Premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s SOLITUDE at NYCB, Feb 15, 2024

[Jeannette]

I’m back in NYC for yesterday’s premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s first creation as Artist in Residence: SOLITUDE, to two short pieces of Mahler symphonies (a funerary march to Symph 1 and the lyrical adagietto from Symph 5).

 

The curtain rises on a darkly miserable street, a father holding the hand of his perished young son. Corps dancers as Spirits of Death move about the duo…joined by amazing soloists such as Sarah Mearns in blueish silk as a bright angel and Mira Nadon, in jet black, as a dark spirit. Their partners Takahashi and Chan were equally impressive.

 

As the grieving father, Joseph Gordon completed the ballet with a fluid solo, wishing for a restful finale in the future (and who knows when that may be?).

 

Needless to say, as a lyrical poem on Russia’s tragic assault on Ukraine, this is a far cry from Harlequinade. Not a Har-Dee-Har moment. Large standing ovation to the company & its creators, Ratmansky bowing in his sneakers outfit…not waving a Ukrainian flag this time…it wasn’t needed.

 

p.s. But we were treated to cookies decorated with the 🇺🇦 flag in the First Tier promenade.

[DrewCo]

Thank you for posting on this ballet--I don't think you can edit further at this point but the ballet's title is Solitude--your description and other reviews make it sound like something I am very, very sorry to have missed. 

[Jan McNulty]

I've amended the title to Solitude.

[zxDaveM]

To avoid confusion, I've edited the text to correct the name of the piece

[Jeannette]

Thanks. I was so excited that I did not spell check! As much as I enjoyed this, I’m looking forward to, some day, seeing a  new work by Ratmansky that has no relation with Ukraine. Let’s end the misery on all fronts!

[Bruce Wall]

3 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Thanks. I was so excited that I did not spell check! As much as I enjoyed this, I’m looking forward to, some day, seeing a  new work by Ratmansky that has no relation with Ukraine. Let’s end the misery on all fronts!

 

It's been so nice to see Ratmansky - and sometimes his lovely wife - attending so many ballets at State Theater.  He is such a delightful man.  So approachable.   If you are staying on in NYC and attending more NYCB programmes - you may well see him around.  I'm certain he would be most open to hearing your input, Jeannette.  I - and I'm sure many others - would be most curious as to his response if you were to approach him vis a vis your  stated desire as documented here. 

 

 

 

Edited February 18 by Bruce Wall

[Jeannette]

1 hour ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

It's been so nice to see Ratmansky - and sometimes his lovely wife - attending so many ballets at State Theater.  He is such a delightful man.  So approachable.   If you are staying on in NYC and attending more NYCB programmes - you may well see him around.  I'm certain he would be most open to hearing your input, Jeannette.  I - and I'm sure many others - would be most curious as to his response if you were to approach him vis a vis your  stated desire as documented here. 

 

 

 

Bruce, I’ve been delighted to meet Alexei Ratmansky during receptions or talks related to his premieres in many locales, beginning with his Cinderella in St Petersburg, 2002/03 period…then Miami, Berlin, Costa Mesa, etc. This may be my 20th live Ratmansky premiere in the past 20 years.

 

I know that he needs to fulfill his pro-Ukraine wish (p.r.?) at this moment. It doesn’t make sense to go against the flow now. I wouldn’t expect a jolly Harlequinade from him in this moment! I just wish that the situation would change because I was so delighted with the other types of his ballets, even Odesa or Songs of Bukovina, which have Ukrainian themes but have a certain degree of positivity threaded with the sadness.  I’m afraid that if the war continues, we’ll be looking at a ten-year series of tragic ballets set in dark bunkers. I’m praying for more Namounas or Whipped Creams!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18 by Jeannette

[Jeannette]

Despite some good dancing moments by the soloists, Solitude was probably the least impressive Ratmansky premiere that I’ve attended. My faves were the Petipa recons in Zurich and Berlin…and The Seasons at ABT. Namouna is my fave NYCB work. Bright, grand, Imperial. It’s probably not right to expect that style nowadays. 
 

My secret wish is that Ratmansky may resuscitate his Art of the Fugue (to Bach) that he began creating at the Bolshoi, just before the war…adapted to NYCB dancers.  Without political ties. 

[Buddy]

54 minutes ago, Jeannette said:

Despite some good dancing moments by the soloists, Solitude was probably the least impressive Ratmansky premiere that I’ve attended. My faves were the Petipa recons in Zurich and Berlin…and The Seasons at ABT. Namouna is my fave NYCB work. Bright, grand, Imperial. It’s probably not right to expect that style nowadays. 
 

My secret wish is that Ratmansky may resuscitate his Art of the Fugue (to Bach) that he began creating at the Bolshoi, just before the war…adapted to NYCB dancers.  Without political ties. 

 

The Seasons is perhaps my favorite, Jeannette. Ironically for these times, but not really, although made for the American Ballet Theatre(?), the best performance that I saw of this was by the Bolshoi.

 

Concerto DSCH is also a favorite. There are also substantial parts of other works that I think are outstanding.

 

Edited February 19 by Buddy
spelling correction....

[DrewCo]

1 hour ago, Buddy said:

 

The Seasons is perhaps my favorite, Jeannette. Ironically for these times, but not really, although made for the American Ballet Theatre(?), the best performance that I saw of this was by the Bolshoi.

 

 

I wonder if you are thinking of a different production of The Seasons? I do not believe the Bolshoi ever danced Ratmansky’s version which was indeed made for American Ballet Theatre. The Bolshoi had plans for a version by Belyakov to the same Glazunov score that I thought had not come to fruition...(The Mariinsky danced a Seasons ballet to an entirely different, Vivaldi/Richter, score. That version was choreographed by Ilya Zhivoy...now in exile due to the war.)

 

I have often thought that as @Jeannette mentioned above, it would be great to see if Ratmansky’s Bach ballet planned and choreographed for the Bolshoi, but then cancelled, might find a rebirth at New York City Ballet.

Edited February 19 by DrewCo

[Buddy]

1 hour ago, DrewCo said:

 

I wonder if you are thinking of a different production of The Seasons? I do not believe the Bolshoi ever danced Ratmansky’s version which was indeed made for American Ballet Theatre. The Bolshoi had plans for a version by Belyakov to the same Glazunov score that I thought had not come to fruition...(The Mariinsky danced a Seasons ballet to an entirely different, Vivaldi/Richter, score. That version was choreographed by Ilya Zhivoy...now in exile due to the war.)

 

I have often thought that as @Jeannette mentioned above, it would be great to see if Ratmansky’s Bach ballet planned and choreographed for the Bolshoi, but then cancelled, might find a rebirth at New York City Ballet.

 

Thanks for your thorough description, DrewCo. It must be “Russian Seasons” that I’m thinking of, which was made for New York City Ballet, thus my “American Ballet Theatre(?).”

 

This is where I probably saw the Bolshoi perform it and I totally agree with this review in The Guardian.

 

London — Royal Opera House, July 2010

 

“The evening's centre piece, however, is Alexei Ratmansky's Russian Seasons. This 2006 setting of Leonid Desyatnikov's score was first created for New York City Ballet, but its semi-abstract vision of old peasant Russia makes better sense in the Bolshoi's revival. The Russian inflections in the choreography – the fusion of melancholy and boisterousness – are bred in the bones of this cast."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/jul/30/bolshoi-ballet-russian-seasons-review

 

Edited February 19 by Buddy
typo correction

[Jeannette]

That’s right, @DrewCo - I was thinking of Ratmansky’s The (Four?) Seasons to Glazunov’s score, which I saw premiered at The Met in NYC…Isabella Boylston or Stella Abrera in the leading female role with the main pdd.

 

Ratmansky is one trip after another in my archives!  

Coming back to add another Ratmansky fave: Of Love and Rage, to a compelling score by A. Khachaturian…my last trip before COVID, to Costa Mesa, CA, where I had a very nice talk with the choreographer, discussing my trip to StP for Cinderella (where I met my husband, so a good luck ballet for me, even if I didn’t like the set)!

Edited February 19 by Jeannette

[Ivy Lin]

I was at the premiere of Solitude as well. I really liked it. Very much enjoyed how Ratmansky brought out the folk dance accents of Mahler's funeral march, and how the whole ballet seems to be a dream of the grieving father. Also sensed that the various dancers in different outfits represented how in war, people are often displaced with only the clothes on their backs. The Adagietto solo was so different from Joseph Gordon's usually sunny allegro dancing.

 

As for Ratmansky's work and Ukraine, he just premiered a very sunny version of Coppelia at La Scala. Highly recommend that people see that.

[Buddy]

Thanks everyone for your ongoing thoughts and comments. Since various Ratmansky works are being mentioned I’d like to return briefly to my comment about “Russian Seasons”, which is perhaps the favorite of those that I’ve seen, and change what I said slightly. I said that I totally agreed with this 2010 comment in The Guardian.

 

“The evening's centre piece, however, is Alexei Ratmansky's Russian Seasons. This 2006 setting of Leonid Desyatnikov's score was first created for New York City Ballet, but its semi-abstract vision of old peasant Russia makes better sense in the Bolshoi's revival. The Russian inflections in the choreography – the fusion of melancholy and boisterousness – are bred in the bones of this cast."

 

I would, however say, ‘exuberance’ rather than “boisterousness.” For me, it makes a big difference here.

 

A quick aside. I just watched a video from the Bolshoi of a complete 2016 “Russian Seasons”.

 

This viewing I actually see something of Marc Chagall, but more dramatic. The brightish, uplifting colors somewhat resemble his and the altering of reality into a modernist sort of reverie and artistically brilliant reconstruction resembles him, other Russian and related ‘modern’ painters of that time and Alexei Ratmansky at his best in creating and manipulating artistically gripping imagery.

 

And what a ‘ride from the past’ !

 

Cast: Orange/White: Svetlana Zakharova, Andrei Merkuriev || Red: Natalia Osipova, Denis Savin || Green: Yekaterina Shipulina, Pavel Dmitrichenko || Purple: Yekaterina Krysanova, Igor Tsvirko    || Blue: Anna Rebetskaya, Vladislav Lantratov || Burgundy: Anna Nikulina, Vyacheslav Lopatin

 

And, yep, there’s Alexei Ratmansky, himself, on stage at curtain call.

 

All in all, a heart touching look back, and hopefully forward again….some day….world artists on a world stage.

 

Edited February 20 by Buddy
last six words added

[Jeannette]

On 19/02/2024 at 22:56, Buddy said:

…, a heart touching look back, and hopefully forward again….some day….world artists on a world stage.

 

Thanks, Buddy. I also enjoyed Russian Seasons at NYCB (live, with Wendy Whelan as the Bride) and the Bolshoi film. Will we ever see the Russian artists overseas again?

 

In the meantime, I was very sorry to read about the Yekaterinburg ballerina Ksenia Karelina (dual US-Russian citizen, now living in L.A.) who was arrested while visiting her parents in Yekaterinburg. She is accused of helping Ukraine by having donated a whopping $50 to a NY-based pro-Ukraine charity.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/20/russian-secret-service-arrest-american-woman-high-treason/

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Thanks, Buddy. I also enjoyed Russian Seasons at NYCB (live, with Wendy Whelan as the Bride) and the Bolshoi film. Will we ever see the Russian artists overseas again?

 

In the meantime, I was very sorry to read about the Yekaterinburg ballerina Ksenia Karelina (dual US-Russian citizen, now living in L.A.) who was arrested while visiting her parents in Yekaterinburg. She is accused of helping Ukraine by having donated a whopping $50 to a NY-based pro-Ukraine charity.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/20/russian-secret-service-arrest-american-woman-high-treason/

Wow, Jeannette, I hadn't seen that. The FSB are tightening their grip on innocent civilians now. $50 is peanuts where war is concerned (can't even get a non-restricted view seat in rear amphitheatre at ROH for Manon for $50!) The most chilling thing is - how did they know she had made a donation?  It's like 1936-1938 coming back.....

[Jeannette]

24 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Wow, Jeannette, I hadn't seen that. The FSB are tightening their grip on innocent civilians now. $50 is peanuts where war is concerned (can't even get a non-restricted view seat in rear amphitheatre at ROH for Manon for $50!) The most chilling thing is - how did they know she had made a donation?  It's like 1936-1938 coming back.....

Emeralds, the FSB tracks computers for donations and other online activities…as do other governments, for different reasons. 😉 

 

I once considered buying a ticket to a pro-Ukraine Gala in Orlando, FL.  Woe is me!
 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 21 by Jeannette

[Emeralds]

1 minute ago, Jeannette said:

Emeralds, the FSB tracks computers for donations and other online activities…as do other governments, for different reasons. 😉 

That's chilling that they would go after this woman who is just small fry. Yet as I've always known, that doesn't surprise me. There will be a lot of elderly people in Russia whose children and grandchildren are in the West, who will probably avoid visiting their relatives now, which is very sad for the older folk.  

[Jeannette]

47 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

That's chilling that they would go after this woman who is just small fry. Yet as I've always known, that doesn't surprise me. There will be a lot of elderly people in Russia whose children and grandchildren are in the West, who will probably avoid visiting their relatives now, which is very sad for the older folk.  

Exactly. The FSB tracks dual citizens, knowing that they eventually return to Russia to visit family. I’m thinking of all the “Brighton Beach/Little Odessa” Russian citizens who used to frequent Lincoln Center, to enjoy ballets. Many may have bought tickets to the various pro-Ukraine performances.

[Buddy]

10 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Thanks, Buddy. I also enjoyed Russian Seasons at NYCB (live, with Wendy Whelan as the Bride) and the Bolshoi film. Will we ever see the Russian artists overseas again?

 

In the meantime, I was very sorry to read about the Yekaterinburg ballerina Ksenia Karelina (dual US-Russian citizen, now living in L.A.) who was arrested while visiting her parents in Yekaterinburg. She is accused of helping Ukraine by having donated a whopping $50 to a NY-based pro-Ukraine charity.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/20/russian-secret-service-arrest-american-woman-high-treason/

 

Thanks, Jeannette, for all your thoughts, information and insights.

 

“Russian Seasons” is an early Ratmansky work and is so loaded with nonstop, amazing choreography that it might include a large backlog of ideas. The agility of his mind and creativity is highly impressive here.

 

This is a quick, officially posted glimpse of NYCB’s Maria Kowrowski, who along with Wendy Whelan (seen by you), were two of the most capable NYCB ballerinas, that I’ve seen live, to possess the sensitivity that this work merits.

 

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/flash-footage-maria-kowrowski-in-alexi-ratmanskys-russian-seasons/10160194344490529/

 

As for seeing the Bolshoi someday overseas, since I believe that you travel a lot, you could have caught Raymonda in Oman in January, as reported by FionaM. Looks like it was a good one.

 

https://bolshoi.ru/en/news/guest-appearance/7067-Oman-tour-2024-01/

 

And we do have Olga Smirnova. She appeared two days ago at a Ukraine gala at the London Paladium and is scheduled to appear at the Ballet Icons Gala, London Coliseum, March 17. What an amazing talent she is !

 

https://balleticonsgala.com/ 

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by Buddy

[Jeannette]

12 hours ago, Buddy said:

 

….As for seeing the Bolshoi someday overseas, since I believe that you travel a lot, you could have caught Raymonda in Oman in January, as reported by FionaM. ….

That’s not so far from where I’ve worked   recently…despite my so-called “retirement” status. I’ll probably just wait for the troubles to end before seeing either Russian or Ukrainian ballet companies in person.

[Emeralds]

22 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Exactly. The FSB tracks dual citizens, knowing that they eventually return to Russia to visit family. I’m thinking of all the “Brighton Beach/Little Odessa” Russian citizens who used to frequent Lincoln Center, to enjoy ballets. Many may have bought tickets to the various pro-Ukraine performances.

That's sad and scary. Just realised that may mean that artists like Natalia Osipova and Dmitry Zagrebin who have danced for Ukraine charity galas may also be blacklisted and targeted if they were to return to Russia. They may be able to get citizenship abroad (Osipova has allowed the fact that she -like Muntagirov, Corrales and Nunez - has British citizenship to be published; I don't know if Zagrebin has applied for Swedish citizenship or citizenship of anywhere else) but visiting family and other  relatives could be risky. Same for Smirnova since last year. I think I echo the wishes of many - including in Russia- that this invasion will end for good. 

[Buddy]

In regard to Olga Smirnova again, perhaps lost for the moment, because of the very intense political situation, is that she remains once of the finest products of the Russian ballet ever. She did perform Raymonda several times in December with the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, performances that should have highlighted her ‘classical’ wonderfulness to the maximum.

In a Royal Academy of Dance interview about a month ago she states that through her coach Larissa Lezhnina, former First Soloist at the Mariinsky, she hopes to help preserve the Saint Petersburg’s ballet style and tradition.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLak7u3Xm20

 

For the moment there are no future performances listed at her site.

 

I also wish that Xander Parish's group had stayed together. I haven't heard a thing about it since its very promising 'debut' in Costa Mesa, California in November, 2022. Maybe it could still be reformed.  Does anyone have any insight into this ?

 

https://pointemagazine.com/reunited-in-dance-xander-parish/