Richard LH Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Hirano doesn't seem to do much Ashton, does he? He wasn't in Cinderella last season & I can't think of any other Ashton pieces he's been in in recent years. True, but then there hasn't been all that much Ashton programmed in recent years! However he has performed, for example, in La Valse, Two Pigeons, and Sylvia in the past. Edited March 31 by Richard LH 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 3 hours ago, Richard LH said: True, but then there hasn't been all that much Ashton programmed in recent years! However he has performed, for example, in La Valse, Two Pigeons, and Sylvia in the past. Was he in the 2019 Two Pigeons casts? I didn't think he was but I might be misremembering. That would still be at least 5 years since his last Ashton performances then, hence I'm less surprised about his absence from the upcoming triple bill than I am about some other dancers who aren't cast, or aren't cast in particular roles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theorist Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 The page on the ROH website for the second Ashton mixed bill is strikingly uninformative. For instance, it doesn't say who composed any of the music for the programme, except that Brahms is unavoidably mentioned as he is in the title of the piece. I'm inclined to think that a more informative "background" section on the webpage might help to sell tickets. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, Dawnstar said: Was he in the 2019 Two Pigeons casts? I didn't think he was but I might be misremembering. That would still be at least 5 years since his last Ashton performances then, hence I'm less surprised about his absence from the upcoming triple bill than I am about some other dancers who aren't cast, or aren't cast in particular roles. Yes, Ryoichi Hirano danced Gypsy Lover (or Her Lover, whatever they called him!) in both runs the last two times, was in the first cast too. Admittedly not the Young Man role - although I have seen him dance the final pas de deux in a Gala with Helen Crawford and they were both glorious and beautiful. He's also danced La Valse and (if I recall correctly) Thais pas de deux. No reason why he couldn't dance Young Man or Les Rendezvous really. The RB triple bill should really repeat Les Rendezvous rather than Rhapsody as we've had a lot of Rhapsody runs recently. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 43 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Yes, Ryoichi Hirano danced Gypsy Lover (or Her Lover, whatever they called him!) in both runs the last two times, was in the first cast too. Admittedly not the Young Man role - although I have seen him dance the final pas de deux in a Gala with Helen Crawford and they were both glorious and beautiful. He's also danced La Valse and (if I recall correctly) Thais pas de deux. No reason why he couldn't dance Young Man or Les Rendezvous really. The RB triple bill should really repeat Les Rendezvous rather than Rhapsody as we've had a lot of Rhapsody runs recently. I thought the first cast in the 2019 run was the Cuthbertson/Muntagirov one? Hirano wasn't in that. I've just double-checked the cast sheet from 18th Janaury 19 & it was Mock as the Gypsy Lover. Hirano was in Asphodel Meadows earlier in the evening. I've never seen Les Rendesvouz so I don't know what the leading male role in that requires. I can't really imagine Hirano doing the leading role in Rhapsody or Oberon in The Dream. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnePigeon Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Hirano was indeed in the Two Pigeons as he’s in the filmed version with Cuthbertson/Muntagirov/Keneko. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, Dawnstar said: I thought the first cast in the 2019 run was the Cuthbertson/Muntagirov one? Hirano wasn't in that. I've just double-checked the cast sheet from 18th Janaury 19 & it was Mock as the Gypsy Lover. Hirano was in Asphodel Meadows earlier in the evening. I've never seen Les Rendesvouz so I don't know what the leading male role in that requires. I can't really imagine Hirano doing the leading role in Rhapsody or Oberon in The Dream. I should have elaborated that I meant the 2015 revival and the 2016 run, Dawnstar, and I also had a typo I didn't see - the last few times, not last two times. You're right that Tomas Mock was first cast Her Lover/Gypsy Lover in 2019. The male lead in Les Rendezvous has a lot of partnering and tall dancers like Reece Clarke and Roberto Bolle have performed it (and another tall dancer, Muntagirov, will be alternating it iwth Clarke) but I don't think height is a prerequisite other than to be tall enough for whichever ballerina is in the lead. For some reason (to reflect Baryshnikov?) a shorter or medium height man has always been cast in the male lead role of Rhapsody but I don't see why a tall virtuoso like Muntagirov couldn't dance it. I think Hirano is more of a Florimund/Siegfried than Rhapsody male lead though. Oberon was originally made on a tall dancer (Dowell) and Matthew Golding (who is very tall) has danced it successfully. It needs good lines and someone who is good at changes of weight/position the way Dowell was. It can suit dancers of any height as long as they're not shorter than their Titania or Puck. I can see Hirano doing it successfully, especially the acting. In a way, it's a pity the Ashton bill doesn't start in spring as I think a Rendezvous/Short Works/The Dream combination would also sell well and give opportunities to more principals and first soloists who would be great in Rendezvous and Dream. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Yes, though I like Rhapsody we have seen rather a lot of it lately. If we have to have 2 ballets the same I would choose Les Patineurs which is one of my favourite short Ashton ballets and which hasn't been seen since pre-lockdown. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 29 minutes ago, Emeralds said: I should have elaborated that I meant the 2015 revival and the 2016 run, Dawnstar, and I also had a typo I didn't see - the last few times, not last two times. You're right that Tomas Mock was first cast Her Lover/Gypsy Lover in 2019. The male lead in Les Rendezvous has a lot of partnering and tall dancers like Reece Clarke and Roberto Bolle have performed it (and another tall dancer, Muntagirov, will be alternating it iwth Clarke) but I don't think height is a prerequisite other than to be tall enough for whichever ballerina is in the lead. For some reason (to reflect Baryshnikov?) a shorter or medium height man has always been cast in the male lead role of Rhapsody but I don't see why a tall virtuoso like Muntagirov couldn't dance it. I think Hirano is more of a Florimund/Siegfried than Rhapsody male lead though. Oberon was originally made on a tall dancer (Dowell) and Matthew Golding (who is very tall) has danced it successfully. It needs good lines and someone who is good at changes of weight/position the way Dowell was. It can suit dancers of any height as long as they're not shorter than their Titania or Puck. I can see Hirano doing it successfully, especially the acting. In a way, it's a pity the Ashton bill doesn't start in spring as I think a Rendezvous/Short Works/The Dream combination would also sell well and give opportunities to more principals and first soloists who would be great in Rendezvous and Dream. I'm trying to work out when Hirano last danced anything Ashton so if he last appeared in Two Pigeons in 2016 then that's earlier than Sylvia in 2017 so the latter appears to be the last time he danced Ashton, unless anyone else can find anything more recent. Hirano's not really considered a virtuoso type of dancer, is he? At least he doesn't seem to be known for his jumping. As I've not seen The Dream yet I don't know the choreographic requirements & it's not due to height, as I can imagine the similarly tall Muntagirov or Ball (who I know isn't cast) in the role. I guess I just don't think of Hirano as an ethereal dancer but as a strong & muscular one so I can't imagine him playing a fairy. This may be a deficiency in my imagination. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 6 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: I'm trying to work out when Hirano last danced anything Ashton so if he last appeared in Two Pigeons in 2016 then that's earlier than Sylvia in 2017 so the latter appears to be the last time he danced Ashton, unless anyone else can find anything more recent. Hirano's not really considered a virtuoso type of dancer, is he? At least he doesn't seem to be known for his jumping. As I've not seen The Dream yet I don't know the choreographic requirements & it's not due to height, as I can imagine the similarly tall Muntagirov or Ball (who I know isn't cast) in the role. I guess I just don't think of Hirano as an ethereal dancer but as a strong & muscular one so I can't imagine him playing a fairy. This may be a deficiency in my imagination. I would think that to dance Oberon you would have to be a dancer who is very fleet-footed and able to cope with the fast footwork in the Scherzo especially. I’m not sure that’s Hirano’s speciality (no disrespect meant as he has other great qualities). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 I think Oberon is more of a mercurial, imperious Fairy King than an ethereal one....at least that's the way I would describe it from the choreography....maybe some would say ethereal? Oh wow, @Dawnstar, it seems unbelievable that you haven't seen The Dream yet, but I suppose the full ballet hasn't been performed for a fairly long time at either ROH (RB) or Sadler's Wells (BRB)! - the last would be June 2017 (Morera and Campbell were Titania and Oberon, Acri was Puck....Matthew Ball was Lysander in that run). You're in for a treat; it's simply genius 😊. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 6 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Oh wow, @Dawnstar, it seems unbelievable that you haven't seen The Dream yet, but I suppose the full ballet hasn't been performed for a fairly long time at either ROH (RB) or Sadler's Wells (BRB)! - the last would be June 2017 (Morera and Campbell were Titania and Oberon, Acri was Puck....Matthew Ball was Lysander in that run). You're in for a treat; it's simply genius 😊. I've only seen what the RB have performed since autumn 2018. Therefore the only full length Ashton piece I've seen is Cinderella. I've done a bit better with the one-acters: Patineurs, Two Pigeons, Month in the Country, Enigma Variations, Marguerite & Armand (not RB, Cojocaru & Frola at SW), Scenes de Ballet, Rhapsody. Plus the various extracts in the 2019 Fonteyn Gala. So there's an awful lot of Ashton I haven't seen. Hopefully I'll be able to tick off half a dozen more one-acters in June then a second full length in October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, Dawnstar said: then a second full length in October. You mean BRB’s Fille? I’m curious to know, what are the other Ashton full lengths aside from Cinderella and Fille? I’ve only seen what the RB has performed from 2022 onwards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 15 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said: I’m curious to know, what are the other Ashton full lengths Cinderella (1948) Sylvia (1952) Romeo and Juliet (1955) for Royal Danish Ballet. Ondine (1958) La fille mal gardée (1960) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, Roberta said: Cinderella (1948) Sylvia (1952) Romeo and Juliet (1955) for Royal Danish Ballet. Ondine (1958) La fille mal gardée (1960) Two Pigeons Daphnis & Chloe probably others … full list on the foundation website http://www.frederickashton.org.uk/ballets.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, art_enthusiast said: You mean BRB’s Fille? I’m curious to know, what are the other Ashton full lengths aside from Cinderella and Fille? I’ve only seen what the RB has performed from 2022 onwards The Tales of Beatrix Potter ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 (edited) Realising that Daphnis and Chloe isn’t a full-length being less than 1 hour long. Edited March 31 by FionaM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 (edited) 57 minutes ago, FionaM said: Realising that Daphnis and Chloe isn’t a full-length being less than 1 hour long. I'm not sure Two Pigeons is either as it's usually on with another ballet, quite short, I suppose it depends on the definition! Edited April 1 by Roberta 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 1 hour ago, San Perregrino said: The Tales of Beatrix Potter ? It was a film choreographed by Ashton but the stage version ballet wasn't it was by Dowell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celine Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 I really really hope the casting sheets are final (though I know nothing's quite final until the performance). I've been praying to see Osipova in Five Brahms! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady emily Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 And I received this about Winter's Tale casting: Tuesday 21 May, Tuesday 28 May and Saturday 1 June, 7.30pm Ryoichi Hirano is replaced by Nicol Edmonds as King Leontes. Anna Rose O’Sullivan is replaced by Sae Maeda as Perdita. Friday 24 May, 7.30pm Claire Calvert is replaced by Olivia Cowley as Paulina. Monday 27 May, 7pm Claire Calvert is replaced by Olivia Cowley as Paulina. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 On 03/04/2024 at 12:14, lady emily said: Anna Rose O’Sullivan is replaced by Sae Maeda as Perdita. I hope Anne Rose recovers soon. Good to see that Sae Maeda is getting this opportunity though, I was a bit surprised that she wasn't chosen for the Sissens cast (looking forward to seeing Pantuso's portayal though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Well I had my Ashton query reply from Kevin today. Very prompt. Only a week since I emailed. Apparently none of the Ashton is being streamed 'for various reasons'; the only explanation given. I'm not surprised as I thought it would have been announced by now if there were streaming plans and the seating plans would be marked for filming but still a bit of a blow that so many potential great programmes and performances aren't being recorded. We'll just have to hope for next season. I've my fingers crossed for Sylvia which hasn't been filmed since Darcey Bussell, as it unaccountably wasn't filmed at its last outing 2017?18? Vadim and Marianela were fabulous then so fingers crossed though I'm sure Fumi would be great too. Doesn't look like RB are staging Fille next season though I may be wrong. Kevin said 'I have always had plans to bring Fille back into the repertoire but meanwhile it will be nice to see BRB perform it next season'. To me, that reads like RB aren't doing it next season but sometime after that (hopefully following season). Actually, this possibly suits me as if the rumours are right about Onegin returning next season I don't think I can afford my 2 favourite ballets in one season and all the new casts I want to see. Obviously nothing set in stone until the announcement at the end of the month so we'll have to wait and see. Anyway, many thanks to Kevin for replying so promptly. 6 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Sylvia last staged in Nov-Dec 2017 so you're right, @jmhopton. I agree it should be filmed again (preferably with Nunez in the lead role). Thank you for writing in to ask. I guessed no Fille from RB this season because of BRB dancing it at Sadler's Wells (I think even if one company is only doing 2 or 3 performances of a ballet in London the other RB company tries not to do the same ballet in the same season - the only exception being Nutcracker at Royal Albert Hall as there seems to be no shortage of people buying up all the Nutcracker tickets at Christmas in London. And the two Nutcrackers are very different productions even if both staged by Peter Wright!) If Kevin could bring Fille back for 2025-26 that would be ace. Hope all our members and readers are able to make it to London for the RB Ashton ballets since there won't be any streaming/cinema relay/etc. Fingers crossed no industrial action nor travel disruption too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy M Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Looks like the casting for both the Ashton triple bills are up on the ROH website now: LES RENDEZVOUS / THE DREAM / RHAPSODY THE DREAM / SHORT WORKS / RHAPSODY 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 39 minutes ago, Lucy M said: THE DREAM / SHORT WORKS / RHAPSODY Thanks Interesting, given that Sarasota Ballet finish in the Linbury Theatre on June 9th, that it will dance all performances of The Walk to the Paradise Garden which run until June 22nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnePigeon Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 (edited) I believe it’s only three dancers for Walk to the Paradise Garden, so it may only require some members to stay in London. Edited April 5 by OnePigeon Wrong number 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 8 minutes ago, OnePigeon said: I believe it’s only three dancers for Walk to the Paradise Garden, so it may only require some members to stay in London. Yes. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/arts/dance/review-sarasota-ballet-shows-its-mastery-of-frederick-ashton-works-joyce-theater.html “A Walk to the Paradise Garden” (1972) is a duet of postcoital rapture whose lovers, at the end, advance calmly into the embrace of Death. No cast as yet, the ROH site simply says Sarasota Ballet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 15 minutes ago, OnePigeon said: I believe it’s only three dancers for Walk to the Paradise Garden, so it may only require some members to stay in London. With no performances from 10 -18 June, plenty of time for sightseeing too 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnePigeon Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Yes indeed! They’ll be better acquainted with the Capital than me. I wonder if they’ll fly home and back - probably cheaper than paying to stay in London, though I hate to think about the jet lag. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myrtle Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 On 04/04/2024 at 11:42, jmhopton said: Well I had my Ashton query reply from Kevin today. Very prompt. Only a week since I emailed. Apparently none of the Ashton is being streamed 'for various reasons'; the only explanation given. I'm not surprised as I thought it would have been announced by now if there were streaming plans and the seating plans would be marked for filming but still a bit of a blow that so many potential great programmes and performances aren't being recorded. We'll just have to hope for next season. I've my fingers crossed for Sylvia which hasn't been filmed since Darcey Bussell, as it unaccountably wasn't filmed at its last outing 2017?18? Vadim and Marianela were fabulous then so fingers crossed though I'm sure Fumi would be great too. Doesn't look like RB are staging Fille next season though I may be wrong. Kevin said 'I have always had plans to bring Fille back into the repertoire but meanwhile it will be nice to see BRB perform it next season'. To me, that reads like RB aren't doing it next season but sometime after that (hopefully following season). Actually, this possibly suits me as if the rumours are right about Onegin returning next season I don't think I can afford my 2 favourite ballets in one season and all the new casts I want to see. Obviously nothing set in stone until the announcement at the end of the month so we'll have to wait and see. Anyway, many thanks to Kevin for replying so promptly. Thank you very much for sharing that. Much respect to Kevin also for his kind and very prompt reply. It makes me sad that there won't be any filming of the Ashton programs, because that also puts an end to my hope that they will eventually be viewable on ROH stream. But there is the encouraging news about Fille--thank you for that ray of sunshine. I do wonder if BRB putting on Fille will delay ROH doing it for fear of saturation (POB recently put on Fille as well). That 'logic' would also delay Giselle, if National Ballet of Japan and ENB are doing Giselle in 2024-25? Although fear of saturation certainly hasn't discouraged any company from staging Carmen, Swan Lake and Nutcracker, so perhaps Fille is coming very soon, after all. *fingers crossed* The other day I saw a photo of Yuhui Choe as Lise in the ROH production. Is there any hope Yuhui's performances in Fille or Rhapsody in past years were filmed and might some day show up on the ROH stream? If this is too off topic, please, moderators, kindly move my ramblings to a more appropriate thread. Thank you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 Unfortunately Myrtle, I don't think any performances of Choe were filmed of her either in Rhapsody or Fille. I'm don't think she's been filmed in any major roles (certainly not these) since the cinema broadcast started and so far they seem to be the major source of ballet streaming materials. There may be earlier recordings I'm not aware of that may find their way onto the stream but I suspect it's a long shot as any non current casts would have to have a certain audience pulling power, such as Bussell, Fonteyn or Dowell and Sibley and I don't think Choe is widely known outside ballet loving circles. I hope I'm wrong for your sake. I suspect you're right about Fille. Even the few BRB performances at Sadlers Wells might deter Kevin so let's hope for better things in 2025/6. At least we know because of the Ashton celebrations, there will be some Ashton next year which is certainly not usually predictable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 (edited) 7 hours ago, myrtle said: The other day I saw a photo of Yuhui Choe as Lise in the ROH production. Is there any hope Yuhui's performances in Fille or Rhapsody in past years were filmed and might some day show up on the ROH stream? There won't be any additional recent recordings of Fille and Rhapsody aside from the recent ones of Natalia Osipova with Steven McRae as those two ballets are generally not big sellers on the DVD market (it is likely that Osipova's performances were chosen as her international fame would help improve sales of both cinema relay seats as well as DVDs). Yuhui Choe and Valentino Zucchetti's performances in Fille were not filmed. As far as I can recall, Choe wasn't cast in the Rhapsody lead. Many of Choe's other performances were filmed-she can be seen in the Swan Lake DVD with Osipova and Matthew Golding in the lead roles (she dances in the Act 1 pas de trois) and the Concerto,/Judas Tree/Elite Syncopations DVD where she dances the 1st movement female lead with McRae. She's also one of the four visiting Princesses in Act 3 of the Nunez/Muntagirov Swan Lake DVD, but that's a small role compared to the ones on the other two DVDs. With regards to Fille scheduling, oversaturation with visiting or other UK companies is not generally an issue for RB, eg RB is performing Swan Lake over 4 months while 2 other companies will be performing it at the same time (ENB in June) and in August (State Ballet of Georgia). But they don't generally perform the same classics (eg Don Quixote, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, etc) as BRB in the same season. I suspect this is a) out of courtesy to a sister Royal Ballet Companies organisation, b) on a practical level they can have communication with BRB about repertoire but no day to day obligation to communicate with several other domestic companies or multiple international companies, who could have programming or visits to London altered with no obligation to RB either. This pattern doesn't apply to Nutcracker, as audiences have consistently shown they are more than happy to support and sell out two or even three major national companies performing Nutcracker at the same time in the capital. Edited April 7 by Emeralds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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