Lizbie1 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 It might be that the scenery etc. is reaching the end of its life. It's been through a lot of performances! (I'm one of those who don't like the current production.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 1 hour ago, FionaM said: I’m assuming this means there is a new Nutcracker for ENB in the works? I sure hope so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaC Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Gavin Sutherland, in his In Tune interview, seems to take it for granted that there will be an ENB Nutcracker next December, which he says he hopes to conduct. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 (edited) info on the Semeroper version of Nutcracker, by Aaron Watkin and Jason Beechey https://www.semperoper.de/en/whats-on/schedule/stid/nutcracker/55959.html Edited January 8 by FionaM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 There’s a full recording of a performance from 2011 on YouTube, search ‘Nutcracker Dresden’. It is very traditional. official videos on Semeroper Ballett channel here … 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 (edited) 3 hours ago, FionaM said: Precious Adams says “goodbye to this version” https://www.instagram.com/p/C10H1kuNNKs/?igsh=b3FjOTJjdHd1YjJu I’m assuming this means there is a new Nutcracker for ENB in the works? Interesting! Well, I'm sure they'll tell us in due course. Dec 2010- Jan 2024 is not a bad innings: 14 seasons and it still sells out 99.9% or thereabouts, despite some uncomfortable seats in the Balcony! I'd say it still has at least several years left in the tank with regard to audience demand, although if a new version has less complicated partnering like RB's or BRB's version it would certainly make injury/illness substitutions simpler! I'd be sad to see the gorgeous Sugar Plum pas de deux costimes and Snowflake tutus go though. I suppose if they have found eager sponsors (who might sponsor a Nutcracker but not a modern creation) it would be fiscally sound. Hope they pick an outstanding choreographer if they do. Going to have a peek at the YouTube videos of the Watkin-Beechey version again (saw them a couple of years ago) out of curiosity. 😀 Whether Eagling's production is staying or going, they have to do a Nutcracker every December regardless. I think it's sealed in an ENB/LFB oath or something..... 😄. Edited January 8 by Emeralds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnePigeon Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 2 hours ago, James said: The Semperoper’s production was by Aaron Watkins, wasn’t it? Aha, I didn’t know that! Well I have a strong suspicion that we have our answer as to which production they’ll be using then. 🧐 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 (edited) 3 hours ago, James said: The Semperoper’s production was by Aaron Watkins, wasn’t it? Joint production with Jason Beechey, but Aaron S Watkin was the other choreographer, yes. So far, having rewatched the Act 1 transformation pas de deux and Act 2 grand pas de deux, I think it's ok for Dresden but for ENB, I would prefer to see a seasoned choreographer like Christopher Wheeldon or David Bintley do the production (and a request for nothing "conceptual" please). Would have loved to see ENB dance a new version by Ben Stevenson or Ronald Hynd who have both made beautiful works for ENB but I think both are definitely retired from such big demanding projects now. Edited January 8 by Emeralds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 35 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Joint production with Jason Beechey, but Aaron S Watkin was the other choreographer, yes. So far, having rewatched the Act 1 transformation pas de deux and Act 2 grand pas de deux, I think it's ok for Dresden but for ENB, I would prefer to see a seasoned choreographer like Christopher Wheeldon or David Bintley do the production (and a request for nothing "conceptual" please). Would have loved to see ENB dance a new version by Ben Stevenson or Ronald Hynd who have both made beautiful works for ENB but I think both are definitely retired from such big demanding projects now. The first LFB/ENB Nutcracker I saw in the mid-80s was choreographed by Ronald Hynd. I loved it! I thought the Ben Stevenson one they did after the Schaufuss production was boring and mundane. I absolutely adored the Schaufuss snowflakes and, overall, really enjoyed his production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 15 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: The first LFB/ENB Nutcracker I saw in the mid-80s was choreographed by Ronald Hynd. I loved it! I thought the Ben Stevenson one they did after the Schaufuss production was boring and mundane. I absolutely adored the Schaufuss snowflakes and, overall, really enjoyed his production. Oh, I'm very envious (in a good way) @Jan McNulty- I wish I could have seen the Ronald Hynd and Ben Stevenson ones for comparison. I caught the Schaufuss one just once (very enjoyable as that was my first Nutcracker live in person, and enjoyed it more than the child'Clara-and-child-Fritz one at RB) and missed the Stevenson ones due to being away at Christmas each time. Elisabetta Terabust and Martin James danced the grand pas de deux of the Schaufuss production when I saw it and they were both lovely: Terabust especially compelling, embodying the elegant grace of a classic ballerina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 I don't have particularly fond memories of the Stevenson one - but then, I may have seen it very early on, and it would have been early in my balletgoing "career". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Was the Schaufuss Nutcracker the one where the characters in Act I were made to be Tchaikovsky's relations? If so then I remember being quite confused by it, albeit I was only aged about 7 at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 1 hour ago, Dawnstar said: Was the Schaufuss Nutcracker the one where the characters in Act I were made to be Tchaikovsky's relations? If so then I remember being quite confused by it, albeit I was only aged about 7 at the time. Yes, that’s the one! IIRC Christopher Bruce created the role of Tchaikovsky. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 46 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Yes, that’s the one! IIRC Christopher Bruce created the role of Tchaikovsky. Thanks for the confimation. I imagine I may have appreciated it more as an adult, as I would have hopefully understood it more. Was Tchaikovsky the equivalent of Drosselmeyer? I'm afraid I cannot remember any details of the production & nor do I have any visual memories of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 48 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Thanks for the confimation. I imagine I may have appreciated it more as an adult, as I would have hopefully understood it more. Was Tchaikovsky the equivalent of Drosselmeyer? I'm afraid I cannot remember any details of the production & nor do I have any visual memories of it. Yes, Tchaikovsky was Drosselmeyer. There's a good feature on the ENB website about the Nutcrackers they have performed over the years: https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/the-changing-face-of-nutcracker/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 46 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: There's a good feature on the ENB website about the Nutcrackers they have performed over the years: https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/the-changing-face-of-nutcracker/ Confused though I was by the Schaufuss version, it sounds from the descriptions as if I would have liked the following 2 productions even less so I guess it was good that I didn't see either of them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 10 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Confused though I was by the Schaufuss version, it sounds from the descriptions as if I would have liked the following 2 productions even less so I guess it was good that I didn't see either of them! I've just notice that the article doesn't mention the Ben Stevenson production which was commissioned by Ivan Nagy, the AD before Derek Deane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 14 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: I've just notice that the article doesn't mention the Ben Stevenson production which was commissioned by Ivan Nagy, the AD before Derek Deane. I wish is was easier to find information about past ENB/LFB productions. I saw a mixed bill somewhere in the early 90s that as far as I can recall included Scherezade, Le Spectre de la Rose & The Dying Swan and I wish I could find out something about it, but there's no equivalent of the ROH's performance database. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I have the programme - but guess what, it's still in storage Not sure it included the Dying Swan, though? It was a Ballets Russes programme. Might have included Les Sylphides? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 2 hours ago, Dawnstar said: I wish is was easier to find information about past ENB/LFB productions. I saw a mixed bill somewhere in the early 90s that as far as I can recall included Scherezade, Le Spectre de la Rose & The Dying Swan and I wish I could find out something about it, but there's no equivalent of the ROH's performance database. I usually Google for any newspaper reviews from those years, and agree that it would be nice if ENB (& BRB, NB & Scottish Ballet too) had a similar resource to the ROH collections database. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 15 hours ago, alison said: I have the programme - but guess what, it's still in storage Not sure it included the Dying Swan, though? It was a Ballets Russes programme. Might have included Les Sylphides? If you ever get it out of storage... 15 hours ago, Emeralds said: I usually Google for any newspaper reviews from those years, and agree that it would be nice if ENB (& BRB, NB & Scottish Ballet too) had a similar resource to the ROH collections database. Google only brings up references to performances that I certainly didn't see, e.g. 1978. (I wasn't born until 1985!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 15 hours ago, alison said: I have the programme - but guess what, it's still in storage Not sure it included the Dying Swan, though? It was a Ballets Russes programme. Might have included Les Sylphides? August 1992, Festival Hall? Dying Swan, Sylphides, Spectre, Scheherazade - though not necessarily in that order. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 5 minutes ago, Jane S said: August 1992, Festival Hall? Dying Swan, Sylphides, Spectre, Scheherazade - though not necessarily in that order. Thank you. That definitely sounds like the mixed bill I saw. I evidently found Les Sylphides less memorable than the other three pieces! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Whereas I (obviously) didn't remember the Dying Swan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 On 10/01/2024 at 15:58, Dawnstar said: If you ever get it out of storage... Google only brings up references to performances that I certainly didn't see, e.g. 1978. (I wasn't born until 1985!) Too ancient to appear in this week's Dance Links but you might find this interesting, Dawnstar....does it sound like what you saw? (I'm afraid I couldn't make it to that programme that year but it sounds like it would have been fun to see! I remember all those dancers. I probably won't have gone on the press night though.) https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/dance-at-panic-stations-judith-mackrell-on-timidity-and-temerity-from-english-national-ballet-at-the-royal-festival-hall-1541183.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 18 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Too ancient to appear in this week's Dance Links but you might find this interesting, Dawnstar....does it sound like what you saw? (I'm afraid I couldn't make it to that programme that year but it sounds like it would have been fun to see! I remember all those dancers. I probably won't have gone on the press night though.) https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/dance-at-panic-stations-judith-mackrell-on-timidity-and-temerity-from-english-national-ballet-at-the-royal-festival-hall-1541183.html Yes, that would have been the programme. I have no idea if it was the same dancers (some names I recognise, many I don't) or different ones though. I think we would have probably gone to a matinee so not the same performance as press night. And fortunately at 7 years old I wouldn't have noticed their technique anyway! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Ah yes, the "orgy by numbers". "Right, let's all now roll over onto another partner" - or at least that's how I remember it. And poor Christian Duncan - agree he was too inexperienced for the role at that stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 9 minutes ago, alison said: Ah yes, the "orgy by numbers". "Right, let's all now roll over onto another partner" - or at least that's how I remember it. Fortunately it evidently went right over my 7 year old head that it was supposed to be an orgy! All I vaguely remember are some Orientally attractive but skimpy costumes & possibly a gold-ish set, though I may be misremembering the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 42 minutes ago, alison said: And poor Christian Duncan - agree he was too inexperienced for the role at that stage. He was a late replacement - 'catapulted on' according to John Percival - for the injured Jose Manuel Carreno. Poor guy! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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