Royal Ballet - Swan Lake 2024

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, balletyas said:

I so agree re the double - I felt the hair colour difference was so jarring at the end that it completely broke the spell.

A properly dark wig isn’t surely that hard to come by.

 

They seem to not be bothering to try to make the doubles look like the proper Odettes unless they happen to do so already. On Saturday evening Madison Bailey doubled for Sarah Lamb in the Prologue, which given how few blonde dancers there are in the RB is about as good at match as you can get, but as she was then dancing one of the Cygnets the double at the end of Act IV had brown hair rather than blonde!

 

I agree with the comments about bows in Act II, especially @Fonty's post.

[Linnzi5]

2 hours ago, Jake said:

Yes, forgot to mention that the prologue did seem a bit strange with the two people bearing no resemblance. 

Yes. I noticed this too and thought it a bit strange. I wonder, if I would have noticed if I was sitting in ROH though? 

 

I must mention that I thought Yasmine's Act II White Swan Coda was stunning.  I forgot to mention that earlier. I absolutely love that part of Act II and I thought she was gorgeous - one of the best I've ever seen. 

[Spoke]

21 hours ago, MildConcern said:

I was so enamoured by Naghdi and Ball’s debuts in R&J in 2015, but I’m afraid I’ve never felt that way about her again. About Ball, certainly (his Rudolf and Beliaev among others). But as much as I admire her technique, I have never found Naghdi heartrending other than that first R&J outing. There is something very calculated about her presentation that is a barrier to my emotional enjoyment, and I’m afraid that came across to me strongly this evening.

 

I have Hayward, Kaneko and Sasaki to come still. Aside from Kaneko, I’m not sure the others will be able to match Naghdi on technical prowess. But I am more hopeful I will be able to be emotionally invested in the story. 

This pretty much describes my feelings. Particularly the 'calculated' presentation - I hadn't thought of it that way, but it captures what I was trying to articulate to myself.

[Spoke]

20 hours ago, balletyas said:

I quite agree that Naghdi is the safest pair of hands  besides Nunez and that makes it so easy to watch her.   And yes - she does ‘become’ her characters and I’m beginning to think that’s why her Odette tonight was on the chilly side -  I think what we were seeing was someone who darent let herself show her feelings too much, in case it might all crumble, as indeed it does.  In fact once she knew she was doomed I felt she let herself go completely and felt her utter resignation very strongly.  It takes a great artist to be selective in what they show us.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I get what you are saying, but I still struggle to understand why Siegfried would ever have fallen for her with so little encouragement or much of anything. But what works for some is not what works for others.

 

Never really though Benno as much more than a fairly fun-loving sidekick / wingman, who's trying to encourage his friend the prince to let his hair down a bit more!

[balletyas]

10 minutes ago, Spoke said:

I get what you are saying, but I still struggle to understand why Siegfried would ever have fallen for her with so little encouragement or much of anything. But what works for some is not what works for others.

 

Never really though Benno as much more than a fairly fun-loving sidekick / wingman, who's trying to encourage his friend the prince to let his hair down a bit more!

Perhaps he fell for her because she was unattainable and beautiful and ‘other’  - one has known men who find elusiveness very beguiling….often men who have lots of women falling at their feet as Prince S so obviously does in Act III..  And perhaps because she so obviously needed help/rescuing - he might’ve responded to that too… 

 

I didn’t see Nagdhi’s portrayal as cold at all but she certainly didn’t have the eager readiness to fall in love that she exhibited in Giselle or latterly in Manon,  so whatever she was doing and feeling was obviously an artistic choice. 
 

Anyway it’s all speculation really and one either responds to someone or one doesn’t so I’ve probably said enough! 

 

[balletyas]

1 hour ago, Linnzi5 said:

Yes. I noticed this too and thought it a bit strange. I wonder, if I would have noticed if I was sitting in ROH though? 

 

I must mention that I thought Yasmine's Act II White Swan Coda was stunning.  I forgot to mention that earlier. I absolutely love that part of Act II and I thought she was gorgeous - one of the best I've ever seen. 

Sitting in the Stalls Circle saw it very clearly. Loved the coda.. 

[Rachelm]

9 hours ago, Spoke said:

I get what you are saying, but I still struggle to understand why Siegfried would ever have fallen for her with so little encouragement or much of anything. But what works for some is not what works for others.

 

Never really though Benno as much more than a fairly fun-loving sidekick / wingman, who's trying to encourage his friend the prince to let his hair down a bit more!

I think he fell for her because he felt trapped in his role as Prince and could completely relate to her being trapped as a swan. He had that deep connection with her- a soul mate. I think the fact that he thought he could rescue her also meant in some way that there was hope for him- that he could be free too. 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello @Spoke and welcome to the Forum!

[JohnS]

I saw the cinema relay live in Keswick and there was much applause when Kevin O’Hare referred to Keswick and a letter he’d received from a lady who goes to all the Sunday encores. Hopefully she’ll be there this Sunday. I was going to book for Sunday’s encore in Rheged on the way home from London but surprisingly Rheged aren’t doing an encore. Fortunately for me they were screening a delayed ‘live’ relay on Thursday so I managed to catch that instead. Still the same sound issues but very good to see Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball on Rheged’s massive screen. I’d seen their first performance in the ROH this run and I probably preferred that - and not just for the exquisite long held balance in Act 3. On Wednesday I thought Ball rather overdid the Von Rothbart contemptuous mutterings and couldn’t help wondering if Siegfried had seen too much of Woyzeck’s Captain but on second viewing I wasn’t as concerned. I thought the rest of the cast stronger in the cinema than their first performance and was particularly impressed by Annette Buvoli and Joonhyuk Jun.

I do agree with the applause comments being over intrusive. In the theatre the fabulous Naghdi balance had been met with a smattering of applause which I’m pleased to say didn’t ignite. Quite a contrast to opening night when the Nunez aficionados ensured a cacophony of applause and whooping, fortunately no rattles, all highlighting the Nunez performance. I’m afraid throughout the opening night for me the applause undermined the sense of character for Odette, Odile and Siegfried and despite Marinella Nunez and Vadim Muntagirov’s undoubted talents where there’s so much to admire, I’m finding other Swan Lakes more satisfying.

 

On that note I’m very much looking forward to today’s double Swan Lake. I enjoyed Mayara Magri and Marcelino Sambe’s earlier performance, albeit rather overshadowed by his astonishing Woyzeck performances, so it will be good to see their final performance. And when I saw the casting, I was delighted to see Francesca Hayward and Will Bracewell were again paired. I think in her brief moments in the Prelude Hayward conveys more of Odette’s vulnerability and anguish than I get from some Odettes in their White Acts and I was also taken with much of her Odile. I’m hoping this run Hayward is fully fit as she was struggling in her debut run. Bracewell is such a supportive partner and it was very touching when Hayward presented him with a bouquet during his curtain call after their final performance last run. Here’s hoping for a fabulous Saturday.

[Suffolkgal]

Very envious have a wonderful day all. There is a sort of lyricism and musicality and on some level another undefined link that I always feel when Bracewell and Hayward dance together. 

[Rob S]

I think Mayara is doing a particularly fine job this afternoon 🙂

[JohnS]

A fabulous Act 4 with Marci desperately trying to prevent Mayara leaping to her death. I thought this one of the best Act 4s I’ve seen.

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Richard LH]

On 25/04/2024 at 13:36, zxDaveM said:

I think we may be overthinking the 'plot' a bit 🙂

Exactly! However I've just re-read the well-written synopsis provided for the Scarlett production, and it may answer some of the queries people have raised. Anyway it adequately explains everything plot wise I might need to worry about! In fact I think it it adds quite a lot of additional poignancy to the story.

[RobR]

There was a press at the exit after tonight’s performance, probably because of the rain. 
 

The woman next to me was humming one of the numbers/movements. 
 

“So you enjoyed it?”, I asked. 
 

She responded, in a northern accent, “I loved it, I really loved it - I’ve never been to a ballet before - I loved it”. 😀

[MildConcern]

Mixed feelings from this evening.

 

It’s not Francesca Hayward’s wheelhouse but she gave it a good attempt and was better as Odette. I’m afraid her Odile was rather unconvincing, though I do give her plaudits for managing to muscle through the fouettés when she was clearly out of steam and laboured. It’s a weird description but she has very ‘Macmillan’ arms - all wrists. I’d watch her endlessly as Manon, but it’s slightly odd on O/O.

 

Bracewell was fantastic as I have come to expect, but they do not have much chemistry together. 

Gary Avis almost stole the show as Rothbart!

 

[RobR]

I’ll leave others to comment on the detail but tonight’s Swan Lake was very well received by an enthusiastic audience. 
 

Also nice to see Charlotte Tonkinson’s debut as a sister 

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BeauxArts]

Curiously, I found Francesca H’s Odile more compelling than her tentative Odette. I was quite happy to see her single fouettés which she finished well. Her classical dancing is small-scale, which is not a criticism, but can leave her rather exposed in this kind of demanding role. She had the immense good fortune of an incredibly generous partner in William Bracewell. This is now an excellent role for him, his thoughtful characterisation in play from  the first grudging acknowledgment of  von Rothbart. His solos were well-judged and beautifully danced and his partnering impeccable. I think he and Francesca H do have chemistry,  but probably the MacMillan repertoire is where it finds (and hopefully will find in the future) its fullest expression. Elsewhere, Joonhyuk Jun was a pleasure to watch. The corps were on fine form, despite the demands of a double-show day. 

Edited April 27 by BeauxArts

[art_enthusiast]

10 hours ago, MildConcern said:

It’s not Francesca Hayward’s wheelhouse but she gave it a good attempt and was better as Odette. I’m afraid her Odile was rather unconvincing, though I do give her plaudits for managing to muscle through the fouettés when she was clearly out of steam and laboured.

 

That was my impression after seeing her portrayal in 2022. It sounds like she’s made advancements as Odile though, I don’t think she got through all the fouettés last time.

 

In terms of classical roles, I really liked her Aurora last year. 

[JohnS]

I found last night’s Swan Lake hugely satisfying and a pleasure to see Francesca Hayward’s audacious Odile alongside her heart-rending Odette. I’ve always been impressed with her Odette and I thought last night she gave a performance to cherish - wonderfully sustained throughout the two White Acts and making the most of the slow tempo. The lighting didn’t quite work as well in the Prelude as I remember from the previous run (as I think has been the case in a number of performances this run). But I found Odette’s vulnerability aching in Act 2 and she was utterly broken in Act 4 before girding herself for her redemptive self sacrifice. Act 3 has always been a challenge for Hayward with the bravura set pieces and there are dancers who certainly have more panache. But last night there was no doubting in my mind that Hayward’s Odile would deliver. And I do find her Odile alluringly seductive, shades of her recent Marie and Manon. 
 

Will Bracewell was a fabulous Siegfried, wonderful dancing throughout, and showing his contempt for Von Rothbart through movement rather than muttering. I thought he and Hayward made a convincing partnership and, as in the previous run, I’m sure Bracewell gave tremendous support. It was good to see them at the Stage Door and they both seemed pleased with the performance.

Looking forward very much to their second performance in a couple of weeks and with other casts to see before then.

[LinMM]

A nice pic of Ella Newton Severgnini in the background above (behind Leticia Stock I think) with Julia Roscoe holding the bouquet of flowers? 
Have missed out on Hayward this time in Swan Lake unfortunately as days just didn’t work out (she often seems to dance on Saturday evenings which are not good for me! ….and can only go so many times so still haven’t seen her in this role! 
I have no doubt that she will deliver though and would love to see her with Bracewell as I think they have some (dancing) things in common so would expect that they would have pretty good chemistry together somehow. 

Edited April 28 by LinMM

[Linnzi5]

2 hours ago, JohnS said:

I found last night’s Swan Lake hugely satisfying and a pleasure to see Francesca Hayward’s audacious Odile alongside her heart-rending Odette. I’ve always been impressed with her Odette and I thought last night she gave a performance to cherish - wonderfully sustained throughout the two White Acts and making the most of the slow tempo. The lighting didn’t quite work as well in the Prelude as I remember from the previous run (as I think has been the case in a number of performances this run). But I found Odette’s vulnerability aching in Act 2 and she was utterly broken in Act 4 before girding herself for her redemptive self sacrifice. Act 3 has always been a challenge for Hayward with the bravura set pieces and there are dancers who certainly have more panache. But last night there was no doubting in my mind that Hayward’s Odile would deliver. And I do find her Odile alluringly seductive, shades of her recent Marie and Manon. 
 

Will Bracewell was a fabulous Siegfried, wonderful dancing throughout, and showing his contempt for Von Rothbart through movement rather than muttering. I thought he and Hayward made a convincing partnership and, as in the previous run, I’m sure Bracewell gave tremendous support. It was good to see them at the Stage Door and they both seemed pleased with the performance.

Looking forward very much to their second performance in a couple of weeks and with other casts to see before then.

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed last night's performance. I was sadly, well not sadly as I was away with a friend enjoying a weekend of music, unable to attend last night - I would have liked to have gone to both Hayward/Bracewell performances and was disappointed not to be able to do so, but am going on 11th May.  I loved Hayward's Odile last time I saw her and thought she was a complete firecracker. I'm so glad to hear she delivered the fouettés - bravo to her for her resilience, as I know they are not necessarily her forte.

 

I have to admit that too much muttering is not an interpretation that I personally enjoy - I feel it makes Siegfried seem a bit petulant, as is too much eye-rolling. I'm not saying it's not valid, interpretations are obviously up to the performer, but it's just not what I like to see.

 

12 hours ago, BeauxArts said:

Curiously, I found Francesca H’s Odile more compelling than her tentative Odette. I was quite happy to see her single fouettés which she finished well. Her classical dancing is small-scale, which is not a criticism, but can leave her rather exposed in this kind of demanding role. She had the immense good fortune of an incredibly generous partner in William Bracewell. This is now an excellent role for him, his thoughtful characterisation in play from  the first grudging acknowledgment of  von Rothbart. His solos were well-judged and beautifully danced and his partnering impeccable. I think he and Francesca H do have chemistry,  but probably the MacMillan repertoire is where it finds (and hopefully will find in the future) its fullest expression. Elsewhere, Joonhyuk Jun was a pleasure to watch. The corps were on fine form, despite the demands of a double-show day. 

Last run, I found Hayward's Odile more compelling too, but I am really looking forward to seeing what she does with both roles on the 11th. 

Edited April 28 by Linnzi5

[WoodlandGladeFairy]

Went to an encore screening of Swan Lake this afternoon and it was an excellent performance.

 

Yasmine Naghdi is such a exquisite dancer, she just finds space in the music, her Odette was honest and noble and her Odile was real seductress, she really conveyed how cynical Odile's feelings are. She is one of my favourite dancers and it is pleasing to see her just get better and better, reaching new heights.

 

Matthew Ball was elegant as usual, he partners Yasmine Naghdi so well, they look wonderful together. 

 

The ROH Orchestra were brilliant as usual, no one plays the Swan Lake score quite like they do, the Act IV music was glorious, super romantic. dramatic and sweeping.

 

Act III is just magnificent, real sense of grandeur. Isabella Gasparini and Leo Dixon were excellent in the Neapolitan dance, best I've seen it performed.

 

It was a pleasure seeing a strong company, they have such a great range of dancers.

[Scheherezade]

I won’t be seeing Hayward and Bracewell this run so it’s lovely to read other people’s impressions. I was surprised, though, to read that someone up-thread felt that they didn’t have any chemistry as I’ve always found their shared naturalistic style dripping in mutual chemistry. Indeed - and much as I love the Kaneko/Bracewell partnership - one of my gripes is that Hayward and Bracewell haven’t been paired up nearly enough of late. 

[art_enthusiast]

I very much like that Romeo and Juliet film that pairs Hayward and Bracewell together, very beautiful.

[Scheherezade]

1 minute ago, art_enthusiast said:

I very much like that Romeo and Juliet film that pairs Hayward and Bracewell together, very beautiful.

It’s gorgeous, isn’t it. The camera loves both of them and they are each so convincing in what they portray. Add Matthew Ball’s glorious Tybalt to the mix and what you have is pure gold. 

[art_enthusiast]

11 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

It’s gorgeous, isn’t it. The camera loves both of them and they are each so convincing in what they portray. Add Matthew Ball’s glorious Tybalt to the mix and what you have is pure gold. 

 

Yes, and Marcelino's Mercutio (which I was fortunate to see live in the 2022 run when he stood in for someone, can't remember who). Perfect casting

[Linnzi5]

51 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

It’s gorgeous, isn’t it. The camera loves both of them and they are each so convincing in what they portray. Add Matthew Ball’s glorious Tybalt to the mix and what you have is pure gold. 

I loved Matthew Ball's Tybalt. It was a very different characterisation to others I've seen and I loved what he did with it.  I thought he was the perfect Tybalt, personally.

[Linnzi5]

1 hour ago, Scheherezade said:

I won’t be seeing Hayward and Bracewell this run so it’s lovely to read other people’s impressions. I was surprised, though, to read that someone up-thread felt that they didn’t have any chemistry as I’ve always found their shared naturalistic style dripping in mutual chemistry. Indeed - and much as I love the Kaneko/Bracewell partnership - one of my gripes is that Hayward and Bracewell haven’t been paired up nearly enough of late. 

I agree with you. I thought they had lovely chemistry and was hoping to see them in The Dream together, as I think they'd be lovely in that. They were so gorgeous together in Dances at a Gathering as well, IMO.

[Linnzi5]

43 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Yes, and Marcelino's Mercutio (which I was fortunate to see live in the 2022 run when he stood in for someone, can't remember who). Perfect casting

I thought Sambè was a perfect Mercutio - cheeky and like a little whirlwind when he danced. 

[JohnS]

1 hour ago, Scheherezade said:

… one of my gripes is that Hayward and Bracewell haven’t been paired up nearly enough of late.

Very much looking forward to their Hamlet and Ophelia albeit a short work.

[Ian Macmillan]

As ever, other reactions may vary and I think there's some comment on the issue up above somewhere but, if the RB can't provide a decent lookalike girl for that Prologue, it would be no loss if it were ditched.