Ein Sommernachtsstraum A Midsummer Night’s Dream Bayerische Staatsballett Tues 14 th February Munich

[Mandy Kent]

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by Mandy Kent

My Valentine’s Night’s Dream came true… I managed to book a front row seat for the evening performance on Feb 14th at the Bayerische Staatsballett in Munich. 

My main reason for attending , truth be told, is that I am an ardent fan of Shale Wagman, currently a First Soloist at the Staatsballett and showing a great deal of promise in his career within this company.

 

Tonight, Wagman was dancing the role of Puck: mischievous, exuberant and funny, a role he danced with verve and virtuosity.

In a previous performance he had danced Lysander.

 

The choreography is by John Neumeier…and whilst classical, it is very different from the Ashton version danced by the Royal Ballet in the UK . 

 

The score by Mendelssohn is interspersed with very pleasant , more modern hypnotic music by Ligeti which the fairy sprites danced to, adding to the mystery  and atmosphere of The Dream. 

 

The Mendelssohn was played by the Bayerische Staatsorchester , under the musical director Michael Schmidtsdorff, some of the other music was recorded.

 

Classic fairy tutus are not seen… the fairies wore unitards in white shiny Lycra, the Fairy King and Queen differentiated by silver sparkling caps . The various courtiers and aristocrats were conventionally attired.

 

The story begins with Hippolyta asleep on her chaise longue , a single long-stemmed fragrant red rose in her hand , dreaming of her forthcoming marriage to Theseus. Madison Young as both Hippolyta and Titania has a regal yet understated , very feminine presence, her playfulness only coming through in her scene with Bottom , here called Zettel ( Robin Strona … hilariously donkey-like) when in Ass’s form . The way she played with his Ass’s ears was hilarious .

 

Jinhao Zhang as Theseus and Oberon had a stately authority tinged with the mischief which he shares with Puck.

 

In the initial court scenes, Wagman’s quiet presence as Philostrat , Master of Ceremonies did not prepare us for his transformation into the naughty ,scene-stealing sprite Puck.

His sheer ballon and athleticism were astonishing and his acrobatics resembled an India-rubber man. The audience were entranced.

 

The young lovers Lysander and Hermia were danced with lively characterisation by Raphael Vedra and Carolina Bastos , whilst the  handsome moustachioed officer Demetrius (Ariel Merkuri ) was very entertaining as he spurned the advances of desperate spec -y Helena ( a very witty performance by Bianca Teixeira )…excellent partnering and acting throughout .  

 

And then …the amusement that can be found from a pair of spectacles… mislaid by Helena causing her myopic confusion, and borrowed by Puck with much hilarity as he floundered around the stage… muddling up which lover belonged to which partner and sprinkling the magical love-inducing rose nectar with abandon into the incorrect recipients eyes ! 

This clever storytelling worked so well.. accounting for the bizarre disjointed happenings in the Dream. 

 

But let’s not forget the Mechanicals . I have mentioned Bottom, but all of the conga-line of simple artisans were beautifully portrayed by various soloists , accompanied by a hurdy -gurdy machine…and the tale within a tale of Piramus and Thisbe was gloriously enacted. Three cheers for the Non-Frightening Lion! grrr / miaow …

 

It’s hard to top the gorgeous wedding pdd between Theseus and Hippolyta…however the final flourish of the rose by Wagman back in his green tail coat as Philostrat made you wonder where the real story ended …and the Dream began . 

 

With gratitude to : 

Shale Wagman

Staatsballett Munich

Lufthansa Airlines

And my dear friend Sabine

Edited February 15, 2023 by Mandy Kent
Name change

[Sim]

Thanks for the wonderful review, Mandy. So glad you enjoyed it and that the trip was worth it.  
 

Lovely to hear from you again on the forum!  

[Sabine0308]

A short but very sweet stay in Munich, finally reunited with Mandy Kent after almost 4 years! Back then, we were in St. Petersburg, watching Shale Wagman in La Sylphide with the Mariinsky Ballet. Who knows when a trip to this beautiful theatre will be possible again...we agreed last night that it is always good to take changes, as long as you can. As it was the case yesterday again.

 

Great review Mandy! I fully agree with it and will add just some things.

I too loved the very elegant moves in The Dream, and the very sparse decoration (by the amazing legendary Jürgen Rose): greenish sparkling, illuminated trees, (sometimes the fairies were hiding in), and the foggy floor added to the fairyworld illusion in a beautiful way.

 

As for the actual reason for our travels to Munich: OMG. Shale Wagman was phenomenal. He owns this Puck character, not only for the brilliant dancing with his amazing flexibility and high jumps, but for the mischevious acting as well. Every detail, from rolling his eyes when annoyed, being scared of Oberon, struggling with the sudden blurry view through glasses, feeling confused when he mixed the couples who were supposed to fall in love, to the innocent joy as this hobgoblin it's just so much FUN to watch. And the nice natural amount of black curls on Shale's head added enormously to the mischevious and cute appearance of Puck. 

I too loved the PDD's between Madison Young and Jinhao Zhang!! 

Overall, you could see the fun the dancers had onstage. Raphael Vedra had his debut as Lysander, alongside the beautiful Carollina Bastos (partnering Shale Wagman in Rubies Solo couple, next performance is on March 3rd, btw).

 

THANK YOU Bayerisches Staatsballett, and Mr. Puck in particular 😀, for a fun Valentine's night.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Sabine0308

[LinMM]

Sounds like you two had a great time! 
And Shale must appreciate you both travelling the distances to see him! 

[Sabine0308]

15 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Sounds like you two had a great time! 
And Shale must appreciate you both travelling the distances to see him! 

I tend to go as often as possible to Munich. It's in my country, and as long as he is here...I don't have to travel very far! St. Petersburg made me "pray" that he would not stay there. 😉

[LinMM]

Well it’s over 300 miles!! That would just about put me up in Scotland in the UK!! Quite a trek!! 
The only problem with St Petersburg was the pfaff of getting a Russian visa! 
However I haven’t travelled abroad since Brexit so have no idea how difficult it would be to get a visa just for Germany these days!! Was it a pfaff Mandy? 

[Mandy Kent]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:just for Germany these days!! Was it a pfaff Mandy? 

No visa requirement Lin, just took my UK passport and travelled with Lufthansa at very civilised time of day from Heathrow. And despite the fog induced delays… well worth any slight pfaff involved 

[Ian Macmillan]

But do be aware that to travel into Europe now that the UK is a 'Third Country,' and regardless of your passport's Expiry Date, you will not be permitted to travel if its Issue Date is more than 10 years ago.  A friend's weekend plans in Austria unravelled at the gate over exactly this last Friday.

[Sabine0308]

36 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

But do be aware that to travel into Europe now that the UK is a 'Third Country,' and regardless of your passport's Expiry Date, you will not be permitted to travel if its Issue Date is more than 10 years ago.  A friend's weekend plans in Austria unravelled at the gate over exactly this last Friday.

Passport expires for Germans (older than 24 years old) after 10 years. What about the UK?

Edited February 16, 2023 by Sabine0308

[Sim]

I thought that a passport’s maximum duration in the UK is 10 years? Perhaps your friend presented an expired passport without realising it? 

[San Perregrino]

18 minutes ago, Sim said:

I thought that a passport’s maximum duration in the UK is 10 years? Perhaps your friend presented an expired passport without realising it? 

If you renew in the months before your current passport expires, the remaining term is added to the new 10 years. eg Mine was issued in September and expires 10 years and 3 months later in December. 

[Sabine0308]

For those who can access instagram: do yourself a favor and check this out and find the cutest Puck Valentine ever

https://www.instagram.com/p/CovM7NyLQKa/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

(Link to Shale Wagman's account)

Edited February 16, 2023 by Sabine0308

[Ian Macmillan]

Sim:  PeterS has it right and my friend's passport expires some 6-7 months after the 10-year Issue anniversary.  That said, he got away with it a month or so back for another visit, so maybe much depends on the awareness of the person on the departure gate!

 

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/eu-passport-renewal-expiry-rules-uk-aRaVG6j5PpyJ

 

 

[FionaM]

No VISAs needed for UK in EU … but your passport does get stamped in and out, which is rather a fun record of places you have been.   However if you travel a lot (I intend to before I get too old) then the 10 page passport is going to need replacing before it expires!

[EmilyKaye]

Getting back to the Dream, I no longer live in the UK, but I recall the Paris Opera Ballet visiting London c1983. They performed Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Just as Mandy had a wonderful time seeing Shale Wagman perform Puck, those POB performances at Covent Garden enabled me to see Patrick Dupond dance Puck. What a dancer! Great memories 40 years on. This was before Eurostar led to Paris being an easier destination to access. 

I have followed the Forum for ages without commenting, but Mandy’s review finally encouraged me to comment.
Great dance performances remain wonderful memories.

[Sim]

17 minutes ago, EmilyKaye said:

Getting back to the Dream, I no longer live in the UK, but I recall the Paris Opera Ballet visiting London c1983. They performed Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Just as Mandy had a wonderful time seeing Shale Wagman perform Puck, those POB performances at Covent Garden enabled me to see Patrick Dupond dance Puck. What a dancer! Great memories 40 years on. This was before Eurostar led to Paris being an easier destination to access. 

I have followed the Forum for ages without commenting, but Mandy’s review finally encouraged me to comment.
Great dance performances remain wonderful memories.

Welcome out of the lurking shadows, Emily!

[Mandy Kent]

8 hours ago, EmilyKaye said:

Getting back to the Dream, I no longer live in the UK, but I recall the Paris Opera Ballet visiting London c1983. They performed Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Just as Mandy had a wonderful time seeing Shale Wagman perform Puck, those POB performances at Covent Garden enabled me to see Patrick Dupond dance Puck. What a dancer! Great memories 40 years on. This was before Eurostar led to Paris being an easier destination to access. 

I have followed the Forum for ages without commenting, but Mandy’s review finally encouraged me to comment.
Great dance performances remain wonderful memories.

I’m so glad that I inspired you Emily. And thank you for your recollections of  Patrick Dupond 

[Jay Buffalo]

• Another review, via Google translate: https://ballett--journal-de.translate.goog/bayerisches-staatsballett-ballett-dortmund-neumeier-clug-sommernachtstraum-peer-gynt/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

[Josette]

Mandy Kent and Sabine0308, thank you for your report on Neumeier's Midsummer Night's Dream!  I saw it danced by the Hamburg Ballet in San Francisco (Alina Cojocaru danced but the entire cast was superb) in 2014 and found it fascinating.  You've convinced me to book a trip to Munich (a city I fell in love with many years ago) for next year to see Shale Wagman and the Bayerisches Staatsballett. 

[Mandy Kent]

4 minutes ago, Josette said:

Mandy Kent and Sabine0308, thank you for your report on Neumeier's Midsummer Night's Dream!  I saw it danced by the Hamburg Ballet in San Francisco (Alina Cojocaru danced but the entire cast was superb) in 2014 and found it fascinating.  You've convinced me to book a trip to Munich (a city I fell in love with many years ago) for next year to see Shale Wagman and the Bayerisches Staatsballett. 

My pleasure 

see you there next time !! 

[Sabine0308]

On 09/03/2023 at 22:09, Josette said:

Mandy Kent and Sabine0308, thank you for your report on Neumeier's Midsummer Night's Dream!  I saw it danced by the Hamburg Ballet in San Francisco (Alina Cojocaru danced but the entire cast was superb) in 2014 and found it fascinating.  You've convinced me to book a trip to Munich (a city I fell in love with many years ago) for next year to see Shale Wagman and the Bayerisches Staatsballett. 

You're welcome and hope to see you there! In any case, I'm sure you will have a great time in the beautiful opera house and City.

[FionaM]

I saw this production for the first time in June last year (was supposed to be Shale as Puck but he pulled out for family reasons) .  
 

It’s fabulous and I would highly recommend it.  Clever use of minimal sets makes for an uncluttered stage and lots of space for super choreo and dancing.  The familiar Mendelssohn score is used for the lovers and Hippolyta/Theseus, an electronic score for the fairies (all wearing silvery bodysuits) and hand-organ for the mechanicals.  
 

It’s an excellent full length interpretation and faithful to the play.  I prefer it to Ashton’s cut down version because we get the dual role dynamics of Hippolyta/Titania and Theseus/Oberon and how their love develops because of the dream.  

[Pas de Quatre]

Did anyone see John Neumeier's Midsummer Night's Dream on Sky Arts? It was on a few days ago and no doubt will be repeated. It is an absolute delight. Highly recommend.

Edited January 1 by Pas de Quatre

[jmhopton]

No, I missed this. Will look out for a repeat. Is it more like the Ashton or Balanchine version?

[Pas de Quatre]

Neither! This version uses classical choreography for the mortals using some of the Mendelssohn and other classical pieces. The fairies have contemporary ballet moves to modern music. They wear catsuits with the girls on pointe. The rude mechanicals have hurdy hurdy music and are laugh out loud funny. 

[Tattin]

I saw it on stage (quite close) by the Hamburg Ballet in the Generalife Gardens, Granada, in 2023.  At times there were so many dancers, plus props (trees) on stage that it was quite impossible to see what was going on. Even I, who had studied the Shakespeare play at school and who had seen Ashton's version many times, both on stage and on-line, couldn't follow the narrative it looked such a mess. And one of the people accompanying me (a ballet teacher) had to have the story explained to her as she had no idea what it was all about. I just longed for the clarity of "The Dream"!

[Pas de Quatre]

Can't agree with you Tattin, what I have seen on screen tells the story beautifully.  The music for the fairies is by

Ligeti and creates a beautiful supernatural parallel world. The shenanigans of the 4 lovers are clearly portrayed. Puck is a delight and Thisbe who dons a frock and pointe shoes is priceless.

[FionaM]

Agree @Pas de Quatre I have seen John Neumeier’s version live … in Munich.   It’s a fabulous full length production.  One of his masterpieces in my view.  Even my adult nephew who I took along to experience his first ever ballet was impressed with the storytelling.

 

Ashton’s Dream is a one act ballet and therefore the play has to be truncated.  Hippolyta and Theseus don’t even appear in Ashton’s version, nor the finale play-within-a-play.  The story of Hippolyta and Theseus is the main point … about unrequited love that resolves itself.  (Possibly because of the love that comes upon their doubles Titania and Oberon.) 
 

I think it’s a super production and faithful to Shakespeare.  I love that Neumeier uses different music for the three different story lines .. the original Mendelssohn for the lovers in the court, eerie music for the fairies in their glistening all-in-one unitards, and a mobile street organ for the mechanicals.  It’s inspired! 

I also like that the dancers double up their parts … as Shakespeare intended.  Oberon/Theseus, Titania/Hippolyta, and Puck/Philostrate.

 

The lovers are more human and tasteful in Neurmeier’s production.  in Ashton he has again resorted to OTT comedy panto style.  Whilst it is very funny, I prefer the more restrained dignity of Neumeier’s lovers.  Neumeier saves the pantomime for the mechanicals.  It’s good to differentiate.
 

It takes a special ballerina to pull off the dual role from unwilling bride through the Oberon/Titania story and back to marriage of love to Theseus. Ksenia Ryzhova was excellent in Munich.  (The other ballerina I saw there wasn’t as good.  The recording by Hamburg Baller was supposed to be of Alina Cojocaru but she was unavailable (injured or pregnant I can’t remember which).  I’m sure she would have been marvellous. 
 

@Tattin I had the opposite impression of the set … there were only 3 trees in the forest and rather minimal but highly effective sets elsewhere.   Probably the Munich stage is much bigger than Granada. 

Edited January 2 by FionaM

[FionaM]

Discussion of Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream on the general streaming thread, reminded me of António Casalinho’s extraordinary performance of Puck/Philostrate that I saw some 2.5 years ago in Munich.  
 

I’d travelled to see Shale Wagman in the role, but he flew home due to the passing of a close family member.  Yonah Acosta performed the role on the first night, Antonio the second.  Yonah was good as you’d expect, however Antonio was off the charts in every way.  I was prepared to see amazing technique but I wasn’t prepared for his thoughtful delivery of this role.  He was fully into the portrayal, and played with the music as only the very best can do. In this full length version Puck is onstage a lot, sometimes he is just observing the lovers from under the trees.  He didn’t lose track at all.  Wonderful memory. A performance to treasure forever.

[Sabine0308]

48 minutes ago, FionaM said:

Discussion of Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream on the general streaming thread, reminded me of António Casalinho’s extraordinary performance of Puck/Philostrate that I saw some 2.5 years ago in Munich.  
 

I’d travelled to see Shale Wagman in the role, but he flew home due to the passing of a close family member. 

A friend from London and I had the pleasure to see Shale Wagman as Puck/Philostrat on Valentine's Day the year after. He had danced Lysander earlier. The mischevious, naughty, yet "innocent" eye-rolling Puck was such a lot of fun, and in our eyes, the enormous flexible Shale was made for this role. Elegant Philostrat seemed to be the contrast, until he presented the rose with mischevious looks😁.

It brought the house down, and we will treasure this memory. I miss him here in Germany.

[alison]

I've moved feedback from the recent Hamburg Ballet showing on Sky Arts into this thread as well.  I watched it when it was first broadcast, but haven't watched my recording of it this time.  I loved Alexandr Trusch's Puck, and the Mendelssohn sections in particular, but agree with Tattin that I found the storytelling a bit difficult to follow at times.  Oh, and the Ligeti rather outstayed its welcome as far as I was concerned.  When I catch up with the recording, I'll see if my impressions have changed second time around.

[FionaM]

14 hours ago, alison said:

I've moved feedback from the recent Hamburg Ballet showing on Sky Arts into this thread as well.  I watched it when it was first broadcast, but haven't watched my recording of it this time.  I loved Alexandr Trusch's Puck, and the Mendelssohn sections in particular, but agree with Tattin that I found the storytelling a bit difficult to follow at times.  Oh, and the Ligeti rather outstayed its welcome as far as I was concerned.  When I catch up with the recording, I'll see if my impressions have changed second time around.

@alison please can you move my comment about António back to the Germany thread.  It was meant to continue the conversation about his promotion in Munich.  He is nothing to do with the recording of Hamburg Ballet. 
 

the comment by @Sabine about Shale also relate to Munich and not to the Hamburg recording.  That should also be moved back I think.
 

thank you 

Edited January 3 by FionaM
Add second paragraph