Royal Ballet: Scènes de ballet / A Month in the Country / Rhapsody (Spring 2022)

[Dawnstar]

Thanks @LinMM. Morera was so amazing that I can't believe it's taken her so long to be cast. Her acting was incredible: every facial expression you knew exactly what Natalia's feeling were. I almost felt as though I was aching with her at the unrequitable yearning. Muntagirov was also extremely expressive. I actually found his acting better than Bracewell's, which surprised me as when I saw them both in R&J back in October I found it the other way round. I'm so glad I'd forked out for front row stalls for this performance (back when it was thought it'd be Morera's only performance & with Bonelli) to see every detail.

[ninamargaret]

My only complaint is that I can only see this programme once! I thought Morera was absolutely perfect for the role and she and Vadim were so well suited to the  choreography - a perfect interpretation of this glorious ballet. It really should have been the last ballet - even Rhapsody couldn't follow it! Certainly not Steven McRae's fault. He seemed a little tentative at first but maybe I just felt slightly concerned on his behalf. So good to see a whole Ashton programme. It seems that he has been shoved  into the background for far too.long. The audience reaction would seem to agree with me!

[JohnS]

Loved Month in the Country. A master class from Laura Morera, every detail so well crafted, from making explicit her every thought and motivation, to the very practical - ensuring the flower she gives Beliaev is secure. In other performances I’ve seen this run the flower has come unstuck and Gary Avis has stepped in to recover the flower and return it to Belliaev which rather breaks the spell. And of course Laura Morera’s technical mastery shines through. A great shame her performance is not being filmed.

 

Scenes de ballet has really grown on me and I very much enjoyed seeing Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke.

 

Rhapsody provided a great finale and fabulous to see Steven McRae firing on all cylinders with a sparkling Anna-Rose O’Sullivan.

 

A fabulous triple bill and looking forward to Monday’s two performances.

 

[Dawnstar]

As no one (well, no @Rob S!) has posted curtain call photos for tonight yet I'm going to take advantage of the unusual lack of much-better-photos to post some of my sadly-not-as-good-photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dawnstar]

Further to the Kolia wig dicussion, Yudes in 2019 vs Yudes tonight:

 

 

[li tai po]

Dawnstar - I am very long in the tooth, so I enjoy your fresh look at everything very much - keep posting.

 

What a joy this Ashton programme has been.  I have seen all 5 shows to date and I recall booking for Serenade/Petrushka/New Ashton Ballet back in 1976.  An Ashton premiere was always a cause of anticipation and excitement and this turned out to be A Month in the Country.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of Bracewell and Muntagirov in Month.  I found Bracewell too full of angst, as if he had wandered out of Mayerling.  Muntagirov breathed happiness in each of his pas de deux, enjoying his flirtation with Katia and relishing every moment of passion with Natalia Petrovna.  As they embraced at the end of the pas de deux, it was as if time stood still and neither they nor I wanted the idyll to end, I wanted that snapshot of bliss to go on forever - imprinted as it was on their faces.

 

Then there is the wonderful Gary Avis, proving that less is more.  He stands calm and controlled, but his eyes blaze with jealousy and hatred.  How he relishes dismissing Beliaev, with just a couple of gestures and a steely glare.

[bridiem]

Thanks for the excellent photos, Dawnstar. About the blond Kolia wig: although it does look awful sometimes, I think the photos of David Yudes show that it can be advantageous. I thought Yudes was terrific last night, but he really did look too old whereas in the wig he looked younger.

[bridiem]

3 hours ago, li tai po said:

I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of Bracewell and Muntagirov in Month.  I found Bracewell too full of angst, as if he had wandered out of Mayerling.  Muntagirov breathed happiness in each of his pas de deux, enjoying his flirtation with Katia and relishing every moment of passion with Natalia Petrovna.  As they embraced at the end of the pas de deux, it was as if time stood still and neither they nor I wanted the idyll to end, I wanted that snapshot of bliss to go on forever - imprinted as it was on their faces.

 

I agree that Muntagirov was wonderful - effervescent, happy, good natured, naive until he realised the extent to which his own emotions were engaged. But I thought that Bracewell was equally good in his different way - intelligent, confused, lost and so drawn to all the women around him who wanted part of him. Only with Natalia Petrovna did he find some sort of solace, but he was then forced to abandon it/her. So it became more of a double tragedy in his portrayal. 

 

As so many others have said, Morera was brilliant as Natalia, with every nuance explored and every movement full of meaning. Ashton's constant demand to 'bend' the upper body is met in her to the greatest degree, and every bend expresses her anguish, her love and her vulnerability to this charming incomer. Brilliant.

 

For me the other outstanding performance of the evening was Anna Rose O'Sullivan, who brought speed, joy, delight and romance to Rhapsody in the most apparently effortless and completely captivating manner. This was the first time I'd seen Steven McRae since his return from injury, and I found myself rather anxious watching him perform his fireworks in case disaster struck again. His determination to come back has been so impressive, but although he danced very well I think his performance lacked the charm and insouciance that is essential to this role.

 

The evening opened with an excellent performance of Scènes de Ballet led by Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke, who were both efficient, accurate and impressive without perhaps the air of mystery and sophistication previously achieved by Lamb, Muntagirov and Kaneko.

 

These works - and others by Ashton - should all be performed with great regularity by the Royal Ballet. They demand everything from the dancers, and it takes time to grow into them, so it's a great pity that this run is finishing already and none of these works will be seen again in the near future. Very sad, and I think misguided.

[Swan]

Thank you everyone for the fabulous reviews and photos, I’m very much looking forward to my second visit to watch this bill tomorrow afternoon!

[annamk]

8 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

Morera was so amazing that I can't believe it's taken her so long to be cast. Her acting was incredible: every facial expression you knew exactly what Natalia's feeling were. I almost felt as though I was aching with her at the unrequitable yearning. Muntagirov was also extremely expressive. I actually found his acting better than Bracewell's, which surprised me  

 

I felt the same, what a memorable performance. 

 

I've never seen such emotional intensity from Muntagirov; I was spellbound watching him in that moment when Beliaev sits on the chaise longue after they have been discovered.

 

He and Morera were a masterclass indeed, absolutely wonderful. 

 

I was very impressed with Liam Boswell's Kolia in the Osipova/Bracewell cast. 

[bridiem]

The review by Deborah Weiss in today's Links pretty much says it all.

[Lizbie1]

4 minutes ago, bridiem said:

The review by Deborah Weiss in today's Links pretty much says it all.

 

I was about to post about this! Loved this bit in particular:

 

"A significant thought crossed my mind – unlike some productions in companies around the world, one doesn’t leave the theatre asking the question: do I ever want to see this again? With Ashton it’s more – how many different casts can I see? Why don’t they do this more often? "

[capybara]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

The review by Deborah Weiss in today's Links pretty much says it all.

Yes, in the ‘give us more’ sense; but, unfortunately, she wrote of only one performance and there have been priceless jewels in other casts.

 

What also ‘says it all’ is that 20 forum members posted about last night’s performance (Morera/Muntagirov in particular ) during the show, late into the night, or early this morning.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by capybara
Typos

[Ianlond]

Wonderful photos of a wonderful night Dawnstar 

Very impressed by Reece Clarke; not only is he an excellent partner, but lands extremely quietly for such a tall guy (some other, shorter, dancers could take note) and thought the cast as a whole did a grand job. I’m sure many of the dancers will be seen as stars/ fairies in next season’s Cinderella.

Month was fantastic: while on Friday I rather appreciated Marianela Nunez’s interpretation, Laura Morera simply was Natalia Petrovna! So dramatic but not overdone and she certainly bends and then bends some more. David Yudes was very, very technically secure as Kolia.

It was also great to see quite a few ex-RB dancers in the audience. 

Unfortunately tiredness took its toll and I left before Rhapsody but great to hear it went well. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Ianlond

[MJW]

I was browsing at lunchtime in between decorating and rediscovered this insight into the musicality of ballets. This was filmed as part of The Firebird triple from 2019 which was the first time I saw A Month in the Country

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AFpX1KYSYc&t=46s

Edited May 1, 2022 by MJW

[Dawnstar]

9 hours ago, bridiem said:

Thanks for the excellent photos, Dawnstar. About the blond Kolia wig: although it does look awful sometimes, I think the photos of David Yudes show that it can be advantageous. I thought Yudes was terrific last night, but he really did look too old whereas in the wig he looked younger.

 

I agree that Yudes, while very good in both dancing & acting, did look too old for Kolia. He also didn't look as bad in the wig in 2019 as Hay did. (I didn't see Acri but I can't imagine he looked any better blond than Hay.) Although as one of the reviews said Morera is now 44 & Yudes, going by his RB joining date, must be around 26, she could actually just about be his mother! Whereas Boswell must be about 22 & Osipova is 35 so she couldn't be his mother, yet Boswell looked more convincing as Kolia than Yudes.

[bridiem]

4 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I agree that Yudes, while very good in both dancing & acting, did look too old for Kolia. He also didn't look as bad in the wig in 2019 as Hay did. (I didn't see Acri but I can't imagine he looked any better blond than Hay.) Although as one of the reviews said Morera is now 44 & Yudes, going by his RB joining date, must be around 26, she could actually just about be his mother! Whereas Boswell must be about 22 & Osipova is 35 so she couldn't be his mother, yet Boswell looked more convincing as Kolia than Yudes.

 

In the play, I understand that Kolia is 10... (and Natalia Petrovna is 29).

[Dawnstar]

And Yslaev is 36 in the play but is being portrayed by grey-haired Saunders & grey-wigged Gartside as though he's at least 50!

[bridiem]

3 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

And Yslaev is 36 in the play but is being portrayed by grey-haired Saunders & grey-wigged Gartside as though he's at least 50!

 

Yes; I suppose it was important to convey the idea that Natalia's husband was somewhat older than her, and a 7-year difference would be a bit difficult to get across! So he's become noticeably older. 

[Dawnstar]

I wonder if that was the case in the original cast or if it's something that has developed over the years? Can any of the experienced ballet-goers on here remember? Or does anyone know if there are photos of all the original cast viewable anywhere? I've tried having a Google but so far I've only found a couple of pictures of Seymour & Dowell. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Jan McNulty
Edited to remove final sentence

[capybara]

It looks as if Wayne Sleep was 28 when he created Kolia.

Lynne Seymour 37; Anthony Dowell 33; Derek Rencher (Ratikin) 44; Alexander Grant (Yslaev) 51; Marguerite Porter (Katia) 28; Denise Nunn (Vera) ?

[AnneL]

Rencher was a great presence on stage. I will never forget him as Edward Elgar in Enigma Variations. Sadly I didn’t see the original Month cast. 

[maryrosesatonapin]

I went to last night's RB performance and it has filled my head and my heart ever since so that during my day of gardening I've been re-visualising the beautiful triple bill and humming bits of Chopin and Paganini (Stravinsky being not so hummable).  Laura Morera was just perfect as Natalia Petrovna.  She simply oozes character in whatever part she plays and I cannot praise her enough.  Every nuance, every beautifully-performed step enthralled me.  I also much admired Meaghan Grace Hinkis as Vera.  I've not been much of a fan of Hinkis in the past but last night she was really delightful.  Kate Shipway's pianism was good too.

I love Rhapsody and have seen it several times in the past - including with Steven McRae in his heyday - and was so utterly relieved and delighted that his dancing was as stunning as ever.  His athleticism was equalled by his elegance and wit.  Anna-Rose O'Sullivan was superb too - again, I've not always been a particular admirer of hers but she has converted me with her lightness, delicacy and aplomb.

Amongst the supporting males in both Rhapsody and Scènes de Ballet I thought Téo Dubreuil really stood out, although they were all pretty good, as were the crisp (but sometimes noisy) female corps.

More Ashton please, RB!  And more Morera.  I can't get enough of her.

[Fonty]

Has Morera really not done the role in the past?  She was only scheduled for one performance as well, wasn't she|?

I hope you are all sending these reviews personally by email to Mr O'Hare, by the way.  Not just for Morera, but for the Ashton bill in general.  Then hopefully I might get to see it some time in the future.

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

More Ashton please, RB!  And more Morera.  I can't get enough of her.

 

I was thinking about the various female RB Principals & I think Morera may be the only one who's impressed me in every single role I've seen her in. Most at least of the others I seem to have seen in at least one role where they haven't quite worked for me. So I can't understand why Morera hasn't been cast in some of the major roles (e.g. Juliet, Odette/Odile, Aurora) when she's so consistently good in every role she is allowed to do.

[Nina99]

I tried this morning to post about last night but fell victim to the intermittent bugs on the system today which caused my post to disappear.  I won't bother to reconstruct it but will merely concur with others that it was another fantastic night of ballet with particularly outstanding performances by Morera and Muntagirov who were both wonderfully convincing in their roles.  I had a seat about half way back in the stalls and so was able to see all their expressions.

 

Talking of letting Kevin O'Hare know our opinions of the triple bill I notice that the very short survey that comes after each visit to the ROH does invite people to give more detailed feedback to customer services if they wish.  How much notice is taken of any comments is another matter, of course.  .  

 

 

[Emeralds]

So lovely to see so many members here enjoying this Triple Bill of Gorgeousness (my nickname for it when it was announced) and I’m certainly no exception.  So far we’ve caught two casts of the run, and although it has felt a bit hectic squeezing so many repeat rail journeys in a short space of time, it’s been well worth it - although if possible I hope the run will be longer than just 10 days next time! 

 

Such delight to see Scenes de Ballet back- it’s been a long wait of over 3 years (when I had hoped it would be revived for Margot Fonteyn’s centenary)  but better late than never. Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov were magnificent and glorious in the first cast I saw, and the four men and ladies’ corps providing impressive support. Lamb has matured into such an authoritative and masterful artist in these neoclassical leads, able to master the tricky choreography while imbuing the role with musicality, charm and depth. Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke were wonderful in the second show we saw too, both a delight in their first season (I think) in this ballet. Reece in particular looks like the steps were made on him - his elegance and his ballon in the jumps are marvellous, and his partnering always top notch. 

 

I love the way the costumes with the little hats and jewellery cheekily defy the usual advice that “you mustn’t have jewellery that cuts the line of the arms and necks” and “avoid hats in energetic dancing in case they fall off” while making the ladies look very chic (very Dior New Look) - the Royal Ballet women seem to look great in anything. It’s lovely to hear Stravinsky‘s quirky and fun score again too.

 

A Month in the Country (such seamless and eloquent storytelling in the choreography) and Rhapsody (an effervescent  ballet to Rachmaninov’s stunning music that sends everyone out happy)  on any bill together would be lovely but combined with SDB is sheer heaven. My highlights from the first evening were: Anna Rose O’Sullivan as a spirited Vera, showing such fury at Natalia after discovering her with Beliaev after being instructed by Natalia to pay no heed to her infatuation with him, and dancing the fast solo with great precision and virtuosity, Luca Acri catching the nuances of Kolia’s emotions and reactions as well as delivering the pyrotechnics of his solos (I agree being wigless suits Acri better), Leticia Dias wonderful and charismatic as Katya the maid. Nunez, Ball, Saunders and Avis eloquent in their interactions and artistry.

 

In the second cast, Vadim Muntagirov was a revelation - we knew he could dance the steps, but his artistry and emotional investment in the character was incredible....he has become one of my favourite Beliaevs out of the many I’ve seen. The look on his face as he was leaving Natalia Petrovna the flower without getting her attention- it made your heart break watching his heartbreak written all over his face and in his body language. Amidst the excellent dancing from Morera, Hinkis, Bradbury and Yudes, I would just add that Yudes should have the wig back as without it, his cheekbones, face and hair shape make him look more like Beliaev than Kolia. In the same way, all the Veras previously had wigs once upon a time too, but if someone like Hinkis has fair hair already which can be easily styled with Vera’s braids and ringlets, it doesn’t make sense to squish a wig on top, whereas if Osipova had her short bobbed hair from many seasons ago, a wig is obviously necessary. The wigs should be about creating the character convincingly rather than making everyone adhere to a “one size fit all” policy of “all wigs or no wigs”. 

 

Rhapsody was a delight as always from both casts and the excellent supporting ensemble, and in particular, what a marvellous debut in the lead role from Anna Rose O’Sullivan. I echo many when I say I am a little disappointed that there isn’t a fourth cast with James Hay in the male lead, but hope he will be in it during the next revival. Also...would love to see Muntagirov in Rhapsody! 

 

It was wonderful to hear the glorious Stravinsky, Chopin and Rachmaninov scores played so magnificently by the orchestra, Kate Shipway and Rob Clark under the baton of Emmanuel Plasson. 

 

A final bravo to the dancers in the ensembles who have performed the demanding choreography of Scenes de ballet and Rhapsody with such finesse and commitment. 

 

I hope we can have another Ashton triple bill soon, perhaps with any three of  Birthday Offering/Scenes de ballet/Les Rendezvous/Rhapsody/Symphonic Variations..... 😊

Edited May 1, 2022 by Emeralds

[alison]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

In the second cast, Vadim Muntagirov was a revelation - we knew he could dance the steps, but his artistry and emotional investment in the character was incredible....he has become one of my favourite Beliaevs out of the many I’ve seen. The look on his face as he was leaving Natalia Petrovna the flower without getting her attention- it made your heart break watching his heartbreak written all over his face and in his body language.

 

Now, it's very interesting that you should say that.  In their first performance, from my seat in the amphitheatre, I had difficulty reading both Morera and Muntagirov.  It may have been something as simple as the angle of their faces, or my viewing angle, but for their second performance I had no such problems - and I was roughly the same distance away, even though I was in a different place - but found them very moving.

[alison]

What I have found somewhat disturbing about this bill, though, is the supporting casts, or more precisely the large amount of overlap between Scènes de Ballet and Rhapsody.  Are we to take it that (making due allowance for the fact that there are presumably covers for each dancer), only a dozen or so dancers of either sex are thought to be really suitable for performing Ashton's works, given that so many of them appear in both ballets?  Are there a lot of absences at the moment - are a lot of other dancers tied up with working on Like Water for Chocolate, having a rest from Swan Lake, or something?  It's a lot to ask of the corps de ballet to expect them to be fully "on" ready for a 12.30 start, to be dancing again around 3 pm, and then repeating both ballets from 7.30 and finishing at 10.30, as happens on two occasions with this programme.

[Scheherezade]

8 hours ago, alison said:

What I have found somewhat disturbing about this bill, though, is the supporting casts, or more precisely the large amount of overlap between Scènes de Ballet and Rhapsody.  Are we to take it that (making due allowance for the fact that there are presumably covers for each dancer), only a dozen or so dancers of either sex are thought to be really suitable for performing Ashton's works, given that so many of them appear in both ballets?  Are there a lot of absences at the moment - are a lot of other dancers tied up with working on Like Water for Chocolate, having a rest from Swan Lake, or something?  It's a lot to ask of the corps de ballet to expect them to be fully "on" ready for a 12.30 start, to be dancing again around 3 pm, and then repeating both ballets from 7.30 and finishing at 10.30, as happens on two occasions with this programme.

Worrying on many levels, Alison. 

[JohnS]

 

8 hours ago, alison said:

Are we to take it that (making due allowance for the fact that there are presumably covers for each dancer), only a dozen or so dancers of either sex are thought to be really suitable for performing Ashton's works, given that so many of them appear in both ballets? 

 

I think that’s a bit of an assumption and is in part answered by your comments about other demands such as Like Water for Chocolate. And isn’t Covid still very much a restricting factor, limiting how dancers are deployed?
 

Having seen recent reviews, I do hope Sarah Crompton and Deborah Weiss manage to see other casts, and particularly the Morera/Muntagirov Month.

 

A final point I’ve been meaning to make regards Kevin O’Hare’s presentation of the 2022/23 Season which I saw on line the other day where I thought he went out of his way to emphasise the importance of Ashton, highlighting Cinderella returning but also the current Triple Bill. Whilst we know there is no equivalent to the Triple Bill next year, I would hope there’d be something similarly substantial early in the 2023/24 season.

[Fonty]

Interesting comments about the Morera/Muntagirov partnership.  It has always been my impression that she is one of those dancers whose dramatic abilities on stage have a real influence on whoever she is dancing with.    In the past I always thought Tamara Rojo did the same thing. 

[alison]

I see Isabella gasparini is back in scenes de ballet. Fingers crossed for Vera, then.