English National Ballet's Our Voices

[capybara]

I see that Rupert Christiansen in The Spectator (today’s links) believes that Les Noces was commissioned by Aaron Watkin, when it seems generally known that the impetus came from Tamara and he inherited it.

One wonders whether it will prove to be a bonus or a noose.

[San Perregrino]

56 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I didn’t see a cast sheet but did read the programme notes and although that did help….at least I understood one of the dancers was a “ghost”  ….but was still confused at times of just who was going where. I think the set needs explaining more! 

Cast sheets are digital. There are QR codes to scan

[Jamesrhblack]

I don’t see ENB very often, so am looking forward very much to the matinée.

[LinMM]

I know there are the cast sheets you can access from the Our Voices bit of the website but not sure how up to date they are just pre performance. 
I didn’t see any notices displayed anywhere in the theatre but then was busy chatting to various people both pre performance and in the intervals so wasn’t exactly looking very hard! 

Edited September 28, 2023 by LinMM

[Irmgard]

3 hours ago, capybara said:

I see that Rupert Christiansen in The Spectator (today’s links) believes that Les Noces was commissioned by Aaron Watkin, when it seems generally known that the impetus came from Tamara and he inherited it.

One wonders whether it will prove to be a bonus or a noose.

It was definitely commissioned by Tamara Rojo, who attended the opening night.

[LinMM]

I might have to post this in stages as am travelling and things don’t always save if you need a gap in writing etc. 

 

Ive not enjoyed a trip to the theatre so much for ages and not just for the Pieces performed! 
First it was lovely to meet up with Dawnstar before the performance we had a nice long chat. 
Dawnstar said she had come just for the Theme and Variations as missed it the other night and I hope she thought it was worth it. 
I’ve never seen this before but In the end inspite of some lovely dancing from Khaniukova and Frola this was probably my least favourite Piece of the evening though realise the choreography was really tricky (not always that attractive in my books) though certainly Frola made a very good job of that male solo. 
Khaniukova’s technique was strong enough to just be able to keep smiling throughout I thought  but do prefer her in more dramatic roles than purely classical ones. 
The other dancers in white were all very good and I think it was McWhinney ( the taller one anyway) who attracted my eye she really seemed to be enjoying herself. 
It didn’t help last night …and I know Balanchine fans will want to lynch me ….but for some reason I was expecting the pas de deux somewhere in this which is actually another ballet The Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux which I know quite well and love  but didn’t realise was a ballet complete in itself!!
I somehow thought it was part of this one. So a part of me was a little disappointed this was not danced as the choreography seems so much freer in that pas de deux. 
But one enlightening moment was in the slower section when I recognised the tune that a teacher used to whistle when demonstrating barre exercises ….after all these years …that’s what it comes from!! 

I had prepared myself a little for Les Noces by reading the Programme notes ( I bought it because it had info on the new Company dancers) or otherwise would not have realised that there was a “ghost” dancer so sort of two chosen ones in the end. 
I really loved Pina Bausch’s Rite of Spring as a dramatic piece and I do think Les Noces stands up well especially in parts but I did think it went on just a bit too long as it’s easy to lose the dramatic impact of such wild dancing before it can begin to exhaust you ( never mind the dancers!) They were all terrific however with all the main “family members” outstanding particularly Alice Bellini and Rentaro Nakaaki. 
I sort of got the “sacred place” of the set but couldn’t get the precise special parts of it…. The mother walks up and disappears through a gap so wasn’t sure if that was the sacrificial place but then when the brother sacrifices himself he just disappeared through the back of the stage where others had also been off and on somewhere so took a while to realise he had gone for good as it were! 
Also above the stage was an egg shaped object which I was half expecting to take part in the ballet at some point but didn’t. The person sitting next to me who was into sculpture said she thought it represented all the human affects of Life which is not a bad explanation better than I could do anyway!!  
I did think it was odd at one point where the words being sung were clearly referring to a bride and groom but not one in sight on the stage! 
Still as a dramatic piece of dancing and theatre I did enjoy it. 
Last Piece later! 
 

[Irmgard]

@LinMM McWhinney is not back onstage yet.  The white girls (Demi Soloists) last night were Otani, Suzuki, and Keneally and Velicu both making their debuts.  It was probably Keneally, who is the tallest of the group, who caught your eye. 

[JNC]

Just to quickly say I much preferred Frola and Katja in T&V as well as the four soloists last night.

 

I agree with @LinMMthat T&V isn’t one of Balanchine’s best works, but also not something that I feel suits ENB (right now at least). I think they might have done better with Serenade or maybe Concerto Barocco (admittedly I’ve not seen either live but based on clips). 

[Dawnstar]

Yet another ENB cast change announcement. I did find myself wondering last night why Fernanda Oliveira hadn't been cast in the triple bill & evidently it can't be because she's injured as she's jumping in tonight.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Dawnstar

[Irmgard]

18 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Yet another ENB cast change announcement. I did find myself wondering last night why Fernanda Oliveira hadn't been cast in the triple bill & evidently it can't be because she's injured as she's jumping in tonight.

 

 

Oliveira has been rehearsing Four Last Songs but danced in a gala in Brazil last weekend and was unavailable for performances before today.  Therefore she did not appear on the casting schedule but now, with Hawes still off, Oliveira will be performing with Arrieta. 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

 Dawnstar said she had come just for the Theme and Variations as missed it the other night and I hope she thought it was worth it. 

....inspite of some lovely dancing from Khaniukova and Frola this was probably my least favourite Piece of the evening

 

Lovely to meet you last night but it may have been a good thing that we met up beforehand rather than afterwards as we would have certainly disagreed on the programme!!

 

Having finally managed to see Themes & Variations at my second attempt last night I enjoyed it far more than the other two pieces. In fact in a way my very delayed train did me a favour as it meant I inadvertantly saved the best until last. If I'd seen the programme in the order it should have been seen then I think I would have disliked Les Noces even more than I did. As it was I left on a high last night, and got home at five to ten just as the performance would have been finishing! I also had a far better seat for the same price, unrestricted front stalls compared to restricted view front circle.

 

I thought Khaniukova & Frola made a really good pair. I'm surprised they're not paired together more, given she looks the perfect height for him compared to some of the other female dancers I've seen him with who have been a bit too tall for him. I thought their fairly long pdd was lovely. I did wish that Balanchine had given both of them rather longer solos, but I'd need a time machine to request that!

 

I was slightly surprised to see Khaniukova's changed her hair colour again. In the last couple of seasons she's gone brunette to blonde & now back to brunette - it's no wonder she's a dancer I sometimes have problems in recognising when she's part of a group!

 

Another slight favour the delayed train did me was that last night's group of demi-soloists included rather more dancers who I like than Friday's group would have: Velicu, Suzuki, Yeomans & Durand. I could only identify some of the corps dancers but I was a bit surprised to see Downden among them, given he has one of the biggest roles in Les Noces. Though I suppose the male corps aren't on stage for that long in T&V. Does anyone know if it was the same 8 male & 8 female corps dancers in every performance or if the company have been rotating?

 

As no-one has yet posted any curtain call photos on this thread, a couple from last night. I know the tutus have divided opinion but I thought they were really nice.

 

 

[LinMM]

I liked the tutus as well! 
I didn’t dislike this Piece but of the three Pieces that evening in this instance I just enjoyed the other two more for different reasons.
I seem to find Balanchine difficult for some reason inspite of the choreography being classical in form. 
Though I do love some of the works I have seen like Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Square Dance and yes Serenade which somebody suggested. 

[DoctorDerry]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Lovely to meet you last night but it may have been a good thing that we met up beforehand rather than afterwards as we would have certainly disagreed on the programme!!

 

Having finally managed to see Themes & Variations at my second attempt last night I enjoyed it far more than the other two pieces. In fact in a way my very delayed train did me a favour as it meant I inadvertantly saved the best until last. If I'd seen the programme in the order it should have been seen then I think I would have disliked Les Noces even more than I did. As it was I left on a high last night, and got home at five to ten just as the performance would have been finishing! I also had a far better seat for the same price, unrestricted front stalls compared to restricted view front circle.

 

I thought Khaniukova & Frola made a really good pair. I'm surprised they're not paired together more, given she looks the perfect height for him compared to some of the other female dancers I've seen him with who have been a bit too tall for him. I thought their fairly long pdd was lovely. I did wish that Balanchine had given both of them rather longer solos, but I'd need a time machine to request that!

 

I was slightly surprised to see Khaniukova's changed her hair colour again. In the last couple of seasons she's gone brunette to blonde & now back to brunette - it's no wonder she's a dancer I sometimes have problems in recognising when she's part of a group!

 

Another slight favour the delayed train did me was that last night's group of demi-soloists included rather more dancers who I like than Friday's group would have: Velicu, Suzuki, Yeomans & Durand. I could only identify some of the corps dancers but I was a bit surprised to see Downden among them, given he has one of the biggest roles in Les Noces. Though I suppose the male corps aren't on stage for that long in T&V. Does anyone know if it was the same 8 male & 8 female corps dancers in every performance or if the company have been rotating?

 

As no-one has yet posted any curtain call photos on this thread, a couple from last night. I know the tutus have divided opinion but I thought they were really nice.

 

 

Thank you for the photos I was there for the matinee today and thought the tutu’s beautiful 

6 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

I don’t see ENB very often, so am looking forward very much to the matinée.

 

[Irmgard]

4 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Lovely to meet you last night but it may have been a good thing that we met up beforehand rather than afterwards as we would have certainly disagreed on the programme!!

 

Having finally managed to see Themes & Variations at my second attempt last night I enjoyed it far more than the other two pieces. In fact in a way my very delayed train did me a favour as it meant I inadvertantly saved the best until last. If I'd seen the programme in the order it should have been seen then I think I would have disliked Les Noces even more than I did. As it was I left on a high last night, and got home at five to ten just as the performance would have been finishing! I also had a far better seat for the same price, unrestricted front stalls compared to restricted view front circle.

 

I thought Khaniukova & Frola made a really good pair. I'm surprised they're not paired together more, given she looks the perfect height for him compared to some of the other female dancers I've seen him with who have been a bit too tall for him. I thought their fairly long pdd was lovely. I did wish that Balanchine had given both of them rather longer solos, but I'd need a time machine to request that!

 

I was slightly surprised to see Khaniukova's changed her hair colour again. In the last couple of seasons she's gone brunette to blonde & now back to brunette - it's no wonder she's a dancer I sometimes have problems in recognising when she's part of a group!

 

Another slight favour the delayed train did me was that last night's group of demi-soloists included rather more dancers who I like than Friday's group would have: Velicu, Suzuki, Yeomans & Durand. I could only identify some of the corps dancers but I was a bit surprised to see Downden among them, given he has one of the biggest roles in Les Noces. Though I suppose the male corps aren't on stage for that long in T&V. Does anyone know if it was the same 8 male & 8 female corps dancers in every performance or if the company have been rotating?

 

As no-one has yet posted any curtain call photos on this thread, a couple from last night. I know the tutus have divided opinion but I thought they were really nice.

 

 

To answer your question about the corps de ballet in Theme and Variations, there are several casts but some dancers appear in more than one cast, others rotate, especially as a few dancers are unfortunately injured and therefore need to be replaced.  Nakaaki, who has such a huge role in Les Noces, alternates as a Demi Soloist and corps de ballet in Theme and Variations. Thanks for the lovely curtain call photos. 

[LinMM]

More added shine to the evening yesterday …I had just got to my seat after chatting with Dawnstar when a lady moving along the row with some friends suddenly turned back and said I know you!

I didn’t recognise her at all at first but then a sort of distant memory started coming through and in the interval we eventually found our link…we had both worked for the same team 25 years ago!!! 
Anyway to the Four Last Songs. 
I haven’t heard this music for a while and had forgotten quite how beautiful a Piece it is and have never heard it live before so as I said earlier the music I most enjoyed in the evening. 
I don’t know if this influenced how I felt about Dawsons ballet but I really enjoyed this as the movements had a sort of overall accumulative effect with the music even if some movements were repeated…. though with a little caveat that there was still a little too much going on at once at times …which is something I find annoying about many of McGregors Works but I can’t help getting the feeling that quite a few modern choreographers seem compelled to put as much movement as is possible into their works! I know it’s Dance but sometimes a bit more stillness at points can be very expressive too! 
There were a few points of stillness in this Piece ….one striking bit near the end where the dancers were all still ….at the diagonal line with the singer …I thought an effective moment. 
 I don’t know whether this Piece is typical of Dawsons work but would be interested to see what else he can do. 
This is overall certainly a nice Piece to add to ENB Rep. 
 

So I think Our Voices was generally a very good triple bill..something for everyone really.  It would be lovely if they could take this triple out of London at some point for all those deserving ballet lovers up North and even to the East and West! 

 

 

 

 

[Henry]

Something that I really liked about the singer's performance in "4 Last Songs" was that she didn't ignore what else was happening on the stage.  At some points and during pauses, she would look at the dancers and acknowledge their presence.  It made it seem like they were working, performing together and part of the same piece. 

 

 

 

[LinMM]

Yes there was one moment when a couple of dancers were moving towards her and she raised her arm and hand as if to stay them. I don’t know what the words were at this point but perhaps :

Here both in need and gladness 

we wandered hand in hand 

Now let us pause at last 

Above the silent land. 
 

[JohnS]

I enjoyed Our Voices, with Four Last Songs head and shoulders above the other two pieces. And I very much agree with Henry’s post above. Madeleine Pierard was particularly engaging on stage acknowledging and interacting with the dancers. I saw the matinee from the middle of the first circle and I found I was drawn to the soprano at key points and so rather missed the dancers. In the evening I was in the stalls on the far left hand side and so I was looking across the stage to the soprano with the dancers well insight. A fortunate choice and the choreography was attractive, enhancing the music although I do think it would have been interesting if ‘At Dusk’ had been an extended pdd as it’s clearly a couple albeit plus the two larks. And how refreshing to hear the soprano to my right rather than have distorted music coming at me from the left hand speaker as was the case with Les Noces and I thought in the Tchaikovsky. I still struggle to understand why there is any amplification at all given the voices on stage and the resources in the orchestra pit. Surely Gavin Sutherland should have the final say on what’s best but I’d be surprised if he were happy with what was provided.

I didn’t warm to the Balenchine as I thought I would although the evening cast certainly had more panache than the matinee.

The Stravinsky is hard going, not helped by the huge difference between the programme note and the synopsis on the cast sheet stuck on the wall.

Whilst there’s much of interest in the Programme, I do wonder why some items are included with no explanation. I’m a great admirer of Rilke but his ‘Closing Piece’ and ‘And this is longing …’ are simply printed without comment.

I’m very tempted to see how the Don Q General Rehearsal runs and nip over to Sadler’s Wells for ‘Four Last Songs’ although I don’t think I’d do that on Saturday evening and Opening Night.

[Dawnstar]

It sounds like I definitely missed something in Four Last Songs by not being able to see Pierard at all during the entire piece.

[San Perregrino]

Les Noces was much improved for me yesterday as I was sitting on the opposite side of the auditorium to my previous visits. Yesterday I sat on the First Circle right hand side (downstage left), so, diagonally facing the choir. The music and more specifically the singing rolled up and over me and had a clarity and definition that had been lacking when sitting on the left hand side (downstage right) when much of the choir had been hidden.

 

I also think that for both Les Noces and Four Last Songs the dancers were favoured by better lighting design when seen from the right hand side as opposed to the left hand side. 

 

Amongst a very strong cast, Ivana Bueno and Lorenzo Trossello stood out in Four Last Songs and it is easy to see why the latter has been nominated for Dance Europe's Dancer of the Year.

Edited September 29, 2023 by PeterS

[Irmgard]

Making the most of a day in London, I went from the matinee of Kyiv City Ballet at the Peacock Theatre to the evening performance by English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells, mainly to see the new casts in “Theme and Variations” and “Four Last Songs”.

 

“Theme and Variations” should have seen the débuts of a new set of Demi Soloists but, due to Adriana Lizardi and Jem Choi being off through injury, it was only Chloe Keneally and Francesca Velicu who made their debuts amongst the females, with Haruhi Otani and Emily Suzuki from opening night covering for their colleagues.  Keneally, in particular, brought her beautiful legato quality to the adagio choreography and Velicu sparkled in the allegro sections.  The gentlemen seem to have fared better with regard to injury and illness, so this marked the débuts of Noam Durand, Shunhei Fuchiyama, Miguel Angel Maidana and Rhys Antoni Yeomans as Demi Soloists, all taking up the challenge of Balanchine with great enthusiasm.  There was another scintillating performance from the exquisite Katja Khaniukova as the ballerina. I thought the adagio section of balances en pointe was even more sublime than at her début and she made the fiendishly fast and furious choreography of her solo look effortless.  Once again, Francesco Gabriele Frola tossed off all the complexities of the choreography with consummate ease, gaining great height in his jumps, and giving us another set of immaculate double tours en l’air.  This ballet does get more thrilling with each viewing!

 

I spoke with Maestro Sutherland before the performance, and he assured me that the only amplification that there should be is a very modest one for the chorus in “Les Noces” so that they can be heard over the 65-piece orchestra and, sitting in the stalls, I only noticed their amplification at one point during the piece so hopefully those sitting higher up also benefitted from only minimal amplification in “Les Noces”.  I was assured that the amplification of the other two pieces had been removed after opening night, and I was certainly aware of hearing the music in its ‘natural state’ at this performance and last Friday.

 

In “Les Noces”, I concentrated on the music and the choreography and ignored the words as much as possible.  Once again, I appreciated the tour-de-force performances of Breanna Foad and Rentaro Nakaaki in particular, and marvelled at the gut-wrenching performance of Alice Bellini.  Francesca Velicu looked so tiny and vulnerable as the next victim and showed the fabulous capacity for these dancers to move from the height of classicism in the Balanchine to the raw movement language of Andrea Miller.

 

This was the second performance for the second cast of “Four Last Songs”, having made their débuts the night before.  Due to the indisposition of Shiori Kase, Minju Kang was given the opportunity to shine in this piece, as was Georgia Bould, a stalwart of the corps de ballet for some time.  Khaniukova took the lead in the first song, partnered for the most part by Durand, and I was struck by the way she completely inhabited the music, which seemed to flow throughout her body making the movement look utterly seamless.  The radiant serenity she expressed was the transfiguration I had been longing for!  In fact, all the ladies in this cast looked radiant, with a delicious femininity which brought a different colour to the choreography which was very uplifting.  The central pas de deux in the third song was meltingly beautiful and danced with great spirituality by Ivana Bueno and Lorenzo Trossello (both taking on their second roles in this ballet).  Bueno is most definitely a ballerina in the making and has been rewarded with the opening night of “Nutcracker” at the Coliseum – a performance not to be missed!  In the final song, Khaniukova was partnered at times by Daniel McCormick who brought a beautiful, soft quality to all his dancing, including the little spins on demi-pointe around the stage towards the end of the ballet – different from the powerhouse dancing of Frola but equally moving.  Central to this final song was the exquisite Erina Takahashi (also taking on her second role in the piece), bringing a tenderness to the choreography which was intensely poignant.  As well as McCormick, Trossello and Durand, Skyler Martin, Eric Snyder and Archie Sullivan made up the sextet of men who remain largely anonymous in this ballet but provide the very skillful partnering required to make the choreography flow so beautifully.  Again, I noticed that there is something new to discover in it on each viewing.

[LinMM]

Great review Irmgard.
It really does help to know the dancers. It doesn’t lessen the powerfulness or beauty of a performance but I did spend a bit of time wondering who both Ivana Bueno and Lorenzo Trossello were in their pas de deux danced so passionately. 
This Piece was my favourite of the evening and I’m sure improves with further viewings. 

[alison]

I think it does.  The whole bill is certainly growing on me!

[Scheherezade]

I was at Sadlers Wells for the second time on Wednesday night, my first since opening night, and interestingly it appeared to be a patrons’ night, unless the sign was left up from a previous reception. But I digress…

Performance-wise, I did prefer Frola and Khaniukova in Theme and Variations and thought that they led the ensemble very effectively. Khaniukova is always lovely to watch - like a warming drink on a crisp, cold evening - and Frola’s impressive technique was, as always, enhanced by his charismatic stage presence.

There’s not a lot I can add to my first night comments as regards the other two pieces. The synergy between singer and dancers in Four Last Songs was even more apparent than before, and worked very well, although the overall impression, perhaps even more than previously, was that the dancers were there to lend support to the stellar soprano of Madeleine Pierard. 
And Les Noces? As before, compelling and committed performances from all the dancers, with the overall flavour markedly reminiscent of the Mats Ek Rite of Spring.
Oh, and the tall, youngish man sitting immediately in front of me, whom I would have expected to be fully on board for this piece, fidgeted, stretched, writhed, looked at his phone and moved forwards, backwards and sideways throughout Les Noces although, somewhat surprisingly and to my relief, he sat stock still throughout the other two pieces. Just goes to show that, to paraphrase Chuck Berry, “ces’t la vie, say the old folks, you never can tell.” 

[JohnS]

3 hours ago, Irmgard said:

I spoke with Maestro Sutherland before the performance, and he assured me that the only amplification that there should be is a very modest one for the chorus in “Les Noces” so that they can be heard over the 65-piece orchestra and, sitting in the stalls, I only noticed their amplification at one point during the piece so hopefully those sitting higher up also benefitted from only minimal amplification in “Les Noces”.  I was assured that the amplification of the other two pieces had been removed after opening night, and I was certainly aware of hearing the music in its ‘natural state’ at this performance and last Friday.

Many thanks for this Irmgard. I’d just say that as soon as amplification is used, the balance is contingent on where you’re sitting. If relatively close to one of the speakers, the experience is very different compared to a central position. I appreciate that sitting close to percussion or brass can also be problematic for balance but speakers seem to my ears far too dominating. My brother, a music teacher, and I thought Les Noces very difficult to take sitting in Stalls F28/29.

[Henry]

I've just read the review of this programme in Bachtrack.  The reviewer, Jonathan Gray, mentions "Beneath moving images of black and white clouds, the dancers burst...".  I don't remember seeing any images of clouds.  I did remember noticing at the beginning of the performance some screens that were tilted forwards.  Did I fail to notice the clouds or were they not visible in the second circle?  Was anyone else in the second circle and failed to notice/see the clouds?  Or was I not paying enough attention? 

 

Set designers who have only sat in the stalls are a particular bugbear of mine.  I could do a long (and probably boring) post on performances where important elements of the set were not visible from the balcony or upper circle.  

[alison]

The clouds aren't visible from the Second Circle  - they're above the concrete/metal/whatever slab. It was only because I was sitting in the First Circle the other day that I noticed them at all.

 

Agree totally with you about set design - including, at the Royal Opera House, people who design things at the side which can't be seen by a large proportion of the audience  

[alison]

I can confirm that the clouds do move, though.

 

I note also that cast sheets are up for tomorrow's performances.  Whether they turn out to be accurate may be another matter, of course.  If it wasn't for the rail strike, I might be tempted to go again.

[JohnS]

Spoilt for choice tomorrow with Don Q General Rehearsal, Opening Night  and the Our Voices matinee. Do I just see Four Last Songs after the General Rehearsal or cut short the General Rehearsal? All made more difficult given the fabulous cast although I should be seeing the Nagdhi cast later in the run.

[alison]

Hmm, decisions, decisions.  Of course, the Our Voices bill won't be available to watch again after today.

[RHowarth]

Sorry if this has been asked, but is the running time of 2.5 hours accurate? I'm debating trying to fit in the Paul McCartney photography exhibition at the NPG, between ENB matinee and Don Q at 7.30pm (the NPG is open late).

[JohnS]

I thought the two Thursday performances were well under 2hrs 30mins, more like 2hrs 20 mins. I was outside Sadler’s Wells by 9:55pm.

[alison]

It finished at 9.55 last night.  I was even early enough to make my early train - except they cancelled it  

 

Bloomin' strikes - that sounded like a really nice cast for this afternoon.