Coronation Concert - Ballet

[capybara]

31 minutes ago, Margaret said:

Do we know if this concert is to be relayed on television?  If so when and where?

 

Thanks

Yes - BBC 1 from 8.00 - 10.00pm tonight,Sunday 7th May.

And the BBC news referred this morning to ‘Romeo and Juliet from The Royal Ballet’.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by capybara

[bridiem]

So it does seem a bit unclear as to what the ballet bit will be. 'Bespoke choreography' implies made for the occasion, but R&J from the RB' sounds like a pas de deux from the ballet. Who knows?!

[zxDaveM]

I'll record the progrmme, and make ample use of the f-fwd>> button....

[Fonty]

2 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

I'll record the progrmme, and make ample use of the f-fwd>> button....

 

Me too.  

 

 

[Jeannette]

Some US PBS stations will show it live! Our station serving Puerto Rico will show it live, starting at 3pm today (we’re the same as US eastern time). Go, Royal Ballet! 🎉 

[alison]

Lucky you, Jeannette - I hope you enjoy it.

[Dawnstar]

4 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

I'll record the progrmme, and make ample use of the f-fwd>> button....

 

I'll be skipping through it on the iPlayer, as I suspect I won't want to watch at least three-quarters of the performances. I can't watch it live anyway as I'll be listening to the F1. (There's far too much on this weekend: I'm juggling watching the Coronation, the start of the Giro d'Italia & the Miami Grand Prix!)

[Emeralds]

I’ll swoosh back and forth on the iPlayer but might watch a bit of it live. 😀

[Emeralds]

It’s on now, folks! 

[Jeannette]

6 hours ago, alison said:

Lucky you, Jeannette - I hope you enjoy it.

Ive been enjoying it thoroughly! Yes, even the R&J “consolidation” or whatever it was called. Francesca & Marcelino were gorgeous in those lifts…almost made me cry! 😢 Well done! 💐 

[Emeralds]

Spoiler alert- look away now if you’re waiting to watch about 80 seconds of Frankie and Marci on recording (after recording 2 hours’ worth) 

 

Verdict: it was indeed Bernstein (“Somewhere” from West Side Story) after all, not Prokofiev, and a rather odd mash up of 2 RSC actors playing R&J (sorry I didn’t catch their names) in the ball scene alternating with Hayward and Sambe’s dancing. It wasn’t MacMillan, but the choreography was nice enough. Towards the end, the RSC  R&J had to break off from gazing lovingly at each other to turn around to watch Hayward and Sambe being them, which is a bit odd! Then at the end the two couples turn to face each other and run out for a bow together. 

 

It was a very busy stage with the RO Chorus at the back, musicians squashed in at the side, but at least they weren’t competing with a giant video this time unlike the Platinum Jubilee, and actually got some screen time (more than poor Cuthbertson and Clarke in June) although the editor/director ruined what had been quite good filming halfway by turning away to film the chorus and the audience instead (!) and panning out so they were just tiny specks on stage (they did this to the RSC actors too). The poor RSC Juliet seemed to have a mike/sound issue-could hear her Romeo clearly and loudly but her sound disappeared when she turned around in the middle of their dialogue.  

 

Overall: better than what they did at the jubilee, but I wouldn’t have rushed home early from work or a fun outing for it. Frankie and Marci dancing beautifully and the choreography looked sweet and lovely, beautiful  costumes. Impeccable performances from both, gorgeous....shame they seemed to have been on stage for less than 90seconds each while some (slightly boring) bands had considerably more. 10/10 for Hayward and Sambe, and their costume designer and choreographer, 6/10 for the filming (I gave the jubilee filming 2/10!) and 10/10 for the Chorus and musicians. 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

Just swooshed it back on iPlayer (what a great invention) ....they didn’t announce the actors’ names at the concert, nor Hayward and Sambe’s names either! 

[Jeannette]

Emeralds - Prokofiev in this anti-Russian world? I wasn’t expecting that. Glad for what we got. Other segments had a classical flair - Bocelli & Terfel- or just plain fun - Richie - with most Royals bopping along. 

[bridiem]

10 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Just swooshed it back on iPlayer (what a great invention) ....they didn’t announce the actors’ names at the concert, nor Hayward and Sambe’s names either! 

 

I suppose they were 'The Royal Ballet' personified! At least they were very visible, even if not for very long, and they gave a tiny and attractive taste of what ballet looks like. I'm not sure the whole segment really worked, but I can see the thinking behind it. 

[alison]

Glad I didn't bother staying in for it, then. I had a suspicion it might be something like that from the wording. Should be home just in time to catch the last few minutes.

[Linnzi5]

19 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Just swooshed it back on iPlayer (what a great invention) ....they didn’t announce the actors’ names at the concert, nor Hayward and Sambe’s names either! 

They did in a recorded bit earlier where Sambe talked about the piece (Hayward was not there but he said she would be dancing with him) but no announcement over the PA system . Ncuti Gatwa and Mei Mac were the actors and I can't say I loved their interpretations, to be honest.  I can't say I loved it. It was fine for what it was - all a bit bland and meaningless for my tastes. I suppose that at least there was some ballet, which was danced well enough. 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Linnzi5

[Emeralds]

18 minutes ago, Jeannette said:

Emeralds - Prokofiev in this anti-Russian world? I wasn’t expecting that. Glad for what we got. Other segments had a classical flair - Bocelli & Terfel- or just plain fun - Richie - with most Royals bopping along. 

Jeanette.....lol. I forgot that ROH is a “ we don’t do cancel-culture” zone. 😉

 

Actually, I hardly noticed what was or wasn’t played as it happened so fast that it was over in a flash! Terfel and Bocelli were excellent too.  

 

Lionel Richie and his saxophonist were fab! This concert seems more fun (and better filmed) than the one in June and so far more enjoyable too.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

13 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

They did in a recorded bit earlier where Sambe talked about the piece (Hayward was not there but he said she would be dancing with him) but no announcement over the PA system . Ncuti Gatwa and Mei Mac were the actors and I can't say I loved their interpretations, to be honest.  I can't say I loved it. It was fine for what it was - all a bit bland and meaningless for my tastes. I suppose, at least there was some ballet, which was danced well enough. 

Thanks Linnzi5, I thought they might have been in a recorded pre-show segment but couldn’t find the segment (I didn’t watch from the beginning.) Yes, I wonder who did the directing of their piece. Difficult to portray characters and establish a mood when you have to get ready to leave the stage and come back! And it’s quite strange trying to do the scene with a large chorus singing a song (which has nothing to do with your scene) which risks drowning out your dialogue 😆.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Emeralds

[Linnzi5]

13 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Thanks Linnzi5, I thought they might have been in a recorded pre-show segment but couldn’t find the segment (I didn’t watch from the beginning.) Yes, I wonder who did the directing of their piece. Difficult to portray characters and establish a mood when you have to get ready to leave the stage and come back! And it’s quite strange trying to do the scene with a large chorus singing a song (which has nothing to do with your scene) which risks drowning out your dialogue 😆.

 

 

Yes. Very good points and I agree. I love Romeo and Juliet (the play) and I just felt underwhelmed by the spoken words and all the running around. Hayward/Sambe danced well and I did like their costumes. That's about as far as it goes. I am a huge fan of musicals, but I'm just not sure about the choice of Somewhere - lovely song, but what's wrong with a bit of classical music? I mean, Lang Lang did Disney with Nicole Sherzinger (not that I don't like Mulan!) On the plus side, I thought Katy Perry and Take That were brilliant! I felt that the whole collaborative Royal segments were sort of lip service to the arts. Or maybe I'm just being grumpy! 😳

[Ian Macmillan]

Thank the Lord it stayed dry tonight! 

[art_enthusiast]

Can anyone give the minute number/ time stamp on iPlayer for Hayward and Sambé, thanks!

[Guest oncnp]

18 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

Can anyone give the minute number/ time stamp on iPlayer for Hayward and Sambé, thanks!

~ 48:00

[zxDaveM]

10 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

It was fine for what it was - all a bit bland and meaningless for my tastes. I suppose that at least there was some ballet, which was danced well enough. 

 

yes, an grand effort in box ticking, whilst rubbing out anything meaningful so as not to offend anyone at all. Except the like of grumpy old men like me! lol

 

[bridiem]

To my shock, I found myself enjoying the concert after a while; it was so well produced and so good-natured that I gradually dropped my high-minded distaste and went with it. It was very complex but moved swiftly and seamlessly from one act to the next, and the lighting and drones were brilliant, so I think that in most respects the organisers and technical team did a terrific job. (Though I had a nasty moment when it looked as if Windsor Castle was on fire...). Katy Perry (of whom I'd only vaguely heard) was worth it just for the sight of her immense gold-foil dress. And even I have heard of Take That...

 

I'm not sure I understand why these occasions have to be marked by what is in most respects a pop concert; but I suppose that's the sort of music most people like and a concert on a big national occasion is really as much for the attendees and the viewers as for the royals. We had majorly beautiful classical music before and at the service yesterday after all. And this concert was a vast improvement in terms of production and sound etc compared to the jubilee concert last summer where you couldn't hear a lot of the singers (or see the dancers at all).

[Linnzi5]

2 hours ago, bridiem said:

To my shock, I found myself enjoying the concert after a while; it was so well produced and so good-natured that I gradually dropped my high-minded distaste and went with it. It was very complex but moved swiftly and seamlessly from one act to the next, and the lighting and drones were brilliant, so I think that in most respects the organisers and technical team did a terrific job. (Though I had a nasty moment when it looked as if Windsor Castle was on fire...). Katy Perry (of whom I'd only vaguely heard) was worth it just for the sight of her immense gold-foil dress. And even I have heard of Take That...

 

I'm not sure I understand why these occasions have to be marked by what is in most respects a pop concert; but I suppose that's the sort of music most people like and a concert on a big national occasion is really as much for the attendees and the viewers as for the royals. We had majorly beautiful classical music before and at the service yesterday after all. And this concert was a vast improvement in terms of production and sound etc compared to the jubilee concert last summer where you couldn't hear a lot of the singers (or see the dancers at all).

I agree with you. The music for the coronation itself was breathtaking, in my opinion. I am a huge fan of Parry's 'I am glad', for example. As far as the concert goes, I agree the sound was good (better than the sound from the coronation itself!!), the production was slick and visually, it was very pleasing too. I enjoyed the majority of the performances, whether to my taste or not. I still did not love the fusion of the 'Royal' collaboration though - it just didn't work for me, even if the string quartet was beautiful and the dancers as gorgeous as usual. I am rather fond of Take That and thought they performed to their usual high standard. I'm not a Katy Perry fan but knew her two songs and thought she performed well, even if her gold dress looked like a sweet wrapper! 😱🤣

[Lizbie1]

I didn't expect to enjoy the concert so I didn't watch it. I didn't mind it not really having much in it for my tastes because my cup ran over during the service itself. I did a lot of this sort of singing back in the day and I couldn't have hoped for better from Saturday - and what a thrill to hear I was glad and Zadok in context at last.* The new commissions were a bit of a mixed bag (they always are) but there were a couple of real winners IMO and Bryn Terfel was astonishing in the Welsh Kyrie.

 

Apart from the quality of musicianship - very high from everyone - I was most impressed with the technical execution: the perfect synchronicity between Pappano (have we ever seen him look so smart?) and Nethsingha; and the sound recording, which I don't always think the BBC gets right at these events.

 

*I've sometimes wanted to start a campaign to reserve them for coronations alone, to maintain their specialness, but I shouldn't have worried.

[Fonty]

I was sad when quite a few of my friends said they didn't watch the service because they are not religious.  Well, neither am I, but it doesn't stop me enjoying glorious music played and sung wonderfully.  

[Linnzi5]

34 minutes ago, Fonty said:

I was sad when quite a few of my friends said they didn't watch the service because they are not religious.  Well, neither am I, but it doesn't stop me enjoying glorious music played and sung wonderfully.  

Ditto. Just because I'm not religious doesn't mean I don't enjoy witnessing religious ceremonies. I thought the coronation was so interesting and as I said earlier, the music was so powerful and moving. I do enjoy sacred music though. As far as I'm concerned, it was a moment in history that I did not want to miss.

[balletfanatic]

2 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

Ditto. Just because I'm not religious doesn't mean I don't enjoy witnessing religious ceremonies. I thought the coronation was so interesting and as I said earlier, the music was so powerful and moving. I do enjoy sacred music though. As far as I'm concerned, it was a moment in history that I did not want to miss.

I really enjoyed the coronation but I'll be perfectly honest the religious bits were a turn off for me and seemed a bit odd and outdated in a mostly secular society. I'm really not a fan of religion though so that coloured my opinion  

 

I loved francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambe. I wasn't keen on the actors but mainly because I didn't think they chose the best lines in a play with so much beautiful poetry. 

[Beryl H]

I'm not religious either, but I found it fascinating, the filming was spectacular in capturing wide views of the cathedral and the most intimate moments of the strange rituals, my heart went out to them all. A very emotional day as it brought back memories of 1953, watching on a flickering 12" screen! 

 

Also quite liked the Concert, it was nice to see the Royal Family able to smile again, the ballet excerpt was too short to make any impact, but again the show was so well filmed, I recorded it when the ballet started, hoping for at least 10 minutes, and then left it running to the end.

 

 

 

[Sim]

37 minutes ago, balletfanatic said:

I wasn't keen on the actors but mainly because I didn't think they chose the best lines in a play with so much beautiful poetry. 

I agree.  They also couldn't speak the words properly, or clearly enough.  Perhaps that wasn't the right venue for such an intimate scene from Shakespeare.  Always good to have ballet represented, though.

[Sim]

3 hours ago, Fonty said:

I was sad when quite a few of my friends said they didn't watch the service because they are not religious.  Well, neither am I, but it doesn't stop me enjoying glorious music played and sung wonderfully.  

Absolutely.  I'm not religious either, but my goodness I'm eternally grateful for the music and art that faith and religion have inspired and given us over the centuries.

[Suffolkgal]

Feel like I should put my head above the parapet as a practising Christian to say the religious element moved me profoundly. It may not be your preference but if one is a person of faith it doesn't really "date". I'm not offended, turn the other cheek and so on, but must stand up for my faith and everyone else's in the nation. (Not just Christians either). This isn't the place I know but it is being discussed - anyway - the weekend ...

 

Attended St Edmundsbury Cathedral Coronation service (multi-faith and I'm a Catholic so all good!) before a Big Lunch and then a Street Party (ate body weight in cake).  Then tuned in to the concert ...  i loved the lighted up places around the nation at the end ... I thought the R and J spoken bits were just awful but loved Hayward and Sambe, they are young and beautiful and so lyrical. I think they showed the RB in a great light and I do hope (with much talk about the importance of the arts for the King) this will signal lots of support for our creative life. It really helps in getting funds!