Royal Ballet's Giselle - Autumn 2021

[Fonty]

I tried to get a ticket for Hayward & Campbell, but the only day I could go it had sold out.  He is one of my favourites, and if I don't mind which female I see, then I would automatically pick one of his performances. 

 

It is such a pity that one of my favourite female dancers is regularly paired with a male dancer who doesn't do much for me personally.  It doesn't matter in some ballets, where the male has little to do other than stand around looking noble, but for roles requiring dramatic skills, it makes a huge difference.  

[ninamargaret]

38 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Alex joined BRB as already a complete package from RBS.  I think he is an exceptional actor as well as a beautiful dancer.  I will never forget his performances as Will Mossop and Cyrano and, for me, he actually managed to make the Prince in Sleeping Beauty a real person.  IMHO the Royal is very lucky to have him.

Agree totally, and I would love to have seen him as Will Mossop. Very envious of Jan!

[nycitybird]

Annette Buvoli has announced on Instgram that she won't be able to finish her run of Myrtha due to injury.

[Sim]

1 minute ago, nycitybird said:

Annette Buvoli has announced on Instgram that she won't be able to finish her run of Myrtha due to injury.

This is such a shame.  I hadn’t seen her yet and have tickets for her next show.  I hope she recovers well and soon. 😢

[LinMM]

How unfortunate for Annette Buvoli hope she recovers quickly. 

[LinMM]

I was just having a closer look at James lifts compilation (I really should have booked to see more Giselles this run!) and I see there’s an extract of Baryshnikov and Makarova in a beautiful rendering of “the” lift where she is held in a very straight horizontal position looking downwards ( not outwards) and it does really add to the ethereal quality of the lift as she appears to hover above Albrecht almost as if about to float away. 
Makarova was of course another truly memorable Giselle. Her mad scene quite unique and just such a lightness and other worldliness to the second Act. 

Edited November 23, 2021 by LinMM

[Scheherezade]

I couldn’t agree more with everything that has already been said about last night’s magical performance. Having been blown away by the previous Hayward/Campbell Giselle, I couldn’t let this one get away and I am so glad that I didn’t. 

There is no question that Francesca and Alex are both consummate actors which, of course, added to the feeling that we were watching something that was actually happening in front of us rather than just a performance.

 

Extraordinarily, and despite having seen innumerable Giselles over the years, I left last night’s performance as I did their previous performance together, as though this was the first time that I had seen this ballet: a rare sensation and something very special indeed. 

Francesca inhabits the stage with a total lack of affectation with, at the same time, every inflection of her head, her arms, her body adding to the dramatic heft of the story that is unfolding, and Alex is compelling and believable in whatever role he undertakes. If Francesca’s Giselle is an innocent and trusting ingenue, Alex’s Albrecht is a natural charmer, one who’s little gestures - a caring glance  or touch, that extra show of attentiveness that draws and holds - are so hard to resist. And he is fiery too. Giselle didn’t stand a chance.

 

I have to say that this was the most convincing Act 1 that I have ever seen. The plausibility factor of this act, so infrequently drawn with any real element of credibility, is surely what generates the tragedy of Act 2. And how unutterably tragic - and so very believable - Act 2 was.

 

Huge plaudits, then, to  Francesca and Alex but also to everyone else on stage. As ever in this run, the corps were extraordinary and absolutely deserved the prolonged applause, both during the performance and at the curtain calls. And having approached the pas de six with some trepidation after earlier criticisms during this run, I thought that last night’s performance was beautifully danced, with all six very well matched.  

[Rob S]

What exactly is wrong with the pas de six that received criticism? I've seen various permutations and they all seem to be fine to my non expert eye

[maryrosesatonapin]

13 minutes ago, Rob S said:

What exactly is wrong with the pas de six that received criticism? I've seen various permutations and they all seem to be fine to my non expert eye

I saw the very first performance of this run and two of the dancers were completely out of time.  I remarked it at the time.  I am very happy that the latest iteration are so good as it is those I will be seeing this weekend!

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

Thank you for this wonderful thread … I am now wishing I can get a late return for the next Hayward/Campbell performance having been quite disappointed with Cesar Corrales’ interpretation.  
 

I feel the believability of this ballet relies on Albrecht’s journey.  Cesar’s shock and distress at Giselle’s death came from nowhere … and made no sense with an otherwise good Act 1.  In Act 2 he was mostly unconnected emotionally from Akane’s ethereal Giselle.  I feel Albrecht has to make this connection as Giselle needs to create her own other-worldliness, which Akane did and beautifully.  He fluffed both Bolshoi lifts on the way up and the way down.   His partnering skills elsewhere in Act 2 weren’t great either … putting Akane back down on pointe rather heavily from any lift.  After that I just didn’t care what happened to him.  

FionaE - pretty forthright, but unfortunately I do have to agree that it seems Corrales has not yet properly come to terms with this role and I feel Akane deserves better partnering. 

Perhaps good technique is not enough to overcome lackluster acting, whereas  good  acting  can overcome a less than perfect technical performance. I thought so last night, anyway, as Francesca Hayward did seem to have a few issues technically;  I was rather nervous for her in Act 2 after the slip that JohnS mentioned  and some of her choreography was rather simplified  compared with other versions I have seen. But this did not essentially distract from her excellent  characterisation as she truly inhabited the persona of Giselle. 

 

[Rob S]

5 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I saw the very first performance of this run and two of the dancers were completely out of time.  I remarked it at the time.  I am very happy that the latest iteration are so good as it is those I will be seeing this weekend!

 

Oh, do you mean two were out of time when all six were dancing or a pair of dancers were out of time with the music?

 

[alison]

1 hour ago, Scheherezade said:

And having approached the pas de six with some trepidation after earlier criticisms during this run, I thought that last night’s performance was beautifully danced, with all six very well matched.  

 

I'll admit that I raised an eyebrow at the casting when I saw how junior most of the dancers were, but they certainly delivered: it may have been the best-matched cast I'd seen.

[Scheherezade]

9 minutes ago, alison said:

 

I'll admit that I raised an eyebrow at the casting when I saw how junior most of the dancers were, but they certainly delivered: it may have been the best-matched cast I'd seen.

 

Agreed. I felt exactly the same and I was very pleasantly surprised. Well done all round.

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, FionaE said:

I feel the believability of this ballet relies on Albrecht’s journey.

 

That point started to dawn on me last night, as it was more Campbell's reaction to Giselle's death than Hayward's actual dying that brought tears to my eyes. Maybe it's like Manon in that sense, in that, for me, whether or not Manon really gets me emotionally seems to depend on the performance of the Des Grieux rather than of the Manon (sample size 2 ENB casts & 5 ROH casts).

 

Musing on Giselle while doing the ironing earlier, it occurred to me to wonder if Albrecht will be suspected of murdering Hilarion? I mean, 2 men who are known to be enemies visit the same wood on the same night & then one of them is found drowned, surely the other one has to be a suspect. Not that anything would be done about it, as Albrecht is of too high a rank, but I can imagine the village gossip!

[Fonty]

I've always wondered if Albrecht's official wedding goes ahead after he returns to the palace exhausted and babbling on about strange women with wings taking over the forest.  Maybe he is quietly put away in a locked room somewhere, never to be seen again. 

[Rob S]

8 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Musing on Giselle while doing the ironing earlier, it occurred to me to wonder if Albrecht will be suspected of murdering Hilarion? I mean, 2 men who are known to be enemies visit the same wood on the same night & then one of them is found drowned, surely the other one has to be a suspect. Not that anything would be done about it, as Albrecht is of too high a rank, but I can imagine the village gossip!

 

Suspect number one would surely be Berthe...there must have been loads of dead men found in Drowned Bloke Woods and they can't all have been enemies of Albrecht yet Berthe was able to tell everyone exactly what happens!!

[Guest oncnp]

22 minutes ago, Fonty said:

I've always wondered if Albrecht's official wedding goes ahead after he returns to the palace exhausted and babbling on about strange women with wings taking over the forest.  Maybe he is quietly put away in a locked room somewhere, never to be seen again. 

 

In a deeply superstitious age, would anyone have doubted him? 

[Tony Newcombe]

3 hours ago, ninamargaret said:

Agree totally, and I would love to have seen him as Will Mossop. Very envious of Jan!

Loved his Oz ee by gum

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

Suspect number one would surely be Berthe...there must have been loads of dead men found in Drowned Bloke Woods and they can't all have been enemies of Albrecht yet Berthe was able to tell everyone exactly what happens!!

 

Even if Albrecht's a chip off the family tree when it comes to messing around with women, surely there can't have been 27 women who died due to being betrayed by a man all coming from the same village as Giselle? I would have thought the Wilis came from all over the region, if not all over country, and so did their victims. I assumed that the Wilis didn't operate in the same place each time but materialised at the grave of whoever was the latest addition to the number & then found victims in that area. Otherwise surely Hilarion & Albrecht wouldn't have both been so stupid as to visit a wood, alone, at night, where dozens of other men had previously been found dead!

 

I know some people on here are extremely good at recognising dancers so: does anyone know who is the first Wili to appear? Given she's veiled & at the back of the stage I haven't got a clue.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Dawnstar

[Lizbie1]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

Musing on Giselle while doing the ironing earlier, it occurred to me to wonder if Albrecht will be suspected of murdering Hilarion?

 

Dawnstar, your head must be the most fascinating place!

[Fonty]

55 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

In a deeply superstitious age, would anyone have doubted him? 

 

Well, I am sure the peasants would have, but well educated aristocrats would probably be more sceptical.  

[Rob S]

4 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Otherwise surely Hilarion & Albrecht wouldn't have both been so stupid as to visit a wood, alone, at night, where dozens of other men had previously been found dead!

 

Hmmm...well it's obvious that a branch or small shrubbery covers the sign at the entrance of Drowned Blokes Wood until the unsuspecting chap walks past it when suddenly it becomes visible to everyone else

[Rob S]

14 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I know some people on here are extremely good at recognising dancers so: does anyone know who is the first Wili to appear? Given she's veiled & at the back of the stage I haven't got a clue.

 

I love that bit.

 

I think we should organise a sweepstake and then someone here with contacts should find out for us. 

 

I tend to imagine it's Sae Maeda

[alison]

39 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I would have thought the Wilis came from all over the region, if not all over country, and so did their victims. I assumed that the Wilis didn't operate in the same place each time but materialised at the grave of whoever was the latest addition to the number & then found victims in that area. Otherwise surely Hilarion & Albrecht wouldn't have both been so stupid as to visit a wood, alone, at night, where dozens of other men had previously been found dead!

 

 

Well, one of Moyna and Zulme was originally a bayadere - I can't remember what the other one was - so they may even have come from different countries!

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

Dawnstar, your head must be the most fascinating place!

 

I'm sure I spend far too much time over-thinking things related to theatre rather than thinking about more useful things! I suppose also Giselle is almost new to me whereas most of the rest of you probably saw it years ago so have got the thinking too much about it stage over & done with long ago.

 

29 minutes ago, alison said:

Well, one of Moyna and Zulme was originally a bayadere - I can't remember what the other one was - so they may even have come from different countries!

 

I didn't know that. If the Wilis cover the whole world then I'm sure they wouldn't have time to kill loads of men in just the one wood!

[Lizbie1]

Cast change:

 

Ryoichi Hirano is replaced by Federico Bonelli as Albrecht on 27 November 11.30am and 3 December 7.30pm.

[Lizbie1]

2 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Cast change:

 

Ryoichi Hirano is replaced by Federico Bonelli as Albrecht on 27 November 11.30am and 3 December 7.30pm.

 

Disappointed for Hirano but very pleased to see Bonelli partnering Laura Morera.

[bridiem]

There are still a lot of tickets unsold for tomorrow's performance, especially in the Amphi, which is such a shame. I hope there are a lot of last-minute sales.

[James]

3 hours ago, alison said:

 

Well, one of Moyna and Zulme was originally a bayadere - I can't remember what the other one was - so they may even have come from different countries!

According to the original scenario, Zulme was a bayadere, Moyna was an odalisque, so definitely from different countries.

[maryrosesatonapin]

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Disappointed for Hirano but very pleased to see Bonelli partnering Laura Morera.

I do hope Hirano is OK.  Having said that, I have booked to see Morera and missed my Bonelli performance (with Cuthbertson) so am kind of thrilled and sympathetic at the same time.

 

[Dawnstar]

3 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

Cast change:

 

Ryoichi Hirano is replaced by Federico Bonelli as Albrecht on 27 November 11.30am and 3 December 7.30pm.

 

Aaaah! I'm now going to be haunting the ROH's website for the next few days in the hope of getting a returned ticket or Friday rush ticket for Saturday. I would have definitely booked for a Morera/Bonelli casting if they'd been in the original line-up.

 

Given the ROH have put this cast change on the website I wonder why they haven't updated the Myrtha casting at the same time, as Buvoli has said on Instagram that she won't be doing her last performance.

Edited November 23, 2021 by Dawnstar

[maryrosesatonapin]

13 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

 

Given the ROH have put this cast change on the website I wonder why they haven't updated the Myrtha casting at the same time, as Buvoli has said on Instagram that she won't be doing her last performance.

Maybe they haven't finished negotiating yet, @Dawnstar

Edited November 23, 2021 by maryrosesatonapin
typo as usual!!!!

[maryrosesatonapin]

10 hours ago, FionaE said:

Thank you for this wonderful thread … I am now wishing I can get a late return for the next Hayward/Campbell performance having been quite disappointed with Cesar Corrales’ interpretation.  
 

I feel the believability of this ballet relies on Albrecht’s journey.  Cesar’s shock and distress at Giselle’s death came from nowhere … 

I wanted to see Takada but was put off by her partner so didn't book.  I think Corrales is a great dancer in certain roles but this is an example where somehow RB doesn't always seem to match roles to dancers.  Having said that, he is so young that I am sure his depth of characterisation will grow as the years progress.