Royal Ballet's Swan Lake (Spring 2022)

[capybara]

1 minute ago, emmarose said:

 

As he did so well, why didn't the royal offer him a contract (assuming they didn't)?

 

Back then (2010), there was no Aud Jebsen Young Dancer scheme and managing recruitment into the RB was therefore more difficult for the Director. There were either places available in a particular year or there weren't.

 

[Bluebird]

28 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Back then (2010), there was no Aud Jebsen Young Dancer scheme and managing recruitment into the RB was therefore more difficult for the Director. There were either places available in a particular year or there weren't.

 

 

There were places that year. I just checked on 2010 promotions and joiners and have pasted them in below.  I've highlighted the joiners from the RBS.

 

Isn't it possible that Will Bracewell chose to go to BRB at a time when new recruits to that company were given more opportunities than new recruits to the Royal?  

2010 Royal Ballet Promotions, leavers, joiners

Sergei Polunin is promoted to Principal

Johannes Stepanek to First Soloist 

Melissa Hamilton to Soloist 

Claire Calvert  Akane Takada, Fernando Montano and Erico Montes to First Artists

 

Nehemiah Kish joins as Principal from the Royal Danish Ballet

 

Itziar Mendizabal  joins from the Leipzig Ballet as First Soloist

 

Graduates from The Royal Ballet School join the company as Artists and are:

Yasmine Naghdi
Sander Blommaert
James Butcher

Valentino Zucchetti joins from the Norwegian Ballet

Camille Bracher joins from Johannesburg as Artist
Beatriz Stix-Brunell from the School of American Ballet as Artist

Edited May 20, 2022 by Bluebird

[DoctorDerry]

Lots of interesting information in this chat, it would be interesting to hear from William himself if he was offered a place at RB. I heard an I interview with him saying he approached Kevin O’Hare to move to RB  from BRB and it took two years before he was offered a place, something about Kevin needing to prioritise his own protégées. It was one of the Tom and Ty podcasts I listened to during Covid (when I had returned to work and needed to think of other things)

[JennyTaylor]

He's doing an interview with the Ballet Association on the 16th June! 

[capybara]

Here is the report from when William was interviewed at The Ballet Association in 2018.

https://balletassociation.co.uk/pages/reports-2018-william-bracewell

 

1 hour ago, Bluebird said:

 

There were places that year. I just checked on 2010 promotions and joiners and have pasted them in below.  I've highlighted the joiners from the RBS.

 

Isn't it possible that Will Bracewell chose to go to BRB at a time when new recruits to that company were given more opportunities than new recruits to the Royal?  

2010 Royal Ballet Promotions, leavers, joiners

Sergei Polunin is promoted to Principal

Johannes Stepanek to First Soloist 

Melissa Hamilton to Soloist 

Claire Calvert  Akane Takada, Fernando Montano and Erico Montes to First Artists

 

Nehemiah Kish joins as Principal from the Royal Danish Ballet

 

Itziar Mendizabal  joins from the Leipzig Ballet as First Soloist

 

Graduates from The Royal Ballet School join the company as Artists and are:

Yasmine Naghdi
Sander Blommaert
James Butcher

Valentino Zucchetti joins from the Norwegian Ballet

Camille Bracher joins from Johannesburg as Artist
Beatriz Stix-Brunell from the School of American Ballet as Artist

 

Thank you, Bluebird. My memory was limited to the fact that Yasmine Naghdi joined at Easter 2010. Apologies. Eight new recruits in 2010 is a lot.

However, in several interviews since she retired, Dame Monica has spoken enviously of the fact that the Aud Jebsen scheme provides Kevin O'Hare with just the kind of flexibility which she craved when she was Director.

[Guest oncnp]

4 hours ago, Ian Macmillan said:

oncnp:  My recollection is that Kevin O'Hare mentioned increased use of cinema broadcasts but not, I think, internet streaming.  But I'm open to correction on that.

 

Thank you. That's what I was afraid of.

[emmarose]

1 hour ago, DoctorDerry said:

Lots of interesting information in this chat, it would be interesting to hear from William himself if he was offered a place at RB. I heard an I interview with him saying he approached Kevin O’Hare to move to RB  from BRB and it took two years before he was offered a place, something about Kevin needing to prioritise his own protégées. It was one of the Tom and Ty podcasts I listened to during Covid (when I had returned to work and needed to think of other things)

 

This would be very interesting to know, considering they would have first refusal of him too and how successful he was, there must be an interesting story (all of their stories are interesting though).

 

So glad they got him back though, what an asset he is to the company! And his all being well, his career will only continue to grow.

[alison]

I'm trying to remember whether Bracewell was one of those dancers who made a deliberate choice to go to BRB because of the greater number of opportunities early on.  But perhaps I'm confusing him with someone else.

[capybara]

Perhaps his thread should now be retitled as In Appreciation of William Bracewell?😉

 

I have found the following reference in the report on his talk to The Ballet Association in 2018:  

"When it came to getting a contract, William felt slightly wary of what the culture of ballet companies might prove to be like. Although he hadn’t performed with BRB while at the RBS, he had watched the company, knew some dancers there and had formed the impression that it was a friendly place to be."

[Linnzi5]

 

 

Hi. I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I would like to say how much I have enjoyed all the discussions, photos and opinions (and knowledge!) posted here. Thank you.

 

I am a huge RB fan, though, alas, not an expert on the technical side of ballet, (my area of moderate expertise is music) so I do enjoy reading the opinions of those who understand it far better than me.

 

I have recently seen Swan Lake in March, with William Bracewell and Francesca Hayward, then again last Friday, with Lauren Cuthbertson and William Bracewell and then went to a screening of the live cinema relay on Thursday night. The last time before that, was literally just before lockdown, where I saw Nunez/Muntagirov (I have seen other pairings previous to that, including Osipova) and it's been wonderful to compare, appreciate and enjoy the characters they create.

 

I have been a regular visitor to ROH over the years, but have never attended a cinema relay before (though I own many DVDs!)- my local cinema did a good job (Cineworld) with the screening and I have no complaints about it. I enjoyed the relay immensely, and though it obviously was not as enjoyable as being at the live performance itself, in person at ROH, (where I am not restricted by the angles/shots chosen by the director of the feed) I did enjoy the close-ups of the dancers' faces - at other times I felt a little frustrated that the focus of the camera wasn't on what I would have chosen, but that is a minor niggle and is subjective anyway. 

 

I really enjoyed both last Friday's and Thursday's performances. I have never seen Lauren Cuthbertson dance Odette/Odile before and enjoyed her interpretations of these roles. Having seen different principles dance Odette and Odile previously, I particularly liked some of the choices she made. Congratulations to Ms Cuthbertson on 20 years at the Royal Ballet - what an achievement! 

 

I loved William Bracewell - both with Francesca Hayward and Lauren Cuthbertson. He is the kind of dancer I enjoy, as he is fluid, graceful, expressive and a very good actor too, in my opinion. The role of Siegfried can be quite two-dimensional, I think, and Bracewell's interpretation has been my favourite so far; his Siegfried is troubled, vulnerable and human and sometimes I have found Siegfried to be quite bland - not so with his prince. So, another person to add to the Bracewell appreciation list! Seriously, why is he not a principal yet?!

 

I particularly enjoyed the discussion around the fouettés further back in this thread- I have my own opinion on this topic, but wouldn't wish to derail the current direction of this thread by adding them now - I 'missed the boat' on that one as I was still trying to pluck up the courage to join the forum! 

 

I had better be quiet now, as this has been a very long  post  . . .  sorry!

 

 

 

 

[Scheherezade]

I so agree with you Linnzi5. Bracewell is one of those rare dancers that makes it real. It’s another layer, an added connection with the audience and it isn’t something that can easily be acquired. I’m keeping my fingers firmly crossed for a much deserved promotion.

I know that the moderators will add their voices but welcome to the forum.  And I’d love to hear your views on the vexing question of the fouettés.  

[Mary]

4 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

The role of Siegfried can be quite two-dimensional, I think, and Bracewell's interpretation has been my favourite so far; his Siegfried is troubled, vulnerable and human and sometimes I have found Siegfried to be quite bland - not so with his prince.

I really enjoyed your post Linnzi5.

 

I agree with all the above comments that Bracewell was very good and a pleasure to watch.

 

But, in general,  in my view it is not necessary for Siegfried to be a fully 'fleshed out' character. I am happy for him to be a bit two-dimensional: this is Swan Lake, not Macmillan.

 

In fact I think I prefer my Siegfried remote and aloof -so long as he is princely and a little sad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

5 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

 

 

Hi. I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I would like to say how much I have enjoyed all the discussions, photos and opinions (and knowledge!) posted here. Thank you.

 

I am a huge RB fan, though, alas, not an expert on the technical side of ballet, (my area of moderate expertise is music) so I do enjoy reading the opinions of those who understand it far better than me.

 

I have recently seen Swan Lake in March, with William Bracewell and Francesca Hayward, then again last Friday, with Lauren Cuthbertson and William Bracewell and then went to a screening of the live cinema relay on Thursday night. The last time before that, was literally just before lockdown, where I saw Nunez/Muntagirov (I have seen other pairings previous to that, including Osipova) and it's been wonderful to compare, appreciate and enjoy the characters they create.

 

I have been a regular visitor to ROH over the years, but have never attended a cinema relay before (though I own many DVDs!)- my local cinema did a good job (Cineworld) with the screening and I have no complaints about it. I enjoyed the relay immensely, and though it obviously was not as enjoyable as being at the live performance itself, in person at ROH, (where I am not restricted by the angles/shots chosen by the director of the feed) I did enjoy the close-ups of the dancers' faces - at other times I felt a little frustrated that the focus of the camera wasn't on what I would have chosen, but that is a minor niggle and is subjective anyway. 

 

I really enjoyed both last Friday's and Thursday's performances. I have never seen Lauren Cuthbertson dance Odette/Odile before and enjoyed her interpretations of these roles. Having seen different principles dance Odette and Odile previously, I particularly liked some of the choices she made. Congratulations to Ms Cuthbertson on 20 years at the Royal Ballet - what an achievement! 

 

I loved William Bracewell - both with Francesca Hayward and Lauren Cuthbertson. He is the kind of dancer I enjoy, as he is fluid, graceful, expressive and a very good actor too, in my opinion. The role of Siegfried can be quite two-dimensional, I think, and Bracewell's interpretation has been my favourite so far; his Siegfried is troubled, vulnerable and human and sometimes I have found Siegfried to be quite bland - not so with his prince. So, another person to add to the Bracewell appreciation list! Seriously, why is he not a principal yet?!

 

I particularly enjoyed the discussion around the fouettés further back in this thread- I have my own opinion on this topic, but wouldn't wish to derail the current direction of this thread by adding them now - I 'missed the boat' on that one as I was still trying to pluck up the courage to join the forum! 

 

I had better be quiet now, as this has been a very long  post  . . .  sorry!

 

 

 

 

Hello Linnzi15 and welcome to the Forum!

[bridiem]

39 minutes ago, Mary said:

But, in general,  in my view it is not necessary for Siegfried to be a fully 'fleshed out' character. I am happy for him to be a bit two-dimensional: this is Swan Lake, not Macmillan.

 

In fact I think I prefer my Siegfried remote and aloof -so long as he is princely and a little sad.

 

Very interesting comment, Mary! With Swan Lake, the choreography really says it all. On the other hand, if I feel the dancer is only doing the steps, that's not enough. So I think that fully fleshed out or remote and aloof (and princely and sad!) can both work (and both take great artistry); what isn't OK is going through the motions.

[Bluebird]

11 hours ago, capybara said:

Eight new recruits in 2010 is a lot.

 

Apologies.  I should have pasted in the rest of the announcement. There were eight new recruits but there were also eight dancers who left the Company in 2010.

 

Miyako Yoshida retires at the end of the season

Also leaving/left are :

Viacheslav Samodurov
Yohei Sasaki
Gemma Sykes
Cindy Jourdain
Ernst Meisner
Richard Ramsey
Xander Parish

Edited May 21, 2022 by Bluebird

[alison]

Thanks, Bluebird.  Quite a loss, those were  

[Linnzi5]

3 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Hello Linnzi15 and welcome to the Forum!

Thank you!

[Linnzi5]

4 hours ago, Mary said:

I really enjoyed your post Linnzi5.

 

I agree with all the above comments that Bracewell was very good and a pleasure to watch.

 

But, in general,  in my view it is not necessary for Siegfried to be a fully 'fleshed out' character. I am happy for him to be a bit two-dimensional: this is Swan Lake, not Macmillan.

 

In fact I think I prefer my Siegfried remote and aloof -so long as he is princely and a little sad.

 

Thanks, Mary.

 

I agree with you - I have really enjoyed the more remote and regal interpretations of Siegfried too. As long as I can see that the dancer is showing me he has an understanding 'his Siegfried' and isn't just showing me the dance steps, I am usually happy and I really enjoy different characterisations (and comparing them). 

[Linnzi5]

3 hours ago, bridiem said:

Very interesting comment, Mary! With Swan Lake, the choreography really says it all. On the other hand, if I feel the dancer is only doing the steps, that's not enough. So I think that fully fleshed out or remote and aloof (and princely and sad!) can both work (and both take great artistry); what isn't OK is going through the motions.

 

Far better explained than my attempts!

[capybara]

3 hours ago, bridiem said:

So I think that fully fleshed out or remote and aloof (and princely and sad!) can both work (and both take great artistry); what isn't OK is going through the motions.

I agree. But I don’t recall an RB Siegfried going through the motions…….

[bridiem]

16 minutes ago, capybara said:

I agree. But I don’t recall an RB Siegfried going through the motions…….

 

I didn't have anyone in mind when I wrote that! But I've seen dancers from all companies occasionally where (whatever the role might be) their heart doesn't seem to be in it.

[Linnzi5]

6 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

I so agree with you Linnzi5. Bracewell is one of those rare dancers that makes it real. It’s another layer, an added connection with the audience and it isn’t something that can easily be acquired. I’m keeping my fingers firmly crossed for a much deserved promotion.

I know that the moderators will add their voices but welcome to the forum.  And I’d love to hear your views on the vexing question of the fouettés.  

 

I am glad you asked my opinion! So, thank you.

 

I have never counted fouettés - I knew there were supposed to be 32, but for me, as long as they complemented the score and end where the music lends them to, I have never really thought about the exact number performed. That being said, as someone with a musical background, I do find it a little jarring if a performer is not 'in tune' with the music - those fouettés from the black swan coda are iconic. Of course, unfortunately, mishaps occur as dancers are humans and errors happen and are a part of live performances. In fact, I saw my favourite female principle, Marianela Nunez, wobble quite badly - for her! - in the middle of her fouettés in the performance I saw just before lockdown.  Of course, she recovered instantly and it did not detract from a breathtaking performance for me and I felt the audience cheered her even more enthusiastically than usual as she recovered so professionally. Exiting those fouettés too early is an entirely different prospect for me and it's how you recover from that that makes a difference, in my eyes. - I think that comes from experience?

 

I was interested to see Francesca Hayward. She is a dancer I very much admire and is a wonderful actor, I think. She has many, many brilliant qualities and I really love her. I had read the reviews of her debut and hoped that when I saw her that I would not sense if she was (understandably) a little hesitant or nervous of those dreaded fouettés. I have to say, I enjoyed her performance very much and felt she had an excellent chemistry with Bracewell. I loved her confident and sizzling Odile (her Odette not quite as much) but when she came on stage for the fouettés I instantly felt nervous for her - her body language conveyed that to me. She did not look confident and did end her fouettés quite early and I felt really upset for her, not for me. Did it detract from her performance in my eyes? No. However, I totally understand if others felt differently, as this is the pinnacle of Odile showing her confidence and showmanship and I can see how it would break the spell she was weaving, if that makes sense? Cuthbertson's fouettés were excellent for both performances I saw and she oozed confidence, in my opinion.

 

I have seen short videos of fouettés recently from Fumi Kaneko, Mayara Magri and Claire Calvert. Their fouettés are very different from the Nunez, Cuthbertson (more traditional?) ones. Forgive me for not knowing the technical name for the arms above the head move they all did, in various forms. Though these videos were clips of them rehearsing and not in the context of a performance, I was not a huge fan. They were executed well, though looked a little uncontrolled (with quite a bit of travelling, in some cases) but I would have to see them in a performance to judge if I felt they worked better. I would be interested to hear the opinions of those who saw these dancers perform them live.

[emmarose]

11 hours ago, capybara said:

Perhaps his thread should now be retitled as In Appreciation of William Bracewell?😉

 

I have found the following reference in the report on his talk to The Ballet Association in 2018:  

"When it came to getting a contract, William felt slightly wary of what the culture of ballet companies might prove to be like. Although he hadn’t performed with BRB while at the RBS, he had watched the company, knew some dancers there and had formed the impression that it was a friendly place to be."

 

I mean, would there be any objections? 😉

It's really wonderful to see not only how his career is progressing, but also the appreciation so many have for him too.

[Linnzi5]

41 minutes ago, capybara said:

I agree. But I don’t recall an RB Siegfried going through the motions…….

 

22 minutes ago, bridiem said:

I didn't have anyone in mind when I wrote that! But I've seen dancers from all companies occasionally where (whatever the role might be) their heart doesn't seem to be in it.

 

I have also not seen an RB Siegfried do this - I have from other companies though. Then again, that's in my opinion. Others may well have disagreed with me, to be fair.

[Linnzi5]

8 minutes ago, emmarose said:

I mean, would there be any objections? 😉

It's really wonderful to see not only how his career is progressing, but also the appreciation so many have for him too.

None from me. I do feel I am a tad biased though! 😀

 

Interesting discussion on those who manage to secure their first contracts with the RB on graduation from the RBS. It must be so incredibly competitive securing a place as a graduate dancer at the RB. I think of all those young dancers from the RBS (as well as from many other excellent schools in the UK and around the world) and it must be incredibly stressful and soul-destroying if you are unsuccessful in securing a position in a professional ballet company. My heart goes out to them. I know it's the nature of any performance-based career, but I feel their pain.

 

I don't see it as a problem joining later. I wonder which is more competitive though? Joining directly from ballet school or as a more experienced lower-ranked dancer?

[Scheherezade]

Well, if we consider that Muntagirov and Corrales joined from ENB and Bracewell from BRB, that might provide something of an answer. There are definitely more opportunities for dancers to broaden their range and develop their stagecraft in a slightly smaller company, but too small and the chance to move to the top company may be lost.

[JennyTaylor]

What I love about William Bracewell, apart from his beautiful, lyrical dancing, is his acting ability which makes every performance he gives in roles such as Romeo and Siegfried so amazing. This is the reason I try to sit really close to the stage, as I am mesmerised by his characterisation second by second - so much does he bring to the role. The cinema close ups bring us all these different fleeting expressions perfectly which is why it is sometimes better to see the cinema production than the the live theatre.  Of course, it is best to have both worlds, but having seen the cinema cast live last Friday, I was very happy to see it at the cinema again, in all its glory.   Members of this forum know I am a huge Bracewell fan, having fallen for him in Madrid in this ballet, from a clear blue sky.  I note this ironic salute to VR has now disappeared and they just nod at each other now.  On a different note, how can a lovely chap like Gary Avis produce such a malevolent VR?  Just amazing acting!  Again, seeing his facial expressions close up - just chilling!

[Linnzi5]

10 minutes ago, JennyTaylor said:

What I love about William Bracewell, apart from his beautiful, lyrical dancing, is his acting ability which makes every performance he gives in roles such as Romeo and Siegfried so amazing. This is the reason I try to sit really close to the stage, as I am mesmerised by his characterisation second by second - so much does he bring to the role. The cinema close ups bring us all these different fleeting expressions perfectly which is why it is sometimes better to see the cinema production than the the live theatre.  Of course, it is best to have both worlds, but having seen the cinema cast live last Friday, I was very happy to see it at the cinema again, in all its glory.   Members of this forum know I am a huge Bracewell fan, having fallen for him in Madrid in this ballet, from a clear blue sky.  I note this ironic salute to VR has now disappeared and they just nod at each other now.  On a different note, how can a lovely chap like Gary Avis produce such a malevolent VR?  Just amazing acting!  Again, seeing his facial expressions close up - just chilling!

Ditto! Huge Bracewell fan here! For me, it is also the way he interprets the music - I suppose it's the lyricism in his dancing. It's something that some dancers do naturally and I think he does. Again, this is subjective. For me, I need to be moved and when watching him? I really am. I do like his Siegfried but I also liked Lauren Cuthbertson's Odette and Odile - I felt she was on top form and I liked her choices.

 

Gary Avis is just amazing. He comes across as such a nice man and yet his VR is just plain evil. He is a true character actor! I've really enjoyed watching his coaching of principles/dancers too. 

 

The cinema close-ups were brilliant - I loved the emotions expressed and it made it seem more personal to me - more intimate. I'm not sure I would have focussed on some of the main screen shots chosen - but I think we know what I tend to focus on!  

 

I also want to say how much I enjoyed Nadia Mullova-Barley in the Spanish Dance - she really shone in this role, I thought. The cygnets were as wonderful as ever, too. 

 

I prefer Liam Scarlett's additional choreography to other productions and like his beginning and ending. I know these split opinion, but they work for me. 

[Finnbarr]

I saw Anna Rose O’Sullivan fall on her debut and I am afraid to say it did break the spell for me . I instinctively  squeezed my eyes tight shut and worried about how the dancers as people must be feeling rather than investing in the characters in the drama. 
 

I subsequently paid again to see Marianela Nunez which I had not intended to do but I didn’t really feel I had seen a “proper” performance. I was rewarded with a faultless show and I felt that Marianela’s technical security meant that she could invest even more in the characterisation.

 

I decided to see Anna Rose Sullivan’s second performance as I felt it may have been the audience clapping(why do people do that?) slightly out of time that put her off. But she pulled out at 24 fouettés stopped dead in the middle of a bar and stood still for a bit then wheeled away with a couple of pique turns. I still felt slightly short changed. 

 

At the last minute I went to see Lauren Cuthbertson and was hugely impressed. Here was a properly experienced principal who could execute all the steps gracefully and securely as well as projecting her own interpretation of the Odette/Odile character. That was worth £145.

 

I do understand that different ballerinas have different strengths, and I have seen lovely performances by Anna Rose O’Sullivan, but I suggest that the director should take these into account when casting the ballets. I don’t think it is quite fair to the paying audiences to give them a dancer who isn’t confident that she can pull off certain parts of the choreography.

 

 

[Finnbarr]

The Sunday Times has a story in the early editions that William Bracewell and Reece Clarke have both been promoted to principal

[bangorballetboy]

5 hours ago, Finnbarr said:

I saw Anna Rose O’Sullivan fall on her debut and I am afraid to say it did break the spell for me . I instinctively  squeezed my eyes tight shut and worried about how the dancers as people must be feeling rather than investing in the characters in the drama. 
 

I subsequently paid again to see Marianela Nunez which I had not intended to do but I didn’t really feel I had seen a “proper” performance. I was rewarded with a faultless show and I felt that Marianela’s technical security meant that she could invest even more in the characterisation.

 

I decided to see Anna Rose Sullivan’s second performance as I felt it may have been the audience clapping(why do people do that?) slightly out of time that put her off. But she pulled out at 24 fouettés stopped dead in the middle of a bar and stood still for a bit then wheeled away with a couple of pique turns. I still felt slightly short changed. 

 

At the last minute I went to see Lauren Cuthbertson and was hugely impressed. Here was a properly experienced principal who could execute all the steps gracefully and securely as well as projecting her own interpretation of the Odette/Odile character. That was worth £145.

 

I do understand that different ballerinas have different strengths, and I have seen lovely performances by Anna Rose O’Sullivan, but I suggest that the director should take these into account when casting the ballets. I don’t think it is quite fair to the paying audiences to give them a dancer who isn’t confident that she can pull off certain parts of the choreography.

 

 

At times like this I really wish there was an “unlike” option for posts.

[Guest oncnp]

5 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

At times like this I really wish there was an “unlike” option for posts.

 

At times like this I really wish people would have the courtesy to respect other's opinions, even if they disagree with them. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by oncnp

[DanJL]

5 hours ago, Finnbarr said:

I saw Anna Rose O’Sullivan fall on her debut and I am afraid to say it did break the spell for me

 

 

I saw this show as well - in fact it was my first ever live viewing of this production. I was blown away by O'Sullivan's dancing and characterisation throughout - far more assured than I'd expected for a debut and the storytelling was wonderful. The fouettes feel like such a very small part of an incredible four act ballet and one which is clearly open to risk no matter how experienced the dancer. They are all human after all. Sorry to hear it took away some enjoyment for you, but perhaps it's worth reflecting on how many other wonders were on display that night.