Blossom Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 I had to make time this morning to review the performance as, despite the music, I very much enjoyed it. Starting with the score, interestingly, I spent the evening with an opera lover, who particularly likes the music, although I challenged him to listen to it at home! In Joby Talbot's favour, I do find that the score becomes more tuneful with each act and the act 2 music still remained in my head as I was trying to get to sleep although completely unmemorable this morning. To paraphrase some of the reviews I've seen, this is one of - if not the best 21st century full length narrative ballet. I believe it's one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays, but the storytelling is exceptionally clear and maintains interest throughout and each act raced by. I am coming to terms with some of the new contemporary ballet vocabulary and for me, this blended well with the more classical vocabulary which I recognise. Wheeldon's style captures emotions and interactions well through each character's body language using every muscle in the body, facial expressions included. Having sat in prime position in the stalls last night, I'm looking forward to seeing how well this carries further back in the auditorium, as it is so integral to the characterisations. I liked the clever use of the male pas des deux to convey the relationship of the Kings, the changing styles between the different locations to convey the different lands. This was the first time I had seen TWT live and experience the set design which is simply but effectively done. The use of video projections to convey the boats travelling from one place to another was particularly well done and seamlessly integrated into the storytelling. The physical elements of the set used - from statues in Act 1 and 3, the tree in Act 2 to the physical boats at the end of Act 2 - were all integral to the action (some of the elements having choreography of their own). Matthew Ball was magnificent - in addition to being a fine dancer, this role demonstrates the strength of his acting. Yasmine Naghdi and William Bracewell played Perdita and Florizel with youthful abandon and conveyed their feelings of joy well. I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to see Liam Boswell and Marianna Tsembenhoi dancing Brother Clown and Young Shepherdess - it's always a pleasure to see them dancing and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the other young talent in the remaining casts that I will see. It was a huge treat to have so many big roles and to see Marianela Nunez, Mayara Magri as Hermione and Paulina and found myself debating which was the better role! Again, looking forward to future casts in order to make this decision. On the emotional front, as I mentioned in my post last night, I did feel the impact at times: when Leontes realises what he has done at the end of Act 1, when Polixenes reveals himself in Act 2 and in Act 3 when Paulina realises who Perdita is, when the family is finally reunited. Music is a factor, especially comparing with some of the classics, but I think it's also potentially because each step is so carefully choreographed that there is less abandon (and potentially less danger) vs MacMillan's choreography. I had wondered if I would manage 2 casts in one week not usually being the biggest Wheeldon fan, but can't wait for Wednesday night. The clear take away from this ballet is the power of Shakespeare's stories - and the power of ballet to tell his stories well. I look forward to the next choreographer and composer to take on the challenge of bringing one of his plays to life through actions and not words. 19 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 (edited) Can anybody tell me at what time you end up leaving the theatre eg: after curtain calls etc? I thought it mind end around 10.15 but perhaps 10.25 after curtain calls? Or is it later than this Many thanks Linda Edited May 14 by LinMM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 I’m there tomorrow Blossom perhaps we could meet up? Or anybody else? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Being seated closer to the stage (and orchestra) than in 2018 helped me to really appreciate this great ballet. I thought it striking how the theme of dark jealously, angst and tragic death in Sicilia in Act 1 battles with the contrasting theme of love, exuberance and life in the May celebrations in Bohemia in Act 2…..the two themes are then resolved in Act 3, with the joy and love winning out through the reconciliations of the family and the two kings, albeit always tinged by the remembrance of the past loss of young Mamillius. I thought Matthew Ball and Marianela Nunez were superb in their respective roles; Ball’s Leontes is certainly less intense and tortured than Watson's (and that of Corrales from others’ accounts) but he gives a subtle and believable performance and expertly partnered the ever impressive Nunez in countless difficult lifts and positions. Magri as Paulina also gave a fine performance and gave me an inward chuckle seeing her go all out in her anger at Leontes, given their off-stage partnership; but she replaced this with much tenderness for him later on which also had an off-stage resonance! Naghdi and Bracewell in their debut roles matched, but in a completely different style, the brilliance of their debuts in Manon earlier this season. In neither case would one guess these were debuts…. I spotted one very slight hand fumble early on last night when they missed a connection, but this was seamlessly passed over without breaking the exciting flow of the dancing. I got the impression that Yasmine and William, along with all the Act 2 dancers, were happily, for this night, able to throw off some of the classical forms and strictures of e.g. the recent run of Swan Lake , and simply dance with seemingly boundless energy for the sheer joy of it. Not that any of the dancers could afford to be slack in their timing or positioning …the choreography is so fast and intricate that I am amazed there were no collisions or even, from what I could see, the slightest misstep. When watched on the DVD at times I have felt the Act 2 dancing goes on a bit long, but last night I felt the opposite….I was surprised when the Act came to an end, and just wanted more of the dancing! Oh yes, the Bear…definitely appeared upside down from my viewpoint! And the wriggly baby Perdita is a bit creepy… Finally the music…I know some don’t get on with it, but having heard it several times now I find it very enjoyable and inventive, and an appropriate soundtrack to the story and the dancing. The orchestra were on fine form I thought. A good proportion of the pit is taken up with an amazing variety of percussion instruments, as can be seen in the picture I am going to attach. This is a fabulous production which I would highly recommend, with the whole Company yet again on top form, and I can’t really understand why it has been selling so poorly… 16 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 5 minutes ago, LinMM said: I’m there tomorrow Blossom perhaps we could meet up? Or anybody else? Yes, I will be there tomorrow and it would be great to meet you, Lin (and anyone else who fancies saying hello). We will be in our usual place in the Floral Hall (sorry, I still call it that) somewhere near the steps going down into the old part of the House. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 10 minutes ago, LinMM said: Can anybody tell me at what time you end up leaving the theatre eg: after curtain calls etc? I thought it mind end around 10.15 but perhaps 10.25 after curtain calls? Or is it later than this Many thanks Linda I reckon it was about 10:30 last night. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 (edited) Some of the percussion in The Orchestra Pit for The Winter's Tale. And there is more on the stage itself! (taken during an interval, not during the performance I hasten to add)! Edited May 14 by Richard LH 11 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 (edited) Well as travelling up to London at this moment I will be wearing darkish grey slacks and tomorrow a sort of turquoise blouse top with possibly a muted turquoisy jumper on top if it’s cold!! Black sketcher shoes! As my hair needs “doing” (next week) I’m very much blonde at the moment as the sun always bleaches it! A bit sort of Brian Jones hair cut except his hair was much thicker lol! Hope to meet one or two tomorrow then. Edited May 14 by LinMM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 16 minutes ago, Richard LH said: taken during an interval, not during the performance I think the ‘solo’ percussionist would have had his work cut out if it were during the performance. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 9 minutes ago, JohnS said: I think the ‘solo’ percussionist would have had his work cut out if it were during the performance. 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 I too, loved last night. Probably the most enjoyable performance for me, so far, in my history of Winter's Tales. Act 2 was so joyous - I used to get rather bored with it, but now I can't get enough. Will and Yasmine exuded joy, Liam Boswell utterly superb, Marianna blossoming further each time she appears. The standard of all the dancing is so high, I believe it makes such a difference to the pace and the enjoyment. I too, took photos of the percussion section. It's astonishing. There were 2 wind machines, xylophones which were played with traditional mallets, but also with string bows. Late in Act 3, there was the equivalent of a quick costume change when one percussionist raced round, carrying his music from one instrument to a huge gong behind him. He only just got there in time. My fascination with the percussion has made me appreciate the music even more with the construction of the score to include what could be 20 different percussion instruments and drums. That also doesn't take into account the musicians on the stage. I decided last night that I now love all the music - certainly not the case previously. Brilliant 16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, Richard LH said: This is a fabulous production which I would highly recommend, with the whole Company yet again on top form, and I can’t really understand why it has been selling so poorly… If they reduced the prices of unsold seats I would certainly be tempted to see another cast! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 2 hours ago, LinMM said: Can anybody tell me at what time you end up leaving the theatre eg: after curtain calls etc? I thought it mind end around 10.15 but perhaps 10.25 after curtain calls? Or is it later than this Many thanks Linda My friend last night was worrying a little as having checked the timing for her taxi, I thought a booking for 10.30 would give us a clear 15 mins. It didn't. Red run was done by 10.28 (thankfully Bow St, as predicted, would be a terrible squeeze so she was fine). 2 hours ago, LinMM said: I’m there tomorrow Blossom perhaps we could meet up? Or anybody else? Hoping to make it to the meet up spot for one of the intervals - I have a friend in tow. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, JennyTaylor said: xylophones which were played with traditional mallets, but also with string bows. The one that is sometimes played with a bow is called a vibraphone (it's the one on the right in Richard's picture, with the golden coloured bars). It has hollow tubes under the metal bars that spin (it's plugged in...) which means it produces a sound with vibrato (hence the name!) rather than the more solid sound that one usually associates with struck percussion instruments. 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 1 minute ago, bangorballetboy said: The one that is sometimes played with a bow is called a vibraphone (it's the one on the right in Richard's picture, with the golden coloured bars). It has hollow tubes under the metal bars that spin (it's plugged in...) which means it produces a sound with vibrato (hence the name!) rather than the more solid sound that one usually associates with struck percussion instruments. Ah, that explains it, thank you. I'd spotted the metal bars that spin, but had no idea why! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 4 hours ago, Richard LH said: Naghdi and Bracewell in their debut roles Surely Naghdi has danced Perdita in a previous run? I remember thinking she'd graduated from Shepherdess - unless I'm confusing her with Stix-Brunell for some reason? It was only fairly recently that I realised that Bracewell was dancing Florizel and not Polixenes like last time. I find I'm missing what he brought to that role in other performances thus far - he made much more of it than anyone else has, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 5 hours ago, LinMM said: Thanks for all the piccies …and Dawnstar especially for the one with Caspar Lench in the background! If all these are just phone pics they’re pretty good! No, mine are take on a compact camera. If I tried to use my phone all I'd get would be distant unidentifiable blurs! I've had to go back through my photos to see which one had Lench in the background as I hadn't noticed him. 5 hours ago, zxDaveM said: Of course not! 🙂 Swan Lake is magnificent for the corps dancing and the big pdds for Odette/Odile and the Prince (and Odette's solos), but the ending is a bit of a damp squib in the RB's current production, nullyfying pretty much all that went before. While I find the ending less than ideal, it's all the swan corps dancing that I like the least about SL. 3 hours ago, Richard LH said: Magri as Paulina also gave a fine performance and gave me an inward chuckle seeing her go all out in her anger at Leontes, given their off-stage partnership; but she replaced this with much tenderness for him later on which also had an off-stage resonance! I suppose the sometimes problem of knowing when dancers are a couple off-stage is it colours how you view their chaaracters on stage. I found myself thinking in the first scene of Act III that it was kind of a pity Hermione hadn't actually died so Leontes & Paulina could have got together! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 11 minutes ago, alison said: Surely Naghdi has danced Perdita in a previous run? I remember thinking she'd graduated from Shepherdess - unless I'm confusing her with Stix-Brunell for some reason? It was only fairly recently that I realised that Bracewell was dancing Florizel and not Polixenes like last time. I find I'm missing what he brought to that role in other performances thus far - he made much more of it than anyone else has, I think. If the ROH performance database is correct then previous Perditas are: 2014 Lamb & Stix-Brunell; 2016 Lamb, Stix-Brunell & Hayward; 2018 Lamb, Stix-Brunell, Hayward & Takada. No sign of Naghdi that I can find. I can't really imagine Bracewell as Polixenes, given he still looks so boyish now so would have looked even younger 6 years ago! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleque Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Very sad to have missed Yasmine Naghdi and William Bracewell as Perdita and Florizel (Act II my fave). But what a luxe cast in general 🌟 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, alison said: Surely Naghdi has danced Perdita in a previous run? I remember thinking she'd graduated from Shepherdess - unless I'm confusing her with Stix-Brunell for some reason? It was only fairly recently that I realised that Bracewell was dancing Florizel and not Polixenes like last time. I find I'm missing what he brought to that role in other performances thus far - he made much more of it than anyone else has, I think. Nope. Last night was definitely her debut in the role. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 6 hours ago, LinMM said: Can anybody tell me at what time you end up leaving the theatre eg: after curtain calls etc? I thought it mind end around 10.15 but perhaps 10.25 after curtain calls? Or is it later than this Many thanks Linda For me, gone 10:30. Even if I had wanted to leave as the ballet ended (which I didn't) I would not be able to leave as I was in the middle of a row. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, Sim said: Nope. Last night was definitely her debut in the role. I would never have known. She was just gorgeous 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, Sim said: Nope. Last night was definitely her debut in the role. Bit rough on both of them that they have to have their debut performances filmed, then, as a result of Will's injury, but I guess they'll cope 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 16 minutes ago, alison said: Bit rough on both of them that they have to have their debut performances filmed, then, as a result of Will's injury, but I guess they'll cope Being the professionals they are, I am sure they will!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 32 minutes ago, alison said: Bit rough on both of them that they have to have their debut performances filmed, then, as a result of Will's injury, but I guess they'll cope No idea what his injury entailed, but there was no hint of any problem last night. Presumably the filming was just some sort of backup pending the forthcoming live cinema screening? I hope they include this in the on-demand streaming or release it on a new disc (the latter seem few and far between these days). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Yes, they always film in preparation for a live screening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myrtle Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 11 hours ago, Linnzi5 said: Yes and no. Act I (no Perdita) is 50 minutes, then a 30 minute interval - so she appears 1 hour and 20 minutes into the performance. Perdita is in all of Act II and after another interval of 25 minutes, is in the beginning of Act III, returning at the end after Leontes and Hermione have a big PDD. Thank you so much! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 (edited) The programme describes The Winter's Tale as Wheeldon's masterpiece and I think that description is certainly justified. This was my second viewing with this cast (having been to the General). I was originally booked for last Tuesday but the train strikes put paid to that so re-booked for last night. Still feeling a buzz 24 hours later and have decided to take the risk of a trip on the bank holiday to see a second cast for the matinee. I also have several trips to Sadlers Wells that week to see Northern Ballet's R&J. From last night - https://www.instagram.com/p/C68YlvRIoiq/ Edited May 14 by MJW 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Apart from anything else, they usually need video of the cinema cast to illustrate some of the "interval" features. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady emily Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 35 minutes ago, alison said: Apart from anything else, they usually need video of the cinema cast to illustrate some of the "interval" features. And to cover up mistakes in later releases! I was there the night they did the first broadcast of the new Swan Lake in 2018. During the lifts in the diagonal in the White PDD, something went wrong and one lift didn't happen, with Marianela simply doing the port de bras while walking. There is no evidence of that happening on the recording! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Her tutu got hooked up on his jacket. I saw the broadcast and you could see him fiddling to free it - very discreetly, if you didn’t know there was supposed to be a lift there you probably wouldn’t have noticed. The two friends I was there with didn’t. And luckily it was freed in time to get the following two lifts in! But yes, that’s precisely the sort of thing the backup filming is there for! 😁 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady emily Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) 12 hours ago, Balletfanp said: Her tutu got hooked up on his jacket. I saw the broadcast and you could see him fiddling to free it - very discreetly, if you didn’t know there was supposed to be a lift there you probably wouldn’t have noticed. The two friends I was there with didn’t. And luckily it was freed in time to get the following two lifts in! But yes, that’s precisely the sort of thing the backup filming is there for! 😁 Ah I always wondered! It just seemed so inexplicable and couldn't notice that from the Amphitheatre! Since it was my first time with the new production I had wondered if they had changed the choreography. Edited May 15 by lady emily 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Sudden disappearance of all the unsold stalls and central amphi seats for this evening's performance. Did anyone see an offer ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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