Royal Ballet Firebird/In the Night/Raymonda Act III bill

[billboyd]

Hello Barry, I raised a concern earlier in this thread about the 'blinding' light from the pianist's music - In The Night. Any thoughts about that? The starry backdrop makes the glare more prominent.

[Barry]

Hello Bill, This is a thorny problem, and you can well imagine the lengthy discussions we have had about this. It seems we have two irreconcilable problems here. Rob has to be able to see the stage, and not just the front, the back as well, in order to pick up certain cues. That means he has to be elevated, which by the way is also very good for the sound. He also has to see his music and the keyboard so he has to have a light which of course is the more evident because of the white pages of the music which reflect the light. All of which is rather distracing for those on the far left of the theatre. Stage management and the Balanchine Trust Production Team were convinced that we had arrived at the best possible compromise. I am very sorry it has been an annoying distraction, but none of us can think of a better solution.

 

Barry

[MichelleS]

Barry

 

I'm absolutely delighted you are posting on this forum and just wanted to echo the appreciation of other posters above for your work and the immense contribution to our performance experience made by the OROH. The insight you have given here into some of the musical complexities of putting on these works is fascinating and I really look forward to more of the same in the future.

 

Best wishes, MichelleS

[alison]

I'd like to second Michelle's thoughts: welcome, Barry - it's good to have you here.

[Barry]

Hello MichelleS Thank you for your wonderful post. I am thrilled to discover how much support there is for the work the orchestra and I are doing to support the company.

 

I must also correct a mistake I just made in my reply to Bill. It is of course not the Balanchine Trust, but the Robbins Trust, and on discussing this with Rob I discover that it was they who asked for the piano to be elevated to the height we have, and they who said that no way should the pianist be asked to play to a monitor screen.

 

Best Wishes Barry

[billboyd]

Many thanks, Barry.

[zxDaveM]

I am very sorry it has been an annoying distraction, but none of us can think of a better solution.

 

Barry

 

I have been lucky so far I guess, in that none of the performaces I've attended have had the music score in my eyeline. Just a thought - is it possible to have white notes on black paper? This might reduce that glare, for those affected. If not possible, please ignore this as a silly suggestion!

[Wulff]

Returning to the subject of the handclaps in Raymonda's variation, I am very much of the opinion that they should be audible. After all, although this is a Grand Pas "Classique" it is also "Hongrois" and there are references to the Czardas built into the choreography, notably the positioning of the arms and head and the series of accelerating retirés on alternate legs which Raymonda performs with folded arms in the coda. In addition, in the music for Raymonda's variation the piano imitates the sound of that characteristic Hungarian and Eastern European instrument the cimbalom which gives the whole number a certain "folk" character . The first time I ever saw Raymonda was many years ago when the Australian Ballet brought it to the Apollo Victoria - more a cinema then than a theatre - and I suppose that it must have been Nureyev's version. Margot Fonteyn danced Raymonda and her handclaps were certainly audible. I feel that simply to brush the hands together looks far too genteel,and certainly has nothing to do with finger cymbals. To see those, look no further than Sylvia act2, although I fear that today's Sylvias make no real attempt to play them properly which Margot Fonteyn did succeed in doing.

[Anjuli_Bai]

Welccome, Barry. I, too, have been enjoying your comments.

[Don Q Fan]

I too echo the welcome to Barry - great to have a maestro's point of view and insights here! I for one was more than happy with the performance on Saturday, bravo I say!

[rowan]

I was surprised to receive an email from the ROH asking for my opinions of this production. For how long have they been doing audience feedback surveys? I haven't seen a ballet at the ROH for ages, so perhaps I'm out of the loop. I saw the Saturday 29th evening production.

[alison]

It's been standard for years, except that over the last couple it's tended to be a rather dull staff performance/ease of buying food + drink/finding your way around-type thing. I'm glad it's gone back to more artistic considerations, although I'll have to bear that in mind while I'm watching in future! I posted elsewhere about it a few days ago: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/2596-roh-audience-surveys/

[alison]

Just looking at the casting page for Firebird, I noticed that the casting for 4th January says "Galeazzi, Soares" - was that actually right, or is it a typo?

[bangorballetboy]

Just looking at the casting page for Firebird, I noticed that the casting for 4th January says "Galeazzi, Soares" - was that actually right, or is it a typo?

 

It was originally programmed as Marquez & Soares but due to illness (RM) and injury (TS) the performance was actually Galeazzi & Hristov.

[alison]

I didn't realise Soares was injured, too. Thanks, BBB.

[restor]

When did Firebird get a tutu? i.e. not like the original designs - just a matter of interest if anyone knows.

Edited January 10, 2013 by restor

[alison]

In the first redesign, which is what the RB uses, I think. Can anyone confirm?

[Jan McNulty]

Does the RB use the Natalia Gontcharova designs from 1926?

[toursenlair]

With regard to the clap in the Raymonda variation. In the documentary on the POB Raymonda which Nureyev set on the company in the early 80s when he took over the directorship, Elisabeth Platel talks of the "infamous clap". Apparently Nureyev required that the dancer made an audible clap in that variation. Which is perhaps why Sylvie Guillem did it that way. When the POB subsequently toured Raymonda to Russia, the clap generated great controversy as the Russian tradition requires a soundless clap. Platel implies that debate is still going on.

What Nureyev required in the RB Act lll Raymonda I am not aware, as this predated the POB version by some years. Perhaps the repetiteurs or coaches could enlighten us.

In that same DVD the POB ballerinas explain that Nureyev's justification for the loud handclaps is that this solo represents Raymonda coming into her full authority as a princess and that she should have an assertive character.

[Wulff]

Does the RB use the Natalia Gontcharova designs from 1926?

 

Yes it does, and those designs were supervised by Goncharova herself when the RB first revived it in 1954. As far as I am aware the tutu was used in the 1926 production, and it does seem that the Firebird's costume underwent a number of changes after its first performance in 1910. Golovine's original costume was replaced by one designed by Bakst not long after the first performance, and if Dame Laura Knight's painting of Karsavina in 1919 is to be trusted this seems to have evolved into a long tutu in the ensuing years.

[Wulff]

In that same DVD the POB ballerinas explain that Nureyev's justification for the loud handclaps is that this solo represents Raymonda coming into her full authority as a princess and that she should have an assertive character.

 

Alina Cojocaru's handclaps were certainly audible in last night's performance.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Wulff

[Sim]

Last night I finally saw this triple, the only one I've been able to see. Looks like I chose the right night; it was wonderful! I loved Roberta Marquez's Firebird; there's a lot of feistiness in that little body, and her angry eyes were visible to me in the amphi even when I wasn't using my binocs. I'm not a big fan of this ballet, but if I start getting a little bored I just close my eyes and listen to Stravinsky's glorious music, played here by an orchestra who really understands it and rendered it beautifully.

 

The only other time I'd seen In The Night was when the Bolshoi brought it over two or three years ago. I loved it then, and I love it now. All three couples last night were very impressive in their own ways....Alexander Campbell and Emma Maguire conveying joyous young love, knowing that there is much more to learn, and so much more to come. Through their dancing, they also showed us why they are two of the company's rising young stars. Nehemiah Kish and Zenaida Yanowsky were elegant, graceful and very respectful of each other...as their characters and as dancers. Kish might have had some negative reviews, but he must have had a bad night that night because last night his partnering was gentle and assured, treating Zen with all the respect she deserves. This was a couple who you really felt were comfortable with each other, and still loved and respected each other even though the passion had long gone. As the third couple, Carlos and Roberta were really electrifying; a dynamic duo who loved and hated each other in equal measure, and trying to find out which emotion would come out on top made for some real fireworks onstage. Again, Marquez showed the passion that is in there, and with Carlos as her foil her dancing was fast, crisp and technically excellent. She rivalled Marianela in the smiles stakes during her curtain calls; she smiled like the Cheshire cat, grinning from ear to ear the whole time; she had clearly so enjoyed her evening, and so she should....she had a great one!

 

I loved Raymonda Act 3 for many reasons, but seeing Gary Avis as a late replacement for Ricardo Cervera (who was already replacing Tom Whitehead) in the Hungarian Dance was just the icing on the cake for me! Gary proved that besides being the best character dancer in the company, he can still actually dance and still looks great in white tights! Zen was Raymonda, and as always her command of the stage was imperious, and her lovely long limbs made the steps look lovely and flowing, even though there is considerable trickiness to some of the choreography. She was partnered by Ryoichi Hirano (this cast was supposed to be Nunez/Pennefather) who made a pretty good job of it. And by the way, I was sitting in row E of the amphi but could hear Zen's hand claps...but being Zen she did it a bit differently and started with a very faint clap for the first one, the second a bit louder, the third loud enough to hear everywhere, and the fourth one silent!! Plaudits too for Hikaru Kobayashi, Yuhui Choe, Itziar Mendizabal and Helen Crawford, all of whom impressed me very much with their variations.

 

A really enjoyable night, tinged with a bit of resentment that I couldn't see any of the other casts!

[Beryl H]

Although I had seen 2 casts on 29th December and enjoyed this triple bill I had misgivings about going last night with all the negative reviews in the press and cast changes, but agree it was a great one, the best of the 3 I think, I particularly wanted to see Roberta Marquez as Firebird and wasn't disappointed and I always enjoy seeing Valeri Hristov who replaced Thiago Soares, Helen Crawford made more of the Princess role than usual too. Enjoyed In the Night even more this time, the dancers having gained more experience, must say I loved Zenaida Yanovsky and Nehemiah Kish! and Roberta Marquez and Carlos Acosta's interpretation of a tempestuous couple!

 

Ryoichi Hirano looked more relaxed this time too, he and Zenaida had a very warm assured partnership, there are some wonderful solo's, surprisingly restrained but they come from the gentler first and second acts I think, looking forward to seeing ENB's version.