Mayerling, Royal Ballet Autumn 2022

[Fonty]

I've always assumed that a courtesan would be the kept partner of one man, who would certainly be wealthy.  She herself might be a beautiful, cultured and charming lady.   Aren't the royal courts of England and France in the past littered with famous courtesans?   On the other hand, a whore would make her living by plying her trade with as many men as possible. 

[Dawnstar]

Further to the glove discussion, this evening just after Morera entered that scene she looked down at & touched her (ungloved) arm. I might be reading too much in to it due to this discussion but I thought it could be interpreted as Countess Larisch having a "Damn, I've forgotten my gloves!" moment.

[Peanut68]

Oh no…. Have I missed the cinema screenings of this??? Somehow missed making a note of dates as had joined to get to ROH…. 😢

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

I’ll add a pic from the earlier performance by Annette Buvoli to show the difference in Empress Elizabeth’s costumes

 

 

 

[maryrosesatonapin]

I went to yesterday’s matinee and enjoyed the ever-youthful Sarah Lamb’s girlish interpretation of Mary Vetsera, who after all was little more than a child victim of an ambitious mother and a self-absorbed prince.  She danced very prettily to Steven Mcrae’s excellent partnering.  There was good dancing all round – Mayara Magri was a great Mitzi Caspar.  The startling originality of Macmillan’s choreography struck me afresh – it still surprises, so many decades on.  But I do think the ballet would be improved by trimming a few excesses by a total of 20-30 minutes.

[RobR]

1 hour ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I went to yesterday’s matinee and enjoyed the ever-youthful Sarah Lamb’s girlish interpretation of Mary Vetsera, who after all was little more than a child victim of an ambitious mother and a self-absorbed prince.  She danced very prettily to Steven Mcrae’s excellent partnering.  There was good dancing all round – Mayara Magri was a great Mitzi Caspar.  The startling originality of Macmillan’s choreography struck me afresh – it still surprises, so many decades on.  But I do think the ballet would be improved by trimming a few excesses by a total of 20-30 minutes.

So, which bits might you or anyone omit, to reduce it by “20-30 minutes”?

 

The bit with Katherina Schratt singing? Middleton’s silly cigar joke? Rudolf’s tortured solo while the others watch the fireworks?
 

Or the brothel scene? I recall some said that the brothel scene in ‘Frankenstein’ was unnecessary and displayed a même arguably out of date nowadays. Similarly arguable here.
 

TBH, apart from underlining Rudolf’s decline it doesn’t do much here although I would miss Casper’s dance with the four officers and Bratfisch’s solo. 

[ajf]

The Scottish ballet production of Mayerling, premiered earlier this year, is a shortened version, made with the permission of Lady Macmillan, to be suitable for touring and for a smaller company. The sets and costumes are different and the frontispiece is a black and white photograph of the hunting lodge at Mayerling which is very effective.
 

I saw three casts in Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this year. It is 2 hours long including an interval. Both the birthday party and the hunting scene are cut but everything else is pretty much the same. 
 

It works very well but what is lost is the stultified weight of the court and all its formality that Rudolf struggles with. But if you want a pacy production, this is it. 

[RobR]

4 minutes ago, ajf said:

The Scottish ballet production of Mayerling, premiered earlier this year, is a shortened version, made with the permission of Lady Macmillan, to be suitable for touring and for a smaller company. The sets and costumes are different and the frontispiece is a black and white photograph of the hunting lodge at Mayerling which is very effective.
 

I saw three casts in Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this year. It is 2 hours long including an interval. Both the birthday party and the hunting scene are cut but everything else is pretty much the same. 
 

It works very well but what is lost is the stultified weight of the court and all its formality that Rudolf struggles with. But if you want a pacy production, this is it. 

I had forgotten the hunting scene. I, for one, would be happy to lose it and I wouldn’t miss the birthday party either 

[capybara]

I’m pretty sure that one revival did indeed cut the singing and another the pas de deux between the Empress and Bay Middleton.

 

I feel that the atmosphere at the bar could be set without so much whore activity but I wouldn’t want to lose Mitzi and the Officers.

 

The hunting scene could possibly go - after all some versions of Sleeping Beauty omit at least part of the one there to beneficial effect.

[Nogoat]

I don't think Saturday evening's performance (Hirano/Osipova/Morera) reached the same consistent highs as the previous Saturday, though parts of it were definitely up there.

And maybe it's only complete consistency (across cast and acts) that allows the narrative thrust to grow unimpeded and exponentially - to achieve escape velocity and reach such heights that we can only gasp at the view it affords us.

 

For example, I'm struggling to pinpoint exactly why Rudolf's PDD with his mother failed to move me in the way it did on opening night and last Saturday; on both occasions the end of the scene was met with appreciative applause from the audience, but not last night - so I don't think it was just me and/or whatever mood I was in yesterday.

Maybe it was the clarity of communication that was not quite at last week's level - for instance, the look that the Empress gives Rudolf when he is holding her arm a bit too firmly didn't seem as imperious as before.

Tiny, tiny details we don't necessarily look for, but to which we can't help but react when they are relayed clearly. And of course, in a narrative ballet as complex and interconnected as Mayerling, those details inform and feed into our reaction to the next scene, then the next, etc.

 

I'd mentioned in my previous post the sense of 'abandon' amongst the cast members last Saturday. That seemed to translate into freer-flowing, more confident story-telling that took the audience along with it. In general, those embellishments - touches, looks, kisses, etc - were less evident last night. 

 

But that's not to say last night was not great! It was!
A case in point would be the bedroom scene that ends Act 2. I have not felt that hot under the collar from that scene for a number of years now.

Osipova's Mary oozed sexuality from every pore, and her every move was refracted through the prism of the exploration and pursuit of physical pleasure - even the gun's discharge (only very, very slightly 'premature' this time!) seemed imbued with a carnal significance. And the way she wrapped herself around Rudolf - slowly, completely, immersing herself in the gratification it offered - was almost unbearable in the intensity of its primal impulse, its sexual imperative.

 

Like @Dawnstar, I kept an eye open for Morera's arrival at the 'fireworks' party and, yes, it did seem her character had simply forgotten to put her gloves on - an easy oversight to make when you're such a busy arch-manipulator, working day and night (albeit unknowingly!) on the demise of a whole empire! 

 

[maryrosesatonapin]

56 minutes ago, RobR said:

So, which bits might you or anyone omit, to reduce it by “20-30 minutes”?

 

The bit with Katherina Schratt singing? Middleton’s silly cigar joke? Rudolf’s tortured solo while the others watch the fireworks?
 

Or the brothel scene? I recall some said that the brothel scene in ‘Frankenstein’ was unnecessary and displayed a même arguably out of date nowadays. Similarly arguable here.
 

TBH, apart from underlining Rudolf’s decline it doesn’t do much here although I would miss Casper’s dance with the four officers and Bratfisch’s solo. 

Much as I liked Bratfisch's solo, it seemed a bit odd and went on for ages, and I feel half as long would be effective.  The tavern scene could be cut whilst maintaining Mitzi's part. The hunting scene, although historically accurate, seemed unnecessary.  It would only take trimming five minutes here and there to make it tighter IMO.

[maryrosesatonapin]

59 minutes ago, ajf said:

The Scottish ballet production of Mayerling, premiered earlier this year, is a shortened version, made with the permission of Lady Macmillan, to be suitable for touring and for a smaller company. The sets and costumes are different and the frontispiece is a black and white photograph of the hunting lodge at Mayerling which is very effective.
 

I saw three casts in Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this year. It is 2 hours long including an interval. Both the birthday party and the hunting scene are cut but everything else is pretty much the same. 
 

It works very well but what is lost is the stultified weight of the court and all its formality that Rudolf struggles with. But if you want a pacy production, this is it. 

I would really like to see that version.

[Rob S]

Has anyone found out why they no longer bury Mary in the stage? It really detracts from the final scene...whats the point in the men moving the coffin 6 feet and the leaving?

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

Has anyone found out why they no longer bury Mary in the stage? It really detracts from the final scene...whats the point in the men moving the coffin 6 feet and the leaving?

 

Absolutely! Especially since the whole point is that she's being hidden away.

[Sim]

22 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

Absolutely! Especially since the whole point is that she's being hidden away.

Yes exactly.  And as I  said up-thread they wanted to bury her and the story very quickly.  There are enough men to carry the coffin, so why don’t they just lower it into the ground instead of leaving two men just standing over it?  There’s no dramatic point or improvement.  

[capybara]

Maybe the need for a trap door in the stage at that position doesn't mesh with other production needs at this moment in time - including opera?

Either way the current approach is dramatically unsatisfying.

 

Another difference in that scene is that the men used to have umbrellas which were greased to make them look wet - now they are dry. And am I imagining that here was projected rain in the past as well?

[maryrosesatonapin]

24 minutes ago, capybara said:

Another difference in that scene is that the men used to have umbrellas which were greased to make them look wet - now they are dry. And am I imagining that here was projected rain in the past as well?

There was very realistic, and atmospheric, rainfall onto the preliminary funeral scene at yesterday's matinee.  But during the reiteration at the end, the rain failed to fall until the very last minute although the raincoats did look wet.  So it seems the weather is quite changeable in Mayerling....

[Jorgeb]

27 minutes ago, capybara said:

Maybe the need for a trap door in the stage at that position doesn't mesh with other production needs at this moment in time - including opera?

Either way the current approach is dramatically unsatisfying.

 

Another difference in that scene is that the men used to have umbrellas which were greased to make them look wet - now they are dry. And am I imagining that here was projected rain in the past as well?

You are not imagining.

[Suffolkgal]

Sight and sound rain! 

[bridiem]

3 hours ago, RobR said:

Or the brothel scene? I recall some said that the brothel scene in ‘Frankenstein’ was unnecessary and displayed a même arguably out of date nowadays. Similarly arguable here.

 

Funnily enough, in the past I've found the whores a bit embarrassing etc but this time round I found the depiction really powerful and seriously shocking. All these attractive young women apparently relishing the selling of their bodies with no sense of self-worth other than as sexual objects and hardened cynics. I'm not sure if the performances have been more expressive and powerful or if I have simply found the resonance with so many contemporary stories and mores so much more arresting. (Pun not intended...). But for me now, it's a completely necessary scene, showing the degradation of women of all classes in this sorry story and the moral decay beneath the glitter of the court.

[art_enthusiast]

3 hours ago, capybara said:

I feel that the atmosphere at the bar could be set without so much whore activity but I wouldn’t want to lose Mitzi and the Officers.

 

I would like this as well. I understand that the 'escort' roles, shall we say, give the younger dancers/students an opportunity to perform more. Particularly as there is no specific corps role that exists here, unlike Swan Lake for example.

However, I do find it quite discomforting to watch, considering how young they are. Parts of it seems quite overdone and unnecessary.

[bangorballetboy]

I understand that the current lack of burial is due to a significant technical issue with the stage that is unlikely to be repaired before the end of the run.

[Sim]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

I understand that the current lack of burial is due to a significant technical issue with the stage that is unlikely to be repaired before the end of the run.

Ah ok. As long as it’s not a permanent change.  

[Sim]

2 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

I would like this as well. I understand that the 'escort' roles, shall we say, give the younger dancers/students an opportunity to perform more. Particularly as there is no specific corps role that exists here, unlike Swan Lake for example.

However, I do find it quite discomforting to watch, considering how young they are. Parts of it seems quite overdone and unnecessary.

I am told that the dancers can improvise in that scene, so can do as much or as little as they are comfortable with.  Most of them enjoy being able to let rip as it’s so different from the incredible discipline that they usually have to display onstage.  

[Christine]

On 10/10/2022 at 00:10, Christine said:

By the way, if I am not mistaken, next Saturday my ballet friends and ballet regulars at Stuttgart Ballet, Margit and Annegret, will be watching Mayerling with Steven McRae. They have seats in the front row stalls, so say hello to them, should you overhear some German accents there...

 

 

Sorry, this is just to tell you that I got the date wrong when I wrote here that my German Stuttgart Ballet friends would come to see Mayerling with Stephen McRae at yesterday’s matinee performance, in fact they saw it the week before and caught two performances, one with Stephen & co and another one with Ryoichi. Having talked to them during a performance (break) of Onegin in Stuttgart today – and with their permission - I can let you know that they absolutely adored the McRae/Lamb pairing (the best!), and also Marianela’s wonderful Mizzi. The Royal Ballet Corps, they said, has no rival! They also liked the other cast, especially Laura Morera, but preferred McRae/Lamb.

[Dawnstar]

On 15/10/2022 at 18:12, Jamesrhblack said:

I’m probably in a minority here as the audience cheered them to the echo but for me it was the least moving Mayerling I have ever seen.

 

I noew feel I should apologise for being moved to tears by yesterday afternoon's performance.

 

3 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

I would like this as well. I understand that the 'escort' roles, shall we say, give the younger dancers/students an opportunity to perform more. Particularly as there is no specific corps role that exists here, unlike Swan Lake for example.

However, I do find it quite discomforting to watch, considering how young they are. Parts of it seems quite overdone and unnecessary.

 

I did find myself thinking during that scene yesterday that I would think all the young girls who dream of being ballerinas probably imagine their future selves dancing swans or snowflakes, rather than whores!

[Sim]

You should never feel like that, Dawnstar.  Everyone sees things differently so there is no right or wrong when it comes to art and how it makes us feel.  If it’s any comfort the same cast that made you cry moved me immensely on their first night.  

[Jamesrhblack]

Why apologise? As my first sentence makes clear, I find it interesting to see the completely different reactions of people to the same performance. And I acknowledged that I was probably in a minority.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Jamesrhblack

[Guest]

19 hours ago, capybara said:

I’m pretty sure that one revival did indeed cut the singing and another the pas de deux between the Empress and Bay Middleton.

 

I feel that the atmosphere at the bar could be set without so much whore activity but I wouldn’t want to lose Mitzi and the Officers.

 

The hunting scene could possibly go - after all some versions of Sleeping Beauty omit at least part of the one there to beneficial effect.

You are right that at the 1992 revival there was no song. Instead Empress Elisabeth had a solo. I also remember an extra piece of music in the Act 1 court scene with the women being lifted. I wonder if this version is on the Mukhamedov/Durante/Collier recording?

[JohnS]

I very much enjoyed Saturday evening’s performance - the cinema cast. Osipova and Hirano were hugely impressive. Rather oddly I thought Osipova was at her most explosive in the card scene where her delight in what the cards told her was veering on the manic. But the Hirano/Osipova PDDs ratcheted up the tension and I found their final scene compelling.

 

Morera is a fabulous Larisch, every move and gesture imbued with meaning. As an aside in the glove debate the focus has been on Larisch. But is Rudolph the only male partygoer not gloved? Sim’s post suggested that Larisch may arrive ‘having decided to make a point of being different’ so perhaps she’s aligning herself with Rudolph?

 

I see there’s now a discussion about judicious editing and trimming various scenes but I have to say I thought Saturday evening’s performance showed how well developed all the various cast members are and how they help shape and support the drama.

 

I wouldn’t want to lose the Elisabeth/Bay relationship (particularly with Avis’s Bay); nor that of Franz Josef/Katherina Schratt. Elisabeth’s presentation of the Katherine portrait and Archduchess Sophie‘s reaction are very much a part of the drama telling us about the goings on at Court and their impact on Rudolf.

 

The hunt scene often ends in complete silence (sadly a few titters on Saturday evening but very quickly stifled). The awfulness of the tragedy and its effect on Rudolf are surely important for the drama.

 

The brothel scene shows us much more of Rudolf’s interest in Hungary, his relationship with the officers (all were good at Saturday’s performances with Clarke outstanding), and the wider political issues. We also see Bratfisch’s kindness to Stephanie and at Mayerling Bratfisch shows real concern for Mary, explaining his reactions at the burial site. For me he comes across as the most sympathetic of all the cast.

The only scene that I find slightly palls is the second time the Hungarian officers emerge from the curtain to have a word with Rudolf - too similar and too close to the earlier scene. I vaguely recall reading somewhere  that these front of the curtain scenes were included to allow scene changes although that might well be apocryphal. But I think most of them work extremely well and drive the narrative (for example Elisabeth/Bay and Franz Josef’s reflections).

 

[San Perregrino]

I incline to the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  There is an increasing tendency to slash and burn in order to accommodate the current fast pace of modern life and increasingly short attention spans. IMHO every thing and every step in Mayerling is there for a reason else MacMillan wouldn’t have included it.  It is a complex ballet that demands my full focus and attention. When I am engaged, for me nothing drags, nothing is out of place nor offensive when seen in context and even though the song, to my ears is like chalk being scraped over a blackboard, I accept its inclusion as a part of the whole. I think the hunting scene is key to the evolution of Rudolph’s mental state. If I am to be picky, I only wish the gun was aimed better such that the shot would appear to the audience to hit its target and not the ground as has been the case in 3 out of the 4 performances I have seen this month. The killing would have to have been because the bullet ricocheted off frozen ground. If the shot wasn’t so wide of its mark there would be no cause for the audience to laugh. Another cause for laughter are the funfur bambis hanging from the pole for which a more realistic and convincing substitute could be made.

[Sim]

When reading about bits being cut and chopped from this ballet, I am reminded of when, in the film Amadeus, the Emperor Franz Josef suggests to Mozart that his piece is too long and that he should remove some notes.  Mozart replies that there is just the right amount of notes as are needed, no more, no less.  The emperor then replies, well just remove some of them.  'Which ones, exactly?' replies Mozart.  

 

As with that genius, the 20th century choreographic master (genius, some would say) knew exactly what he was doing with each and every scene of this ballet.  In the opera scene, irrespective of whether you like opera or not, or the song, it gives everything a chance to slow down and almost stop.  When done correctly, this scene is incredibly revealing through its stillness.  Much is said from nothing except glances and facial expressions.  Every time I watch this scene, and with all the different casts, I see so much.  We can see Rudolf's pain, we can see the empress's pain at being humiliated in front of everyone, we can see Larisch's worry about Rudolf, and so it goes.  So for me, this scene is entirely necessary to hasten the denouement and make it more believable.  Ditto the hunting scene; it is an illustration of Rudolf's mindset and perhaps also his drug- and disease-addled physical being; he can't even aim nor control a gun anymore.  And as for the whores scene, again this is very useful to show the contrast between the stuffiness of the court that Rudolf has to live in and is actually the only time in the ballet where we see that he can let go and really enjoy himself.  Here, I think of The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel:  ".....just to come home from the whores on 7th Avenue. I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there."  Rudolf in his own loneliness clearly also takes comfort amongst those ladies of the night.

 

As far as the Hungarians behind the curtain scenes yes, they are partly to allow for scene changes, but also to show the pressure that Rudolf was under to support their cause; yet something else for him to deal with (even though he sympathised with them).  Don't forget there is also the front-of curtain scene where the emperor walks underneath the portraits of all his antecedents, looking up at them with sadness and a bit of anger...how on Earth did we get to this when you were all so glorious?  How can my son have descended so low?  How is he going to be able to run this Empire when I am gone?  So again, much is said from very little.

 

I am with Peter on this one; if it ain't broke, don't break it down.  MacMillan knew what he was doing, and I think any cuts would diminish the whole. 

 

[alison]

I do think it would have helped the cinema transmission, though, if a couple of seconds had been taken to point out that the Hungarian officers were actually trying to involve Rudolf in their separatist cause.  I know some people in the cinema were confused about what on earth was happening there.