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Photos and report on Ratmansky’s COPPELIA (15 Dec. dress reh. at La Scala)

Jeannette
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stucha

stucha

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6 hours ago, Jeannette said:

I saw this colorful report on yesterday’s dress rehearsal of Ratmansky’s new COPPELIA at La Scala, Milan. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s livestream of the premiere on Medici.

 

https://www.gramilano.com/2023/12/alexei-ratmansky-coppelia/

 

Admins might want to include this in tomorrow’s Links. I checked before posting here.

 

Thanks for posting this @Jeannette

Please let us know what you think of the performance.

I will be watching the replay on Italian TV on the 28th December.

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AnticaFiamma

AnticaFiamma

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Saw a preview on Friday and it's very very lovely. Pity it's performed with two intervals, thus stretching 90 minutes into 2 hours and a half, but honestly what a lovely Christmas treat. Manni as delightful as you'd expect, and Timofej Andrijashenko's comic turn as Franz is a triumph. There's a particularly beautiful variation in the allegorical dancing in the third act, gorgeously danced by Navril Turnbull

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Ginny

Ginny

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I just watched this streaming live on Medici TV - it was glorious!  Please, does anyone the back story to the Act 3 variations in Ratmansky's new version?  I was a bit unclear on who the woman in dusty rose red, the man in the blue Greek/Roman-style costume, the male gypsy-style character, etc. were supposed to be portraying?  I am not familiar enough with this ballet to know who these characters are historically.  Thanks! 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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11 hours ago, AnticaFiamma said:

Saw a preview on Friday and it's very very lovely. Pity it's performed with two intervals, thus stretching 90 minutes into 2 hours and a half, but honestly what a lovely Christmas treat. Manni as delightful as you'd expect, and Timofej Andrijashenko's comic turn as Franz is a triumph. There's a particularly beautiful variation in the allegorical dancing in the third act, gorgeously danced by Navril Turnbull


I just finished the livestream of the LaScala Ratmansky COPPELIA…and absolutely loved it. Luckily, Medici announced that the opportunity to replay the performance is coming, so I’ll be watching it many times.

 

This version looks traditional but the choreography is almost 100% new, with bits of Ukrainian partnering touches in the Mazurka and Csardas…and even some Bournonville footwork flourishes in the A1 and A3 solos of Franz, the incredibly engaging Timofei Andrijashenko.

 

Nicoletta Manni was a delightful and sharp etoile in the leading female role of Swanilda. An adorable and engaging dancer with a natural soubrette air, this role seems almost perfect for her gifts!

 

Christian Fagetti was absolutely menacing with his black leather coat and puffy grey hair as Dr. Coppelius.

 

Aware of most versions of Coppelia, the biggest change here seems to be in the A3 divertissements depicting times of the day, quite “modern” and unique here, including:

 

Waltz of the Golden Hours starring Swanilda, Franz and a special group of twelve corps ladies as The Hours…finishing with the leading couple “sleeping” on the ground.

 

Aurora - female solo with the flexible Linda Giubelli in an orange-tinged Arabic costume.

 

And now the one that I loved but needs explaining…

”Prayer” - male solo by a Greek God/Apollo? Navrin Turnbull, in blue silk, was sinewy, a fabulous leaper! Ok, I’ll take this “prayer”!

 

Work/Spinner was the high flying Maria Celeste Losa.

 

Village Wedding was rambunctiously danced by the La Scala Academy kids. (Nice how Ratmansky always finds a way to feature the young ones.)

 

Another surprise: the “War and Discord” music - which I’ve seen only at NYCB with a group of Valkyries - is here a dynamic male pirate solo. Ronaldo Venuti was terrific in this. (Trying to figure it out…is this Putin the Pirate sowing discord, terrifying the villagers? Odd.) The pirate was defeated before the final divert of Peace - the pdd of Swanilda and Franz.

 

Peace pdd - Manni and Andrijashenko totally gorgeous in their adagio and a combined two-solos variation to the known female-solo tune. (So no “fake Franz” variation to the Sylvia tune used by other choreographers?)

 

The entire work ends triumphantly to the famous Galop. Hurrah to the La Scala troupe for this pezzo di gioia assoluta!

 

 

 

 

 

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jmhopton

jmhopton

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I've only just seen this posting and so presumably missed the relay.  Was it only there for the duration of the performance? I am a member of Medici but it expires soon so don't know if I'll catch the repeat unless they're very quick.

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Ondine

Ondine

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42 minutes ago, annamk said:

I'd love to watch this and I thought Medici used to offer a monthly subscription but at the moment it's only an annual one at 50% off which is £64.50. 

 

 

After which it automatically goes on to full price.

 

Clearly they are hoping to cash in on Christmas viewing and gift subscription.  Is there a 'cancel early' option on the half price offer can you see, or are you sucked in for the entire year?  I had considered a month's trial also but I don't want a year.

 

 

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Paco

Paco

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It will also be streamed as a Replay on RAIplay website on Dec 28th. The problem is that it is never announced beforehand whether it will be accessible only to Italian residents or Worldwide. With Raiplay we never know, it is different each time, there is not a clear rule. So we can try and see if it works...

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OnePigeon

OnePigeon

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7 hours ago, annamk said:

I'd love to watch this and I thought Medici used to offer a monthly subscription but at the moment it's only an annual one at 50% off which is £64.50. 

 


I really wanted to see this but could find no way of purchasing for the month.  It’s really disappointing as I don’t have a spare £64 at the moment.  

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Guest oncnp

Guest oncnp

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47 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:


I really wanted to see this but could find no way of purchasing for the month.  It’s really disappointing as I don’t have a spare £64 at the moment.  

Check the gift card option and see if a shorter term is available 

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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1 hour ago, OnePigeon said:

I really wanted to see this but could find no way of purchasing for the month.  It’s really disappointing as I don’t have a spare £64 at the moment.  

 

Exactly what I was going to say. I'd really like to see Andrijshenko (I adored him when he jumped in as Romeo in 2019) but while I'm prepared to pay £64 when I see the RB live I am not paying it for a stream of a ballet. I would be happy to pay around £10-15 but not more.

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OnePigeon

OnePigeon

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Thank you both - unfortunately the gift card is £39 for 3 months which works out terrible value for money in comparison to the year.  I have far too many concerts that I can’t book just yet due to lack of funds, so I just can’t push the boat out for a streaming service, but I’d dearly love to see it.  I’m so jealous @Dawnstar that you saw Andrijshenko in R&J!   I’ve only ever seen him on video and think he’s just wonderful.

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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Jerome Kaplan’s designs are gorgeous! I rank them up there with those of the versions of The Australian Ballet (Peggy Van Praagh-after-Petipa & Cecchetti):

 

https://www.amazon.com/Australian-Ballet-Coppelia-Lisa-Bolte/dp/B0006A9HV2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3IGXGM7Q8LS9F&keywords=Coppelia+ballet+DVD&qid=1702943327&sprefix=coppelia+ballet+dvd%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-3

 

or of the Bolshoi (Vikharev-after-Petipa & Cecchetti):

 

https://www.amazon.com/Delibes-Coppelia-Margarita-Shrayner/dp/B07NRF2FSW/ref=mp_s_a_1_38?crid=3IGXGM7Q8LS9F&keywords=Coppelia+ballet+DVD&qid=1702943428&sprefix=coppelia+ballet+dvd%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-38

 

NYCB’s version by Balanchine & Danilova, with designs by Rouben Ter-Arutunian , is also on my “Top Four” COPPELIAs list.

https://www.nycballet.com/discover/ballet-repertory/coppelia

 

Oh, let’s make a Top Five of COPPELIAs!

I can’t forget the Osbert Lancaster-designed Royal Ballet version by Ninette de Valois-after-Petipa (or Ivanov?) and Cecchetti

 

https://www.amazon.com/Coppelia/dp/B08GLQXN72/ref=mp_s_a_1_40?crid=2BR0PSK7B3983&keywords=coppelia+ballet+dvd&qid=1702944268&sprefix=Coppelia+ballet+DVD%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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Having seen the film three times, I’ll reflect on interesting and unique factors of this choreography:

 

A1 Mazurka’s very different “table-top lift carries” in which each man lifts his partner in a tough-looking carry, with the woman positioned flat, parallel to the floor, her hands cupped behind her neck, elbows out. This lift is performed several times during the dance. (I recall seeing this lift in a Moiseyev-style production in Russia years ago.)


The A1 “Stalk of Corn” dance is here a Pas de Douze (12) - for the leading pair and a corps of 10 (Swanilda’s six women friends and Franz’ energetic four male friends). Imagine Ratmansky’s  interesting partnering options for the corps…with two of the girls often without partners! Ratmansky also showed interesting off-balance partnering by small groups in his ABT ballet Whipped Cream (Princess Tea Flower and her four friends dancing with three men). 
 

A1 Csardas’ extraordinarily high ronds de jambes by the women…Zakharova style.

 

The A2 toy shop’s mannequins are all of women’s figures in simple grayish tunics, looking like prisoners in a concentration camp…no jolly Chinese or Astrologer male dolls here! Only the beloved Coppelia doll is dressed, in the bright red gown. 


As mentioned in my report, several of Franz’ solos echo some leaps and beats from Bournonville characters in Sylphide and other works.

 

The A3 divertissements are described in my report - totally wacko and offbeat, eliciting unique reactions from the townspeople, such as lovely faces for “Apollo the Prayer God” and upsetting emotions for “Putin the Pirate Discord God.”

 

The village shows the dark outline of a church with a cross on a dome…yet we see no priest…the prayer dance by an Apollo! Hmm. 
 

A traditional-looking, yet unique version of Coppelia, set in a town in Western Ukraine’s region of Galicia.

 

p.s. During the eight minutes of bows, Ratmansky did not pull out the yellow and blue flag of Ukraine, as I was almost expecting, because of the setting. But no…no flag. In his mind, perhaps. 🇺🇦 

 

 

 

 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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Sorry, one more group of thoughts after watching the film a fourth time. I may have cracked the “code” of the A3 divertissements! So….

 

This portrays the Life of a Marriage, rather than “Day in a Life.”

 

At the end of the Waltz of the Hours, Swanilda & Franz go to bed/sleep.

 

Aurora (Dawn) is not Arabic…she’s pregnant and gathers   six children (3 girls & 3 boys)…the future kids of the couple.

 

Prayer is a God of Love who makes the villagers in love…Swanilda & Franz share a deep kiss at the end of Prayer’s dance. 

 

The Spinner jumps onto the stage like a “3rd woman” bringing fear to Swanilda & Franz. She’s sharp and pointy.

 

The Kids’ Dance to the Village Wedding music. They are happily prancing, with the two sets of grandparents following them.

 

Discord and War; then Peace: The pirate guy romps onto the stage, upsetting all villagers, causing them to fight among each other. Even after his dance, Franz’ four male friends fight, neighbors fight…until Swanilda and Franz are brought onto the stage by the Mayor. They restore peace & joy as they dance their melting pdd.

 

Final Galop: everybody is happy again! Even the diverts dancers, including the nasty pirate, dance little happy codas!

 

Maybe not in the perfect order but the dances seem to convey steps of the marriage.

 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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37 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

There's quite a hefty review of this Coppelia for the New York Times in today's Links.  You might want to compare what you see with what Ros Sulcas reckons she saw. 


I cannot wait to read this, Ian! 👍 


Read it. The diverts are “allegorical dances…about the young couple’s future…” Yes! 😃 

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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1 hour ago, Paco said:

Thank you so much, Jeannette, for the detailed analysis! I plan to go to see this production in January, your analysis will help me to enjoy all the details of this new choreography!


My pleasure, Paco! How the world has changed since I traveled to Milan to witness the premiere of Sergei Vikharev’s Reconstruction of Petipa’s RAYMONDA! I also traveled, pre-COVID, to many places to witness the openings of other key Ratmansky or Vikharev ballets (Zurich for Swan Lake, Berlin for Bayadere, Costa Mesa for Sleeping Beauty, Whipped Cream, Love & Rage, NYC for Harlequinade and The Seasons, Miami for Baiser de La Fee…my crazy life.) That I could see the premiere of COPPELIA from my living room - in retirement in Puerto Rico - is amazing. 
 

I wish you a happy trip to Milan in January! I trust that it will be grand.

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