good to have access to a cast list somewhere - the quick scroll down at the end is not enough, especially for a ballet like SB where there are many characters. I watched it too and thought it was wonderful. Fumi Kaneko's Aurora was so lovely she brought tears to my eyes, a poignant reminder of all we have missed these last few months. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Bluebird said: There's a link to the castlist on the YouTube page. Here it is (scroll down for the full cast): https://www.roh.org.uk/showings/the-sleeping-beauty-live-2020 Thank you for this. Doesn't seem to appear on the You Tube app on my television. I have up in frustration so am grateful for the link. Let's hope for a DVD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 I watched The Sleeping Beauty streaming (having seen the cinema replay) and really enjoyed it. Kevin O'Hare was participating in the comments, telling the story, giving the casting, offering praise, and answering a few questions. I thought that that was a really good idea. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 3 hours ago, Clara_f said: Loved watching: -Mayara Magri, Anna Rose Osullivan and Yuhui Choe again in the prologue -The rapport between Fumi Kaneko and her princes in the rose adagio, and seeing how pleased the whole company were for Kaneko (Hannah Gremmell looked like she about to burst into tears and so was I) - Bonelli in his solo and his PDD with Kaneko in the vision scene... Made me pine for what would have been their Swan Lake! Loved the "vision" sequence too...with the Corps joining in, this is probably my favourite part of TSB. Beautiful. Also loved Hay, O'Sullivan and Magri in the last Act PDT. On my TV these screenings are blurry if viewed "live" but the picture quality is fine if seen later on. Does anyone else find this? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 I am going to watch this in small doses, I decided to see the Rose Adagio yesterday and agree how beautiful it was, looking forward to the vision scene and prologue variations especially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 I missed Sleeping Beauty (a combination of spending my “ballet money” on two Onegins then being ill for the cinema relay) so was delighted to see this cast being streamed. What a performance by Fumi Kaneko, especially standing in for Lauren Cuthbertson. Fumi didn’t make me as ridiculously weepy as Yasmine Naghdi, who just IS Aurora and makes me cry almost from her first entrance, but she really was terrific all the same and I was absolutely thrilled for her. Bonelli really pulled out all the stops, his acting is always glorious but he danced beautifully too, with lovely lines, great stamina and good height to his allegro. What a lovely, supportive, noble partner he is in the pdds. I thought he and Fumi were lovely together. I loved the fairy variations and it was lovely to see Romany Pajdak being given a fairy as well as Red Riding Hood. My only gripe, and it’s nothing personal, was giving a First Artist Lilac for a live stream. I’ve seen Gina Storm-Jensen in the role before and she struggled with it technically as she did again this time - that’s not a deal breaker for me as even First Soloists can have off days and slips, especially in Sleeping Beauty, BUT if they have the stage presence and acting experience then it doesn’t matter too much. Unfortunately, for me, Storm-Jensen doesn’t, especially when compared to Claire Calvert. There was no power, no real presence, nothing to suggest that she could overcome Kristen McNally’s wonderfully evil Carabosse. Lilac is a pivotal role and she needs to be played by someone who can stand out among all the other big characters onstage - not physically, necessarily, as I saw a young Nuñez play Lilac beautifully and she’s not statuesque by any means. I really think that for cinema relays which could potentially be released as DVDs, Lilac needs to be a First Soloist or even Principal... ...speaking of which, Naghdi and Ball almost stole the show for me. Utter perfection. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 2 hours ago, Anna C said: nothing to suggest that she could overcome Kristen McNally’s wonderfully evil Carabosse. That's why she needs a wand 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 If I recall correctly, Storm-Jensen wasn’t supposed to be dancing the Lilac Fairy - Kaneko was, but as she had been bumped up to dance Aurora - as it were - it fell to Storm-Jensen. I agree that she didn’t have the presence but there was a lot to enjoy. She looked lovely - has an elegance that goes with her height, with lovely clear moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 27, 2020 Author Share Posted July 27, 2020 I believe they were a bit short on Lilac Fairies, but I was surprised that someone like Calvert wasn't given the role. Was it perhaps that S-J was on hand anyway because she was cast as something else but Calvert wasn't? (And I can't remember which other Lilacs I may be missing). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 I think there were a number of injuries at the time which rather cut the number of Lilac Fairies on the roster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 (edited) 13 minutes ago, alison said: I believe they were a bit short on Lilac Fairies, but I was surprised that someone like Calvert wasn't given the role. Was it perhaps that S-J was on hand anyway because she was cast as something else but Calvert wasn't? (And I can't remember which other Lilacs I may be missing). Claire Calvert was Fairy of the Woodland Glade Edited July 27, 2020 by oncnp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Gina was Lilac Fairy the day before too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Remember that Kaneko replaced Cuthbertson who danced that casts first performance with Calvert as the Lilac Fairy and Hamilton as the Woodland Glade Fairy. Come the second performance, the reshuffle mid performance meant that Storm-Jensen took over the Lilac Fairy and the cameras were recording albeit as a camera rehearsal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 (edited) There must have been a shortage of Lilac Fairies as I believe Gina performed this role 6 times in the run...when most Auroras had 2 or 3 performances each. Interesting! Twice each with Akane Takada and Anna Rose O’Sullivan and then two consecutive nights at the end of the run ... 15/1 Nuñez and 16/1 Kaneko cinema screening. I know Claire Calvert and Mayara Magri performed Lilac in this run. There must have been others? By the way, is there somewhere on ROH website to check cast lists for recent past performances? Edited July 28, 2020 by FionaE Typo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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