Ballet in Faust

[loveclassics]

Reading the Times regular update on what arts to watch online, a reference to the ROH's streaming of Faust caught my eye: "a gleefully weird send-up of French romantic ballet as choreographed by Michael Keegan-Dolan".  I've never heard of Mr Keegan-Dolan, probably because I don't have much enthusiasm for contemporary dance but can someone better-informed than I, tell me something about him and his works?

 

Thanks

 

Linda

[zxDaveM]

He did that odd but well received version of Swan Lake (Loch na hEala) at Sadlers Wells. And no, I don't think its your cuppa! 🙂

 

I'd use google to find more reviews and photos (like on DanceTabs for example) if you want to get a better idea

[Amelia]

I was looking forward yesterday to watch the ballet scene in “Faust” and was disappointed with so many unsightly and charmless movements, which were totally out of keeping with the beautiful music. I definitely prefer the "Walpurgis Night" choreographed by Leonid Lavrovsky at the Bolshoi in 1949.

With Maya Plisetskaya 

 

Also:

with Raisa Struchkova, Alexander Lapauri, Georgy Farmanyants (1956)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s4Nt4c-VHk

and with Ekaterina Maximova, Shamil Yagudin, Stanislav Vlasov (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1W_N8uBcLw&list=FLHnviXHry2szaYZ8rS57Pgw&index=33

I noticed that the video with Plisetskaya became unavailable. Try to put in the browser this:

youtube Вальпургиева ночь Плисецкая

Edited July 18, 2020 by Amelia
Added the last two lines - another option to watch Walpurgis Night

[Bruce Wall]

Some might enjoy Balanchine's take on this music here ...

 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Bruce Wall

[alison]

Didn't The Trocks do it too?

[Amelia]

2 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

Some might enjoy Balanchine's take on this music here ...

 

 

Balanchine here is as enjoyable as ever but this piece does not depict the spirit of Walpurgisnacht.

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Amelia

[MargaretN7]

I have seen this production of Faust many times, and particularly remember the first one. The Royal Ballet lent them Eric Underwood for the lead dance role, and he wowed the opera audience, a superb performance. This setting of the ballet IMO works well in the context of this opera production, not to be considered as a standalone ballet interpretation of the music.

[SheilaC]

For me, Balanchine's ballet relates well to the music (which isn't especially Faustian in most of the ballet section) and I've always loved his version, especially when danced by dancers like Nichols and Hlinka. But equally I fell in love with the Soviet version which I first saw in the Paul Czinner Bolshoi Ballet film in the '50s. It was danced by Raissa Struchkova (one of the best ever Cinderellas) and her husband Alexander Lapauri, with astonishing reckless abandon.

 

Ironically, whenever I see Balanchine's Midsummer Night's Dream, I think of the Russian Walpurgisnacht, in some of the irritating passages for Puck in the first act.

[loveclassics]

Thanks to everyone for their contributions.

 

Linda

[alison]

On 19/07/2020 at 15:23, MargaretN7 said:

I have seen this production of Faust many times, and particularly remember the first one. The Royal Ballet lent them Eric Underwood for the lead dance role, and he wowed the opera audience, a superb performance. This setting of the ballet IMO works well in the context of this opera production, not to be considered as a standalone ballet interpretation of the music.

 

Could someone perhaps give us a time point (or whatever the technical term is) for the ballet?