ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET: RAYMONDA

[capybara]

Well, I had some 'history'  - the RB's Act 3, the Bolshoi version(s), and Nureyev's full length production for POB. But I think that my approach was as Sim describes. I just let it wash over me and, overall, make me happy - about the feast of dancing (including enhanced numbers for the men), the on stage energy, and the glorious score.

 

Now that I am missing it, it is some individuals' performances which remain in my memory - for example, Emily Suzuki in everything she did (and she did A LOT); some of the Bernard and Beranger line-ups (notably Fernando Carratala Coloma and Aitor Arrieta); all the leads in different ways but, especially,  Fernando CC as Abdur (still an Artist by the way); Katja Kaniukova and Francesca Velicu as Henriette; and many more.

 

When there is dancing of that quality, what's not to like? 

 

[Scheherezade]

I haven't yet had time to post my impressions and there isn't much that I can add to what has already been said. I saw the Tuesday evening cast of Oliveira/Frola/Woolhouse/Velicu and Kase/Hernandez/Cirio/Conway on Saturday evening. I enjoyed both performances, although Saturday evening edged it for me. It is difficult to say whether this was because it was my second viewing with the benefit of greater familiarity or because of the cast. I suspect there was a little of both.

 

Of Tuesday's cast, I found Francesca Velicu's Henriette utterly riveting. I couldn't take my eyes off her and found it difficult to see how Abdur Rahman could have possibly been more captivated by Raymonda who, whilst gentle and worthy, and beautifully danced by Fernanda Oliveira, would surely have seemed rather bland by comparison.

 

In the same way, Frola surely injected enough charisma into his portrayal of John de Bryan to ensure that his fiancee's head wasn't so easily turned by his more exotic friend, an intense, brooding performance by Erik Woolhouse and quite different from the quicksilver yet nuanced Abdur Rahman of Jeffrey Cirio on Saturday evening. Both interpretations were valid but Cirio, dazzling and convincing as always, made this performance stand out for me and I also felt that Shiori Kase's more spirited Raymonda added to the dynamic of the love triangle and made her last minute and unexpected escape (how is it that no-one in the wedding crowd seemed to notice her slipping away?) a little easier to understand.

 

Other impressions overall? Like others, I felt that the earlier parts of Act 1 (pre-dream sequence, which I enjoyed) could have been pruned a little. Perhaps the divertissements in Act 2, which seemed to pass in a flash, or the pas de deux between Raymonda and Abdur Rahman could have been fleshed out a little more instead?

 

Act 3 might have lacked the dazzle of the recent RB production but it worked beautifully nevertheless, and gave Emily Suzuki in particular the chance to shine. I also enjoyed Precious Adams as Sister Clemence on Tuesday evening. My printed cast sheet listed Alison McWhinney as Sister Clemence on Saturday evening but as others have mentioned that she didn't appear to have danced in this run, perhaps someone else stepped in. Can anyone confirm? 

 

All in all, I can't think of any reason why this shouldn't be a keeper. And, as has been said, lots for the men to do, too.

[LinMM]

I agree with most of your review Scheherazade but don’t think you mean Tuesday evening for the cast you’ve mentioned as Tuesday was the Premiere and it was Kase Hernandez and Cirio in the lead roles that night! 
Id love to have seen Francesca Velicu’s Henriette. 

[alison]

Yes, I think the Oliveira cast was Thursday - it was the one I'd missed.

 

"(how is it that no-one in the wedding crowd seemed to notice her slipping away?)"

I think it must be a balletic convention - see e.g. La Sylphide   Any others?

[bridiem]

54 minutes ago, alison said:

"(how is it that no-one in the wedding crowd seemed to notice her slipping away?)"

 

Her departure was so low-key that I in the audience barely noticed her slipping away... and since she had until then spent the whole ballet being both confused and passive (and involved only in her two potential suitors, not her 'vocation' at all), it also seemed very out of character. (In fact I initially thought she was going off for a cup of tea or some such. Only afterwards did I realise what was actually intended.)

[LinMM]

Ha ha Bridiem your post reminds me of when we lost my granny ( mums mum) st my cousins wedding. It was the big final photograph to include everybody at the wedding but she was nowhere to be seen! 
A bit of panic for 5-10 mins but eventually found her in a hut attached to the church where there was an OAP afternoon tea session going on and we found her in there having a cup of tea!! Very remiss of us to lose her and mum was in trouble from her sister for not doing a good enough job on cousins big day! 
Anyway she seemed to be enjoying the cuppa a lot more than the wedding lol. 

[Scheherezade]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

I agree with most of your review Scheherazade but don’t think you mean Tuesday evening for the cast you’ve mentioned as Tuesday was the Premiere and it was Kase Hernandez and Cirio in the lead roles that night! 
Id love to have seen Francesca Velicu’s Henriette. 

 

Not quite sure what happened there with those quotes  but I meant to add that yes, of course, it was the Thursday cast not Tuesday. And, very true, Alison, the vision of wedding guests does seem to be particularly problematic in a balletic context. 

[alison]

I've merged them for you, Scheherezade

[Bluebird]

11 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

 My printed cast sheet listed Alison McWhinney as Sister Clemence on Saturday evening but as others have mentioned that she didn't appear to have danced in this run, perhaps someone else stepped in. Can anyone confirm? 

 

Although she wasn't credited on the cast sheet, Natascha Mair was Sister Clemence Saturday evening.

[Bluebird]

11 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

I also felt that Shiori Kase's more spirited Raymonda added to the dynamic of the love triangle and made her last minute and unexpected escape (how is it that no-one in the wedding crowd seemed to notice her slipping away?) a little easier to understand.

 

 

Indeed, Shiori Kase's performance on Saturday was far more 'spirited' than it had been on the opening night.  On the opening night, her Act 1 characterisation, in particular, had been somewhat subdued.  That certainly wasn't the case on Saturday.

[Jan McNulty]

3 hours ago, Bluebird said:

 

Indeed, Shiori Kase's performance on Saturday was far more 'spirited' than it had been on the opening night.  On the opening night, her Act 1 characterisation, in particular, had been somewhat subdued.  That certainly wasn't the case on Saturday.

 

David Bintley once said (paraphrased) that the first show wasn't usually the one to judge a dancer's performance by.  Sounds like he was spot on (and from my own watching experiences over the years too).

 

[alison]

Absolutely agree.  Even Tamara Rojo used to say she would improve over the course of a run (I'm paraphrasing too), didn't she?

[Scheherezade]

4 hours ago, alison said:

I've merged them for you, Scheherezade

Thanks for that, Alison. 

[Emeralds]

6 hours ago, LinMM said:

Ha ha Bridiem your post reminds me of when we lost my granny ( mums mum) st my cousins wedding. It was the big final photograph to include everybody at the wedding but she was nowhere to be seen! 
A bit of panic for 5-10 mins but eventually found her in a hut attached to the church where there was an OAP afternoon tea session going on and we found her in there having a cup of tea!! Very remiss of us to lose her and mum was in trouble from her sister for not doing a good enough job on cousins big day! 
Anyway she seemed to be enjoying the cuppa a lot more than the wedding lol. 

That’s hilarious, LinMM! But glad she was found in the end- and enjoying her cup of tea! As an audience member, at first I too thought it strange that nobody appeared to care that the bride had left  her new husband and the group (if you don’t count Abdur) but come to think of it, I think I’ve observed it in many social situations where the “star of the show” leaves and nobody appears to react, care or notice! Then again, maybe they thought she was slipping out for a drink or to freshen up and would be coming back. 

 

I’m enjoying all the reviews of the different casts I couldn’t see this fortnight and only wish that the repeat run was happening sooner than the end of the year! Looks like Mayflower Southampton is beckoning- the last time I went to that theatre (and indeed, Southampton), was to catch BRB in a performance of Swan Lake because I couldn’t get to see a cast I wanted in London due to a clash of dates. That was back when Kevin O’Hare was still a dancer with the company! I think Odette/Odile was either Miyako Yoshida or Ravenna Tucker that day.

 

Speaking of different casts, I notice that Shiori Kase had demonstrated the variations danced by Henriette so beautifully in the videos on the company’s website and social media, but doesn’t seem to have danced Henriette since being allocated the responsibility of the dancing the title role at the opening night performance and dancing it again at the weekend. I wonder if she’ll dance the role at all in future. So many glowing accounts of the different casts though - I too would have liked to see Francesca Velicu as Henriette; she danced one of the bridesmaids in our cast. What is also really nice is how Henriette and Clemence both have different and well drawn personalities, as well as key parts in the plot in this version, something not seen in any other previous production. 

[Scheherezade]

4 hours ago, Bluebird said:

 

Although she wasn't credited on the cast sheet, Natascha Mair was Sister Clemence Saturday evening.

Many thanks, Bluebird. I wouldn’t have known. Or even guessed. 

[Jan McNulty]

Depending on what else the Autumn brings I may have to consider going on the very long journey to Southampton to see this.  The reviews I have read from both our members and in the Links have intrigued me.  An added bonus is that I love the score.

[LinMM]

Perhaps we need a Balletcoforum trip down to Southampton!! At this point in time Id be going for a Saturday matinee but might be tempting to stay overnight and see different casts this time. The premier Inn in Southampton is pretty close to the main shopping Centre about half way from where you catch the ferry across to Cowes and the shopping Centre ...and that is not far from the theatre. Of course there might be more than one Premier Inn!! The one we were in was in what they call the Waterfront area. 

[Emeralds]

There could indeed be lots of forum members trekking to Southampton for Raymonda. Southampton residents won’t know what’s hit them!  😁 I can only do a Sat matinee- hope the train service will be running smoothly! 

[Shade]

So Raymonda is scheduled for the Mayflower in the Autumn? As I missed the London run I could catch it there then

[LinMM]

Yes it’s due at the Mayflower from Nov 30th until Dec 4th …I’ve already had ads from the Mayflower about it. 

[serenade]

I’m going to try and go to see it in Southampton if possible. I had an amazing seat for the coliseum then my show got cancelled. I rebooked and got a similarly great seat again, I was so excited to see it. Then I had a bit of a family emergency and couldn’t go. But I’ve lived vicariously through everyone’s posts on here so thank you all 😂

[jmhopton]

5 hours ago, serenade said:

I’m going to try and go to see it in Southampton if possible. I had an amazing seat for the coliseum then my show got cancelled. I rebooked and got a similarly great seat again, I was so excited to see it. Then I had a bit of a family emergency and couldn’t go. But I’ve lived vicariously through everyone’s posts on here so thank you all 😂

I had a virtually identical experience, Serenade which also resulted in me missing Raymonda so I'm also wondering about Southampton.  Does the fact  Southampton has already been announced in what would be the next season, preclude other venues being announced for next season? I'm thinking of Manchester especially, as Raymonda should have premiered there, but Liverpool would also be fairly convenient. 

[serenade]

3 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I had a virtually identical experience, Serenade which also resulted in me missing Raymonda so I'm also wondering about Southampton.  Does the fact  Southampton has already been announced in what would be the next season, preclude other venues being announced for next season? I'm thinking of Manchester especially, as Raymonda should have premiered there, but Liverpool would also be fairly convenient. 

Oh no, I’m sorry you also couldn’t make it either! I presumed Southampton was the only venue for next season but hopefully I’m wrong. 

[LinMM]

I think they would have announced other 2022 venues by now as they must know what happening for the rest of this year I think…..but you never know something could come up perhaps if another Group should cancel their engagement? 

[Emeralds]

I think they could well announce other venues for 2023 and I do hope Manchester can get it in 2023 if not 2022 - it also depends on what the new director decides to do. If other venues have already made and confirmed their bookings for the rest of 2022 and ENB’s tours and bookings are full, we’re not likely to see another venue being added for 2022, although I have no idea if they are full. Of course, changes, cancellations and additions do occur, especially in this changing climate of Covid and border closures/reopenings. 

[LinMM]

[LinMM]

This is from the Mayflower theatre …info about next Autumns Raymonda 

Have no idea why came out sideways ..sorry but just updated my iPhone and has taken me ages to work out the “new” way of sending lol! 
Will post on other Raymonda thread as well. 
This booklet also has info on BRB Swan Lake in Spring of 2023! 

[Geoff]

On 24/01/2022 at 14:00, Emeralds said:

I’ve addressed all your Raymonda questions and others have added a few other useful pointers - you might have to scroll back a bit to find these points. 

 

Now that the new issue of the Dancing Times is out, may I respond to this? First of all, thank you so much for all your comments, they are really helpful. And also, just in case people think my questions are somehow about whether to see the show, I heartily encourage everyone who has not yet seen it to try and catch this show on its tour: it was designed to tour (there was a comment early on about the set which may relate to this) and it is certainly a good night out in the theatre.

 

But to come back to choreographic questions, would it be fair to sum up your view as, this production has, like the old Morecombe and Wise line, just about all the original choreography but not necessarily in the original order? I see that Jonathan Gray, the editor of Dancing Times, in his not really very positive review of this Raymonda just published, writes "Little remains of Petipa". The two points of view don't really seem to be reconcilable, yet you are both experts.

 

So, might I draw attention again to the 30 minute set of extracts from the La Scala "authentic" (or whatever) production which I linked to earlier in this thread, and ask again, where did all that Petipa choreography go?

[capybara]

I understand that ENB will be announcing further performing plans at the beginning of March. So the possibility might remain for Raymonda to be shown in other venues.

[Jan McNulty]

31 minutes ago, capybara said:

I understand that ENB will be announcing further performing plans at the beginning of March. So the possibility might remain for Raymonda to be shown in other venues.

 

Fingers crossed for those of us "up north".

[LinMM]

Wouldn’t it be great if it went to Manchester where it was originally due to have its Premiere! 

[jmhopton]

9 hours ago, LinMM said:

Wouldn’t it be great if it went to Manchester where it was originally due to have its Premiere! 

That's what I keep saying! Just waiting for someone to listen!!

[Emeralds]

On 04/02/2022 at 09:00, Geoff said:

 

Now that the new issue of the Dancing Times is out, may I respond to this? First of all, thank you so much for all your comments, they are really helpful. And also, just in case people think my questions are somehow about whether to see the show, I heartily encourage everyone who has not yet seen it to try and catch this show on its tour: it was designed to tour (there was a comment early on about the set which may relate to this) and it is certainly a good night out in the theatre.

 

But to come back to choreographic questions, would it be fair to sum up your view as, this production has, like the old Morecombe and Wise line, just about all the original choreography but not necessarily in the original order? I see that Jonathan Gray, the editor of Dancing Times, in his not really very positive review of this Raymonda just published, writes "Little remains of Petipa". The two points of view don't really seem to be reconcilable, yet you are both experts.

 

So, might I draw attention again to the 30 minute set of extracts from the La Scala "authentic" (or whatever) production which I linked to earlier in this thread, and ask again, where did all that Petipa choreography go?

Geoff, the video you cite is actually 27 minutes, not 30minutes, and you didn’t include a link, so the search engines wouldn’t bring it up. I’ve found it now after a bit of detective work. It’s not actually the “best parts”, unfortunately. (I have the DVD of the production so I’ve seen the best parts and the whole thing several times). 

 

Vikharev’s production for La Scala is a reconstruction based on archive research; nobody has the authentic production, not even the Mariinsky where it premiered. The productions have been altered, with parts forgotten, and other parts deliberately omitted due to changes in politics,  government interference, or simply a different artistic vision. Nobody alive now knows what the original looks like, and notation is less precise than music notation. It only gives a idea of rather than accurate representation of steps and choreography. 

 

The video is is a strange selection of extracts from Acts 1 and 2, ending with Raymonda waking up from her dream of being abducted at knife point by Abderakhman. The solos she dances are retained by Tamara Rojo -you and the critics you quoted might not have realised this due to the very different costumes worn. One solo has been given to several nurses to dance (even more difficult to do than a solo) as Raymonda has a solo (another original Petipa one) immediately afterwards. The order of the dances have been changed around, but so has the dances in the Royal Ballet, Mariinsky, Boslhoi, Vienna and Paris Opera productions, which their fans think are the “traditional” or proper ones. 

 

It’s incorrect to say that little remains of Petipa. Even a non-dancing viewer would recognise the dance for quartet of men in the last act, Raymonda’s solo with the scarf, and her solo with the handclaps at the end.

 

The Vienna production, I’ve found, is the Nureyev production, similar to the well-known Paris Opera one, and that’s definitely not “authentic” or traditional at all - Nureyev wanted to improve it the way Rojo has, in the way he felt, like Rojo did, would make more sense or at least improve on what he had seen and performed in St Petersburg. His version makes fewer changes than Rojo’s, but it’s still not traditional, and that was Nureyev’s intention.

 

The clip you cited actually has some of the most boring parts of Act 1 (really doesn’t do justice to the music) and Act 2, and some of the problems - eg the xenophobic portrayal of the villain and tedious walking or scuttling  back and forth   - that unfortunately Vikharev could not change completely due to his brief to reproduce and reconstruct the original.  The character of Clemence in ENB’s production, incorporates some of the White Lady’s role in the extract you cited. I should point out that I’m a big fan of the La Scala performance and the portrayals and dancing by Novikova, Vogel, Zeni, Podini, Garritano (the latter two dancers have some of the most difficult choreography and dance it beautifully) and the rest of the cast, so it’s by no means a criticism of the dancers or performance. 

 

I’d say about 30% of the original Petipa is preserved.  Thankfully  the 70% or so cut includes the worst bits. Maybe Jonathan Gray thinks 30% is “little remains of”. My criterion is this: if you were to record the whole show and turn the sound off so as not to give the game away, then ask a viewer who knows the traditional repertoire and the well known modern works (eg Apollo, The Two Pigeons, La Fille mal Gardee, Serenade, Fancy Free, Manon, Onegin, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Chroma, Infra, After the Rain, etc etc) whether the ballet looks like anything already in the standard repertoire, that viewer could tell you definitively, “Raymonda!” by the end of Act 1.  That’s not “little”.

 

When you read Rojo’s description on the company website, she says she specifically did not want to reproduce the Petipa production or what survives of it. The very first thing the description says is that it would be a reimagining, or what we commonly call a reboot - which has now been done successfully and frequently on stage and screen, to Sherlock Holmes, Shakespeare, Grimm’s fairy tales, and the Marvel and DC Comics characters...and even more frequently in opera. Christian Spuck and John Neumeier  have both done it successfully at Zurich and Hamburg for some time, among others. It’s time British ballet and ballet in general caught up with the 21st century. 

 

I may be a big fan of the ballet and the music, but I would be one of the first to say that the traditional version in its various changed guises, had flaws in its original incarnation and still has some flaws.  There’s room for more than one version in the world, and Rojo has done well to give our dear girl Raymonda a new lease of life. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Emeralds