Manon, Royal Ballet Winter 2024

[Dawnstar]

Maybe MacMillan should have gone for the same option as Puccini then. He had the misery-at-a-port scene at Le Havre before departure. Although as far as I can recall his about-to-be-deported prostitutes aren't actually all as miserable as MacMillan's.

 

[ETA Drat, it goes onto a new page just when I say something that only makes sense in the context of the previous post!]

Edited March 4 by Dawnstar

[Scheherezade]

5 hours ago, Sim said:

I think you mean Alex and Frankie...!! 

 

Thanks for picking that up, and that

will teach me to check what I’ve written before posting. I actually meant to say she had to miss Vadim and Fumi but was totally wowed by Alex and Frankie. 😅

[Sim]

20 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

Thanks for picking that up, and that

will teach me to check what I’ve written before posting. I actually meant to say she had to miss Vadim and Fumi but was totally wowed by Alex and Frankie. 😅

She didn’t miss Vadim and Fumi, and wasn’t wowed by Alex and Frankie because she wasn’t there!  😂

[Scheherezade]

9 minutes ago, Sim said:

She didn’t miss Vadim and Fumi, and wasn’t wowed by Alex and Frankie because she wasn’t there!  😂

 

Nooooooo!!!! I post no more ... 😮

[Jane S]

On 04/03/2024 at 00:43, Sophoife said:

 

Yet another instance of the ROH performance database being incomplete then...it lists five performances in March, all Sibley and Dowell, and only one in July (Park and Nureyev) which TBH I've always thought was odd - one performance only, in the middle of summer?

 

Same database shows Jennifer Penney not dancing the role at the ROH until March 1978, with Dowell; her first performance with Eagling was in November of that year.

 

I'm adding the caveat "at the ROH" because I have no clue to elsewhere.

 

The ROH has never claimed that the database  was complete , although these days I believe it is kept up to date.

 

Penney and Eagling danced Manon at Covent Garden for the first time in March 1974 - their performance was covered in D&D's lengthy review in April 1974.

 

There were 2 Manon performances at the end of the RB season in July 1974, one Sibley/Dowell and one by Park and Nureyev, who had made their debuts during the company's visit to NY in May.

 

(Even further off topic - 1974 was a wonderful year for dance in London - the Royal Danish Ballet, the first London season of the Stuttgart Ballet, 6 weeks of the Bolshoi at the Coliseum, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Bejart company... as well as all the home companies!)

 

 

[Emeralds]

19 hours ago, AnneL said:

Since the opening scene of Act III has been mentioned, I would just like to say (as someone who has taught, and therefore researched criminal justice history) that I always sit there thinking that there are WAY too many women on the stage at that point. The male-female ratio in penal colonies was much in favour of the male.  Subsequently, the new women getting off the boat would have been snapped up pretty quickly by the men ( soldiers first, then possibly any convicts who had achieved the status whereby they could take a partner), rather than doing their little misery dance by themselves. They would most likely have done that BEFORE embarking on their ship. On arrival, they would probably have done a happy dance, having actually survived a dangerous voyage.

 

But then, as someone else said, we shouldn’t expect much logic, or indeed realism, in ballet plots. 

Those are interesting observations, AnneL, because I used to have almost similar thoughts in Act 3 after watching Manon a lot... 1) how is it that the soldiers' wives/fiancées/partners are with them at the port? If they are working (they're in uniform and hold back Des Grieux and they join the gaoler at the end of the scene) shouldn't their other halves be at home while the soldiers are working? 2) less of a question but it used to amuse me to see the extras who looked like locals taking a walk there with their parasols (not in uniform)....don't they have a park? A busy port seems an odd place to go for a stroll especially when the deportee/convict ship is unloading.

 

With regards the soldiers' partners, I presume they would have come over from France with them if they are higher rank eg officers and have more pay. The New World would have been seen as a good place to migrate or live temporarily with cheaper and more affordable land and housing, warmer and milder weather and more food, and the likelihood of being deployed in potentially fatal battles lower than in Europe. 

 

The only query I can answer is about the sad dance. Most of them would have been starved on the ship, confined in crowded spaces, catching TB off whoever had it, been seasick, not had much daylight, possibly been assaulted by their guards, likely seen some women die en route. So I guess they're sick, depressed and traumatised, and fearful for whatever awaits them next. Would some of them be hauled off by the gaoler (like Manon) and imprisoned? How would they eat and where would they live? 

 

Lots of questions to ponder when one  watches a Manon performance this week..... 😀

Edited March 5 by Emeralds

[art_enthusiast]

2 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

 A busy port seems an odd place to go for a stroll especially when the deportee/convict ship is unloading. With regards the soldiers' partners, I presume they would have come over from France with them if they are higher rank eg officers and have more pay. The New World would have been seen as a good place to migrate or live temporarily with cheaper and more affordable land and housing, warmer and milder weather and more food, and the likelihood of being deployed in potentially fatal battles lower than in Europe. 

 

Yep. I assumed it would also be emphasising the contrast between the imprisoned female prisoners on the ship and the married, more fortunate women such as the soldiers wives who can afford to go on a nice pleasant stroll while prisoners suffer around them.

 

I'm assuming the wives are the ones dancing right at the beginning of Act 3? (I really like the music there as well, I think it's from Massenet's Don Quichotte)

Interesting that the final Manon performance this week coincides with International Women's Day!

[MAB]

12 minutes ago, Jane S said:

(Even further off topic - 1974 was a wonderful year for dance in London - the Royal Danish Ballet, the first London season of the Stuttgart Ballet, 6 weeks of the Bolshoi at the Coliseum, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Bejart company... as well as all the home companies!)

 

I remember it well, I saw all those companies that year and in February I made my first of many trips to Russia.  I would give a lot to have a season like that again.  Trips abroad will eventually bankrupt me.

[Sophoife]

25 minutes ago, Jane S said:

1974 was a wonderful year for dance in London - the Royal Danish Ballet,

 

Yes, that was another thing my mother took me to before we departed for distant shores aka went home to Australia. I remembered for years the lovely light and bouncy dancing. 

[Dawnstar]

18 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

2) less of a question but it used to amuse me to see the extras who looked like locals taking a walk there with their parasols (not in uniform)....don't they have a park? A busy port seems an odd place to go for a stroll especially when the deportee/convict ship is unloading.

 

I assumed that they had come to watch the ship unloading. There probably wouldn't have been masses of entertainment in an 18th century colony that had only recently been founded (checking Wikipedia gives 1718 as the date New Orleans was founded & 1731 as the publication date of the novel) so every time a ship arrived it would surely be of interest to the colonists.

[Emeralds]

16 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I assumed that they had come to watch the ship unloading. There probably wouldn't have been masses of entertainment in an 18th century colony that had only recently been founded (checking Wikipedia gives 1718 as the date New Orleans was founded & 1731 as the publication date of the novel) so every time a ship arrived it would surely be of interest to the colonists.

I suppose a bit like when people here in olden times used to go to watch public hangings and regarded it as entertainment  rather than a somber news/current affairs update (even took the kids as a family "day out") because it's free of charge and as you say, not much entertainment [or affordable entertainment] around. 

[Richard LH]

17 hours ago, Sim said:

She didn’t miss Vadim and Fumi, and wasn’t wowed by Alex and Frankie because she wasn’t there!  😂

I thought @Scheherezade said that her friend DID miss Vadim and Fumi, but saw, and was wowed by, Alex and Frankie ....but I am now completely confused!

[jmhopton]

Coming in rather late with my review of the second Vadim/Fumi Manon as I've been feeling a bit off colour with a lurgy that lead to me cancelling their first performance,  something that's never happened before.

 

 I thought the performance was really splendid, though perhaps slightly more uneven castwise than the Osipova one where every main cast member was just so good. In the Osipova cast, Alex as Lescault and Magri as his mistress gave (I thought) definitive interpretations; Gary has got Mr GM down to a fine art and Lukas BB was a menacing debut gaoler. With Vadim, Joe Sissens was a debut Lescault who was really good for a beginner though he lacked something of Alex's charm and detail. One of the other Forum members pointed out something I noticed which was quite funny; one of Madame's elaborate bows came off her dress and landed on the floor quite close to Sissens who of course was 'drunk'. He looked at it and I was fascinated wondering what he'd do. Would he fall over trying to pick it up? He made a couple of grabs at it and managed to pick it up without falling over and looked at it in a rather bemused 'what do I do with it now' sort of way and tried to put it in his jacket buttonhole! When he failed he just threw it on the table. The whole thing just took about 10 seconds (less time than it takes to type it) but was fascinating. Letitia Dias was his mistress and I really like her as a dancer but she suffered a bit by comparison to Mayara. Mr GM was Christopher Saunders and there's been quite a bit of negative comment on the Forum about his previous performances being not nasty enough. I was surprised as until this run he was always my favourite GM and I loved Gary as the Gaoler but this time I found Christopher didn’t hold my attention. Someone said they kept forgetting he was there and I found that too; even though I was quite close to the stage I didn't really notice him that much. Gary was the gaoler, and what a performance as always! I just wish he could play Mr GM and the Gaoler every night! The only real overlap is that fantasy bit in the 3^rd act and the gaoler isn't in it that much. I'm sure they could find a substitute. In the office scene he really encourages Manon to engage with him. He wants some 'sport'; he's not interested in a dull, lifeless girl, he wants a spark, a struggle. He forces her to look at him and gestures her to 'come on'. Really sickening and chilling. I'll have to see if there's a recording with him. 

 

Vadim and Fumi were incredible and, for the first time, I actually saw de Grieux make his entrance. Usually you look up and he's there as if by magic. Vadim can make even walking about the stage quite engrossing which is fortunate as there's a lot of that in Manon for De Grieux to do. His first solo was a thing of poignant beauty, just like a young man whose emotions have been touched for the first time and he's not sure what is happening to him. His subsequent pas de deux with Fumi saw the awakening of that burgeoning desire for both of them. When it ended it was as if neither could believe what is happening to them. I don't think Manon is that innocent. She's not being sent to a convent for nothing as she is very keen to latch on to the old man's money and run off with it. When she walks on she seems to be assessing people in the Inn yard scene in quite a calculating way. Someone on the Forum said it's de Grieux who is the real innocent here, ultimately led astray to cheat and murder for the woman he loves which certainly seemed to be how Vadim played it.

 

In the next scene you don't get the impression Fumi is that keen on GM. She puts up with his needs and demands to save them both (her and her brother) from poverty but you don't get a sense of engagement with him. For her, it seems to be a business arrangement. When she leaves she seems to linger by the bed for longer than most thoughnid like it if some Manons followed that with a backward look when they leave with GM.

 

Act 2 starts off with the harlots as usual. Lescault and de Grieux arrive and he does his drunken dance with his mistress which was very good and got laughs, though when he throws his glass to his mistress she didn't make a thing of it like Mayara did; gesturing to her dress now stained with wine in disgust. When Manon makes her entrance she sees De Grieux right away but ignores him but doesn't actually turn away from him like some Manons. At this point when Osipova went to greet Lescault she pulled a face an waved her hand in front of her face to highlight his drunken breath which I always think rather effective. Fumi is visibly affected when De Grieux picks her up in the dance where she's passed around. It's as if she really wants him and to be with him but daren't with GM there. Vadim's solo is hearbreaking; as if he's being tortured. The few seconds at the end when he just stares at her, pleading, would melt a heart of stone. As Balletfanp said 'I wish someone would look at me like that'! He is visibly distressed with having to cheat at cards but manages to go through with it and they exit after the fight. The next scene is her taunting him with her earrings and bracelet to say she's still got some of the trappings of wealth and Vadim getting angrier with her though I don't think Fumi actually touched the earrings like Morera did in the coaching. As someone said, her control of him is starting to slip and he's starting to see her for what she is. Then the murder of Lescault which is terrible as always.

 

The final scene was really heartbreaking; Vadim trying to breathe life into her, almost by force and Manon getting weaker and weaker; the pas de deux is always heartbreaking but they seemed to bring it to a new level of anguish so you're left feeling drained and in tears as though it's actually happened. Vadim, desperately looking from side to side as if a doctor is going to materialise to save her. His final silent, tortured scream is something I'll never forget. A real tour de force and a fitting end to an amazing evening. The applause and cheering nearly brought the roof down.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited March 5 by alison
To reduce font size

[art_enthusiast]

25 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

one of Madame's elaborate bows came off her dress and landed on the floor quite close to Sissens who of course was 'drunk'. He looked at it and I was fascinated wondering what he'd do. Would he fall over trying to pick it up? He made a couple of grabs at it and managed to pick it up without falling over and looked at it in a rather bemused 'what do I do with it now' sort of way and tried to put it in his jacket buttonhole! When he failed he just threw it on the table. The whole thing just took about 10 seconds (less time than it takes to type it) but was fascinating.

 

I noticed that too, I found it quite amusing! He handled it well.

 

Reminded me a bit of a more nerve-wracking save from Marcelino Sambe as Rudolf - having to kick the skull out of the way as it fell accidentally before the PDD with Stephanie.

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

I thought @Scheherezade said that her friend DID miss Vadim and Fumi, but saw, and was wowed by, Alex and Frankie ....but I am now completely confused!

She did say that...but said friend did NOT miss Fumi and Vadim, and was NOT wowed by Alex and Frankie as said friend had to miss the latter because they were ill.  Geddit??!!  😂

[LinMM]

This Forum is full of conundrums at times! 

[jmhopton]

I forgot to say previously (head still a bit woolly, or even woolier than usual!) that I thought Vadim and Fumi were terrific together, certainly the best partnership I've seen him in apart from Nuñez (apart from possibly Morera though sadly he didn'tget chance to develop that for very long).  Hopefully he'll keep Nuñez  for at least some of the classics but it would be great to see him with a more regular partner for other ballets as well as a possible one off partnership, for example Osipova, for other ballets. Would love for him to reprise the Onegin debut he never made with Osipova, for example. This isn't intended to denigrate the Fumi/Will partnership at all, they are wonderful together, but all dancers need some variety with partners as well as rep. to stop getting stale and to bring a challenge to a familiar role. Matthew Ball seems to be branching out a bit also instead of always dancing with Yasmine. Anyway, I thought Vadim and Fumi went really well together and had great chemistry and am looking forward to their swan lake and Winter's Tale to see where their new partnership takes them.

[Emeralds]

Thank you for that lovely review @jmhopton. Sorry to hear you were so unwell that you had to cancel the first performance! Hope you are recovered from the lurgy now or at least feeling much better. 

Edited March 5 by Emeralds

[JohnS]

On 03/03/2024 at 10:38, Fonty said:

Hayward and Campbell seem to fit together perfectly.  During the bedroom pdd, I felt a bit like a peeping Tom, their dancing was so intimate.

I think Fonty’s highlighting of Hayward’s and Campbell’s intimacy absolutely captures Saturday night’s performance. Their relationship seemed so real that for me they inhabited Manon and Des Grieux more than any other lead pair. Their fluidity of movement, at times almost melting, transcended the choreography. Whilst always on the beat, they conjured time to make the most of every gesture, touch and kiss. A truly fabulous performance.

[alison]

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

One of the other Forum members pointed out something I noticed which was quite funny; one of Madame's elaborate bows came off her dress and landed on the floor quite close to Sissens who of course was 'drunk'. He looked at it and I was fascinated wondering what he'd do. Would he fall over trying to pick it up? He made a couple of grabs at it and managed to pick it up without falling over and looked at it in a rather bemused 'what do I do with it now' sort of way and tried to put it in his jacket buttonhole! When he failed he just threw it on the table. The whole thing just took about 10 seconds (less time than it takes to type it) but was fascinating.

 

Yes, that was a good catch by Sissens, which I'd meant to mention in my response.  Didn't drop out of character for a second.

[Dawnstar]

Looks like Richardson as Des Grieux is the only debut tonight. Everyone else in the smaller roles I think has already appeared with at least one other cast. So that makes his the last debut of this run.

Edited March 5 by Dawnstar
Typos

[Missfrankiecat]

Just grabbed a seat for Friday's performance - back of amphitheatre but beggars can't be choosers etc.  Still worth haunting the website for returns.

[Mary]

I was  super impressed by Calvin Richardson as Espada  in Don Q so wanted to see his DG. Bit of a contrast.

[Scheherezade]

5 hours ago, Richard LH said:

I thought @Scheherezade said that her friend DID miss Vadim and Fumi, but saw, and was wowed by, Alex and Frankie ....but I am now completely confused!

Richard LH, don’t be confused - not completely, not even a little bit - because you are absolutely right. Mind you, by that point I was confused too so it wasn’t just you. 

[jmhopton]

7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Thank you for that lovely review @jmhopton. Sorry to hear you were so unwell that you had to cancel the first performance! Hope you are recovered from the lurgy now or at least feeling much better. 

Thanks Emeralds, apart from coughing a bit I'm much better now. Just as well as I'm starting jury service next week for the first time and am a bit apprehensive about the whole thing without the extra stress of not feeling well to add to it. At least I've got future performances booked to look forward to and keep me going if things get stressful. 

 

Thanks for altering my previous font, Alison.  I knew it wasn't right but didn't know how to alter it.

 

Edited March 5 by jmhopton

[Mary]

Well I thought Hamilton/Richardson would be worth seeing and it really was. Poor Calvin seemed overcome at the end. Fabulous performance. 

[art_enthusiast]

Absolutely, it was just stunning. The bedroom PDD in particular was a thing of absolute beauty. And the final act… incredibly heartrending.

[Sim]

I loved it, especially that breathtaking and heartbreaking final pdd. It felt as if he was dying with her. 

[Emeralds]

Fantastic performances from Melissa Hamilton, Calvin Richardson, James Hay, all the company and the orchestra under the baton of Koen Kessels tonight.

 

What a glorious debut from Calvin and what a luminous Manon we have in Melissa. 

 

Calvin - the most loving, devoted and ardour-filled Des Grieux I've ever seen: even in the exhaustion and "heat" of the swamp and escape [and the physical fatigue of that Act 3 pas de deux] he laid Manon so gently on the ground, as though one more drop of love, one more ounce of devotion, might just save her life. If there was any wobble or nerves, it did not show- he covered them up magnificently. The elegance of his lines in the jetes suit this role so well. The young woman in my row who had been to many ballets with  family but was seeing Manon for the first time and on her own, couldn't believe it was his debut- he looked so assured in his solos and partnering.

 

Melissa's Manon - the coquette who knew her power captivated every man and her charms outshone every woman, but did not know - till it was too late - that her most valuable treasure was not the most extravagant furs, gowns and diamonds, but the love of the devoted Des Grieux. Her feet! - she could tell entire stories just from her arch of her feet, stepping onto pointe or the sweep of each arabesque. 

 

James Hay of course absolutely steals the show whenever he moves: "I....may.... be.... totally... wasted ....but...I...can.... still.... jete! Wait, where's my woman? Where's my arm??!" The Act 1 solo- wowser. 

 

The brass section must have been in love with Melissa and Calvin too: never heard them sing so beautifully! Bravi to Leighton Lucas and to Hilda Gaunt for putting such a fine score together, to Martin Yates for the special edit several years ago, and Jules Massenet for such gorgeous melodies - the music is really the unseen fourth lead character that does so much to elevate each scene and each dance.

 

We must have Melissa and Calvin again in the next run- and for more than just one show. The packed house loved them. (I might need to go on holiday just to catch all the partnerships I wasn't able to catch this time, haha.) 

Edited March 5 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

Ditto what @art_enthusiast and @Simsaid about those pas de deux. So beautiful and heartrending (a few tears at the end for me!). Some first time Des Grieux (Des Grieuxes??) partner with deep concentration or furrowed brow but Calvin channels that concentration into deep care and gentleness with his partner. He doesn't throw her up with passionate abandon as some partners do, as he loves her so much that he will lift her and put her down so carefully. That interpretation works well for this ballet. (It probably also helps that they've done some McGregor pas de deux together but the ones in Manon are still difficult and risky even though spectacular when done well). This was actually my first Manon of this season but it has been worth the wait! Bravi Melissa and Calvin. 

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dawnstar]

8 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

 Some first time Des Grieux (Des Grieuxes??) partner with deep concentration or furrowed brow but Calvin channels that concentration into deep care and gentleness with his partner.

 

One of the things I loved about his Des Grieux tonight was that he wasn't looking anxious in the happier scenes but smiled a lot during his Act I solo & both pdds, & also in the first part of the bracelet pdd. Some Des Grieux do tend to look fairly serious most of the time. I felt that by showing Des Grieux was so happy to start with it gave him a bigger emotional range to traverse later on. In the bracelet pdd it felt as though when he first spotted the bracelet still on Manon's wrist that he didn't immediately get really upset with her but started by asking her to remove it more lightly & only getting really upset with her after she had refused a couple of times.

 

18 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Her feet! - she could tell entire stories just from her arch of her feet, stepping onto pointe or the sweep of each arabesque. 

 

James Hay of course absolutely steals the show whenever he moves: "I....may.... be.... totally... wasted ....but...I...can.... still.... jete! Wait, where's my woman? Where's my arm??!" 

 

Unlike GM, I'm not someone who usually has much interest in feet but I did think what Melissa did with hers in parts of the final pdd was very expressive. She made it look as though Manon barely had the energy to get en pointe.

 

I loved the huge grin that Hay gave during the drunk pdd when he managed to get his arm above his head & matching Hinkis's line!

[alison]

(Couple of rear amphis currently showing for £34 on Friday if anyone is still looking)