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

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Lizbie1

Lizbie1

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38 minutes ago, emmarose said:

 

I think I'm reading the same one as you, it ends with 'Ball is alert and spontaneous.' and that's it, it goes to comments and doesn't say there's anything at all continued under a paywall.

 

Yes, that's it!

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alison

alison

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The Independent's reviews have seemed very cursory for months now, or even longer.  Whether that's down to being truncated by either the website or an editor, I don't know.  Perhaps it's rather more obvious when it's a triple bill?

 

EDIT: Not wanting to lose my place in the month's links before I get onto my office computer, I went onto the Independent's website and searched for "Rhapsody".  Nothing at all in recent days.

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Lizbie1

Lizbie1

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I think I may have an answer: if I pause AdBlock and Ghostery the "subscribe to read the rest" banner appears. This is the first time I've see such a thing blocked, among the various subscription based websites I occasionally visit.

 

The trouble is that the Independent's website is by now so notorious for clutter and autoplayed videos that many people will never see this banner!

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Ianlond

Ianlond

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Posted (edited)
On 24/04/2022 at 16:21, Supernoodle said:

Interestingly Steven McRae has written on his Instagram about the performance saying his head and body went separate ways at points and he didn’t feel inside his body to be able to fully take control. He has expressed his disappointment but also the joy of sharing the stage with Anna-Rose for her debut. 

Dancers are usually their own critics. It’s a beast of a role at the best of times & I’m sure that next time he’ll be back to his technically assured self. As others have said, it was certainly still a very enjoyable performance as a whole. 

Edited by Ianlond
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jmhopton

jmhopton

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 I don't think I'd seen Scenes de Ballet before live and I  admit to being slightly disappointed when it was programmed as I wasn't too enamoured of the recording but having seen it live I'm just in awe of the work that went into the choreography and the work the dancers have to do, and how they all rose to the challenge magnificently (though with Christopher Carr driving them on I don't think they dared do anything else!) Vadim as usual was a dream in this sort of pure classic role. His jumps and port de bras just to die for, his partnering assured and confident. Everyone played their part and the floor patterns were mesmerising and so complex. You wanted to watch everyone all the time. It was almost too much to absorb even after 2 viewings. I'll probably still be struggling to get to grips with it when the performances end and that's when the recording will come into its own. I hope they have some shots higher than stalls circle. I think you need to be at least in the Grand Tier level to absorb all the patterns, otherwise its like a jigsaw with pieces missing. You just don't get the full picture. 

 

Month in the Country is one of my favourite ballets. I can't decide whether this or the Dream is my favourite short Ashton ballet. I love them both. Both are visually attractive, have great choreography and wonderful male and female roles, are romantic yet humorous (love the scene where the husband is looking for his keys!), have a really strong structure and a clear storyline that can be followed without reference to notes. In Country, the tutor, Beliaev, has nearly as many pas de deux partners as does Rudolf in Mayerling and like Rudolf, they all reveal a different facet of his character but very little is made of this anywhere, unlike Rudolf. All the main players I saw in both performances were excellent. Am looking forward to seeing the film of Ball/Nuñez/O'Sullivan as I was right at the back of the stalls circle so had a great view of everything but too far away to pick up nuanced expressions and acting details.  I was very close to the stage in the evening and saw everything in glorious close up. Vadim and Laura Morera were incredible.  How I wished their performance could be filmed also.  Seems criminal not to and incredible it was also Morea's debut in a role that is tailor made for her. Their relationship developed so beautifully, both seemed taken aback by the strength of their feelings for each other. It was so beautiful to watch I didn't want it to end.

 

But end it did and then there was Rhapsody. Always a favourite ballet and I would have loved to see Baryshnikov perform it. However, I have loved previous performances in the previous run with James Hay and Steven Macrae. I was disappointed not to see James this time but Marcelino Sambe was a great substitute with great attack and technique though I felt he hadn't quite got Stevens insouciance, especially in the final gesture but that will come. Don't know if was his debut (irritating the ROH has stopped putting this useful information in their cast lists) but it was a very assured  engaging performance  ably assisted by Francesca Hayward who is rapidly becoming my favourite RB ballerina. Is there anything she can't do? The classics, Ashton, Macmillan, Macgregor and soon Wheeldon. A special mention must also go to the supporting dancers, several of whom appeared in Scènes and Rhapsody,  some in both matinee and evening. Loved Joseph Sissons as always, and also Theo Dubreuil and Leticia Dias. What a treat to see three great ballets yet all so different.  Also wonderful to hear three such memorable scores and to see three REALLY WELL LIT ballets. Future choreographers please note, it's a lot nicer not having to strain to see things and peer through mist and murk. A fabulous day and I can't wait for the next performance. Definitely the ballet highlight of my year (and probably next year as well).

 

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JNC

JNC

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Really looking forward to seeing this this weekend! Thanks for all the reviews.

 

shame there is still a lot of unsold tickets. I wonder if they could/should have used a photo from Scenes or Rhapsody to advertise this on their site. I love Month but for those unfamiliar with Ashton the picture doesn’t really give a good flavour of the bill and choreography (though I love Month’s costumes and set). The bold designs of Scenes with the tutus would probably be more enticing to someone who enjoys Swan Lake but has never heard of Ashton. 
 

I remember thinking similarly when they did La Bayadere a few years ago - I almost didn’t bother going as was still very new to ballet but upon researching and knowing more about the Kingdom of the Shades scene and link to Swan Lake, I was sold. The picture they used to advertise it didn’t convey the glamour of the sets and costumes, nor did it let me know about the magic of the Shades scene. (Think it was a slightly long focus shot of the shades scenes costumes but arranged just in a standing group rather than a photographic still of the choreography.) 

 

Ironically they did Mayerling in the same season and the ‘marketing’ for that sold me with the detail over it being interesting story and compelling choreography for Rudolf and the ‘darkness’ of it all etc. Funnily enough I didn’t really “get” Maylering at all and ended up loving Bayadere; and it’s odd that the ROH marketing made me think it would be the other way round. 
 

now I’m more familiar with MacMillan and Ashton I of course go with my personal knowledge but back then I relied on the ROH site more to communicate these things to me and whilst it was successful in getting me to try Mayerling, it almost put me off Bayadere. 

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Scheherezade

Scheherezade

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11 minutes ago, JNC said:

Funnily enough I didn’t really “get” Maylering at all and ended up loving Bayadere; and it’s odd that the ROH marketing made me think it would be the other way round. 
 

now I’m more familiar with MacMillan and Ashton I of course go with my personal knowledge but back then I relied on the ROH site more to communicate these things to me and whilst it was successful in getting me to try Mayerling, it almost put me off Bayadere. 


Isn’t this the sort of feedback the RB marketing department should be sounding out?

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zxDaveM

zxDaveM

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14 minutes ago, JNC said:

 

shame there is still a lot of unsold tickets. I wonder if they could/should have used a photo from Scenes or Rhapsody to advertise this on their site.

 

I'm afraid their use of photos is often 'unimaginative' as they won't use any that are not balletically perfect. This often rules out exciting photographs that capture a certain 'something' about a ballet in favour of a nicely captured arabesque that could come from almost any ballet you'd care to mention, or somewhat uninsteresting ones like they have used for this triple, which are hardly balletic at all

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LinMM

LinMM

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I know I’ve mentioned this on the ticket thread already 🙄 …well it does get lively there on occasions…but was saying just how much I love everything about Month especially the Chopin music. 
I don’t know whether it’s my imagination but right in the middle there occurs a Polish song in the music that I remember the group Mazowsze used to sing… it always makes me want to cry and it’s beautiful when song …I imagine some sort of lullabye. 
I wonder whether Chopin got his inspiration from the song or the Mazowsze group got their inspiration from Chopin. 
I will make a mental note of exactly where it comes in the action tonight. 
Not long to go now! 


 

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Jane S

Jane S

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On 24/04/2022 at 23:05, alison said:

 

Wasn't that about the 4 men, though, rather than the 12 women, or did I misunderstand?

 

Just had another look, Alison, and it was actually Christopher Carr who said it (Vanessa Palmer just said that she agreed with him) and he was definitely talking about the women.

 

Another thing about this run (which I'm not seeing this time round) - so far the role of Vera in Month in the Country has been done by quite senior dancers (O'Sullivan and HIngis) and it's been cast like this for a long time now but - with absolutely no disrespect to these dancers - I still miss the effect from the early days of having a complete untried unknown  from the corps de ballet - Denise Nunn originally, then Gillian Kingsley - dancing the role. (Maybe there aren't any untried unknowns these days?)

 

On the other hand I'm pleased to read that the costumes for Scenes de Ballet  are seen as attractively chic this time round, rather than dowdy and dated as they've been described sometimes in the past!

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Sim

Sim

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1 hour ago, LinMM said:

I know I’ve mentioned this on the ticket thread already 🙄 …well it does get lively there on occasions…but was saying just how much I love everything about Month especially the Chopin music. 
I don’t know whether it’s my imagination but right in the middle there occurs a Polish song in the music that I remember the group Mazowsze used to sing… it always makes me want to cry and it’s beautiful when song …I imagine some sort of lullabye. 
I wonder whether Chopin got his inspiration from the song or the Mazowsze group got their inspiration from Chopin. 
I will make a mental note of exactly where it comes in the action tonight. 
Not long to go now! 


 

And of course the musical leitmotif running through it is Mozart's La Ci Darem La Mano from his opera Don Giovanni.  It works very well!  :)

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LinMM

LinMM

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Having just spent a whole train journey listening to Mazowsze songs I’ve found it!! The one I think Chopin incorporates into Month. 
It’s called “Laura and Filon” 

Now to see if I’ve just imagined it lol!! 

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capybara

capybara

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Posted
4 hours ago, Scheherezade said:


Isn’t this the sort of feedback the RB marketing department should be sounding out?

 

Yes, indeed - instead of the questions currently put to attendees (e.g. Would you recommend the ROH to a friend?)

Moreover, when I go online and look at What's On, many other things come up before the information about this Triple Bill. So it's possible that people visiting the ROH website do not have it presented to them sufficiently prominently.

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LinMM

LinMM

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Have just been looking at the Chopin pieces used in Month and the song will be in the bit that uses:  Fantasia on Polish Airs so am more sure it’s there now. 
Sorry to go on about the music but the blend of dancing and music in this Ballet is just so delicious! 

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JNC

JNC

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4 hours ago, Scheherezade said:


Isn’t this the sort of feedback the RB marketing department should be sounding out?


I’d be happy to provide it but the surveys where we just score on 1-10 is the only thing I’ve ever received, and I give up with those as it seems more interested in RoH as a building as a surface level of the performance/programme rather than any meaningful feedback. 
 

to be honest the ROH/RB management would probably do well to read this forum for all the insight it offers. (And maybe they do, although they seem to ignore us a lot when it comes to programming and website design…)

 

I maintain the new website is user un-friendly. Why are they advertising an online streaming of flight pattern as the first thing rather than a live performance? Streaming is fantastic but live performance is what should come first. 
 

Lohengrin and Don Pasquale (which hasn’t even started yet and starts after the Ashton bill finishes) are next up. Then Ashton. It appears lots of unsold tickets for those operas as well however - bad for ROH overall but reassured me slightly that hopefully Ashton won’t get singled out as a dud non-seller when other programmes are facing similar issues. 

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Fonty

Fonty

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I wonder what happened to the posters they used to put up in tube stations?  Any poster could entice potential customers.  Have the tickets really sold badly?  When I last looked, the expensive seats had all gone, and it was mainly the cheap(er) ones in the amphi that were still available.  |

I received an email from the ROH yesterday with some quoted audience reactions, and I wanted to reply "I would already have bought my tickets if I could have gone!"

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Lizbie1

Lizbie1

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6 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 Have the tickets really sold badly?  When I last looked, the expensive seats had all gone, and it was mainly the cheap(er) ones in the amphi that were still available.

 

A little over a hundred left for this evening (all rear amphi or slips), 59 for Friday, more for Saturday and Monday but not catastrophic by any means.

 

It's certainly sold better than the Abrams/Pite/Wheeldon triple.

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EVWS

EVWS

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50 minutes ago, Mary said:

I received a promotional email from ROH quoting reviews and audience reaction including one comment which asked : 'Why can't we have more Ashton?'

 

 

That was mine! Very surprised to see that they included it…

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