ANEMOI/THE CELLIST - ROYAL BALLET AUTUMN 2023

[Ondine]

I'm sure this FT review is in Links (I'll search in a moment so apologies if I link directly) it's worth reading in the context of this heated discussion... 😐 I'm thinking 'swordfight from R &J' at the moment... and we all know how THAT ended.

Sales had been sluggish for the Royal Ballet’s strongly danced but poorly balanced double bill. Last-minute discounts guaranteed a young, buzzy audience at the Royal Opera House last weekend but such drastic measures surely shouldn’t be necessary for a company with so many bankable one-act ballets in its repertoire.

 

Valentino Zucchetti’s inventive Anemoi is the highlight of a Royal Ballet double bill — review

 

The piece is performed alongside ‘The Cellist’, portraying the life of Jacqueline du Pré

 

https://www.ft.com/content/9bf810b0-3ee8-4f6c-a72e-80ea28e61892

 

I think two unfamiliar ballets with unfamiliar casts by unfamilar choreographers (to some) may be the problem.  No bums on seats as with multiple Swan Lakes (and the RB needs a much better version of that but I digress).

 

 

Enjoy. I do.

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Ondine

[capybara]

Thank you @Ondine I couldn’t access the FT review.

Very interesting that a comment on the ticket sales has been included.

[Ondine]

It's a detailed review and very enthusiastic about the choreography, the choreographer and the dancers,  with this caveat:  (edit: about Anemoi. I wasn't clear!)

Unfortunately this potentially dazzling display was undersold by a tasteful palette of dingy secondary shades and complex but rather grudging lighting. Someone needs to turn up the contrast, saturation and brightness and really let these dancers shine.

 

I'd like a redesign too. And though the 'junior' members of the company dance it wonderfully I'd love to see a 'senior' cast. I think it's a keeper.

 

I don't want to overquote (and the FT is a tad grudging about sharing anyhow, however I'm using it in a context of discussion) it's also enthusiastic about The Cellist, both casts, though Louise Levene the reviewer shares my feelings

Sadly, this brilliantly imagined love triangle is muffled by a distracting ensemble of teachers, concertgoers and family members who act out the various stages of du Pré’s cruelly short career in Marston’s overcomplicated narrative.

 

I think the ballet / dancework could be stripped of extraneous characters and dancers though I suspect Marston was engaged to choreograph an ensemble piece using as many of the company as possible.  Curate's egg IMO.

 

I also have a few reservations re costumes especially that nylon top for The Cello. 'Orriibly sweaty. Distracting.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Ondine

[postie]

Fwiw, I loved the muted palette, especially the contrasts with orchestra sections (as depicted by bright shirt colours).

 

She grew up post-war amid ration books and urban bomb craters - what do they want multicoloured strobes.

Edited October 26, 2023 by postie

[Ondine]

1 minute ago, postie said:

Fwiw, I loved the muted palette, especially the contrasts with orchestra sections (as depicted by bright shirt colours).

 

She grew up post-war amid ration books and urban bomb craters - what do they want multicoloured strobes.

 

 

That part was about Anemoi! 

[postie]

I'll shut up then 🙃

[Ondine]

My fault, I wasn't clear. I've edited my post 😌

[Fonty]

Oh dear, I obviously wasn't allowed to put a picture up as my entire post has vanished.  It was from a Guardian review so it should have been ok but never mind.,

 

All I was saying was that the clip above for Anemoi looks rather charming, but it is a shame that so many new pieces have such bland costumes.  I loved the ENB Forsythe bill at Sadler's Wells a couple of years ago, and the costumes were lovely, especially the ones for Playlist.  Very flattering Greek tunic styles for the ladies in bright pink with blue pants.  The men had matching blue trousers and pink shirts.  

Edited October 26, 2023 by Fonty

[Scheherezade]

I have come late to this discussion because others have  already eloquently expressed my views but for the sake of clarity let me say that I am firmly in the Capybara and Fonty camp when it comes to the RB repertoire.

 

As to this double bill, I wasn't overly keen on The Cellist on its first run and nothing that I saw on Monday evening caused me to change my mind. Now, as then, I found my attention wandering due to too many sameish and repetitive lifts, interspersed with much purposeful walking or, frequently, dragging, as poor Jacqueline (if we may call her thus) was hauled around like a recalcitrant toddler during a lengthy supermarket shop. On Monday, as before, I felt that the work would have been much improved by cutting its running time in half, concentrating on the three major characters and ditching much of the padding that seemed to have little purpose other than providing other dancers with something to do.

 

By way of contrast, I thoroughly enjoyed Anemoi. It was wonderful to see what the more junior dancers could do - and, my goodness, didn't they do it well! And bravo to Valentino Zucchetti, a genuine choreographic hope with a real sense of the symbiotic relationship between music and dance. The different moods were thoughtfully created, reflecting the shifts and nuances in the wonderful Rachmaninoff score, and the choreography was, in turn, exhilarating and lyrical but always enjoyable. I would have liked an hour of Anemoi and half an hour of The Cellist and I sincerely hope that Zucchetti is given more commissions that will allow him to develop his neo-classical talents and give the brilliant dancers throughout the company the opportunity to soar, and thrill, and show us what they do best, rather then the plodding, earth-bound, against-the-music and infinitely more tedious works that are currently papering the repertoire of the RB. And all the while, such a wonderful back catalogue of 20th century works that have been cast aside, seemingly never again to see the light of day.

 

I am not prejudiced against new works per se. I have enjoyed much of the zesty, uplifting output of ENB over the last few years but I can't say the same for the current RB fare. Their contemporary works, churned out on what feels like a buy-one-get-two-free basis, feel past their sell by date almost before the first showing and completely waste the extraordinary talents of the dancers at a time when the company is filled to the brim with what has correctly been described as an embarrassment of riches.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Scheherezade

[Ondine]

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

my entire post has vanished

 

I've been vanished today too. You aren't alone.  The Forum Fairy must have been hovering with the wand that makes posts disappear!  🪄

 

I saw your post which is all that matters hey?  😉

 

Which reminds me of the Helpmann wand story, as relayed by the greatly missed Clive James (so much here to make you smile):

 

Robert Helpmann got the same reaction for his reputed reply to a New York cop who called him a fairy: apparently Helpmann took to the air, touched the cop with an imaginary magic wand, and said “Disappear!”

 

https://www.clivejames.com/saying-famous-things.html

 

 

[alison]

I had been thinking of dragging myself up to town this evening to give this bill another go, but I see there's nothing other than rear amphi left.  So unless anyone has a decent downstairs standing ticket going spare ...?

[BalletcoForum Moderators]

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

Oh dear, I obviously wasn't allowed to put a picture up as my entire post has vanished.  It was from a Guardian review so it should have been ok but never mind.,

 

All I was saying was that the clip above for Anemoi looks rather charming, but it is a shame that so many new pieces have such bland costumes.  I loved the ENB Forsythe bill at Sadler's Wells a couple of years ago, and the costumes were lovely, especially the ones for Playlist.  Very flattering Greek tunic styles for the ladies in bright pink with blue pants.  The men had matching blue trousers and pink shirts.  

 

18 minutes ago, Ondine said:

 

I've been vanished today too. You aren't alone.  The Forum Fairy must have been hovering with the wand that makes posts disappear!  🪄

 

I saw your post which is all that matters hey?  😉

 

Which reminds me of the Helpmann wand story, as relayed by the greatly missed Clive James (so much here to make you smile):

 

Robert Helpmann got the same reaction for his reputed reply to a New York cop who called him a fairy: apparently Helpmann took to the air, touched the cop with an imaginary magic wand, and said “Disappear!”

 

https://www.clivejames.com/saying-famous-things.html

 

 

 

 

Just a reminder that photographs/video links must have the permission of the rights holder and must be credited to them.

 

 

[Ondine]

1 minute ago, BalletcoForum Moderators said:

video

 I linked to a person's channel not a specific video but I then found a better official proper ROH link.  Wibble. 🪄

 

Having said that I've spent a nasty wet afternoon watching some great rather old RB clips on that person's channel...  so much would be lost without YouTube wouldn't it?

 

Anyhow, for those who missed this in 2020 it's worth watching.  Official ROH channel.

 

 

[Silke H]

1 hour ago, alison said:

I had been thinking of dragging myself up to town this evening to give this bill another go, but I see there's nothing other than rear amphi left.  So unless anyone has a decent downstairs standing ticket going spare ...?

Hi @alison - please check your messages 🙂

[alison]

Messages checked, but still looking  

[Ondine]

From @Ian Macmillan Tuesday Links is the Bachtrack review of Graham Watts of Anemoi and The Cellist,  a reminder that both won awards as did individual dancers, which may have been why they were programmed together?

 

 

https://bachtrack.com/review-anemoi-the-cellist-the-royal-ballet-royal-opera-house-october-2023

 

 

The first mixed programme of the new Royal Ballet season is also a first revival pairing of two tried and tested one-act ballets that were back-to-back winners of the National Dance Award for Best Classical Choreography: Valentino Zucchetti’s Anemoi (a helpful programme note identifies the correct pronunciation as “anemee”) won in 2021, a year after Cathy Marston’s success with The Cellist. Although they shared the same honour, the significant contrast between Zucchetti’s free-flowing, ethereal non-narrative dance and Marston’s sensitive biopic of Jacqueline du Pré and her Stradivarius cello, made for an excellent double-bill.

 

 

The Cellist 

 

...an unprecedented clean sweep of choreography and performance trophies in that year’s National Dance Awards. In addition to Marston’s success, Cuthbertson won the Outstanding Female Performance and Marcelino Sambé won the male equivalent for his embodiment of her cello

 

 

[Ondine]

See my post above. Spotted this on the ROH TwiX feed!

 

 

 

[capybara]

1 minute ago, Ondine said:

See my post above. Spotted this on the ROH TwiX feed!

 

 

However, given that Lauren’s award was sponsored by the Forum’s very own @bangorballetboy and Cathy’s by The Ballet Association, they should have been invited to present them.

[Blossom]

I saw Anemoi/The Cellist on Wednesday, the only ticket I've purchased for this run. I was interested to revisit both given The Cellist was the last production I saw at ROH before Covid (excluding the Swan Lake friends' rehearsal) and Anemoi was part of the Royal Ballet's return to the stage programme. I've not had a chance to really read the programme yet to see if The Cellist is referred to at all in terms of proximity to Covid closures. 

 

My lasting memory from 2020, having seen both casts, was that Lauren Cuthbertson really embodied the raw emotion of Jacqueline DuPre throughout the performance, with energy, passion and sorrow. I was a puffy, red eyed mess by the end, still blubbing as I left with my daughter who was perhaps a tad embarassed... The chemistry and energy between Lauren and Marci Sambe as her cello was electric. As she faded, I really felt the loneliness and isolation he was feeling too - a connection still there, but unable to be fulfilled.

 

I had high hopes for Mayara Magri - she is a dancer who can convey every emotion with every movement she makes and I felt that she'd be able to channel a similar sort of energy to that from the Carousel pdd into this sort of role. On the whole, I was not disappointed. She danced with some level of abandon, conveying her connection with the music and of course with her cello, although I felt this wasn't pushed quite as far as Lauren Cuthbertson. However, as she was taken over by MS, her frustration with her body and inability to play was loud and clear and again, I finished the performance in tears. 

 

Anemoi was a completely different experience to 'in Covid' (no doubt because we were still wearing masks then). A project for the junior dancers of the company, I was unfamiliar with many of them those few years ago, but familiarity has grown over the past 2 years and it was lovely to get the opportunity to focus on some favourite dancers (Daich, Liam Boswell...) dancing more substantial roles. There are a few things which don't sit right with me - some clumsy lifts (not sure if it's the dancers or the choreography) and  unattractive costumes as 2 examples - but the music is glorious and I love that the piece nurtures young talent as well as giving Valentino Zucchetti an opportunity to choroegraph a neo-classical work for the main stage. I'd love to see more from him.

 

 

[FionaM]

Could the poor ticket sales for this double bill (and the Dante programme and also Don Q to lesser extent) BBC actually be due to a lack of marketing?  Before the recent flurry of interviews with principals, had there been any marketing of the content of these shows? 

 

It may be too much to attribute the low sales to indifference to the programme amongst some forum members?  I loved both ballets and yes it was a short evening, that’s not a bad thing occasionally, especially for getting audiences home at a decent hour.  

 

Re marketing:  I’m inundated with clips and info from ENB and BRB on my social media.  Very little from ROH by comparison and that is often about non-ballet and non-main stage events.  

 

 

[alison]

When is it ever otherwise, these days?  I was very annoyed, while waiting for a train yesterday, to spot a poster advertising The Nutcracker on the opposite platform - one of their "A world awaits" or whatever it is campaign.  What was to me not a particularly enticing picture (although admittedly it did scream "ballet!") seemed, as far as I could tell, not to be getting the vital points of its message across: I think it said something like "Online - In Cinema - On stage", but I don't think there were any dates given, or even a range, or even the date for the live cinema relay.  There was an ROH logo, but no specific mention of venue, and I imagine the website was given, but little else, I think.  A triumph of style over substance, again, I fear.  (And anyway, why advertise the Nutcracker, when it's mostly sold out anyway?!)

[Balletfanp]

I was only saying to someone the other day that the ROH could learn some substantial lessons about promotion from BRB…

[San Perregrino]

November 1st & 2nd performances are currently incorrectly listed as Opera on the TodayTix App at full price no reductions. 

[Emeralds]

Two friends and I attended the Wed 25 Oct evening performance of this double bill, buying three seats at full price (to help out with the low ticket sales- the Amphitheatre was about 40% filled that evening).

 

Anemoi and The Cellist have both had changes to their choreography since they were last staged by RB.

 

When Anemoi premiered during the socially distanced peri-Covid performances, it followed the livestream première and a gala performance (as an online fubdraiaer with orher companies) of its shorter early incarnation called Scherzo which just used the Scherzo portion of Rachmaninov's Second Symphony. Scherzo was concise, energetic, classically beautiful, by turns charming, snazzy or romantic, and there wasn't a weak moment in the piece, and further enhanced by the costumes- simple leotards, skirts or tights in an attractive purple and blue colour scheme.

 

In contrast, at its premiere run I found Anemoi to be a bit too long and with new costumes that were drab (Leticia Dias's role had a cardigan that was paired with a top and dull skirt like she was about to do vacuuming or the laundry), and the ending looked hastily improvised, with the first and second cast doing different things. I was told that rehearsal time had been rediced due to Covid illness among the cast (which also had late substitutions) hence the rather unfinished look.

 

I'm pleased to say that the ending has now been cleaned up and looks neater and nicely finished. The costumes have also been overhauled and they now have neat tunics and tops that look purposefully made for the production (the lead couple's dress and trouser outfit are unchanged) to evoke clouds and winds (of the title) rather than looking like a messy collection of rehearsal clothes thrown together last time.

 

On 25 Oct there was spectacular dancing from Daichi Ikarashi in the solo man's role created on Taisuke Nakao, while Hanna Park and David Donnelly were beautiful and lyrical in the central pas de deux. The men in the ensemble, especially Liam Boswell and Francisco Serrano, stood out for the precision and dynamism of their dancing. 

 

The main change to The Cellist this season was in the scene of du Pre and Barenboim's performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto, where the music stands have been removed and instead of portraying the musicians, intsruments and music of the orchestra, the corps de ballet are now obviously dancers and have a rather "backing dancers" look. The scene used to be one of the most powerful in the ballet, as it showcased du Pre's connection to this seminal piece of music, so with the alternations, one of the key strengths of this ballet for me has gone.

 

There is also more prolonged choreography on the podium with a lot of lifts where the lead ballerina is manhandled up in the air with legs splayed, looking a lot like elaborate gymnastics rather than an eloquent way of moving the plot forward. Compared to Marston's other works I've seen, eg Snowblind, Victoria, where the lifts portray the emotion and story effectively,  this change seems to set the ballet back and makes it hard work for the dancer in the title role to tell her story. At one point the endless lifts and limited solo dancing for the lead dancer, with a lot more "air cello" (the cello equivalent of air guitar) relative to dancing than in 2020, unfortunately made the ballet drag in some parts.

 

However in the 25 Oct cast, there were some outstanding performances to enjoy. Annette Buvoli and Thomas Whitehead were very moving and danced elegantly as the parents, Calvin Richardson stood out with his elegance and eloquent movement as the instrument/s (du Pre used three cellos in total in her lifetime), Aidan O'Brien as one of her cello teachers (possibly her main cello teacher, the eminent William Pleeth, from his prominence in the ballet) and Olympia Ede-Bray as young du Pre. 

 

Of the three of us, my friend who had never seen both ballets enjoyed the programme  immensely and was particularly impressed by Calvin Richardson. My second friend enjoyed the music and found the ballets pleasant but wouldn't pick this double bill again. For me, I would prefer the Cellist in its 2020 version, and personally I feel there is a masterpiece inside Anemoi- namely the original Scherzo and its original  bright, cheery costumes. 

 

Nevertheless there is still much to enjoy in these two ballets for those who haven't seen either before, and want an early finish, as well as lots of glorious music. The double bill is also worthwhile viewing for families with children, and those who prefer classical ballet technique rather than contemporary dance mixed with ballet. 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Emeralds

[postie]

Sad to see the Stalls about a quarter unsold for Wednesday evening.

 

I'd love to go, it's just frustrating to know many of those seats will pass discretely to *staff and family* while muggins with his Friends+ won't get a sniff. Or worse, be left empty.

 

Sigh: to amphitheatre or to not amphitheatre ..

Edited October 30, 2023 by postie
Wed not Tues

[postie]

Goodness! After I posted this I checked again and 3 SCS had popped up (for Wednesday). Still 2 there if anyone is looking (D16 and D17, I believe)  ..

Edited October 30, 2023 by postie
D16 and D17 added

[Emeralds]

35 minutes ago, postie said:

Sad to see the Stalls about a quarter unsold for tomorrow evening.

 

I'd love to go, it's just frustrating to know many of those seats will pass discretely to *staff and family* while muggins with his Friends+ won't get a sniff. Or worse, be left empty.

 

Sigh: to amphitheatre or to not amphitheatre ..

Postie, if you'd like to go, why not just get the lowest priced Amphitheatre ticket and bring binoculars/opera glasses- you might get moved forward. The chief usher in the amphi that night invited us all to move forward ("but I'm happy where I am" I said...haha)- we only moved in the end because my friend found binoculars uncomfortable and  was keen to go closer. I wouldn't normally pick the seats we ended up in but it was just the three of us in those 5 seats so I didn't mind. I don't know what your budget is, but if you don't go you might not see the two ballets in future (or not till a lot later).

 

You could also try popping in to the box office on the night and saying "I only have £15 (or similar) before my credit card is maxed out or declined. Don't suppose you have anything you can help me with?" (There's a risk they might just offer you a £4 slips ticket but worth a try....currently over 600 seats unsold, would look better for the company to seat you further forward). I know some members didn't get offered any reductions for Don Q but by the time of those performances Don Q was actually belatedly selling well so they wouldn't have been as keen to shift tickets then as they are for this double bill now. They're unlikely to be sold out before 7.15pm. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Emeralds

[postie]

8 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

You could also try popping in to the box office on the night and saying "I only have £15 (or similar) before my credit card is maxed out or declined. Don't suppose you have anything you can help me with?"

 

Thanks Emeralds. I somewhat freakishly picked up a SCS place a minute after I posted - 3 together had literally popped up (see post above). I will still go to the box office and ask, though

 

I'm now wondering if the three SCS places are the result of people speaking to the box office .. 🤔

[Emeralds]

54 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

fubdraiaer

Typo: fundraiser! 

1 minute ago, postie said:

 

Thanks Emeralds. I somewhat freakishly picked up a SCS place a minute after I posted - 3 together had literally popped up (see post above). I will still go to the box office and ask, though

 

I'm now wondering if the three SCS places are the result of people speaking to the box office .. 🤔

That's great- at least you are in!  😀 Don't know about whether anyone spoke to the box office, but it is possible you may find a better deal on the night. PS it's a very short bill anyway, so I probably could have stood (cheaper than what I paid, but I didn't want to make my friends stand, since one of them had walked 5 miles that day already!) 

[Dawnstar]

I've just had a look at the seating plan for Wednesday when (panic attacks permitting) I'm due to be seeing the double bill & I see at the moment I have an entire stalls circle bench to myself!

[postie]

I saw that earlier. Friday Rush?

[Dawnstar]

Not the bench I'm on. My ticket is C92 and that bench is advance booking. It's funny how on the right of the auditorium only 1 advance ticket, mine, is sold but 4 of the 5 rush tickets are gone whereas on the left of the auditorium all 5 advance tickets are sold but only 1, the cheapest, of the rush tickets is. The last time I almost had a bench to myself was Traviata on 14th March 2020 where I was at one end and someone else at the other with 3 spaces in between, though of course for that performance the many empty seats were due to people not turning up rather than tickets not selling.

[postie]

I know that seat and bench well. Or I did until the price gorging gathered pace.

My app says 5' on Wed evening, with a fairly rude wind.