Mayerling, Royal Ballet Autumn 2022

[postie]

There must be a marvellous esprit de corps at the moment, which I imagine Mayerling inspires and helps everyone to reach their heights.

 

Vadim looked so strong and assured last night. The easy grace of Fumi never more apparent, and Yasmine supremely confident and passionate as she threw herself at Rudolph, literally.

 

Before the first break, I particularly enjoy the pas de deux between husband and wife, there is so much in that layered communication - kudos to Isabella for her wonderful contribution, and to everyone. It was special. Again!

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by postie

[Sim]

6 minutes ago, postie said:

There must be a marvellous esprit de corps at the moment, which I imagine Mayerling inspires and helps everyone to reach their heights.

 

Vadim looked so strong and assured last night. The easy grace of Fumi never more apparent, and Natasha supremely confident and passionate as she threw herself at Rudolph, literally.

 

Before the first break, I particularly enjoy the pas de deux between husband and wife, there is so much in that layered communication - kudos to Isabella for her wonderful contribution, and to everyone. It was special. Again!

 

Natasha?

[postie]

Yasmine! No idea, early. Changed now.

[Lizbie1]

I've been mulling over what makes Muntagirov's portrayal so shattering, and it might partly be because there's a variation on the casting-against-type principle going on. The Royal Ballet's most "princely" dancer is playing MacMillan's subversion of the classical ballet prince. Seeing Muntagirov of all dancers go from the somewhat familiar physical glamour of the first scenes to the shattered wreck of the last act - when else have we seen him put on open view the degree of physical exertion required? - was extraordinarily powerful.

 

But as well as that, he acted and danced like his life depended on it. For my money he's the best male dancer I've seen live (my memory doesn't go back as far as some others'!) and the RB is very, very lucky to have him.

[Sim]

I am so glad and grateful I was there last night.  I have seen many Rudolfs over the past 40 years, and last night's performance ranks way up there with the very top.  This is one of those performances that I will never forget.  

 

For anyone (and most of all Vadim himself) who doubted this incredible artist's ability and suitability for the role of Onegin, last night will have reduced those doubts to dust.  Bring it on!

[Jake]

A very emotional evening at Covent Garden, our first time back there since Covid.

A fairly last minute decision to go. After reading the reviews here of Muntagirov’s debut as Rudolf we felt it would be criminal to miss his next performance if was at all possible to go, particularly as it coincided with a special birthday, and miraculously after several attempts two stalls circle seats suddenly appeared on the website seating plan. More than we’d usually spend but so worth it.

Such a human and believable Rudolf, descending visibly from rejection and a feeling of being quite out of place, down through utter despair to the final tragedy. Quite heartbreaking, and all this without any sense of over-acting. A very different, possibly even unexpected, side to this astonishing artist and one wonders what he will go on to achieve in the future. Feel so lucky to have followed his career at the RB and only sorry we couldn’t see his recent Month in the Country with Morera - thankfully we’d seen him in that role in the past.

Those historic flowers were well deserved!

Thought he had stalwart support from the rest of the cast, Naghdi’s Mary relishing every moment. Bracewell and Calvert always catching the eye. Kaneko an almost girlish Larisch, one could understand how she would do anything to retain Rudolf’s affections. Looking forward to seeing her paired more often with Vadim! Mendizabal gloriously icy as she had been in the cinema performance.

Talking of which, I now wonder if I was slightly unfair in complaining about the darkness of the burial scenes in the film. Seeing it in reality I felt it was even more gloomy than we’d seen in the past. Might a shade more light on the proceedings make it easier for first-timers to follow what’s happening, without ruining the atmosphere? And let’s hope the coffin can be properly buried in future runs! The guns went off at the right moments, however!

A wonderful evening, great to be back.

[cjp]

I can only echo all the comments above.  I am so glad I managed to make this performance in the end - having been bowled over by their debut perfomance I had to get a ticket and they certainly didn't disappoint. 

 

Once again Vadim totally inhabited the character of Rudoph and appeared so lost and desolate by the end that his suffering was almost painful to watch.   Mayerling isn't a ballet that usually moves me because it takes something special in an artist to engender much sympathy for Rudoph (for me anyway) but by last night I was on the edge of my seat, completely immersed in the unfolding drama charting this man's descent into hell.

 

And  it wasn't just Vadim but Yasmine as well who showed a whole other side last night - her Mary a compelling siren who veered between teenage passion and commitment to her Rudolph, precocious mastery over him and some fear occasionally of the path they were on, the pas de deux between them electric. 

 

Fumi also danced beautifully as always and was completely convincing as Larisch, her face when finally ordered to leave Rudolph, showing her world collapsing around her..

 

I agree that Isabella Gasparini is a wonderful Stephanie, her shock and terror so clear yet eventually finding some courage to resist as well.  David Yudes also, wonderful to watch - in fact to sum it up, pretty much everyone on stage nailed it last night, the drama expressed with such beautiful dancing. 

 

I would have given flowers to all of them and it is such a shame it wasn't filmed.  If there was another performance by this cast I would be finding a way to get there!

 

 

[jmhopton]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

For anyone (and most of all Vadim himself) who doubted this incredible artist's ability and suitability for the role of Onegin, last night will have reduced those doubts to dust.  Bring it on!

At the stge door last night I said how much I was looking forward to his Onegin and he agreed. I also asked Kevin o'Hare if Vadim's next performance could be filmed as it was so exceptional but he was understandably more non committal.

[ToThePointe]

In our first season of Open Barre Podcast, Brandon and I spoke about flower curtain calls for men and wondered why it has never been a tradition. Interestingly we discuss Mayerling and Brandon also talks about the relationship with fans and receiving gifts.

 

I have included the link below for those who would like to hear more!

 

https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-episode-four 

[capybara]

2 hours ago, postie said:

Before the first break, I particularly enjoy the pas de deux between husband and wife, there is so much in that layered communication - kudos to Isabella for her wonderful contribution, and to everyone. It was special. Again!

 

I know what you mean about that pas de deux, postie, but, last night, it was both so horrific and wonderful that enjoyment became mixed with pain. Every kind of physical/sexual abuse, Rudolf laughing in Stephanie’s face; her trying to please him notwithstanding the cruelty, him taking out his hurt and anger on her.  Each element was danced with such an astonishing realism by both Vadim and the beautiful Isabella that I was completely immersed in the awfulness of it all and could scarcely breathe.

 

I think I might have seen every Rudolf in the lifetime of the ballet and very few have drawn me into their tragic journey in the way that Vadim has. As Sim says, he is right up there among the ‘greats’ in this role.

[Balletfanp]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

I know what you mean about that pas de deux, postie, but, last night, it was both so horrific and wonderful that enjoyment became mixed with pain. Every kind of physical/sexual abuse, Rudolf laughing in Stephanie’s face; her trying to please him notwithstanding the cruelty, him taking out his hurt and anger on her.  Each element was danced with such an astonishing realism by both Vadim and the beautiful Isabella that I was completely immersed in the awfulness of it all and could scarcely breathe.

 

I think I might have seen every Rudolf in the lifetime of the ballet and very few have drawn me into their tragic journey in the way that Vadim has. As Sim says, he is right up there among the ‘greats’ in this role.

Yes, this absolutely - shocking and, as you say, wonderful in a twisted way, in itself, but also because it is so not what you would expect from Vadim. The sadism and violence felt real, and there was absolutely no doubt about what was happening as the curtain came down on that scene.

 

I wasn’t going to write anything about last night’s performance, having written a detailed review on the first one, but I have so many thoughts about it buzzing around in my head I have to get them out somehow! It’ll probably just be a jumbled list of thoughts and impressions.

 

So many more nuances last night, even more than in Vadim’s first performance. The slight resentful jerk away of the arm when his father grasped it, his longing looks at his mother, who remains unresponsive, at various points…..Also, his flirting (if that’s what it could be called) with Princess Louise made far more sense the way Vadim played it. Treated with their usual contempt by his parents at his own wedding, you could see that he was as thinking “Who can I dance with to cause maximum distress and scandal?” and picking on Louise as an act of defiance. He wasn’t so much flirting as displaying a dogged determination to annoy his parents and upset his unwanted wife.

 

The interactions with the Hungarian officers really looked as though they were completely driving him to distraction and adding to his increasing woes.

 

At no point during that performance did the persona of Rudolf drop for a second, not even when dancing the most demanding choreography. The fact that he was so completely immersed in the role himself drew the audience in and made us all feel his disintegration, his growing despair and pain. It was a visceral experience and it felt as though one were part of the real events, rather than watching a performance. I can say categorically that I have never ‘felt’ a performance so intensely ever before. Watching that last pas de Deux was a shattering experience during which I almost forgot to breathe and felt completely devastated by the end.

 

All the other performances were wonderful too. Yasmine was much much better this time - the performance really caught fire and her absolute trust in throwing herself at him with abandon has to be commended - and Vadim for inspiring such trust.

 
Fumi was wonderful - I could watch her Larisch again and again and, as with Vadim, find new touches every time. Her interactions with Rudolf were heartfelt and real. I wanted to cry with her during her final scene before the Empress comes in.

 

Vadim has matured into a rare and exceptional artist and it was a privilege to see him last night. I went to the stage door and his sunny smiles were just so at variance with the tragedy he had just enacted onstage! Nice also to see @jmhoptonthere for a chat too!

[LinMM]

It was seeing Vadim in Month in the Country which first gave me an inkling there was a lot more to him than the really very fine classical dancer that  he already is. 
I so wish I could have seen him in this but it doesn’t surprise me too much that the accolades are coming in thick and fast for him!! 💐🌹💐🍾💐

[capybara]

21 minutes ago, LinMM said:

It was seeing Vadim in Month in the Country which first gave me an inkling there was a lot more to him than the really very fine classical dancer that  he already is. 
 

I agree but, before that, Alice, Fille, Don Q, Carmen and The Two Pigeons all showed how Vadim can inhabit a ‘character’ role. Then an astonishing Winter Dreams in 2018 probably gave us the greatest clue of all as to how a Rudolph from him could be.

[Sim]

4 hours ago, ToThePointe said:

In our first season of Open Barre Podcast, Brandon and I spoke about flower curtain calls for men and wondered why it has never been a tradition. Interestingly we discuss Mayerling and Brandon also talks about the relationship with fans and receiving gifts.

 

I have included the link below for those who would like to hear more!

 

https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-episode-four 

I have just re-listened to this; very interesting to hear the points of view of the younger generation, who can't understand why men weren't being given flowers when everyone wants equality.  At one point, Julia says "flowers for the men onstage.  It should happen.  You heard it here first!"  This was a couple of years ago...so perhaps she and Brandon Lawrence also contributed to the change of heart on the part of the RB!

 

[Sophoife]

Apart from being massively envious of everyone who's been able to attend a Mayerling either in London or Paris recently, I wholeheartedly approve of flowers for male dancers on stage.

 

https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/8383-bouquets-on-way-for-men-of-ballet-and-flowers-in-general/?do=findComment&comment=386640

[Sim]

A final word about last night (which I have been thinking about all day)...  most unusually, and thanks to someone's incredible generosity, I was sitting very near the stage.  Act 3 was so unbearably painful and poignant and intimate that I felt like I was intruding on the most private and personal things a couple can do.  Such was the utter commitment and conviction and desolation from both Vadim and Yasmine that I felt almost guilty and uncomfortable observing them both at such close quarters, as if I were an unwelcome guest.  I don't think I have ever felt that before, and it's yet another example of how special this performance was, and how believably both of them lived within, and became, their characters.  Awesome.

[Mary]

8 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

I've been mulling over what makes Muntagirov's portrayal so shattering, and it might partly be because there's a variation on the casting-against-type principle going on. The Royal Ballet's most "princely" dancer is playing MacMillan's subversion of the classical ballet prince. Seeing Muntagirov of all dancers go from the somewhat familiar physical glamour of the first scenes to the shattered wreck of the last act - when else have we seen him put on open view the degree of physical exertion required? - was extraordinarily powerful.

 

But as well as that, he acted and danced like his life depended on it. For my money he's the best male dancer I've seen live (my memory doesn't go back as far as some others'!) and the RB is very, very lucky to have him.

I entirely agree- this puts it so well.

 

It's a terribly painful ballet to watch anyway, but seeing Vadim Muntagirov, of all people, turning into a  broken wreck was exceedingly distressing.  Hardly an enjoyable experience in that sense but just overwhelmingly powerful and cathartic - like the King Lear of ballet.

 

I feel intensely lucky and thrilled to have followed Muntagirov's career and excited to see what he does next.  At a time when we grieve for the loss of regular contact with the Russian companies this is a huge compensation and it seems to me that  in Muntagirov we now see combined the best of the Russian and English style, the serenely strong classical perfection and the intensity of dramatic expressiveness.

 

What a dancer.

[Balletfanp]

I too have been thinking about last night’s performance all day (and probably for weeks to come!) - so much so that when I suddenly snapped out of my thoughts I found I had been walking in completely the opposite direction to where I wanted to be! It’s all Vadim’s fault…. 😂

[Dawnstar]

3 hours ago, Mary said:

It's a terribly painful ballet to watch anyway, but seeing Vadim Muntagirov, of all people, turning into a  broken wreck was exceedingly distressing.

 

Absolutely. I think I spent much of both performances mentally going "Nooooo, Vadim, please don't do that!" whether that was wife abuse, drug taking, murder-suicide, etc. I had tears in my eyes in the Act I final pas de deux last night, let alone the Act III final one. The combination of managing to look such a wreck (I don't know how he did it facially as, unlike McRae, he didn't look to have on lots of make-up) while still dancing at such a high level was stunning.

 

PS Query for those who saw him at the stage door afterwards: was the moustache real or fake? I can't decide even from looking at my zoomed-in curtain call photos. I can't imagine how a fake one would manage to stay on through such activity but he didn't have one in the World Ballet Day footage & it looks quite luxurient to have grown in a short time.

 

[Balletfanp]

The moustache was fake!

[Dawnstar]

In which case I'm very impressed it stayed on, having seen moustaches fall off on stage from considerably less strenous activity.

[LinMM]

That’s a really good point you make Mary about Muntagirov having the best of the Russian and English styles. 

[Balletfanp]

Some more random observations about last night. Vadim’s desperate and wild-eyed look in Act 3…. his simultaneous fascination with, and terror of, the gun…. the goaded look on his face when Marie Larisch drags his head back in the Act 1 pas de deux…. his laughter whilst terrorising Stephanie seemed much more sinister last night, perhaps because he understated it somewhat…. the way he awkwardly rubbed his neck in a very childlike way when leaving his mother, having been rejected once again…. growing ever more frantic in their pas de deux in his desperation to connect with her…. just so many small details which made the performance so emotionally profound. Thus far, Mayerling hasn’t been one of my favourite ballets, but with this cast I think they have converted me!

 

The way Fumi uses her eyes is incredible. A fabulous piece of acting from her as well. Likewise Itziar Mendizabal - I have always loved her acting and she didn’t disappoint in this.

 

I also noticed that one of Rudolf’s friends who finds the bodies - I can’t remember who it was - appeared to be down on the floor vomiting upon the discovery. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before, but probably an appropriate reaction under the circumstances.

 

At the stage door when Itziar Mendizabal came out, we were trying to congratulate her on her own wonderful performance but all she could say was “Wasn’t Vadim amazing?”

[RobR]

Apropos acting skills of the RB dancers, I’ve always enjoyed (and look out for) the acting skills of both the principal and non-principal dancers and also think how well Fumi characterised Larisch, particularly in the scene at the Vetsera home.

 

But, and it’s particularly true in all MacMillan ballets, the general cast all appear to have both the ability and encouragement to characterise their roles, be they big or  small, foreground or background - one of the great pleasures of watching these performances. 
 

I juxtapose this view with my recollections of watching the Russian companies (when they used to come here) and noticing how (generally) ‘wooden' their acting skills appeared to be to me.

[Jan McNulty]

32 minutes ago, RobR said:

 

I juxtapose this view with my recollections of watching the Russian companies (when they used to come here) and noticing how (generally) ‘wooden' their acting skills appeared to be to me.

I know exactly what you mean Rob!

[maryrosesatonapin]

3 hours ago, RobR said:

 

I juxtapose this view with my recollections of watching the Russian companies (when they used to come here) and noticing how (generally) ‘wooden' their acting skills appeared to be to me.

I have seen brilliant dance-acting within Russian companies and a few 'wooden' dancers.  Same here in England.  But there are some wonderfully un-wooden ones too, especially in the Mariinsky. I certainly don't agree with this comment overall (although of course cannot argue with your personal experience).

[capybara]

8 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I have seen brilliant dance-acting within Russian companies and a few 'wooden' dancers.  Same here in England.  But there are some wonderfully un-wooden ones too, especially in the Mariinsky. I certainly don't agree with this comment overall (although of course cannot argue with your personal experience).

 

I think that the comment about (some) Russian companies might apply more to the corps. I have seen a lot of bored, disengaged faces and obvious talking from them over the years whereas the RB, BRB, ENB and NB (the companies here with which I am most familiar) produce a real team effort on stage which enhances what the principal dancers are giving the audience.

[JohnS]

On the train home from London after Friday’s fabulous Mayerling (and a family wedding). I just wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts. Many thanks to all - a very special evening indeed.

[Sim]

4 hours ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I have seen brilliant dance-acting within Russian companies and a few 'wooden' dancers.  Same here in England.  But there are some wonderfully un-wooden ones too, especially in the Mariinsky. I certainly don't agree with this comment overall (although of course cannot argue with your personal experience).

The times I have been moved by Russian dancers (in Russian companies) have been from the sheer beauty of their dancing, not their acting.  But then I don’t usually see them in dramatically challenging ballets.  The closest I have come is probably Giselle, and I have never been moved to tears from the emotion of it.  
 

An exception is the Maryinsky dancer Vladimir Shklyarov. He is a deeply moving and believable dramatic interpreter.   I have been lucky enough to see him in St Petersburg and guesting here with the RB. His performance as Des Grieux to Miss Osipova’s Manon was wonderful and unforgettable. 

[jmhopton]

I must say I have to agree with the comments made about Russian dancers acting. While the principals like Lantratov may excel in the acting department the company as a whole (whether Bolshoi or Mariinsky) don't seam to commit to the sort of team effort we see over here from all the UK companies. Didn't Lady Macmillan actually take Manon off the Mariinsky many years ago for some reason? Even when watching the POB recording of Manon with Aurelie Dupont several years ago I can't say I was overly impressed with some of the roles such as Monsieur GM and the Mistress. However, this is just a personal opinion. Others I'm sure, see it differently. I just think we're spoilt by the likes of Gary Avis, Christopher Saunders, Bennet Gartside, Kristen McNally and Elizabeth Macgorian (to name just a few of the RB excellent character dancers) and possibly seeing others in the role, even if they're good, just doesn't seem the same.

 

Anyway, back to Vadim...

 

An utterly incredible, heart breaking experience. I've been a 'ballet regular' for over 30 years and I'm sure that was the pinnacle of my ballet watching experience. I don't think you could ever see a better dance/acting performance and his beautiful classical line enhances the heartbreak and the drama, not lessens it. In Vadim's case (a bit like Bonnellis) less is more and it just shows what a powerful impact you can make without going over the top with a lot of dramatic gestures. With Vadim, the drama comes from within and that is why his mental and physical deterioration is just so powerful; it is the small looks and gestures; the posture, sidelong tortured looks, the droop of the shoulders. At the start, when he makes his entrance he strides across the stage, apparently confident, but never looking at his bride and giving off a strong aura of barely suppressed anger at doing something he doesn't want to do. However, this changes when he meets his parents (did I imagine he held out his hand for his father to shake and was ignored)? Then his yearning looks at his mother who coldly ignored him and gave him the minimal salutation. This small scene sets the tone for the tragedy that follows and was just so incredibly moving.

 

But of course, like all ballets Mayerling was a team effort as Vadim graciously acknowledges on his Instagram account, thanking all the teachers who'd helped him achieve his incredible performance. I only hope Irek Mukhamedov was able to see at least one of Vadim's performances. It would be wonderful for him to see the result of all his coaching. The rest of the cast were also brilliant in their own right and not just a support to Vadim; Fumi gets better every time I see her and I though Yasmine really settled down into her role and gave a great performance as Mary.

 

Was also great to meet balletfanp and JohnS at the stage door and have a chat. That's one of the best things about the Forum, you are introduced to people you may never have otherwise met and who share your enthusiasm.

 

Everyone before me has spoken so eloquently there isn't really anything more to say except to thank him (and all the team) for the amazing performance and the anticipation of many more to come. Bit of a change in a way for us viewers who've got so used to such heightened drama to have to return to several seasons of 'ordinary' princes in Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella but I'm sure they'll be equally rewarding in their different ways. I'm just so thankful that he chose to settle and become a citizen in the UK so we can see him so regularly. Irek said to Vadim that his performance as Rudolf will affect his performances in all other roles as he will approach them differently so it will be interesting to see if this happens. As Paddington (nearly) said Thank you, Vadim.... for everything.

[LinMM]

Lovely review JMHopton …..among many evocative reviews here …..you nearly got me with your final comment! 
Also just wanted to comment on Balletfanp’s earlier comment about going the wrong way as so wrapped up in thoughts which actually made me laugh as it reminded me that a couple of years ago after waiting over 40 mins once for Joe Sissens to come out of Stage Door and then reluctantly giving up only to unexpectedly bump into him at the top of Floral St a few mins later that after he had finally signed my programme and had brief chat I turned the wrong way at the end of the street before stopping and thinking now where am I going ….not this way!! 
Dancers can occasionally do that to you! 

[Balletfanp]

No, you didn’t imagine the ignored handshake. And it seemed to be that, and the coldness of his mother, that triggered his need to wind them all up by dancing with Princess Louise.

 

You put it all so well - a lot of that amazing performance consisted of exactly those small touches that you describe and it all made his complete deterioration totally understandable and all the more tragic.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Balletfanp

[Guest oncnp]

3 hours ago, jmhopton said:

But of course, like all ballets Mayerling was a team effort as Vadim graciously acknowledges on his Instagram account, thanking all the teachers who'd helped him achieve his incredible performance. I only hope Irek Mukhamedov was able to see at least one of Vadim's performances. It would be wonderful for him to see the result of all his coaching.

 Exactly this. I remember him speaking at the LBC a couple of years ago making lemonade out of the POB strike by saying he got Irek Mukhamedov to himself.

 

It's a shame that, given the state of the world, his family was probably not able to attend.