Northern Ballet - Generations triple bill (Linbury)

[LinMM]

I didn’t see the ENB performances!! Which is why I said it was around 40 years ago since I’d seen it with Makarova dancing on main stage at ROH. That’s where I remember the dresses being a pale turquoise sort of colour. But it was a long time ago so can’t be sure. 
It’s more weird on my part initially trying to turn the Sibelius into Beethoven as I do know that piano piece whereas the Sibelius was unknown to me. 

[LinMM]

I’d love to see your Pics Dave but it’s such a pfaff going through all those Flickr questions! Is there no quick way of doing this? 

[zxDaveM]

5 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I’d love to see your Pics Dave but it’s such a pfaff going through all those Flickr questions! Is there no quick way of doing this? 

 

can't you see them as a 'guest'?

[Emeralds]

23 hours ago, LinMM said:

I didn’t see the ENB performances!! Which is why I said it was around 40 years ago since I’d seen it with Makarova dancing on main stage at ROH. That’s where I remember the dresses being a pale turquoise sort of colour. But it was a long time ago so can’t be sure. 
It’s more weird on my part initially trying to turn the Sibelius into Beethoven as I do know that piano piece whereas the Sibelius was unknown to me. 

I think very pale turquoise/blue is the correct colour for the designs, so your visual memory is very good, LinMM! Of course, ballets do sometimes get redesigned for different companies with the permission of the choreographer or the copyright holder (when the choreographer has passed away) so it was reasonable to think it might still have been the same ballet at the start- seeing as both are three couples. 😊

 

If you are having trouble seeing the photos by @zxDaveMon Flickr this link might help, LinMM,  unfortunately only one of the photos  and not all nine. (I managed to see them without logging in- maybe try changing to a different  device?)

https://dancetabs.com/2017/03/gallery-english-national-ballet-in-adagio-hammerklavier-in-the-middle-somewhat-elevated/

 

Nice pictures of the ENB cast in the Flickr gallery, zxDaveM.....that’s interesting that Fabian Reimair looks taller (to me anyway) in Adagio Hammerklavier than when he’s in the thick costumes of Drosselmeyer, Rothbart, Cinderella’s father,  etc! And fascinating that the AK dresses in the photos seem to change shades, looking  more blue or more white in different parts of the ballet! 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Emeralds

[LinMM]

Yes I did manage to see the pics in the end by scrolling down past all those interminable questions and a box comes up “accept all” “ reject all” manage options etc so I just did the accept all and it took me straight to the pics!!  
I’ve pressed the “accept all” in so many scenarios now to save time that I should think every shyster in town probably has access to my phone!! 

Anyway they were very nice and I think it was changes in the lighting that gave the colour to the dresses back in 1970 something as they were so pale. So the effect very similar to Dave’s pics above.
After the Royal did Adagio back then I was always surprised that not much of Van Manen’s choreography was performed since let alone Adagio.
This would be a great work for RBS students to perform in their summer show. 
At that time I went to more than one performance as I always stood back then for some ridiculous sum like 50p but the only snag was they often wouldn’t sell standing till about 6.30pm on the day so you always had to queue! 
I remember Makarova ( amazing dancer so tiny but so strong)  and I think Dowell but should look up the other casting! 

 

[Emeralds]

On 04/11/2023 at 15:57, LinMM said:

Yes I did manage to see the pics in the end by scrolling down past all those interminable questions and a box comes up “accept all” “ reject all” manage options etc so I just did the accept all and it took me straight to the pics!!  
I’ve pressed the “accept all” in so many scenarios now to save time that I should think every shyster in town probably has access to my phone!! 

Anyway they were very nice and I think it was changes in the lighting that gave the colour to the dresses back in 1970 something as they were so pale. So the effect very similar to Dave’s pics above.
After the Royal did Adagio back then I was always surprised that not much of Van Manen’s choreography was performed since let alone Adagio.
This would be a great work for RBS students to perform in their summer show. 
At that time I went to more than one performance as I always stood back then for some ridiculous sum like 50p but the only snag was they often wouldn’t sell standing till about 6.30pm on the day so you always had to queue! 
I remember Makarova ( amazing dancer so tiny but so strong)  and I think Dowell but should look up the other casting! 

 

I think the ROH Collections Database didn't record all the performances or any alternate casts (I can't believe there wasn't a second cast....if so that's rather hard luck on the understudy dancers!). The first night cast they documented was: Makarova, Monica Mason,  Jennifer Penney, David Wall, Wayne Eagling, Mark Silver, with Anthony Twiner playing the music, and it's the same cast for the other two shows they've documented. I'd love to have seen that cast! 

[Ondine]

On 03/11/2023 at 15:37, zxDaveM said:

I think that may have been the lighting, which was much better at Sadlers Wells, than the limited facilties for the lighting bods at the Linbury

 

 

They look blue here. Very pale blue. (Those strange costumes for the blokes though, oh dear.)

 

 

 

[Jane S]

They only did 3 performances, plus a gala  - blink and you missed it. (Or in my case, have flu and you missed it.)

 

[Emeralds]

1 minute ago, Jane S said:

They only did 3 performances, plus a gala  - blink and you missed it. (Or in my case, have flu and you missed it.)

 

Thanks Jane S.... I did wonder if they had only done those three performances,  or as you say, only four (one of them isn't listed- ?the gala - although they generally list the all  gala performances as well, sometimes under a separate heading). Wow- that sounds a bit expensive/extravagant to go to all the expense and effort  and not do more/do it again. Sorry to hear you missed it due to flu! I would have been so gutted! 

[Emeralds]

22 minutes ago, Ondine said:

 

They look blue here. Very pale blue. (Those strange costumes for the blokes though, oh dear.)

 

 

 

They're definitely pale blue, and they turn white when under more intense lighting. I did concentrate on the dancing (which was gorgeous from all 6 Northern Ballet dancers) rather than just looking at the dresses but I think the lighting at the Linbury was quite intense throughout so they looked white all the time.  But the dancers still managed to convey the mood and feelings even in the bright lighting. I quite like the men's costumes- which look more subtle in actual performance rather than on video. It contrasts their strength and athleticism with the women's lyrical and gentle qualities. 

 

That's a lovely performance in that excerpt- one of Igone de Jongh's last recordings of her performances with the company before she retired to go freelance. She's glorious in everything she does. Lovely performances from the other five too. They haven't included her pas de deux though.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Emeralds

[Ondine]

9 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I quite like the men's costumes

 

They look like old fashioned wool knitted Long Johns to me, and that rather gives them comedic value.

 

http://fab40s.co.uk/mensunderwear.html

[LinMM]

Yes of course it was Wayne Eagling! I had a bit of a crush on him at the time so went to nearly everything he did!! 

And still have a piccie of him with “Happy Birthday Linda “ which he wrote on …..Must just be coming up to about the 50th anniversary of that in a couple of weeks time!! 
But I was so lucky I got to see Makarova …she was great in everything she did too but almost the polar opposite of Fonteyn. 
For me anyway …Makarova moved you through the sheer beauty of her technique whereas Fonteyn moved you through her sheer emotional abandon in performance. 

Such a shame Adagio is not performed just a little more often. 

[Ondine]

3 minutes ago, LinMM said:

But I was so lucky I got to see Makarova

 

 

She was tiny wasn't she? The first time I saw her dance Swan Lake (in a tent, on Newcastle Town Moor, with Dowell) she looked on a different scale to the corps, who looked galumphing next to her.  I'm sure in reality they were petit too but she looked so other worldly.

 

I recall her tutu was so different too, the corps looked as though they were wearing droopy lampshades and hers was again, on a different scale. Possibly it was her own and travelled around with her!

 

(Remember that tent anyone?)

 

 

[SheilaC]

In addition to Adagio Hammerklavier the Royal used to dance another wonderful van Manen ballet- and one created on the Royal!  Four Schumann Pieces was created on Dowell, Eagling, Collier and Penney, all of whom were excellent. It would be great if it were performed again, it was deservedly very popular in its day.

[Ondine]

1 hour ago, SheilaC said:

Four Schumann Pieces

 

It's on YouTube mainly in sections.

 

Here's a 'legit' link to an article with an embedded vid of Dowell.  Sigh.

 

Anthony Dowell in "Four Schumann Pieces" (1980) https://pointemagazine.com/anthony-dowell-four-schumann-pieces/

 

And this.

https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/staatsoper/media/detail/news/hans-van-manen-in-conversation-about-four-schumann-pieces/

 

It's certainly worth resurrecting isn't it?

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Ondine

[Mary]

17 hours ago, Ondine said:

 

They look like old fashioned wool knitted Long Johns to me, and that rather gives them comedic value.

 

http://fab40s.co.uk/mensunderwear.html

Have they borrowed Steptoe's undies?

[Scheherezade]

3 hours ago, Mary said:

Have they borrowed Steptoe's undies?

Well if Bracewell can borrow Nureyev’s arabesque I don’t see why they can’t borrow Steptoe’s undies …