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

[JohnS]

Isabella Gasparini is dancing Vera this evening.

[San Perregrino]

This afternoon’s Scènes de Ballet was nothing short of sublime. Fumi Kaneko and Reece Clarke were outstanding both apart and together as were the entire corps. Precision, elegance, grace, confidence and class. What a privilege to have seen it. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by PeterS

[capybara]

8 hours ago, JohnS said:

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

I don’t think that critics get ‘second bites’, unfortunately.

[jmhopton]

I'm still speechless and inclined to be emotional just thinking of the sublime beauty that was this afternoons Month in the Country.  Was this the best ballet performance I've ever seen? Quite possibly, certainly for a short ballet. Vadim and Laura were just incredible. I felt as if I was transported to another world and didn't want to emerge. I just wanted it never to end. Will try and say more later but words are impossible to convey the beauty and emotion.

[Balletfanp]

Completely agree @jmhopton - I was just totally absorbed in the performance and the emotions they created that I just never wanted it to end. Vadim and Laura WERE Beliaev and Natalia Petrovna. Vadim in particular was simply made for that role. Possibly the first time I’ve heard a Beliaev clapped on his first appearance….. their pas de Deux was sublime (despite the one person who decided to start applauding at an inappropriate point!) and you could hear a pin drop.

[Emeralds]

19 hours ago, alison said:

 

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.

The short answer, Alison, is binoculars. 😁

 

I was actually in a side balcony seat so it was quite close to the action even with a few bits of the view restricted. I like side balcony for the drama/emotional works, like AMITC, The Winter’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet. But I’ve also enjoyed AMITC immensely from the front amphi too. 

 

Different seats can give very different impressions, definitely. I’ve noticed that I have to watch Jewels either from a side seat, Balcony, or Amphitheatre; watching it from Orchestra Stalls takes away a lot of the opportunities to see the patterns and misses the swell of the music travelling  up (orchestras always sound best from the highest tier - paradoxically- not the most expensive stalls seats).

 

If I sit too far away for Flight Pattern or Woolf Works, the emotional impact is very different -  you get more of the choreography for the corps but less of the emotion. 

 

You mentioned the ensemble being identical for each show in both Scenes and Rhapsody, which I noticed too. It may seem a bit extreme to do it that way, but then you have to remember that the ensembles for both aren’t huge- 12 women for Scenes, and for Rhapsody, 6 men and 6 women. There are two quartets of men for Scenes. As the run is only 7 shows in 10 days, it’s not really all that much, not when you consider the demands of Swan Lake, with the women being on for three or four acts, dancing eg waltz, swans, then character dance or princess, then swans again.

 

I suppose if the run was longer (a month alternating with Swan Lake perhaps)  and with more shows (eg 12?) and more casts for the leads - wouldn’t we love that! - they’d possibly have an ensemble A and ensemble B for each ballet. But I think doing it this way makes for more opportunity for the ensemble to practise together- and the synchronicity, lines and timing for both ballets are demanding (Scenes even more so than Rhapsody) so if they  had to rehearse two ensembles I don’t think they would have time to prepare Swan Lake and the Abraham/Pite/Wheeldon triple bill. Both ballets, especially Scenes, need sufficient rehearsal to look polished and in sync.

 

Am sure they do have covers/understudies who watch and learn the parts at rehearsals- they couldn’t send out the ensemble with a missing dancer or two if someone got injured/Covid/flu etc. I wonder if a few of the women and men who aren’t in both ballets are covering for the other ballet. 

 

 

 

 

[DoctorDerry]

Thank you again fellow ballet lovers I really learn so much from your comments .

I have finally found time to try and summarise my feelings following Saturday night’s performance which was a truly special experience. My grandchildren refer to their favourite footballers as GOAT, which I had to have explained means “greatest of all time”. I do not go quite that far but it really was uplifting,taking one’s spirits to a serene and beautiful place. I will cherish the memory.

I had chosen to see Morera as she is an almost invisible yet perfect principal dancer, I also thought I would have had Bracewell as Belaiev and was disappointed when he was replaced by Vadim, well what a surprise was in store for us .His dancing is always superb, but I have never been convinced by his acting before.he really inhabited the character and Morera, surely the Natalia Petrovna against whom all others will be measured drew more from him than had seemed possible.The whole cast in ‘’Month” worked perfectly together ,everyone was in that dacha ,at that time ,living and dancing this exquisite love story. My thanks to them all .

 Brief mention of Scene, which thanks to Christopher Carr’s live stream I really relished, although I would have been better higher up than the stall circle seats we had ,Yasmin was  perfect .Reece Clarke did not seem well suited to the role on such a busy stage but I suspect I am alone with that view.

Rhapsody was terrific and Anna Rose was the loveliest lightest of butterflies.

A really perfect evening

 

 

 

[Balletfanp]

I must also add a word in praise of Kate Shipway’s amazing playing of that wonderful music - a big part of this ballet for me, so evocative and so passionately played by Ms Shipway.

[LinMM]

Can second that and Chopin is fiendishly difficult to play well even supposedly easier pieces!! 

[maryrosesatonapin]

46 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Can second that and Chopin is fiendishly difficult to play well even supposedly easier pieces!! 

I was just so relieved it was well played this time.  It isn't always, is it.

 

[alison]

4 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

and you could hear a pin drop.

 

That, unfortunately, wasn't the only thing you could hear, at least from where I was   I'm afraid today's performances included two of the worst "audience experiences" I've had in some considerable time, and they made it a bit difficult for me to concentrate on the performances as well as I would have liked  

[capybara]

Feeling very, very sad that the wonderful Ashton Triple is over.

Each ballet is amazing and ALL the RB dancers have risen to the very different challenges the three pieces present in the most superb fashion.

Thank you Royal Ballet 💗 

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fonty]

I've just read that Kevin O'Hare is a Trustee of the Frederick Ashton Foundation.   What exactly does that mean, I wonder?  I wish I could have seen this programme, and I think I will write to Mr O'Hare c/o the ROH and tell him to put it on again. 🙂

 

Does he read this forum, I wonder?  I do hope so, especially this thread. 

[MJW]

9 hours ago, alison said:

 

That, unfortunately, wasn't the only thing you could hear, at least from where I was   I'm afraid today's performances included two of the worst "audience experiences" I've had in some considerable time, and they made it a bit difficult for me to concentrate on the performances as well as I would have liked  

 

I'm very sorry to hear that Alison - I know from experience how much poor audience behaviour can impact on one's enjoyment of a performance. Personally, I felt that the audiences for my two trips were better "behaved" and more attentive than usual. Certainly they were incredibly appreciative.

[capybara]

35 minutes ago, Fonty said:

I've just read that Kevin O'Hare is a Trustee of the Frederick Ashton Foundation.   What exactly does that mean, I wonder?  I wish I could have seen this programme, and I think I will write to Mr O'Hare c/o the ROH and tell him to put it on again. 🙂

 

Does he read this forum, I wonder?  I do hope so, especially this thread. 

 

Being a Trustee means that someone has to uphold and further the objects of the Charity.

Kevin O'Hare will be interviewed at The Ballet Association on 9th May - you could ask him whether he is familiar with this forum!!!!

 

[Nina99]

1 minute ago, MJW said:

 

I'm very sorry to hear that Alison - I know from experience how much poor audience behaviour can impact on one's enjoyment of a performance. Personally, I felt that the audiences for my two trips were better "behaved" and more attentive than usual. Certainly they were incredibly appreciative.

The audience was fine where I was sitting in the stalls circle until the end of the pas de deux in Rhapsody, (beautifully danced by Cesar and Frankie) when somebody’s phone went off just as he was carrying her off the stage, which rather punctured the mood! ☹️

Apart from this it was a magical afternoon and I am very sorry that my unprecedented three visits to the ROH in four days have now come to an end.  As well as his full-length ballets, I really hope that we get more Ashton triple bills in 2023/24 and beyond. 

 

 

[alison]

It was various parts of the amphi which seemed to have the audience problem yesterday.  I know others have mentioned this in the past, but it's the first time in a long while that I've experienced it myself.

[Sim]

6 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Being a Trustee means that someone has to uphold and further the objects of the Charity.

Kevin O'Hare will be interviewed at The Ballet Association on 9th May - you could ask him whether he is familiar with this forum!!!!

 

Sadly I can't go to this event, but perhaps someone could ask him whether, in view of the success of this triple, he intends to start programming more Ashton in future. The dancers need to keep at it in order not to lose the style and technique of their own founder choreographer.  Aside from that, the audiences love it and the dancers love the challenge of dancing it. Finally, despite what some 'right on' people might think, his ballets never get old.  

[bangorballetboy]

I did start chanting "more Ashton" as I passed K O'Hare on the escalator yesterday and the (light-hearted) response was generally positive.

[zxDaveM]

Management: More Ashton? You have 26 performances of Cinderella to look forward to - what more could you want?

Ballet fans: Everything!!

🙂

 

[zxDaveM]

37 minutes ago, Nina99 said:

The audience was fine where I was sitting in the stalls circle until the end of the pas de deux in Rhapsody, (beautifully danced by Cesar and Frankie) when somebody’s phone went off just as he was carrying her off the stage, which rather punctured the mood! ☹️

 

 

yes, that was very distracting, especially as she went out and then came back into her seat. I suppose we should be grateful she didn't answer it, a la Trigger Happy TV

 

[Sim]

2 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

yes, that was very distracting, especially as she went out and then came back into her seat. I suppose we should be grateful she didn't answer it, a la Trigger Happy TV

 

I thought that if you leave the auditorium you weren't allowed back in until a break in the performance?

[Bruce Wall]

I had the privilege - and I mean that TRULY - it WAS a PRIVILEGE - to attend ALL of the RB performances of the Ashton Triple Bill including the dress rehearsal.  I wouldn't have missed a moment of this golden opportunity - so long awaited - and certainly will miss it mightily now that it is gone. 

As far as I was concerned THIS was BALLET heaven. The entire Company (including the orchestra) was alight with rapture. 

Standouts for me were the Morera/Muntagirov pairing in Month.  I sincerely doubt I will see their like again.  I feel oh, SO lucky to have been able to see it at all.  Theirs was an unmitigated inventiveness; a unified prowess at full 'Ashtonian' bent.  My heart flushed with admiration at the astute gumption of both the dance and theatrical acumen they made glow; oft igniting hearts at a monumental full wallop.  A word too for Gary Avis who continues to always redefine qualitative variety in his each and every outing.  Also Anna Rose O'Sullivan for being so glitteringly rhapsodic in the pinpoints of her final performance of Rhapsody.  What a thrill it was to follow her progress in this stunning achievement.  Scene de Ballet THROUGHOUT was a sensational inspiration; always renewing with enrichment both itself and US; and always being wittily led by Stravinsky's oh, so waggish score.  The elation of the likes of Naghdi, Kaneko (who surely MUST soon have a Parisian scent named after her so chic is the élan she exudes), Clarke and Sissens was entirely ennobling of Ashton's own discerning ingenuity. 

No Queen of ANY TERM could POSSIBLY have have had a MORE joyous celebration than THIS.  May she AND IT reign for oh, so many more turns to come.  There is no question but that the memory of this exceptional programme will long leap in my heart.  None whatsoever.  

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Bruce Wall

[LinMM]

Was very appreciative of your post Bruce Wall in more ways than usual…..as have just had to go back and edit a post on another thread in regards to how to spell “truly” 

As soon as I saw your first sentence the alarm bells rang lol! 

Why is it that(and not for the first time either) I seem to want to put an “e” in truly….also in a comment about Ashton! ……Any way correction duly made! 

Am so sad to have missed Morera in this role. I have already experienced the absolute delight of Muntagirov as Beliaev but truly sorry to have missed Morera as Natalia. 

I can only say please Laura Morera do not even think of retiring before the next run of Month in the Country!! 


 

[alison]

Just wondering whether I'm the only one to have spent the performances of Rhapsody partly playing "Scènes de Ballet bingo"?  I've been struck by the similarities of some of the steps, and even patternings, particularly given that there were over 3 decades between the pieces' respective creations.  Would it have been similar if a different abstract ballet from Rhapsody had been programmed instead, or do certain steps (the Fred Step aside) recur in more of his ballets than I had previously realised?

[jmhopton]

Well Bruce,  you've encapsulated my feelings far more eloquently than I ever could. Well said indeed!!

The whole triple bill has been such a revelation in every way possible. If this bill was in celebration of the Queen it proves the RB is the Queen of ballet companies, surely totally unsurpassed. 

From the chic of Kaneko in Scenes, to the unsurpassed dance drama of Morera and Vadim in Country to the power and exuberance of Sambe and Mcrae, and the amazing Ashtonian  fleet footwork of O'Sullivan and Hayward in Rhapsody, this triple had it all. Not to mention the hardworking corps,  many doing a double performances in a single bill. An amazing marathon when you consider the sheer amount of dancing that encompasses, all while maintaining the distinctive Ashton style which they did wonderfully. 

I still haven't really recovered from yesterday's  matinee,  especially Vadim and Morera in Country. Criminal it wasn't filmed. They  both totally inhabited their roles, they  were those characters and they transported the audience to a claustrophobic Russian Country house and the seething emotions bubbling below the calm  seemingly idyllic surface. Incidentally, much is made of Natalias 'loveless' marriage but I didn't see much emphasis of that in the ballet. On the contrary, her husband seemed fairly solicitous towards her feelings. The marriage seemed more incompatible than loveless. Perhaps she wanted more passion and excitement than he was able to give. Laura WAS Natalia, languidly waving her fan,  chatting to her devoted lover, exasperated with her husband losing his keys (was this a regular occurance?) Initial attraction then passionate love for the attractive newcomer.  Her body and facial expressions conveyed all these emotions without the slightest need for recourse to words. Perhaps her passionate performance encouraged Vadim to scale new heights of emotional acting for scale them he did. His leaving of Natalua was so emotional I still get teary thinking about it now. After these performances I hope we don't have any more nonsense about him not being ready for Onegin next time around.  I know the reservations were supposed to have come from Vadim himself but after these performances surely he can't doubt his ability anymore. In fact I'm going to stick my neck out here. Looking ahead to all the upcoming Mayerlings this autumn, what his about Vadim and Morera in the leads? She was incredible with Bonelli and it was criminal their performances weren't filmed in the last run. Perhaps she could inspire Vadim to the greatest acting challenge of his career.  I know many on the Forum have doubts about his acting abilities for possibly the greatest male balletic acting role there is.  Indeed, great Vadim admirer as I am, I have shared these doubts; until now. There are a lot of Mayerlings to cast (18 performances?) so perhaps a great opportunity for experimentation. Just a personal thought. Must try and make the new season have some interest!

 

Incidentally,  I don't think I have ever come out of the ROH and heard so many people so enthusiastic about the programming. Not just the amazing dancing but the fact we've seen three so different yet so challenging ballets. We'll done Kevin! Please do it again in the 2023/4 season. If you can squeeze something Ashtonian into the Linbury next season I will be forever grateful as will so many other people.

 

 

. 

 

[Sim]

Whenever I watch Onegin, Month, Anna Karenina, etc. I am always reminded of this scene from Woody Allen's Love and Death, a hilarious but affectionate spoof on Russian literature, where love is almost always unrequited and nobody loves who they are supposed to:!

 

 

 

[Balletfanp]

I think Vadim has it in him to tackle Rudolf. He just needs the self-belief that he can do it.

[Borzoi]

16 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

I think Vadim has it in him to tackle Rudolf. He just needs the self-belief that he can do it.

That would actually get me over my fear of flying and I would cross the pond to see him as Rudolf!

[alison]

2 hours ago, jmhopton said:

Incidentally, much is made of Natalias 'loveless' marriage but I didn't see much emphasis of that in the ballet. On the contrary, her husband seemed fairly solicitous towards her feelings. The marriage seemed more incompatible than loveless. Perhaps she wanted more passion and excitement than he was able to give.

 

You've reminded me - as did watching Osipova the other day - that when I first started buying Month In The Country programmes there was always a several-pages extract from the play in them which shed a lot of light on Natalia's state of mind.  I was disappointed to see that it was absent from the current programme - particularly since I could see that Osipova had read it and was very clearly reflecting her character's thoughts in her acting.

[Nina99]

In the interview Vadim did with Amanda Jennings for Dance Europe magazine Vadim expressed an interest in doing ‘darker parts’.  Amanda suggested Rudolph & he didn’t say no!

[jmhopton]

Forgot to mention Gasparinis very affecting debut(?) as Vera.  Enjoyed it enormously though I don't think the blonde wig did her any favours