English National Ballet's Our Voices

[LinMM]

If anybody is on the ENB mailing list they have just posted some piccies in email from backstage Sadlers Wells. 
If anybody has some spare time I don’t suppose it’s possible to name the dancers in the photos …especially the pics with less dancers in!! I could name a few in the Four last songs piccie but not the others!!! 
Just in case anyone would enjoy doing this!! 

[Dawnstar]

Are those the same photos they tweeted a little while ago?

 

 

[LinMM]

Yes those are them!   I just made a stupid mistake they were on Facebook not in an email!! 

[Dawnstar]

I can't say I could identify many of the dancers. I think the bottom left couple are Gareth Haw & Saegun Lee. I think the man bottom right is Matthew Astley but I'm not sure about the two women. Paging @Irmgard, who I imagine will be able to name every single dancer with ease!

Edited September 30, 2023 by Dawnstar

[annamk]

I went to the matinee this afternoon and pretty much completely changed my mind about Four Last Songs. On the opening night I felt the choreography was rather repetitive with far too many lifts but this afternoon it seemed utterly mesmerising, in short I was completely blown away by the sculptural beauty of it. One of the best new creations I've seen for some time. All the dancers, a number of whom were new to me, were terrific. Daniel McCormick (in the role danced by Frola I think) is clearly on the up in the company and this afternoon he was a revelation for the sensitivity, beauty and sleekness of his movement. 

In spite of me reading the programme notes Les Noces remains a mystery. However, the primal power and raw energy of it all swept me up.

I chose this T & V cast to see Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance in the lead roles. In particular I thought Gareth Haw's partnering was terrific, he made it all look smooth and effortless.  

 

What a fantastic triple bill. I regret not going to more performances. Also disappointing for the company that it didn't sell out, it really deserved to. 

[LinMM]

Yes agree about McCormick he was just lovely on Wednesday. 
Im also regretting not booking another performance …in the previous week! 

[Lizbie1]

58 minutes ago, annamk said:

I went to the matinee this afternoon and pretty much completely changed my mind about Four Last Songs. On the opening night I felt the choreography was rather repetitive with far too many lifts but this afternoon it seemed utterly mesmerising, in short I was completely blown away by the sculptural beauty of it. One of the best new creations I've seen for some time. All the dancers, a number of whom were new to me, were terrific. Daniel McCormick (in the role danced by Frola I think) is clearly on the up in the company and this afternoon he was a revelation for the sensitivity, beauty and sleekness of his movement. 

In spite of me reading the programme notes Les Noces remains a mystery. However, the primal power and raw energy of it all swept me up.

I chose this T & V cast to see Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance in the lead roles. In particular I thought Gareth Haw's partnering was terrific, he made it all look smooth and effortless.  

 

What a fantastic triple bill. I regret not going to more performances. Also disappointing for the company that it didn't sell out, it really deserved to. 

 

I saw today's matinee and second this post!

[Lizbie1]

My one real gripe about the programme is the amplification of the violin solos. I don't understand why it was thought necessary.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Lizbie1

[OnePigeon]

2 hours ago, annamk said:

but this afternoon it seemed utterly mesmerising, in short I was completely blown away by the sculptural beauty of it.

Mesmerising is the perfect word to describe how I feel about Four Last Songs.  I felt spellbound by it - the music, the choreography and the execution of it really affected me and I would love to see it again.

[Irmgard]

4 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I can't say I could identify many of the dancers. I think the bottom left couple are Gareth Haw & Saegun Lee. I think the man bottom right is Matthew Astley but I'm not sure about the two women. Paging @Irmgard, who I imagine will be able to name every single dancer with ease!

Top photo from Theme and Variations: Eireen Evrard, Anna Nevzorova, Angela Wood, with Minju Kang at the front.

Photo from Four Last Songs:  Maestro Sutherland, Julia Conway, Skylar Martin, Eric Snyder, Daniel McCormick, MInju Kang, Erina Takahasi, Lorenzo Trossello, Ivana Bueno, Madeleine Pierard, Archie Sullivan, with Noam Durand, Katja Khaniukova and Georgia Bould at the front.

Bottom left; Gareth Haw and Sangeun Lee

Bottom right: Claire Barrett, Matthew Astley and Rebecca Blenkinsopp

[Dawnstar]

@Irmgard I knew you'd know! I'm glad to see at least I was right with the few ones I dared to guess at. I yet again failed to recognise Khaniukova, despite seeing her in T&V 4 days ago. I seem to have a total blank spot when it comes to recognising her.

[LinMM]

Thanks so much for that Irmgard am trying to fix the dancers more in my mind!
I should have recognised Rebecca at least as have never forgotten her moving pas de deux at RBS summer show a few years back. 

 

I really hope there will be an opportunity to watch class soon! 

Edited September 30, 2023 by LinMM

[Sim]

I finally got to see this bill tonight. I wish I could have seen it more than once.  I need to give it a bit more thought before posting my views on it.  

[CCL]

I attended last night’s performance. I sat in the middle of row C in the second tier, which I thought was an excellent seat for the price. I really enjoyed my evening- two out of the three pieces I thought beautiful. Themes and Variations was pure, joyful sunshine from the moment the curtain rose on the beautifully placed group of dancers and I loved the way the momentum built and built to that wonderful finale - my face hurt afterwards from my permanently beaming face! 
 

I did not enjoy Les Noces, I’m afraid. I really tried to get into it and I admired the attack and commitment of the dancers but I found the subject matter and the music really grim and after about fifteen minutes I had just had enough. That being said, there was clearly a sizeable section of the audience that enjoyed it, it was just not my bag. 

Four Last Songs was a revelation to me - I had thought I might be a bit on the fence about it, but I found it absolutely exquisite and so emotive. I liked the dreamlike, abstract nature of it and the feeling of yearning that came from the dancing and music combined. Madeleine Pierard’s singing was intoxicating and I was deeply moved by the way she connected with the dancers. I’m so glad to have seen it.
 

Despite not enjoying Les Noces, I thought this was an excellent triple bill! 

 

 

 

[Irmgard]

I attended the matinée on 30 September to see the final cast change (for me) in the first and last ballets.  The named cast for “Les Noces” has remained the same throughout, but I have noticed a couple of changes in the supporting cast.  All have given their hearts and souls to this work but I would like to give a special mention to Erik Woolhouse, who was certainly in every performance I saw, for his dynamic, powerful dancing.  I still feel this work would have been better presented using the original Russian text, as the chorus at times sounded like an English choral society (no disrespect to either) instead of animated Slavs.  Choreographically, I found much to admire, although I felt the silences and additions to Stravinsky’s music could have been jettisoned to tighten it up a bit.

 

This was my first chance to see all the new dancers from Dresden in “Theme and Variations”, as Anna Nevzorova and Vsevolod Maievskyi appeared as Demi Soloists.  The principal couple were Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw, who gave a polished, elegant performance, although Haw’s dancing was not quite as clean as Lee’s.  With such long legs, Lee negotiated the allegro solo extremely well but I prefer the quicksilver brilliance a compact dancer like Khaniukova brings to the choreography.  It was lovely to see Angela Wood as one of the Demi Soloists, always catching my eye with her radiant smile, and Breanna Foad sparkling in the corps de ballet before yet another tour-de-force performance as the Chosen One in “Les Noces”.

 

For me, this performance of “Four Last Songs” was sublime.  Fernanda Oliveira, who joined the cast on Thursday night, was partnered by Aitor Arrieta in the pas de deux of the third song (“Beim Schlafengehen”) and looked as if it could have been created on her, so meltingly beautiful and expressive was her dancing, with Arrieta partnering her exceptionally tenderly.  Again, Khaniukova impressed with her musicality, radiance and achingly beautiful backbends, and Takahashi shone throughout, especially in the final song.  The moment when she was carried offstage by the men, with her body arched and her arms spread behind her like wings was pure magic. The rest of the cast (Minju Kang, Georgia Bould, Julia Conway, Daniel McCormick, Skyler Martin, Jose Maria Lorca Menchon, Noam Durand and Archie Sullivan) rose to the occasion of dancing with these stellar artists in a truly memorable performance which deservedly received a standing ovation from a surprisingly full house, given the transport issues and a dress rehearsal down the road.  What I particularly liked about this cast, and similarly when Ivana Bueno and Lorenzo Trossello danced the third pas de deux on Wednesday, was the way they reacted to each other throughout the whole piece so that there was a tangible, almost spiritual link between each song.

 

I am pleased to report that Emma Hawes had recovered from her injury to appear in the evening’s performance of “Theme and Variations”.

 

“Our Voices” has been a bold and very positive start to Aaron Watkin’s artistic directorship. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the company tackle three extremely different works with gusto and it has been wonderful to experience the audience’s loud ovations for each piece at every performance I attended.  There was definitely something for everyone, and the look of joy on the dancers’ faces as they took multiple bows said it all.

[Cayetana]

I am new to the site which I have very recently discovered and am enjoying reading the comments a lot.

 

I liked the Our Voices programme a lot myself, and like many on this trail I particularly liked the variety of dancing styles and the profoundly beautiful music.

 

The Balanchine is a beautiful ballet, but I think I missed on Thu evening some crispness of execution at times. 

Les Noces was an interesting new take on Stravinsky's extraordinary score but only the first half really caught my attention. Nijinska's choreography was of another other order - I cannot forget the first time I saw it in the 80s: it really left an indelible mark in my brain. That said, there was some wonderful images and dancing, perhaps too frenetic at times.

 

I really rate Dawson's Four Last Songs. I was enthralled and particularly loved the slow, contained movements, which echoed the words and music of the songs so naturally.  I cannot understand some critics (FT, ES) who found the choreography soulless. I definitely did not, and one particular dancer, Erina Takahashi?, I found breathtakingly moving. The lead male dancer (who seemed the embodiment of Summer in the second song) was wonderful too.

 

A very good evening of dancing!

 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello @Cayetana and welcome to the Forum!

[serenade]

I saw the matinee and really enjoyed all 3 pieces.  

 

I was most looking forward to Themes and Variation- I thought Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw made a lovely lead couple, I can just imagine them in Swan Lake together.  I thought it was a little bit of a nervous start but it got going.  I've never seen it live before and the only versions I've seen before are the Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland ABT version on youtube which I've watched many times so that obviously sets the bar ridiculously high 😂 plus the NYCB one they put out during covid.  I thought overall it was great and the company looked in great form.  I am really looking forward to seeing Giselle in Jan.

 

Then onto Les Noces.  I thought this was great as I am a big fan of the Pina Bausch version of Rite of Spring and like the dark themes etc.  I really liked the choreography, some of it was a bit wild I enjoyed it and also some moves were quite unique (to my eyes) in a good way.  My problem with it has mostly been said before- firstly I loved the music but as everyone has already said it was very jarring to hear the English words being sung over sections which had nothing to do with the action.  I think if I'd been at all familiar with the original Les Noces I'd have been more irritated by the music than I actually was, for me it was more of an issue near the end where I could clearly hear them singing about weddings and I thought what on earth is going on (hadn't read this thread beforehand!)  I also thought the intensity built for a tad too long a bit like when a fight scene goes on a bit too long in a film and your mind starts wandering. 

 

My biggest issue which stopped me loving it was just not knowing what was going on for quite a bit of the time.  I bought the programme but neglected to read the synopsis on the cast sheet that was in the foyer which I only noticed in the second interval unfortunately so completely missed the priest wanting to keep the chosen one alive etc.  Some people like to just watch ballet without knowing much about it beforehand but it spoils it for me personally if I'm trying to figure out what's going on as I can't get immersed.  It's different if it's an abstract piece obviously or something extremely open to interpretation where I'm happy to just go with it but this was all story so it would have been good to have more info.  Overall though I did enjoy it and I haven't even talked about the performances which I thought were really excellent and committed.  Even though I wasn't always following the story perfectly I did get the grief, sadness, anger fear etc loud and clear I thought it was acted really well.

 

Lastly my favourite of the night (to my surprise!) Four Last Songs.  I generally hate it when I feel like there are too many lifts as I get frustrated at the woman not being able to just have her feet on the ground and actually dance without the contrast interruption of getting lifted over and over again.  So I should have hated this! but I thought it was just sublime.  I thought it was a bit hypnotic actually everyone did an amazing job.  I loved the music and the opera singer had a beautiful voice.  I even liked the nude style costumes they really worked for the piece.  The closest I can place just the feeling of it, even though it doesn't have much in common is Balanchine's Serenade-  think maybe that feeling of other worldliness in an abstract piece.  Anyway... three ticks from me and thank you Aaron Watkin and dancers!

[alison]

On 30/09/2023 at 18:47, annamk said:

I went to the matinee this afternoon and pretty much completely changed my mind about Four Last Songs. On the opening night I felt the choreography was rather repetitive with far too many lifts but this afternoon it seemed utterly mesmerising, in short I was completely blown away by the sculptural beauty of it. One of the best new creations I've seen for some time.

 

I liked it a lot on the first night (although I might have agreed with you about the number of lifts, as some of them struck me at the time as a bit repetitive, although I revised my opinion on later viewings), and my liking of it has pretty much increased throughout the run.  I do think, sometimes, that dancers need a while to really get their teeth into a work in performance, and that the first night may not necessarily be the best time to assess a new creation.

 

On 29/09/2023 at 09:19, PeterS said:

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 took that advice, and would agree with you.  Unfortunately, this then meant that I was sitting on the wrong side to really appreciate Madeleine Pierard's interaction with the dancers in Four Last Songs.  I guess you can't have it all

 

On 29/09/2023 at 11:11, Irmgard said:

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!

 

This was, I think, a reference to the Wednesday performance?  (I'm losing track).  Effortless, indeed, and sparkling - so much so that I wanted Watkin to walk on stage at the end of the performance and promote her there and then.  I didn't think the Friday performance was quite on the same level - although I suppose that may have been down to my viewing angle.

 

Quote

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).  

 

I gave up straining my eyes through the stage lighting trying to work out who was who (and who was partnering whom), but I was certainly very taken with Trossello and Bueno - the latter seemed to be almost intoxicated with the music.  I did feel that at various times during the run some dancers seemed perhaps more concerned with making beautiful shapes than really immersing themselves in the music.

 

Quote

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.

 

Indeed.  I haven't discovered nearly enough yet.  And the men - all of them - deserve praise for the very demanding lifts, especially since (although I wasn't trying to overanalyse it) I think they weren't necessarily partnering the same ballerina throughout, and quite likely had to adapt to unscheduled partners as well in some cases.

[JohnS]

I was very pleased to catch Les Noces and Four Last Songs on Saturday afternoon after the first two Acts of the Don Q General Rehearsal. I’d chosen the Second Circle A33 opposite Madeleine Pierard. I hadn’t appreciated that the view was quite so badly affected by people leaning  forward from the sides.

‘Les Noces’ has certainly grown on me although in the Second Tier I still found the amplification too much: a shame as the Stravinsky has much of interest and I’m sure was impressively performed. I was also a little distracted during ‘Les Noces’ as I’d called in the Stage Door to check on flowers which seemed to have gone awol but I was assured the flowers had been delivered that morning. In checking at the second interval it transpired ‘Mat’ on the flower bucket had been taken as a dancer’s name rather than the intended ‘Matinee’. So all was well although I was a bit surprised to hear that only company flowers are presented on stage.

 

I’ve been hugely taken with ‘Four Last Songs’, ravishingly sung by Madeleine Pierard. I’ve tended to see the ballet more as an accompaniment to the music, particularly given the quality of the musical performance. And an accompaniment as good as this is a great achievement and I very much hope something we will see again. Perhaps I’m being a little unfair on the dancers and David Dawson but being the support is one of the risks of choosing such wonderful music: exquisite, profound, and providing such solace.

 

PS - I heard Madeleine liked her flowers but I don’t know if ‘Mat’ was disappointed.

 

[LinMM]

I’d definitely like to see this piece again even if …regretfully ….Madeleine Pierard is not available to sing it! 

I don’t see why personally gifted flowers can’t be presented along with Company ones….well unless any one individual has just too many flowers to carry on! 

[capybara]

28 minutes ago, JohnS said:

PS - I heard Madeleine liked her flowers but I don’t know if ‘Mat’ was disappointed.

 

How lovely that you sent some, JohnS. Still a way to go on 'the flowers issue' at both the RB and ENB.

 

And a big 'thank you' to you and others on here who have posted at some length about Our Voices. It's been a very interesting thread with varying perspectives on all three segments.

 

 

[Sim]

I went to the final show on Saturday night, and it's the only one I could get to.  That is a real shame because I would have loved to have seen it again, mainly for two reasons:  one, to figure out Les Noces a bit more; two, to listen to Madeleine Pierard sing Four Last Songs again.  

 

T&V:  very joyous and well-executed performance of Balanchine's classic piece.  Emma Hawes shone so brightly; I would love to see her shine in Diamonds one day.  Aitor Arrieta was perfectly fine but didn't dazzle me in the way that others have in the past.  

 

Les Noces:  this is the one I really had to think about.  I read the synopsis on the cast sheet but it was as clear as mud.  I did find myself a bit bored in the first half of it, and I must say being able to understand many of the words was a distraction from the dancing.  When it's in Russian I only concentrate on the movement onstage.  Here, it was very weird hearing things like "Let's raise a glass of wine to the bride and groom" when a young girl is about to die.  But as my daughter (who loved this piece) wisely pointed out, maybe it was done on purpose, to show that instead of doing what a young girl of the time was supposed to do (i.e., get married), she was condemned to death instead so reminding the audience that this is a tragic situation instead of a happy one.  I still think, though, that calling it Les Noces doesn't reflect what the ballet is purportedly about. I can only imagine how confusing it must be for those who don't know that ballet nor Rite of Spring.  My daughter explained all the action to me that I had missed, and also what she thought the symbolism of the black pieces of cloth were (souls of other sacrificed maidens?).  Having listened to her, I then thought it would be great to see it again with eyes open, as it were. I did get the distress of the parents, the mother unable to cope with her loss, the brother sacrificing himself and then reuniting with his sister in the ghostly dance at the end, which was slightly uplifting after the previous gloom of the plot!   The dancers (Alice Bellini especially moving as the mother, James Streeter very visceral in his grief, Francesca Velicu convincingly terrified as the Chosen One, Rentaro Nakaaki as the young brother full of the boundless energy of youth, which made his sacrifice all the more difficult to bear) were all marvellous, as was the Opera Holland Park chorus.  They were suitably spooky, with just their faces visible.  I have a feeling that this is one of those ballets that I will like more the second and third time that I see it, so I hope it's not too long before it comes back around.  

 

Four Last Songs:  I really liked this.  I have spoken here upthread of how much I love this music.  In contrast to the previous piece, the words did not detract at all from the action onstage.  The choreography isn't over-complicated and looked to me that in quite a few places it held the hand of MacMillan...but he was such a genius (in my opinion) that it is hard not to.  Song of the Earth and Requiem kept popping into my head.  However, I think that David Dawson got the balance absolutely right here.  The constant swirling movement, both across the stage and up and down from the lifts and jumps, was hypnotic and I was therefore able to concentrate on the music and the dancing equally.  Had the choreography been too deep and difficult it would have taken away from the songs.  Here, the dancers were stripped bare (almost!) and reminded us that in the ultimate moments of life, that's all we are, unencumbered creatures who go out as we came in...bare and with nothing.  Well, that's my interpretation anyway, and it was somehow very comforting to me to be reminded of that...especially so beautifully and gracefully.

 

So to summarise I think this was a really brave first outing for Aaron Watkin as the AD of the company.  It was interesting, well-balanced and really well performed and presented.  I look forward to seeing where he takes this lovely company, and with Giselle coming up as well as Nut and Swan Lake I hope it continues to be a good mix of heritage works and new ones....as long as they are as good as this.  

[Lizbie1]

15 minutes ago, Sim said:

and looked to me that in quite a few places it held the hand of MacMillan...but he was such a genius (in my opinion) that it is hard not to.  Song of the Earth and Requiem kept popping into my head. 

 

IIRC someone upthread* mentioned seeing Ashton references - Symphonic Variations specifically - in Four Last Songs. I thought I caught a Monotones II reference in the men's pirouettes. It's funny how these choreographers make such an impression that either we or choreographers or both can't escape them (not that you'd want to).

 

*Edited to add that I can't find this in the thread so presumably it was in a review.

Edited October 2, 2023 by Lizbie1

[alison]

Lots of bits had me thinking of Song of the Earth, certainly.

[LinMM]

I certainly think the title Les Noces is a bit of a misnomer.. perhaps it could be called “end of days” ( days of human sacrifice)

I didn’t really understand the “Ascent of Days” add on to Les Noces in the Programme …unless it meant rising to a time above the more primitive level of thinking depicted? 
The music certainly has a sort of Primeval quality not quite as much as Rite of Spring does but like some ancient and early ritual Church service. 

 

Talking of programmes in the first interval I got into conversation briefly (can’t remember why now) with a couple who said their daughter was performing…and the husband opened the Programme and said “there she is” Well I’d been expecting a picture of a dancer ( one track mind) so was initially confused to see it was the picture near the end of the programme of a choir rehearsing! 
Their daughter he proudly told me after sharing her name was singing with the Holland Park Choir…on stage on a box!!!  I said I thought this must be rather difficult to do and the mum said yes …at the end of the Piece they have to be very careful getting off the boxes and not to fall over after all that time! 
Anyway the two of them seemed to be loving it all so far but did wonder what they made of the ballet in the end and whether they managed to pick out their daughter all dressed in black at the back of the stage on a box!! 

It’s certainly seems to be risky on many levels being an artist of whatever kind but am very grateful to those who are prepared to take the risk. 




 

[DoctorDerry]

I have finally found a few minutes to add my thoughts and feelings about last Thursdays matinee. When I first booked the tickets I sold it to my non ballet fan husband on the music on offer. So for different reasons we both looked forward to the performance ,although having read the earlier reviews here it was obviously a programme that seriously divided opinion .

I am so glad we went, it was fantastic, very thoughtful triple bill. I really enjoyed Theme and Variations, the corps could have been crisper but a lovely start ,short enough that my lovely husband did not fall asleep .

I was utterly baffled by Les Noces, the notes really didn't help,I found the so called story line frankly daft, but it did not matter .I really enjoyed the dancing and ‘ well done’ to the chorus it must have been very difficult  music to sing.

We we’re both enchanted by the Dawson ,the glorious singing.What a voice!

and the truly beautiful expressive choreography, I could not have asked for more.

Thank you ENB and Aaron Watkins, it bodes very well for the future and hopefully will allow some more London visits. I had begun to lose hope that the RB would ever put on more than one or two ballets a year that I would like to attend.

[FionaM]

On 30/09/2023 at 21:43, OnePigeon said:

Mesmerising is the perfect word to describe how I feel about Four Last Songs.  I felt spellbound by it - the music, the choreography and the execution of it really affected me and I would love to see it again.

100% agree

[LBC]

Reminder that the LBC is in conversation via Zoom with AARON S WATKIN on Monday 9 October at 7pm

 

https://www.tlbc.org.uk/events/in-conversation-with-Aaron-watkin-via-zoom

[alison]

Just realised I was supposed to be having a day out on Monday ...  Wonder if I can watch on the train if necessary?