Emeralds Posted October 18, 2022 Share Posted October 18, 2022 The first new work of the Royal Ballet’s 2022-2023 season- Crystal Pite’s extension of her 2017 work Flight Pattern, with music by Henryk Gorecki - his Third Symphony opus 36 (aka Symphony of Sorrowful Songs). Looking forward to it and reading the reviews, thoughts and feedback of everyone who is seeing it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura_ballet Posted October 18, 2022 Share Posted October 18, 2022 Watched the general rehearsal today. It was intense and impactful. I was really moved! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted October 18, 2022 Share Posted October 18, 2022 Seeing second cast tomorrow… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 I thought it was an absolutre triumph. Stunningly beautiful to watch in both choreography and staging (though the usual slight moan about it being dark, backlit, with black costumes, as is the modern trend). The music is powerfully moving, and Crystal Pite takes her lead from the symphony (of sorrowful songs) creating a piece that has me welling up just thinking about it. The already known 1st movement (Flight Pattern) is as striking as ever, the ever wonderful Kristen McNally a stand out. The part where the 'baby' is found dead in her arms is harrowing, and when all the others are piled upon her, forcing her to her knees under the weight just wrecked me. Another stand out was Ashley Dean (who leads the 2nd cast) - both these young ladies seem to be made for Crstal Pite's choreography. The short 2nd movement is the one that popularised the symphony back in the 90's (heavy radio play). Named 'Covenant' here, it follows youth 'maturing' (as I understand it). Six young dancers (aged 9-11) feature and are rather good. One small section when the dancers carry these youngsters along back and forth across the stage simply caught my breath. The final movement (Passage), catches two older people in the 'passage' of one of them dying, and the other's fight to keep them going, and failing. This section has some beautiful duets, as well as the corps flowing to the music. Thoughout the real 'star' is the corps, as we get to see what fine dancers they are, whether as a large group, or their individualism within smaller groups or duets/solos. I can't deny I was blown away. So looking forward to repeated viewings, and seeing the other cast too 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 I didn't like Flight Pattern when it was originally premiered and so I suppose it was to be expected that a longer version using essentially the same music and the same choreography was not going to be my cup of tea and so it proved. The music is beautiful but I didn't think it was a good choice for a dance piece, it's a bit one note ? The choreography for the new parts was just like Flight Pattern: boring and repetitive with endless running on stage, sliding, standing legs split, arms aloft, hands turned out etc etc I felt like Crystal Pite had run out of ideas. I couldn't wait for it to end. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 Am interested in what friends think of this piece as will not be seeing this time around as couldn’t fit in this Autumn. I don’t know whether music is similar to some of Max Richter pieces but if it is I will probably at least be happy with that!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 Interesting to hear two completely different views above! I liked Flight Pattern but not enough for it to last any longer so am skipping this one. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 I was due to the go to the stage rehearsal yesterday morning but due to a last minute hiccup I wasn't able to attend. I had booked for the rehearsal rather than a performance as this piece isn't really something that appeals - particularly already having seen Flight Pattern. I might well pick up a last minute ticket to one of the performances. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 Very good to see Dave’s post. Having read various comments (including Matthew Ball’s) about how Light of Passage is shaping up, I’m very keen to see what Crystal Pite has done. With train manager industrial action on Saturday and as yet no Avanti timetable, I’ve decided to make a long weekend of things and have booked for the evening performance as well as the matinee (I’d originally planned a day return trip). Friday’s Mayerling (first performance of the Muntagirov cast) is a real bonus! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 Just been listening to Gorecki’s 3rd symphony and do recognise parts of it. At least half the battle of liking a ballet for me is the music …..so let’s hope Pite as caught the atmosphere and mood of this piece. I didn’t see Flight Pattern so would come to this piece with a new eye so to speak. As have got to stay at least one extra night in London on the strike week will see if there’s a performance I can get to then. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted October 19, 2022 Author Share Posted October 19, 2022 2 hours ago, LinMM said: Am interested in what friends think of this piece as will not be seeing this time around as couldn’t fit in this Autumn. I don’t know whether music is similar to some of Max Richter pieces but if it is I will probably at least be happy with that!! I’d say Max Richter (the younger composer- I do like his work) is similar to Górecki’s symphony here. If you type Symphony of Sorrowful Songs into YouTube, there’s a choice of various recordings-eg the history-making, chart topping one from 1992 by London Sinfonietta and David Zinman, with Dawn Upshaw singing the soprano part, or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra one with Susan Gritton in the soprano part (posted as Górecki Symphony no. 3), and two by Polish orchestras Polish State Philharmonic and Polish National Radio Orchestra, along with many others. It’s Górecki’s most famous work. The three sung texts were set to a) a Polish lament to Mary, mother of Jesus, b) a folk song about a mother searching for her lost son killed in uprisings, c) a message scraped by an 18 year old girl imprisoned in a Gestapo cell in WW2 asking her mother not to cry for her- scraped with her own broken tooth, because all sharp objects had been confiscated. Incredibly, the 18 year old girl actually survived after being rescued by a group of resistance guerillas while being transported to the gas chambers, walked her way back home through mountains, had to be hospitalised under a fake name, but recovered and lived to the age of 73, which lends a glimmer of hope to the ballet if you know this backstory. Lovely to see that Francesca Chiejina, a soprano with glorious high notes who was a Jette Parker Young Artist at ROH when she sang the soprano part at all the Flight Pattern performances in the premiere season and repeated it again in the revival, sang it last night and hopefully will be doing so at every show. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claphamsouth Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 Interesting to see the different views here. Personally I absolutely loved the whole ballet, and the second act in particular. I can't remember the last time I was quite so moved by a work to be honest. A triumphant return to form for the introduction of a new work after the torture of Like Water for Chocolate to my eyes! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm365 Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 After all the speculation - how long was the ballet in the end and did it have an interval? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 (edited) 43 minutes ago, jm365 said: After all the speculation - how long was the ballet in the end and did it have an interval? According to the website - Approx 90 minutes including an interval of 25 minutes; Flight Pattern 30 minutes, Act 2 10 minutes and Act 3 20 minutes Edited October 19, 2022 by MJW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 https://slippedisc.com/2022/10/alastair-macaulay-insincerity-rules-at-royal-opera-house/ He didn't like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 9 minutes ago, Robin Smith said: https://slippedisc.com/2022/10/alastair-macaulay-insincerity-rules-at-royal-opera-house/ He didn't like it. He certainly didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diandri Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 14 minutes ago, Robin Smith said: https://slippedisc.com/2022/10/alastair-macaulay-insincerity-rules-at-royal-opera-house/ He didn't like it. He didn't & his harking back to the choreographers of 50 years ago suggests he might not be ideally placed as a reviewer of brand new works, especially those by Canadian women!! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted October 19, 2022 Author Share Posted October 19, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Robin Smith said: https://slippedisc.com/2022/10/alastair-macaulay-insincerity-rules-at-royal-opera-house/ He didn't like it. He likes pretty, idealised versions of ballet ie Bournonville, Petipa, Ivanov, cute Ashton, cute Balanchine (not their more gritty works). Not ballets that remind him that not everyone lives a privileged, comfortable and lucky life. That’s why he hated Tamara Rojo’s Raymonda and savaged most things that Edward Watson danced. I like Bournonville, Petipa et al, but I don’t have a blinkered view of life and we need Pite as much as Petipa. Besides, slippedisc is a website that’s usually negative and their approach is to report all news as “how shocking/how dare they” (especially with regards to cast changes or cancellations). I think they do it as click bait so that readers will jump in and say “it’s actually very good”, “he/she did better than that”, “don’t be so mean, nobody gets ill/injured on purpose”. Edited October 19, 2022 by Emeralds 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 I was deeply moved by it. Third time for the original “flight pattern”, and i got more out of it than I was expecting. The new sections I found wonderful. I didn’t find them trite,(Gramilano “ickle children” and like “The Snowman”), nor “sentimental” as (FT or Indy - forgive, no longer sure), but deeply moving. Some movements reminded me of MacMillan’s Requiem or Tetley’s Voluntaries, but somehow more grounded or approachable. I thought the choreography for the children was well crafted, and what a chance for children to dream of dancing! And the final section which dealt with ageing and death was stunning. Quiet, moving and heartfelt. And what generosity of spirit for the RB to have two elderly dancers (non-professional I believe) to guide the piece to its conclusion. The corps and the soloists were amazing. Award worthy! And the music, singing and orchestra divine. I personally could have seen it without break all the way through, but that’s my over-exposure to less intervals in Germany! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 PS The Macauley review. Mean spirited, nasty and bitter. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted October 19, 2022 Share Posted October 19, 2022 There are others that are very different - see Links in the morning. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 11 hours ago, Robin Smith said: https://slippedisc.com/2022/10/alastair-macaulay-insincerity-rules-at-royal-opera-house/ He didn't like it. quel suprise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 9 hours ago, Vanartus said: I personally could have seen it without break all the way through, but that’s my over-exposure to less intervals in Germany! that would have been the ideal - but I am guessing the corps need to gather their thoughts, so to speak - and someone needs to sweep up the 'snow'! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 8 hours ago, Vanartus said: PS The Macauley review. Mean spirited, nasty and bitter. I don't think the review is any of those things. He didn't like it (neither did I) and he tells us why. I think his reviews tend not to be generous towards the RB but then IMO other reviewers are over generous. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 (edited) 24 minutes ago, annamk said: I don't think the review is any of those things. He didn't like it (neither did I) and he tells us why. I think his reviews tend not to be generous towards the RB but then IMO other reviewers are over generous. Oh sorry. I hadn’t actually got round to discussing the review. 😉 Edited October 20, 2022 by Vanartus Word/verb change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 9 hours ago, Ian Macmillan said: There are others that are very different - see Links in the morning. Thank you Ian - good to read all these and looking forward to seeing Saturday’s performances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolkgal Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 Anyone else go back far enough to remember him waiting with us in floral street? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 12 hours ago, Diandri said: He didn't & his harking back to the choreographers of 50 years ago suggests he might not be ideally placed as a reviewer of brand new works, especially those by Canadian women!! Although he does say that along with Ashton, Richard Alston is the best British dance maker…. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulcinella Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 16 minutes ago, Suffolkgal said: Anyone else go back far enough to remember him waiting with us in floral street? Yes, I do and he was opinionated then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 37 minutes ago, Suffolkgal said: Anyone else go back far enough to remember him waiting with us in floral street? I’ve known him since 1977… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 13 hours ago, Diandri said: He didn't & his harking back to the choreographers of 50 years ago suggests he might not be ideally placed as a reviewer of brand new works, especially those by Canadian women!! He does like new work though and work by women choreographers, I remember him eulogising Pam Tanowitz's Four Quartets a few years ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 I was making my way down the stairs from the stalls circle behind McCauley on the way out after the opening night, and just thought to myself, well there walks a negative review... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 Well I go far enough back to the Floral St queue days including 13 hours for Sleeping Beauty with Fonteyn and Nureyev but wouldn’t know whether I’d stood next to him or not or even engaged in conversation or not!!! I will ask my main queuing friend at the time as she was more involved with behind the scenes in the Arts! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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