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Mayerling, Royal Ballet Autumn 2022

MJW

By MJW
in Performances seen & general discussions

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LinMM

LinMM

Posted
Posted

I would like to acknowledge to FionaE that I slightly misunderstood her post in which she expressed her friends thoughts on Mayerling performances she had seen. I have absolutely no doubt she had her friends permission to post her thoughts and hope my post didn’t infer otherwise. 

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WoodlandGladeFairy

WoodlandGladeFairy

Posted
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Went to see Ryoichi Hirano and Melissa Hamilton in Mayerling last night, and was so very glad I did, I've been wanting to see this ballet for a very long time and it did not disappoint, the entire company were brilliant and I left the performance feeling energised. I loved the costumes and they look even more amazing live, was so pleased to of booked orchestral stalls, noticed things in the ballet I hadn't before. 

 

Ryoichi Hirano and Melissa Hamilton had plenty of chemistry and the PDDs were perfect, just wow.

 

I was a little unsure of Gina Storm-Jensen playing Empress Elisabeth as I thought she was a little young but I was nicely surprised how well she did the role.

 

Itziar Mendizabal was great as Countess Marie Larisch, a more brittle portrayal but conveyed the complicated relationship she had with Crown Prince Rudolf.

 

Loved the Act II tavern scene, incredibly saucy and Claire Calvert was wonderful as Mitzi Caspar. 

 

As always Gary Avis infuses the character of Bay Middleton with lots of charm. 

 

And finally superb playing of the Liszt scores by the Royal Opera House orchestra. 

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Bravissima35

Bravissima35

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Really enjoyed seeing Ryoichi Hirano and Melissa Hamilton in Mayerling last night. They had amazing chemistry and really felt the connection between them. Was good to see the gun fired in the right place in the par de deux in the second act. 

 

Claire Calvert was great as Mitzi Casper and Reece Clarke as the lead Hungarian Officer, oozed intrigue and looked very fine in his Hungarian Officers Outfits! 

 

Gina Storm-Jensen was the surprise for me as thought she might have been too young for Empress Elizabeth but she conveyed the coldness of her very well.

 

All in all it was a great night and wish they had filmed this cast for the cinema relay. 

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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2 hours ago, Bravissima35 said:

All in all it was a great night and wish they had filmed this cast for the cinema relay. 

 

Unfortunately I can't imagine the ROH being likely to choose to film a First Soloist in preference to a Principal in a leading role, unless it's some sort of injury emergency like when Kaneko replaced Cuthbertson in SB.

 

I was very pleased to finally get to see Melissa Hamilton in another MacMillan leading role last night, 3 and a half years after I loved her as Juliet (and having not been able to see her in the last Manon revival because her only performance was a schools' matinee - yes, I'm still annoyed about that!). I certainly much preferred to her to Osipova opposite Hirano & I was far more moved by the final suicide scene, though I still found Hirano less sympathetic than Muntagirov or McRae.

 

It was nice to see Mendizabel as Countess Larisch after seeing her as the Empress with 2 different casts this run. The Empress herself was TBC on the website up until yesterday morning so I was pleased to see Storm-Jensen in the role, having thought I would only see her the once in this run. Though it was a little incongruous that Rudolf's mother looked younger than his wife! Avis is just perfect as Bay Middleton.

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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11 minutes ago, JennyTaylor said:

So sad not to see Laura Morera tomorrow. She and Matthew Ball were stunning in the rehearsal.  Just so pleased I saw that, because it will never come again now. 

 

This makes me feel even worse! (See autumn casting thread for my previous lamentations.)nI'd been saving the Insight Evening video to watch the day before I saw the cast featured in it & now I can't bear to watch it because it'll just be an hour of "look at what you'll be missing". I also don't know whether to cry or laugh at the cast change email from the ROH which starts "We hope you are looking forward to Mayerling". Well, I was until you told me that the dancer I was most desparate to see in the entire run won't be dancing.

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JohnS

JohnS

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I feel incredibly privileged to have seen Laura Morera’s Mary and Larisch this run. I trust she quickly recovers from injury and am delighted she’s dancing Cinderella, with Matthew Ball, in the spring - tickets booked today. Hopefully we’ll see her in Anastasia Act 3 in the summer. And here’s hoping that her golden autumn will continue bringing us her stellar performances for a long while yet.

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Stephenwolf

Stephenwolf

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Posted
10 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

Melissa Hamilton certainly is a brilliant Mary Vetsera. Incredible performance yesterday

I agree one hundred percent. I also think that Ryoichi Hirano was wonderful. Very convincing as the tortured prince. To be frank, I think Ryoichi has a tortured look about him most of the time, although this disappeared when taking his ovation. He was obviously sincerely happy at the applause and cheering, which was well deserved. His was a great performance, as was that of all of the cast. My companions and I were all very happy on the journey home, as were several other people on the train who had also been at the performance.

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maryrosesatonapin

maryrosesatonapin

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13 minutes ago, Stephenwolf said:

I agree one hundred percent. I also think that Ryoichi Hirano was wonderful. Very convincing as the tortured prince. To be frank, I think Ryoichi has a tortured look about him most of the time, 

It's good to hear several positive views of Hirano's performance.  I saw him a few years ago and although I always find him a commanding presence on stage, I have also found him rather one-dimensional at times.  It's great that he has evolved in his characterisation of Rudolf.

 

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alison

alison

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Posted

He's had plenty of opportunities to practise this year :)

 

4 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

Unfortunately I can't imagine the ROH being likely to choose to film a First Soloist in preference to a Principal in a leading role, unless it's some sort of injury emergency like when Kaneko replaced Cuthbertson in SB.

 

Except that William Bracewell was still a First Soloist when he was filmed in Swan Lake earlier this year.  And bearing in mind that it was originally scheduled for April 2020, he would have been a rather "greener" First Soloist back then.

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Odyssey

Odyssey

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Posted

Another factor may have been that William Bracewell was then a ‘star in waiting’, There are several  superb first soloists, Melissa Hamilton being one of them, who are well into their dancing careers and now unlikely to rise to the rank of Principal. I realise this is just my opinion, but as such, I think they are unlikely to be in line for the lead in a livestream, other than as part of a triple bill - Apollo is a good recent example.

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

Posted
Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, alison said:

Except that William Bracewell was still a First Soloist when he was filmed in Swan Lake earlier this year.  And bearing in mind that it was originally scheduled for April 2020, he would have been a rather "greener" First Soloist back then.

 

Oh God, I really should learn not to make any statements on here as someone more experienced can always prove me wrong. Apologies. I'm afraid it's now too late for me to edit my previous post so please could a moderator do so? I've just reported it.

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bridiem

bridiem

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Posted
23 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Oh God, I really should learn not to make any statements on here as someone more experienced can always prove me wrong. Apologies. I'm afraid it's now too late for me to edit my previous post so please could a moderator do so? I've just reported it.

 

I don't think your statement was actually wrong, Dawnstar - I think it's generally true that it isn't likely that the ROH would choose a First Soloist for a principal role in a livestream, but that doesn't mean it won't occasionally happen or hasn't occasionally happened.

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

Posted
Posted

@JohnSI wasn't meaning that I would stop posting but that maybe I should stick to posting my opinions rather than anything more factual that I can be proved to be wrong in stating. In this instance I was mentally runing through lead female cinema casting in recent years & couldn't think of First Soloists who had been cast over Principals, but I made the mistake of not thinking about recent lead male cinema casting & hence was proved wrong.

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San Perregrino

San Perregrino

Posted
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3 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Tonight’s full cast list which I accessed from what’s on rather than cast sheets which didn’t seem to be working:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/mayerling-by-kenneth-macmillan/cast-list/51304

 

am i right in thinking that this is a delayed début for Lukas BB who didn't dance 'Bay' earlier in the run due to illness?

 

Colonel 'Bay' Middleton
 
Lukas B. Brændsrød replaces Reece Clarke
Elisabeth’s lover
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Sim

Sim

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52 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Oh God, I really should learn not to make any statements on here as someone more experienced can always prove me wrong. Apologies. I'm afraid it's now too late for me to edit my previous post so please could a moderator do so? I've just reported it.

Dawnstar, you have nothing to apologise for.  I am often corrected too on this site.  However in this case you are actually correct…the RB will almost always choose Principals for broadcasts.  As mentioned above, Bracewell was clearly a Principal-in-waiting, as was Fumi Kaneko when she replaced Lauren Cuthbertson at very short notice and got the broadcast.  But normally,  a Principal couple is chosen for broadcast so you are quite correct.  There’s therefore no reason to change anything you have said.  

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Angela Essex

Angela Essex

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the link @JohnS I wonder who’s going to be Mitzi tonight? - it’s blank next to that role

29 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Tonight’s full cast list which I accessed from what’s on rather than cast sheets which didn’t seem to be working:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/mayerling-by-kenneth-macmillan/cast-list/51304

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JohnS

JohnS

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36 minutes ago, PeterS said:

am i right in thinking that this is a delayed début for Lukas BB who didn't dance 'Bay' earlier in the run due to illness?


I thought I’d seen photos of Lukas BB dancing Bay at a recent performance but unfortunately I can’t check cast sheets. 

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

Posted
Posted

It was Avis as Bay Middleton on Monday alongside Storm-Jensen's Empress. Maybe Braedesrod did the dress rehearsal & the photo's from there?

 

I'm sorry to see Mock isn't down as a Hungarian Officer tonight (he's on the cast list from 29th Oct, which I was gazing at in frustrated envy earlier!). I had been hoping to see him do something other than annoyed husband!

 

@Sim Okay. Thanks for your reply.

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Linnzi5

Linnzi5

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Oh God, I really should learn not to make any statements on here as someone more experienced can always prove me wrong. Apologies. I'm afraid it's now too late for me to edit my previous post so please could a moderator do so? I've just reported it.

There are always exceptions to rules and you don't need to apologise  - we all make mistakes or aren't aware of something.  I think you are right - you would be extremely unlikely to see a First Soloist being cast in a principal role for a single ballet cinema relay. Bracewell was an exception because, in my mind, he was always destined for the top (injury and Covid delayed his promotion)- quite obviously so, in my eyes, not that I'm biased in any way . . .

 

 

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Angela Essex

Angela Essex

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

I feel rather shaky after the pdd at the end of Act I. It was brutal! Ball's Rudolf looked like he was really enjoying throwing O'Sullivan's Stephanie around.

Yes same here it was very physical - she audibly bashed onto the floor at one point as he threw/put her down on the ground. 

Edited by Angela Essex
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