MJW Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 I am always grateful when any of my visits coincide with Rob S being there as I can be guaranteed some terrific pictures of the event! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
li tai po Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 It was a remarkable evening - a chance to escape for a few hours from the misery of the news. Vadim was at his stunning virtuoso best in Act Three, but even more tragic than usual in the white acts - a performance of magnificent contrasts by a great artist. We are so lucky to have him in the Royal Ballet. The audience went wild after his Black Swan solo. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 On 01/03/2022 at 09:06, ninamargaret said: Am I right in thinking that in some of the older and very traditional productions Benno actually appeared in Act 2, even muscling in on the pas de deux? Just a vague memory. In the traditional versions, even right up to the time of Moira Shearer, Beryl Grey, Fonteyn’s early performances (I say early because her career spanned many decades), the original White Swan Pas de Deux was actually a White Swan Pas de Trois, with Benno as the second partner. A bit like how the showpiece Le Corsaire pas de deux is actually a pas de trois in the Mariinsky, ABT & ENB versions. It’s even in Moira Shearer’s ballet passages in the film The Red Shoes. (By the way, I haven’t lived that long....I read the descriptions in a book of interviews with some ballet stars of old, eg Toni Lander, Moira Shearer, Christopher Gable, etc) By the time of the 1960s or so, the Kirov and Bolshoi had got rid of Benno, and turned the White Swan pas de trois into a pas de deux. Changes in things like pointe shoes and technique meant that, for example, the ballerina could stay on pointe for a bit longer before she leans back and Siegfried (previously Benno) has to catch her from the back without it looking like a mad scramble back and forth for him before she fell splat! I used to think it looked a lot like Odette and Siegfried were being chaperoned/supervised by Benno! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I love the last paragraph above, I'm going to watch my 1960 RB DVD tonight as I think Benno is still helping out Siegfried in the pdd, also one of the things I love about the new Liam Scarlett production is the ending of the pdd where she falls back and stays there, much more poetic. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHowarth Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 52 minutes ago, Emeralds said: (By the way, I haven’t lived that long....I read the descriptions in a book of interviews with some ballet stars of old, eg Toni Lander, Moira Shearer, Christopher Gable, etc) Emeralds, I'd love to know what book this is so I can look for a copy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 26 minutes ago, Beryl H said: I love the last paragraph above, I'm going to watch my 1960 RB DVD tonight as I think Benno is still helping out Siegfried in the pdd, also one of the things I love about the new Liam Scarlett production is the ending of the pdd where she falls back and stays there, much more poetic. The Royal Ballet touring company were still dancing the version that included Benno in the Act 2 pas de deux when I saw them in 1965. I was quite young, but distinctly remember thinking his presence rather odd, as I had previously seen Festival Ballet’s version of Act 2 (by Bourmeister) which didn’t feature Benno at all. The 1963 production at Covent Garden by Robert Helpmann, with Ashton’s choreography had also cut Benno. The participation of Benno derives from the Stepanov notation of the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake brought out of Russia by Sergeyev. It has been suggested (I think Fonty mentioned this) that Pavel Gerdt, the Siegfried, was getting on in years and needed some help with the partnering. The only problem with this is that the notation still gives all the lifting to Siegfried- he lifts Odette several times - and Benno only does the catching when Odette swoons backwards. Apparently, Gerdt was also dancing Solor some time after Swan Lake, partnering alone and doing a lot more lifting, so he couldn’t have been that past it! I think there were more likely to have been dramatic reasons for Benno’s presence. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjp Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Beryl H said: I love the last paragraph above, I'm going to watch my 1960 RB DVD tonight as I think Benno is still helping out Siegfried in the pdd, also one of the things I love about the new Liam Scarlett production is the ending of the pdd where she falls back and stays there, much more poetic. I agree and also the little 'ripple' that I seem to remember accompanies this in the movement of the arms of the corps ladies behind them, just beautiful. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne-MM Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Wonderful performance last night. I thought both Naghdi and Muntagirov excellent, especially in Acts 3 and 4. Muntagirov was not at all showy in his acting but he was, for me anyway, sincere and affecting, and partnered most attentively. Terrific dancing by them, and by so many others in the cast. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 49 minutes ago, Anne-MM said: Wonderful performance last night. Hello Anne-MM and welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 Such a wonderful opening night. Here some of the photos I took: Facebook - Swan Lake 2022 Instagram - Tuesday 01/03/22 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 They’re lovely, Silke. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Yes lovely! Many thanks. I can’t see the Facebook ones though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne-MM Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 13 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: Hello Anne-MM and welcome to the Forum! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 4 hours ago, LinMM said: Yes lovely! Many thanks. I can’t see the Facebook ones though. HI @LinMM - want to try and add me as a friend on Facebook? I'll DM you my full name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 12 hours ago, Silke H said: Such a wonderful opening night. Here some of the photos I took: Facebook - Swan Lake 2022 Instagram - Tuesday 01/03/22 I've now made the album available to the "public". I thought the settings had been for that already. Apologies. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 (edited) Wonderful Thankyou! I can see I’ve a message will read it now!! Have now replied to your message! Edited March 3, 2022 by LinMM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogie Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 A bit late, but YouTube had a Royal Ballet production with Fonteyn and Somes and someone else doing the Odette pas de deux with Beñno. I assume from the de Valois days and from Sergevev (not the right spelling I know.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Ah, Marianela is now out of Saturday's show. Cast change is on the website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Very sorry to hear that M Nunez is still not well: it is so very unlike her to be laid low. Wishing her a speedy recovery. Thinking about Benno, and earlier versions in which he 'joined in' even more extensively and vigorously, - is this role a precursor to some later Russian versions with the dreaded Jester joining in left right and centre, or is the jester role a precursor of Benno? (Or am I getting completely confused...) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Wow….three Swan Lakes in a week for Miss Naghdi. What a trouper she is (her first scheduled show is on Monday with Matthew Ball). I also remember her dancing three Auroras in a week. Not to mention the substitutions she did as SPF and Juliet in the past three months. Aside from being a wonderful artist, she is a true team player and company member. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 On 02/03/2022 at 00:17, art_enthusiast said: It seemed very short to me - also very beautiful and moving. It definitely added to the intensity and power of the performance as a whole. I'm becoming fond of it, there are some versions on Youtube, think the best was La Scala, which was of course beautifully sung. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 46 minutes ago, Sim said: Wow….three Swan Lakes in a week for Miss Naghdi. What a trouper she is (her first scheduled show is on Monday with Matthew Ball). I also remember her dancing three Auroras in a week. Yes - and I like the fact that Yasmine had the opening night and, therefore, attention from the Critics. [Very sorry for Marianela, of course.] 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnticaFiamma Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Amazing debut tonight 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 12 minutes ago, AnticaFiamma said: Amazing debut tonight Wow, so there are two Odiles, or two different Odettes/Odiles? And one of them a gender-bending swan. This casting website just gets better and better...🤣 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorgeb Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 12 minutes ago, AnticaFiamma said: Amazing debut tonight Luca Acri as Odette and Natalia Osipova as Odille or vice versa! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorgeb Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 I`ll be waiting for news on how Reece Clarke got along with the super duo Odette/Odile - Luca/Osipova. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, AnticaFiamma said: Amazing debut tonight If Siegfried fails to spot Odile is not Odette tonight then he really needs to go to Specsavers!! #loveisntTHATblind🤓 Edited March 3, 2022 by Rob S 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 4 hours ago, doogie said: A bit late, but YouTube had a Royal Ballet production with Fonteyn and Somes and someone else doing the Odette pas de deux with Beñno. I assume from the de Valois days and from Sergevev (not the right spelling I know.) Hello Doogie and welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 I’ve just received the cast change email for Saturday 5th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Absolutely gutted Nunez isn’t dancing on Saturday, no-one’s fault of course but such a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Reading the reviews for SL, the one from The Stage refers to Leticia Dias in the Spanish dance. On the cast sheet for the first night she is down as the Spanish Princess & I thought the Princesses didn't actually take part in their national dances. Am I misremembering from the 2018 cincecast or did the reviewer misinterpret the cast sheet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 15 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Reading the reviews for SL, the one from The Stage refers to Leticia Dias in the Spanish dance. On the cast sheet for the first night she is down as the Spanish Princess & I thought the Princesses didn't actually take part in their national dances. Am I misremembering from the 2018 cincecast or did the reviewer misinterpret the cast sheet? Leticia was the Spanish princess, Gina was the Spanish dancer…they didn’t dance together 😆 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 FYI I enquired about the free programme. I was told it starts from when Peter Grimes starts but it is redeemable for any show after that (including Swan Lake). It doesn’t make sense to me as then it’s not linked to a booking period but rather a particular date but I guess it’s free so can’t complain! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now