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Royal Ballet Apollo / 24 Preludes / Aeternum Mixed Bill


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Yes....this was my only viewing of this triple, and I enjoyed it.  Apollo with Bonelli/Hamilton/Choe/Kobayashi was lovely....and there was no doubt about the moment Bonelli became a god!

 

I enjoyed 24 Preludes very much, and it is a pity I can't see it again this run as there is so much to see.  I was impressed by all the dancers, and must say that Melissa Hamilton and Fernando Montano kept up to the same standards as the six principals with whom they shared the stage.  It was a pity what was done to Chopin's music;  maybe if Ratmansky had kept to the piano version it would have invited even more comparisons with Dances At A Gathering!!  Other people have disliked the girls' costumes;  I quite liked them, but could do without the crinkling noise that the dresses make.  For me, Ed Watson was the stand-out dancer in this piece, dancing with feel and technical excellence....speedy and precise. 

 

As for Aeternum....I was a bit worried when quite a few of the 'regulars' told me they were going home in the interval as they'd all seen the piece before and once was enough.  Needless to say this worried me....and my worries were sort of borne out, but not as badly as I thought they would be.  This was the piece I liked least;  on first viewing I found it very rushed and too busy and over-crowded.  I enjoyed the last movement best, which was a lovely pas de deux danced by Marianela Nunez and Federico Bonelli.  I'd have been happy just to see that, although James Hay did a wonderful little solo which was also well worth watching the piece for.  Jean-Marc Puissant's set was fabulous, moving upwards and outwards almost imperceptibly....my eye kept straying further and further upwards just to keep an eye on it and marvel.  Maybe on a second viewing I will derive more from the piece....but I must say I don't feel like I'd run back to see it again. 

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As for Aeternum....I was a bit worried when quite a few of the 'regulars' told me they were going home in the interval as they'd all seen the piece before and once was enough.  Needless to say this worried me....and my worries were sort of borne out, but not as badly as I thought they would be.  This was the piece I liked least;  on first viewing I found it very rushed and too busy and over-crowded.  I enjoyed the last movement best, which was a lovely pas de deux danced by Marianela Nunez and Federico Bonelli.  I'd have been happy just to see that, although James Hay did a wonderful little solo which was also well worth watching the piece for.  Jean-Marc Puissant's set was fabulous, moving upwards and outwards almost imperceptibly....my eye kept straying further and further upwards just to keep an eye on it and marvel.  Maybe on a second viewing I will derive more from the piece....but I must say I don't feel like I'd run back to see it again. 

 

I loved it, and its grown on me every time I've seen it. I think he uses the music really well, the mix of dancing pace suiting the changing moods of the music. I can understand what you mean about being a bit cluttered when the corps on though, the same way some parts of DGV get bunged up. The final pdd is glorious though - for both casts.

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Alina and Ricardo both danced in 24 Preludes but everyone else listed on the cast sheet was replaced (Sarah and Edward's replacements were only announced just before the ballet started). Having seen this ballet twice now, I still feel that it's too long and that there isn't enough interest to sustain 41 minutes.

 

I liked the prologue to Apollo more today. I think that the lighting at the moment of birth was different, but perhaps I have imagined this. I felt that both Carlos and the orchestra were a bit under-powered.

 

I was still impressed by Aeternum. I found it very powerful. I like the music which, unsurprisingly, has echoes of Britten's War Requiem. The dancing in the opening section has something of The Rite of Spring about it. I was impressed with James Hay's solo.

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I too went to the matinee on Saturday. 24-Preludes was interesting - but suffered from the change of casting which made it seem a bit under rehearsed - though Alina and Ricardo danced beautifully.

 

 

I enjoyed Apollo very much - particularly the wonderful shapes Balanchine makes for his groups of dancers and the way he uses the music and the dancing of Marianela and Carlos. Aeturnum was impressive and made a wonderful end to the afternoon - loved the solo for James Hay and the final pas de deux for Marianela and Thiago.

 

Margaret

 

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Edited by Margaret
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I too went to the matinee on Saturday. 24-Preludes was interesting - but suffered from the change of casting which made it seem a bit under rehearsed - though Alina and Ricardo danced beautifully.

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They had had the advantage of dancing together on Thursday.  So, it's Benjamin/Hamilton, McRae/Cervera, Hristov/Montano, but who are the second casts for Lamb, Watson, Pennefather, Yanowsky and (by process of elimination) Cojocaru?

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I loved it, and its grown on me every time I've seen it. I think he uses the music really well, the mix of dancing pace suiting the changing moods of the music. I can understand what you mean about being a bit cluttered when the corps on though, the same way some parts of DGV get bunged up. The final pdd is glorious though - for both casts.

So happy to read I am not the only one who likes Aeternum zxDaveM. I loved it!

 

Reading reviews and audience' reactions I began to wonder why no one seemed to like it. I thought it was stunning. I loved the beautiful decor by Puissant (a Contemporary work of Art if you ask me), strong dancing from the whole cast, beautiful music...after a boring 24Preludes: too long, ugly costumes, too many bits and pieces (liked a few parts, and the dancers gave it their all ) but I got really bored with the choreography after 30 min. wanting it to be over. Surely on a 2nd or 3rd viewing I'd appreciate it more but the highlight for me was Aeternum (so what if he uses moves we have seen before, what's wrong with that???  It's Wheeldon's vocabulary, his hallmark. Happily see it again!

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Apparently all but one of the advertised cast for 24 preludes today was replaced. Not sure why, but i'm guessing illness.

 

Why, is there something going around?  Three of the original cast are scheduled to appear in tomorrow night's gala at the Coliseum.  Also, Watson has a busy few weeks coming up, so might need to be taken out as a precaution, I suppose.

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Why, is there something going around?  Three of the original cast are scheduled to appear in tomorrow night's gala at the Coliseum.  Also, Watson has a busy few weeks coming up, so might need to be taken out as a precaution, I suppose.

I think they are replaced as pairings (other than Alina/McRae/Cervera), particularly as the announcement was that Sarah was ill but both she and Ed were replaced.

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They had had the advantage of dancing together on Thursday.  So, it's Benjamin/Hamilton, McRae/Cervera, Hristov/Montano, but who are the second casts for Lamb, Watson, Pennefather, Yanowsky and (by process of elimination) Cojocaru?

Lamb/Crawford

Watson/Trzensimiech

Pennefather/Kish

Yanowsky/Kaneko

Cojocaru/Galeazzi

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Would be interested to hear from anyone that went tonight what Apollo was like with Lamb, Pennefather, Mendizabal and Cowley. Pennefather and Lamb is one of my favourite partnerships.

 

Also still hearing such widely differing views on 24 preludes and Aeternum

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I went to the last performance yesterday and my feelings about the programme didn't change from the first night, think the RB really got Apollo right this time, Rupert Pennefather put a lot of feeling into Apollo, enjoyed it more than I have for a while.

 

24 Preludes seemed even less substantial the second time, more bitty, although there are some lovely pdd and solo's, it was nice to see the second cast, I for one am glad that it's not danced to a solo piano, I'm not really convinced it's one of Ratmansky's best.

 

On the other hand Aeternum looked even better, I was hoping to see the second cast but Thiago Soares did dance instead of Federico Bonelli, he and Marienela Nunez brought even more intensity to the final pdd, I think this has to be one of Christopher Wheeldon's finest dances, worth the price of the ticket as they say!

 

These two works have produced different views haven't they?

 

 

 

 

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