Royal Ballet MacMillan triple bill: Danses Concertantes, Different Drummer, Requiem 20 March to 13 April 2024

[Linnzi5]

1 hour ago, CCL said:

 I was there last night and thought it was an absolutely excellent triple bill. Danses Concertantes was quirky and sunny; I liked the vintage feel of it. I didn’t mind the costumes in the end, having originally thought ‘headache’, as they contributed to the overall feeling of effervescence. It was pure joy! Different Drummer was, for me, extremely compelling and moving. The beauty of the music added to the desperate poignancy of what was happening on stage. The story was told with the utmost clarity and commitment: huge kudos to Marcelino Sambe, Francesca Hayward and Francisco Serrano in particular but really everyone was on top form. I felt wrung out afterwards but also thankful that I had the opportunity to see this powerful piece of art. Finally, Requiem was as utterly divine as I expected it to be. Every single piece was beautiful and moving, but I would single out the second piece, the Offertoire, as the one that had the greatest impact on me. William Bracewell was absolutely stunning in this. Incidentally, the tickets for myself and my daughter, in Row C of the amphi- quite far round but not restricted view - were £22 each. I think that is absolutely outstanding value for money. I am still on a high this morning! 

I like the font. Makes it much easier to read!  

 

I was surprised I liked Different Drummer - I had a feeling it would be along the lines of Anastasia Act III, which I really disliked, so I was pleased that I didn't feel the same way.  I too thought the dancing was extraordinary and compelling, as were parts of the choreography.  I forgot to mention Francisco Serrano, who I thought was fantastic too - though I always feel nervous when baton twirling is involved in the performance! He did a great job though. It was a great opportunity seeing it, I agree, and I am glad I did. It's actually nice to be wary going into a performance and then to be pleasantly surprised . As I said earlier, I would watch it again in a triple bill but would not go out of my way to see it otherwise.  I would like to see Osipova as Marie as I think her take on the character would be very interesting. 

 

Danses Concertantes was such fun, I agree and yes, sunny is a great description as I smiled a lot all the way through it.

 

Requiem though, for me, was so moving and the star of the show. I still have the vision of Sarah Lamb floating in - she was so serene and majestic. I'd go and see that again in a heartbeat.

 

Good to know you got a good view at those prices!  

Edited April 5 by Linnzi5

[alison]

1 hour ago, CCL said:

Incidentally, the tickets for myself and my daughter, in Row C of the amphi- quite far round but not restricted view - were £22 each. I think that is absolutely outstanding value for money.

 

Probably why they appear to be about in the £75 price range for Swan Lake?!  Or possibly £55, depending on exactly where you were sitting.

[CCL]

Thank you Linnzi! Yes, I agree that it’s good to be pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t that I thought I wouldn’t like DD as such, more that I thought it might be a gruelling watch. Of course, the subject matter was pretty gruelling but its power was such that I felt awed. A point further to what I said upthread- I should have mentioned the wonderful singing in Requiem. It was so good to hear it again and sung with such beauty and clarity. I feel so fortunate to have been there last night!

[CCL]

5 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Probably why they appear to be about in the £75 price range for Swan Lake?!  Or possibly £55, depending on exactly where you were sitting.

Yes, I just checked- it was C76 and 77 so that’s £55 for SL. Quite a discrepancy in price. The view was very good, I have to say- nobody was blocking it in any way - perhaps I just got lucky.

[Linnzi5]

2 minutes ago, CCL said:

Thank you Linnzi! Yes, I agree that it’s good to be pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t that I thought I wouldn’t like DD as such, more that I thought it might be a gruelling watch. Of course, the subject matter was pretty gruelling but its power was such that I felt awed. A point further to what I said upthread- I should have mentioned the wonderful singing in Requiem. It was so good to hear it again and sung with such beauty and clarity. I feel so fortunate to have been there last night!

Yes. The soloists and chorus were beautiful, weren't they? As were the orchestra. Though Sanctus, Pie Jesu and In Paradisum are my favourites musically, I particularly enjoyed the baritone, Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, in Libera Me -  I thought he was absolutely superb. I felt very, very fortunate as well, though I do whenever I attend ROH - my bank balance, not so much! 😂

[Linnzi5]

3 minutes ago, CCL said:

Yes, I just checked- it was C76 and 77 so that’s £55 for SL. Quite a discrepancy in price. The view was very good, I have to say- nobody was blocking it in any way - perhaps I just got lucky.

I had a fantastic view last night and could actually see the expressions on the dancers' faces really well - which was so lovely, especially in Different Drummer and Requiem. I had two short ladies in front of me, which is always good when you are short yourself. However, I am getting better at picking seats where I know I'll get a good view. 

[Emeralds]

16 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Another delightful performance of Danses Concertantes so far- Marco Masciari and Liam Boswell virtually unrecognisable under the headpieces but excellent in their dancing and partnering, and it also took me a while to recognise Ashley Dean with her hair hidden under the black headpiece! The six ladies of the ensemble- Katsura, Lubach, Mullova-Barley, Nikelski, Roscoe, Tonkinson once again stellar in their unison and beautiful lines, while still dancing with musicality and wit. Taisuke Nakao revelling in the humour of his role, with some fine jumps.

 

The pas de trois with Zucchetti, Maeda and Dean danced with so much wit,  charm and virtuosity, but never overdoing it- bliss! Maeda has grown in confidence and polish since her last performance. Couldn't help feeling that maybe Zucchetti and Rovero might be a better fit if they swapped roles. Gasparini a delightful lead ballerina again. The music is gorgeous - beautifully played by the ROH Orchestra under the baton of Koen Kessels. 

Sorry to bring part 2 of the review for last night's performance (4 April) a bit belatedly- was busy checking train updates about the overtime ban at the second interval, then had to rush to get home afterwards in case we got stranded! 

 

Different Drummer-  we were at last night's performance principally to see the cast of Hayward and Sambe for Different Drummer, as the cast changes meant we'd actually seen many of the same cast for Danses Concertantes and Requiem already. Did consider returning tickets when the rail industrial action was announced but as DD might not be programmed again for ages, we just had to go as Hayward wasn't scheduled to dance Marie after the industrial action ends). 

 

Francesca Hayward, Marcelino Sambe and Francisco Serrano certainly triumphed as Marie, Woyzeck and Drum Major. Hayward has many of the same qualities that Ferri had as Marie. When she makes her entrance, they both had that same sashaying walk that tells you something about the character- for me, it was "uh oh, this girl is not going to be the supportive wife or the tower of strength for poor Woyzeck- she will also cause him grief". Hayward has that way of inhabiting the character- whether Juliet or Manon or Marie - that she no longer appears to act but every glance, pause or step IS the character. 

 

Marcelino Sambe brings his abilities as a virtuoso to the steps that MacMillan gave Woyzeck- the tragedy is heightened when this exploited, mistreated and cuckolded soldier dances with such eloquent grace. Sambe really highlights the grief, anguish and suffering that Woyzeck feels.

 

At this point I want to mention Reece Clarke's portrayal from last week as I didn't have the space then to comment more. A very different portrayal to those of Sambe and Stephen Jefferies (the only other Woyzeck I've seen), Clarke highlights how painful the Doctor's experiments are and how gruelling the training by the Captain are, as well as the bullying from the two of them and the Drum Major are (helped by Gary Avis's excellent portrayal of the relentless, shouting  Captain), with a stark, powerful portrayal of his descent into psychosis.

 

With Sambe's portrayal you get more of a sense of Woyzeck's increasing anguish and distress tipping him over the edge to kill. They are both powerful performances but I found it easier to appreciate Clarke's interpretation after seeing a different one from Sambe. 

 

But the real surprise of the evening was Francisco Serrano's portrayal of Drum Major. A sympathetic Andres in the Clarke/Osipova cast, he really comes into his own as Drum Major here. The first Drum Major I've seen not to drop the Drum Major's mace accidentally (I was beginning to get a bit worried that I might be jinxing every Drum Major I see!) he not only is a dab hand (pun unintended) at the twirling but also the one-handed cartwheels, the leaps, the skilful partnering in his seduction of Marie- outstanding. Not at all overwhelmed by dancing opposite two principals, Serrano completely smashes it  - he is convincing as the confident, arrogant and attractive Drum Major, and you can see why Hayward's Marie would be beguiled by him. Wowzer- I think we have a new soloist here!

 

Thomas Whitehead (Captain) , Kevin Emerton (Doctor), Benjamin Ella (excellent  as Woyzeck’s concernrd friend and fellow soldier Andres) and the rest of the cast provided brilliant support.

 

The ballet has its shocking moments (as dictated by the plot) and some uneven moments- interspersed with unexpected, even jarring, moments of beauty: the score is sometimes too beautiful (especially when combined with the beautiful jetes and elegantly performed slides to the floor of the soldiers) but perhaps this is part of MacMillan's intention- to make us question, discuss and be unsettled by the cruelty and exploitation in the world going on alongside the beauty. 

 

We loved Requiem last week and it was a joy to see Sarah Lamb and Melissa Hamilton back, compelling as ever in the same roles with William Bracewell (Offertoire), Lukas B Brændsrød' (Sanctus) and Joseph Sissens (Libera Me) taking over from Ball, Hirano and Acri from last week. Kudos to Lamb and her partners Bracewell and Brændsrød for being able to present two gorgeous and moving pas de deux with limited rehearsal time when Lamb was called upon to replace Lauren Cuthbertson at short notice. Moving performances from Bracewell, Brændsrød and Sissens- so different from Ball, Hirano and Acri, yet so beautiful as well. The  quartet of Zucchetti, Dixon,  Dubreuil and Donnelly were once again stellar in the lifts and partnering in the Agnus Dei and other sections. Isabela Díaz and Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, the RO Chorus and the ROH Orchestra were magnificent once again in the performance of Fauré's stunning Requiem.  The Royal Ballet in MacMillan's Requiem is soulful and stunning beauty this season- all credit to the dancers, singers, musicians and their stagers and coaches. 

 

I note that we have no recordings of the three ballets on DVD and Danses Concertantes and Different Drummer  (possibly Requiem also) have never been on a cinema relay.  All those who have tickets to the cinema relay or ROH performance next week (whether you decide to see or skip DD), or the Sat 13th April performance, are in for a special treat. 

Edited April 5 by Emeralds

[alison]

1 hour ago, CCL said:

Yes, I just checked- it was C76 and 77 so that’s £55 for SL. Quite a discrepancy in price. The view was very good, I have to say- nobody was blocking it in any way - perhaps I just got lucky.

 

What a shame.  I must have been behind you somewhere, then.  Either way, I'll put it down to the dingy lighting, but I was still struggling to read the dancers' faces in Different Drummer.

 

I think there were probably quite a lot of newbies at last night's performance, but the audience gave everything a rousing reception anyway, which is good, especially if it convinces them that there's more to ballet worth seeing than just the "big name" full-evening works.  And Different Drummer seems to be going down surprisingly well this time around.  Perhaps tastes have changed.

[Roberta]

5 minutes ago, alison said:

And Different Drummer seems to be going down surprisingly well this time around.  Perhaps tastes have changed.

 

Perhaps MacMillan, in his way,  helped change perceptions re what ballet is and acceptable subject matter. It's no longer the shock of the new. Perhaps new audiences are more accepting and comprehending. 

 

 

[AYSHEL]

On 21/03/2024 at 17:43, alison said:

 

So he did.  It was in late 1993, still early in my ROH-going days.  I wonder why I missed it?  There's no way from the performance database you can work out what the other elements of a mixed bill were, is there?

 

EDIT: Looks like Herman Schmerman and a couple of new works, unspecified in what I could find out.  Can see that I might not have bothered with it.

 

The ROH performance database on-line is very fragmentary and far from complete. Checking through my personal database of Covent Garden performances this is what happened back in 1993

 

Different Drummer was given seven performances in 1993. - 23/26/27 Oct. 10/16/24 Nov, 2 Dec

The first 4 performances with Irek Mukhamedov/Adam Cooper/Viviana Durante. The last 3 with Jonathan Cope/Leanne Benjamin/Stuart Cassidy.

 

There were four items on the programme given in this order

Fanfare (Matthew Hart)

If this is still a problem (William Tuckett)

Different Drummer (Macmillan)

Herman Schmerman (Forsythe)

 

Hope that helps

[Roberta]

22 minutes ago, AYSHEL said:

There were four items on the programme given in this order

Fanfare (Matthew Hart)

If this is still a problem (William Tuckett)

Different Drummer (Macmillan)

Herman Schmerman (Forsythe)

 

Yes, we solved the mystery on pages two and then three of this thread. 

 

 

 

[Vanartus]

40 minutes ago, Roberta said:

 

Perhaps MacMillan, in his way,  helped change perceptions re what ballet is and acceptable subject matter. It's no longer the shock of the new. Perhaps new audiences are more accepting and comprehending. 

 

 

I think you’re right. I’ve always been a huge MacMillan supporter, but I remember feeling somehow disappointed at the first night. Second and third showings better (90’s and 00’s)…but seeing both casts in this run I found it a stunning work. The elements I wasn’t sure about 40 years ago (?!) such as the Jesus figure, the brothel scene, the gas masks etc,  just added this time round to this amazing mystical symbolic religious mash-up which went from hyper-real to surreal in a moment. That’s what you get when you see something at 30…and now at 70…now that’s something else!🤣

[AYSHEL]

27 minutes ago, Roberta said:

 

Yes, we solved the mystery on pages two and then three of this thread. 

 

 

 

Mystery indeed was solved but you did not fully clarify the order of play in your responses. I hadn't realised that ROH database is complete in relation to that revival, having just reviewed it. But is good to have the order clarified

[Richard LH]

28 minutes ago, Vanartus said:

I think you’re right. I’ve always been a huge MacMillan supporter, but I remember feeling somehow disappointed at the first night. Second and third showings better (90’s and 00’s)…but seeing both casts in this run I found it a stunning work. The elements I wasn’t sure about 40 years ago (?!) such as the Jesus figure, the brothel scene, the gas masks etc,  just added this time round to this amazing mystical symbolic religious mash-up which went from hyper-real to surreal in a moment. That’s what you get when you see something at 30…and now at 70…now that’s something else!🤣

Yes perceptions do change over time, and I would be perfectly  happy if Different Drummer  next returned in 40 years!

[zxDaveM]

43 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Yes perceptions do change over time, and I would be perfectly  happy if Different Drummer  next returned in 40 years!

 

lol - you and me both Richard - though 15-20 years would probably see me through (cloggs would probably have popped after that time)

[LinMM]

Well you two had better be good then or you might find yourselves having to watch Different Drummer for eternity!! 

[Jamesrhblack]

3 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

Yes. The soloists and chorus were beautiful, weren't they? As were the orchestra. Though Sanctus, Pie Jesu and In Paradisum are my favourites musically, I particularly enjoyed the baritone, Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, in Libera Me -  I thought he was absolutely superb. I felt very, very fortunate as well, though I do whenever I attend ROH - my bank balance, not so much! 😂

 

Delighted you enjoyed Josef’s singing. He’s the latest addition to my General Management roster 🙂

[Roberta]

1 minute ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Delighted you enjoyed Josef’s singing. He’s the latest addition to my General Management roster 🙂

 

I posted a short video of him singing either way back on this thread or another related thread and isn't it really one of the delights of MacMillan that he was unafraid to use first class artists / designers and great music INCLUDING singers? I hope all involved enjoyed the experience. Part of the cine relay also. 

 

[zxDaveM]

12 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Well you two had better be good then or you might find yourselves having to watch Different Drummer for eternity!! 

 

YIKES!

[Dawnstar]

7 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

I would agree - it certainly wouldn't have shocked me as a younger teenager. Though the content was dark (I mean, it's not a nice story, is it?) I was surprised that it wasn't shocking at all, as I expected it to be more explicitly violent and it wasn't. I also didn't find Doctor or Captain alarming - some of the photos I had seen previously, depicted them as being quite terrifying and I didn't feel that last night. In fact, I found the gaoler scene in Manon more disturbing and unsettling overall really. Then again, perhaps that's because I was emotionally invested in Manon and I wasn't during Different Drummer.

 

Whereas I found the Captain & Doctor far worse than the Gaoler even though, like you, I was emotionally invested in Manon but not in Different Drummer. I think it's because the Gaoler is presented as a realistic, albeit extremely unpleasant, human being whereas the Captain & Doctor come across as inhuman groteque caricatures. (I can't bear grotesques in general: for example, it's one reason why I've never got on with Dickens.)

 

3 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

Yes. The soloists and chorus were beautiful, weren't they? As were the orchestra. Though Sanctus, Pie Jesu and In Paradisum are my favourites musically,

 

The Agnus Dei is the one that really moved me musically both last week & last night. Unfortunately I found In Paradisum didn't quite hit the heights that I was expecting it to. (this is purely in musical terms, rather than the dance aspect.)

 

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Different Drummer-  we were at last night's performance principally to see the cast of Hayward and Sambe for Different Drummer, as the cast changes meant we'd actually seen many of the same cast for Danses Concertantes and Requiem already.

 

But the real surprise of the evening was Francisco Serrano's portrayal of Drum Major. A sympathetic Andres in the Clarke/Osipova cast, he really comes into his own as Drum Major here. The first Drum Major I've seen not to drop the Drum Major's mace accidentally

 

Yes, the neat working out of seeing the performances on 27th March & 4th April in order to see all the casts ended up not working out. I would have have been interested in seeing someone else doing Danses Concertantes, even though I thought Gasparini did a very good job. With Requirem I am torn: usually I like to see different people in roles, being an inveterate comparer, but I thought Lamb & Hamilton were so perfect in Requiem that part of me is also glad that I saw them twice & not anyone else.

 

That reminds me of something I was wondering during that baton twirling scene last night & which I hope it's not too inapparopriate to ask here: is the Drum Major's baton intended to be a phallic symbol? The way he holds it in a section of choreography after the initial twirling seems awfully suggestive.

[Linnzi5]

51 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Whereas I found the Captain & Doctor far worse than the Gaoler even though, like you, I was emotionally invested in Manon but not in Different Drummer. I think it's because the Gaoler is presented as a realistic, albeit extremely unpleasant, human being whereas the Captain & Doctor come across as inhuman groteque caricatures. (I can't bear grotesques in general: for example, it's one reason why I've never got on with Dickens.)

I saw photos of different dancers in the Captain and Doctor roles and thought they were indeed grotesque and quite terrifying - I didn't find them so last night and I don't quite know why. 

51 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

 

The Agnus Dei is the one that really moved me musically both last week & last night. Unfortunately I found In Paradisum didn't quite hit the heights that I was expecting it to. (this is purely in musical terms, rather than the dance aspect.)

I can see what you mean. For me, I prefer Pie Jesu to be sung by a higher-registered voice - more akin to a chorister, with less vibrato. That's just my personal preference though and it was a lovely performance by the soprano last night. 

51 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

 

Yes, the neat working out of seeing the performances on 27th March & 4th April in order to see all the casts ended up not working out. I would have have been interested in seeing someone else doing Danses Concertantes, even though I thought Gasparini did a very good job. With Requirem I am torn: usually I like to see different people in roles, being an inveterate comparer, but I thought Lamb & Hamilton were so perfect in Requiem that part of me is also glad that I saw them twice & not anyone else.

I'd see all the casts if I could but I was thrilled with last night's Requiem one. They were stunning. I would have liked to have seen Vadim Muntagirov in Danses Concertantes though, as I've never seen him in such a role. I did have a ticket to opening night but didn't go. 

51 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

That reminds me of something I was wondering during that baton twirling scene last night & which I hope it's not too inapparopriate to ask here: is the Drum Major's baton intended to be a phallic symbol? The way he holds it in a section of choreography after the initial twirling seems awfully suggestive.

Well, I thought so - it was very suggestive and I felt the Drum Major was a very powerfully seductive character - 'look at me and what I can do'.  I have to admit though that all I could think was - please, please don't drop it!  I really liked the character and thought Serrano was excellent with lots of charisma. I don't think it's inappropriate to ask here  

[Linnzi5]

2 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Yes perceptions do change over time, and I would be perfectly  happy if Different Drummer  next returned in 40 years!

😂

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

 

lol - you and me both Richard - though 15-20 years would probably see me through (cloggs would probably have popped after that time)

😂

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Well you two had better be good then or you might find yourselves having to watch Different Drummer for eternity!! 

😂

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

15-20 years would probably see me through

Probably me too but I'm allowing for advances in medical science.....

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Well you two had better be good then or you might find yourselves having to watch Different Drummer for eternity!! 

From that one viewing I feel I already have.....  

[bridiem]

5 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

From that one viewing I feel I already have.....  

 

🤣 Now that could be a new thread: the ballet you would least want to be stuck with for eternity! But no, that would be far too negative. (And there would be too many options in my case!!). A better idea would be: the ballet you would most want to experience for eternity. (But, happily, there would be even more too many options for me in this category!). So I will now stop rambling.

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

The Agnus Dei is the one that really moved me musically both last week & last night. Unfortunately I found In Paradisum didn't quite hit the heights that I was expecting it to. (this is purely in musical terms, rather than the dance aspect.)

 

 

Yes, the neat working out of seeing the performances on 27th March & 4th April in order to see all the casts ended up not working out. I would have have been interested in seeing someone else doing Danses Concertantes, even though I thought Gasparini did a very good job. With Requirem I am torn: usually I like to see different people in roles, being an inveterate comparer, but I thought Lamb & Hamilton were so perfect in Requiem that part of me is also glad that I saw them twice & not anyone else.

 

That reminds me of something I was wondering during that baton twirling scene last night & which I hope it's not too inapparopriate to ask here: is the Drum Major's baton intended to be a phallic symbol? The way he holds it in a section of choreography after the initial twirling seems awfully suggestive.

Maybe In Paradisum works better with a real pipe organ at the back of a hall (like the ones at Albert Hall, Festival Hall, Barbican etc)? Like @Linnzi5 I too like Pie Jesu sung by a treble although Isabela Díaz did well too (MacMillan's ballet always has a soprano instead. 

 

I did consider switching to 9 April on the off chance of having Lauren Cuthbertson instead but the train travel looked like it might be worse next week with everyone back from Easter holidays and potentially worse congestion due to the ASLEF overtime ban. Plus there's no guarantee that Cuthbertson wouldn't be replaced again. I hope next time Yasmine Naghdi will be lead ballerina in one of the casts of Danses Concertantes - the ballet looks so right for her. Also James Hay. I agree -Lamb and Hamilton were gloriously perfect both times in Requiem, with 2 wonderful sets of partners in each cast.

 

The Drum Major's mace is probably both I guess- one to show he is a drum major amd two, the obvious hint/suggestion of a phallic symbol (but without making it too obvious). Had forgotten how many jumps and difficult tricks with the mace he actually has to do! Not as much emotional acting as the role of Woyzeck but difficult in other ways. Very impressed with Serrano's performance! 

Edited April 5 by Emeralds

[capybara]

2 hours ago, Jamesrhblack said:

 

Delighted you enjoyed Josef’s singing 🙂

He’s wonderful - gave me goosebumps.

[Linnzi5]

55 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

🤣 Now that could be a new thread: the ballet you would least want to be stuck with for eternity! But no, that would be far too negative. (And there would be too many options in my case!!). A better idea would be: the ballet you would most want to experience for eternity. (But, happily, there would be even more too many options for me in this category!). So I will now stop rambling.

Love it. I know what mine would be!! 

[Linnzi5]

15 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Maybe In Paradisum works better with a real pipe organ at the back of a hall (like the ones at Albert Hall, Festival Hall, Barbican etc)? Like @Linnzi5 I too like Pie Jesu sung by a treble although Isabela Díaz did well too (MacMillan's ballet always has a soprano instead. 

 

I did consider switching to 9 April on the off chance of having Lauren Cuthbertson instead but the train travel looked like it might be worse next week with everyone back from Easter holidays and potentially worse congestion due to the ASLEF overtime ban. Plus there's no guarantee that Cuthbertson wouldn't be replaced again. I hope next time Yasmine Naghdi will be lead ballerina in one of the casts of Danses Concertantes - the ballet looks so right for her. Also James Hay. I agree -Lamb and Hamilton were gloriously perfect both times in Requiem, with 2 wonderful sets of partners in each cast.

 

The Drum Major's mace is probably both I guess- one to show he is a drum major amd two, the obvious hint/suggestion of a phallic symbol (but without making it too obvious). Had forgotten how many jumps and difficult tricks with the mace he actually has to do! Not as much emotional acting as the role of Woyzeck but difficult in other ways. Very impressed with Serrano's performance! 

I think that would be my one criticism of the orchestra. There really is nothing like a real pipe organ. Synthesised ones just cannot compete. Alas, ROH does not (understandably) have one, so the alternative had to suffice. 

 

I will go to the live cinema relay, I think, well, probably. I am still contemplating getting a ticket to see it live at ROH. I will ponder.

 

I forgot to say, that I thought Sambè looked a little traumatised in the curtain calls. I wanted to hug him and say, 'It's ok.' I can see his performance took a lot from him emotionally. 

[Tufty]

I haven’t seen Different Drummer for years so no idea if the 16plus recommendation was alarmist, but heading out for dinner between the other two ballets worked very well. An usher very tactfully enquired about my daughter’s age (she’s 13) before I explained that we wouldn’t be watching Different Drummer. I was impressed by his manner/ ROH’s care. Manon last month was so wonderfully acted that the violence depicted shocks anew each time, I am

surprised if that really is just a 14plus age recommendation.

 

Requiem was so very beautiful as always.

[Vanartus]

3 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

🤣 Now that could be a new thread: the ballet you would least want to be stuck with for eternity! But no, that would be far too negative. (And there would be too many options in my case!!). A better idea would be: the ballet you would most want to experience for eternity. (But, happily, there would be even more too many options for me in this category!). So I will now stop rambling.

Eternity Heaven: Symphonic Variations

Eternity Hell: Two Pigeons 

[Richard LH]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Maybe In Paradisum works better with a real pipe organ at the back of a hall (like the ones at Albert Hall, Festival Hall, Barbican etc)?

Yes I think so; I made a similar observation upthread....

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

For me, I prefer Pie Jesu to be sung by a higher-registered voice - more akin to a chorister, with less vibrato. That's just my personal preference though and it was a lovely performance by the soprano last night.

 

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Maybe In Paradisum works better with a real pipe organ at the back of a hall (like the ones at Albert Hall, Festival Hall, Barbican etc)? Like @Linnzi5 I too like Pie Jesu sung by a treble although Isabela Díaz did well too (MacMillan's ballet always has a soprano instead.

 

I wouldn't want an actual boy soprano, I'd just prefer a female soprano with a cooler, purer tone. Yes, as I said in my post after the 27th performance, I did find the electric organ or synthesizer or whatever it was detracted the most from the music at the start of In Paradisum.

 

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

Now that could be a new thread: the ballet you would least want to be stuck with for eternity! But no, that would be far too negative. (And there would be too many options in my case!!). A better idea would be: the ballet you would most want to experience for eternity.

 

Most want Manon, least want anything by Wayne McGregor that counts as ballet (or if dance in general is included rather than specifically ballet then pretty much anything contemporary!).