The Royal Ballet's Don Quixote, 2013

[Tony Newcombe]

I spotted her in class just after she had joined the company. I suggested   that she was a better prospect than some of the young dancers who were becoming favourites and got some rather caustic replies. She is going to the top!!!

[aileen]

Is this the most disaster-prone production ever? Fumi had to go off three quarters of the way through Act 1. After a break of twenty minutes Marienela came on to dance with her actual fiance.

[billboyd]

husband

[aileen]

Oh, I thought that they hadn't yet got married. My mistake.

[Coated]

Fumi Kaneko really shone in the short time she was on stage today - can't wait to see her in other roles and agree entirely with the very positive comments made about her upthread.

 

If you have to get a replacement mid-performance though, I don't think you could do better than Nunez. She just swept on stage as if she was planning to throw in a matinee all along and it felt like a bit of a guilty pleasure watching her with Soares.

 

I managed to see 4 performances, and they all felt somewhat different. The ballet really shines when the full cast is on top form, but can drag on a little if a few of the smaller roles are somewhat indifferently danced.

 

One of the standouts for me was Hirano who I started noticing in Mayerling (though not for his Bay Middleton) and his Espada was definitely a high point of the DonQs I've seen.

[aileen]

I so agree with you, Coated (I also saw four casts). As the plot is thin and there's little drama or passion of the R&J/Mayerling variety all the dancing needs to be top notch otherwise the ballet does drag a bit. I think that Act 1 could do with being shortened. As one of the critics said, there's no real story arc in that Act and the dancing repeatedly builds to an apparent climax before the momentum is lost again and there's some more corps dancing. I feel that Basilio is a really difficult role to pull off convincingly. He needs to be elegant, charismatic and bravura. For me, none of the Basilios which I saw had the whole package (and none of them managed a really good one-handed lift - I don't think that all of them even attempted it). Again today, I felt that the production was a bit bloodless. You wanted everyone to be a bit less polite and Royal Ballet-ish. For me, Laura Morera as Mercedes was a standout. She was sassy and had the 'look at me' attitude that I feel is needed for this ballet.

 

Actually, the Dryads scene was my favourite part of the ballet. The view which greets you when the screens part is absolutely magical. The set, tutus, choreography and music are all beautiful.

[nottsballetlover]

Ah, just back home after the matinee this afternoon. That was my one Don Q live (physically present!) at the ROH, as opposed to seeing the live cinema relay, and a totally different experience of course.

 

Firstly my heart goes out to Fumi Kaneko, who sustained an injury onstage towards the end of Act 1 and had to withdraw from the rest of the performance. I did not notice any obvious slip by her (so not sure what happened) and her performance up to when she withdrew was superb - dazzling and full of personality. I wish her all the best for a speedy recovery and really look forward to seeing her dance big roles again soon. Thiago Soares and Hayley Forskitt, dancing a superb Mercedes this afternoon, covered so well when Kaneko went off stage and ahead of the curtain being brought down, that many in the audience had no idea that anything was amiss. The situation was well handled, Kevin O'Hare came on to inform everyone what was happening, Marianela stepped in very quickly and she and Thiago gave a stunning performance together, even though it was never planned that they would be cast together in Don Q. 

 

Anyway, I was sitting in front row stalls today so I could really appreciate some of the finer details I missed in the cinema showing. I agree with what some people have said above that there isn't much plot or drama in Don Q; however there are some some wonderfully fine character roles: today Gary Avis (Lorenzo), Bennett Gartside (Gamache) and William Tuckett (the don) just shone. Some of the comedy bits were laugh out loud, so well acted. What I really loved in this production (and I've only ever seen full length Don Q before on video, such as ABT version) was the gypsy camp fire scene with the live guitar music - so atmospheric and so very Spanish. I used to work in Spain and I speak Spanish so was amazed to be able to hear the dancers in that scene speaking perfect Spanish! I read that Acosta wanted the dancers to 'be heard' a bit in this production but I had no idea until today he has in fact coached them to be heard in Spanish!!!! In that particular scene, I really was transported to Cervantes' Spain, helped along by the utterly outstanding Eric Underwood as head gypsy.

 

So, for me, a wonderful production. Well done RB and Mr Acosta. It has so much character and atmosphere as a production that I would not wish to compare it to any other version. I feel it really suits the Royal Ballet and their dancers. And I was smiling most of the way through apart from the wedding PDD, when I wept buckets.......!!! I always cry at weddings........

Edited November 2, 2013 by nottsballetlover

[sonik1965]

great review nicola shame about Fumi Kaneko hope she gets well soon don q seems to taking its toll on the dancers

[LinMM]

Yes a lovely review thanks.

[alison]

For me, none of the Basilios which I saw had the whole package (and none of them managed a really good one-handed lift - I don't think that all of them even attempted it). Again today, I felt that the production was a bit bloodless. You wanted everyone to be a bit less polite and Royal Ballet-ish. 

 

Presumably you didn't see McRae?  He certainly managed one (and held it, and held it, and ...) when I saw him.  I know what you mean about "too polite" - I think that was a major comment the last time the RB essayed Don Q back in 2001.

 

Very sorry to hear about Kaneko, and hope it's not serious.

[aileen]

I did see McRae, Alison, but not I think at the performance which you have mentioned. It may of course be that the one handed lift was less obvious in this production. In the Mikhailovsky version Vasiliev's non-supporting arm was clearly visible. From what I could see, the RB Basilios had their non-supporting arm bent with the hand on the hip.

 

As nottsballetlover has said, it's a great shame that Fumi Kaneko was injured as she sparkled in the role. She didn't seem to fall or slip and so I don't know what happened. She may, I suppose, have been ill rather than injured. I don't think that K O'H actually used the word 'injured'. He came on again at the beginning of Act 2 to say that on medical advice Fumi would not be dancing again.

 

Yuhui Choe fans will be pleased to hear that she was dancing as one of Kitri's friends yesterday afternoon and so she must have recovered from her injury.

[capybara]

Well, as expected and hoped for, Fumi Kaneko burst onto the stage yesterday afternoon with great aplomb and eye-drawing energy. It was so sad that what looked like a twisted ankle/foot deprived her and us of what promised to be a stunning performance. Very best wishes to her for a full recovery and a speedy return to dancing..

 

Otherwise, on this my fourth viewing of this Don Q, I remained somewhat underwhelmed. Thiago Soares (and I am leaving aside his partnering here as, albeit that he was dancing with his wife, he had not practised with her) seemed underpowered and lacking the sharp precision which brings the role of Basil to life. Also new to me were Hayley Forskitt as Mercedes, Johanes Stepanek as Espada, and William Tucket as the Don. Unlike nottsballetlover, I felt that Hayley needed more time to prepare for the technical demands of her role but Johannes gave Espada quite a bit of oomph and William was, I thought, the best Don by a mile.

 

Overall, however, I am still struggling to 'feel the vibes' of this production. The revised score lacks panache and the pale costumes and Act 1 set seem to have a deadening effect on the action. It was a very different story over at ENB's Le Corsaire in Oxford but that is for another thread.

Edited November 3, 2013 by capybara

[Bruce Wall]

. It was a very different story over at ENB's Le Corsaire in Oxford .

 

..... I couldn't agree more.

[JennyTaylor]

I went to see Bonelli and Sarah Lamb last night and was distinctly underwhelmed, particularly by Sarah who seemed to have no elevation. Bonelli better but not in comparison to McRae or Acosta. Was this just me please as I was somewhat surprised. 

[Timmie]

Overall, however, I am still struggling to 'feel the vibes' of this production. The revised score lacks panache and the pale costumes and Act 1 set seem to have a deadening effect on the action. It was a very different story over at ENB's Le Corsaire in Oxford but that is for another thread.

It is hard not to make comparisons. I saw Don Quixote and Le Corsaire on consecutive Fridays and whilst I enjoyed both, the only one that left me with a real buzz was Le C (and I still get Goosebumps when I think back on it and replay the YouTube trailer to remind me of the night).

[aileen]

I love the trailer with full costumes and staging ie the one featuring Junor, Vadim, Alina, Erina and Yonah.

[chrischris]

I went to see Bonelli and Sarah Lamb last night and was distinctly underwhelmed, particularly by Sarah who seemed to have no elevation. Bonelli better but not in comparison to McRae or Acosta. Was this just me please as I was somewhat surprised. 

 

I saw them last month and I enjoyed their performances, but I don't think it is a role that really suits Sarah. She is too cool and lacks that Latin passion. I thought Bonelli was really good, but he comes across as such a nice character that I feel he sometimes lacks that element of danger or risk that is probably quite useful in this role.

[Tony Newcombe]

Interesting article in Independent on Sunday about Osipova. I didn't realise it but I must have missed her Kitri performances with Acosta in his production of Don Q. Anybody see her in this production????!!!!

[John Mallinson]

She didn't dance in the RB's Don Quixote - next time round presumably. She refers to "My first Don Quixote, here at the Royal Ballet, on tour with the Bolshoi", but that was in 2006.

[Tony Newcombe]

John, I know that. However today's IOS says that she did!!!!!!

[Tony Newcombe]

John, I know that. However today's IOS says that she did!!!!!!

[bangorballetboy]

John, I know that. However today's IOS says that she did!!!!!!

Sarcasm on a message board needs an emoticon...

[John Mallinson]

Ahh, I missed that sentence. Perhaps we should start a new topic for the sloppiest journalism of the year.

[capybara]

Have just watched the recording from Christmas Day and, despite lovely performances from Marianela and Carlos, I remain distinctly underwhelmed by this production.

 

For me, seeing the ballet on the small screen only served to emphasise the folly of the moving scenery and the energy-draining effect of the costume palette. I noticed that, at the beginning, Carlos spoke of drawing on all the productions he had danced in in order to give greater emphasis where he felt that was needed. Instead, his reinterpretion seems to have had a diminishing effect in key areas - two examples: the side stage front first entry of Kitri lacks impact and the ever-present urchins serve to detract from key episodes of dance. What a pity!

[jmhopton]

Definately agree about Kitri's entrance. In the Bolshoi version she enters upstage and all the cast are looking for her and there is almost a pause before her entrance which heightens the dramatic tension. Then she (especially if it's Osipova) is perfectly placed to do those amazing jetes and Laurencia type leaps she executes so splendidly and dramatically. But this is not the only Royal Ballet production spoilt by an uncomvincing entrance. In the Bolshoi Bayadere Solor again enters upstage and gives a series of elegant or dramatic (depending on who's dancing) jetes across the stage. In the Royal version Solor enters downstage and gives a little hop. Not the same effect at all! Joan

[Wulff]

I agree that Kitri's entrance in the RB version has less impact than the Bolshoi's. On the other hand it could be argued that the RB entrance is more logical. Kitri is the innkeeper's daughter, and she enters from the inn rather than off the street.

[capybara]

Since when have ballet narratives been logical, Wulff?

[MAB]

Least logical incident in Don Q used to be the Parisian apache dancers that used to turn up in the Bolshoi's 1970's version.  What the hell they were doing there was something I never did figure out.

 

Have to say although I have a couple of reservations about the Acosta version, I found it enjoyable enough on the whole.

[Swan66]

maybe I'm wrong, but I had the feeling that when Kitri did enter the stage , the orchestra did not sounded too spectacular.

I mean, when I see the DVD with Aurélie Dupont , I see her entrance and she jumps just in the moment that there is a drumroll, and loud, I mean, quite spectacular.

So the whole audience get ready for something, and yes, she appears doing that jump precisely at the moment of the drumroll.

But, and that is why I write that maybe I'm wrong, that I did not hear any spectacular drumroll when Nuñez did her entrance.

Of course, it was fine and very nice, and I think she did the jump just when she entered BUT the music did not accompanied her. it's not her fault, of course, it is I think the fault of the one who decaffeinated the score.... I had the feeling that Minku's score can sound more spectacular....

I have a Sofia orchestra DVD with the whole ballet, and the sound is wonderful the orchestra is wonderful, you can listen cymbals, beating of drums, etc. but I think, ( maybe I'm wrong, as it'sbeen a lot of time since I Heard it , but my impression is that the orchestra could have sounded more lively.

Someone agree with me....or maybe I'm wrong....

 

a few days ago I listened to two swan lakes, one by Lanchbery and the other by prévin, or dutoit, now I do not remember, but for sure, one was by Lanchbery, and they sounded quite different....and I do not mean the sound, both were quite well sound recording, what I mean is that some moments are more spectaculars with drums and cymbals, where in the other versión you can listen them but not so loud or maybe played in a different way....it's curious how a score can sound slightly different dedpending who conducts, and I say it's curious, because, if the score is the same for any orchestra in the world, how on earth can sound so different being the same score....?

Edited January 7, 2014 by Swan66

[Ian Macmillan]

Swan66:  Sound engineers play a very significant part in how a recording and the balance of orchestral sections (and singers and chorus, where applicable) emerge from a studio.  It's not simply a matter of differing conductors.  Should you ever listen to BBC Radio 3's 'Building a Library' feature each Saturday morning, you'll hear many such differences being pointed out by knowledgeable commentators as they compare recordings of the same work.

[capybara]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I had the feeling that when Kitri did enter the stage , the orchestra did not sounded too spectacular.

 

It's curious how a score can sound slightly different depending who conducts, and I say it's curious, because, if the score is the same for any orchestra in the world, how on earth can sound so different being the same score....?

 

But it isn't the same score for Don Q, is it? Martin Yates re-orchestrated and re-configured it for the RB and it seems to have lost its life and impact in consequence.

Edited January 7, 2014 by capybara

[LinMM]

Yes I think the score was more exciting when I went to see Osipova and Vasiliev do Don Q at the Coliseum in March when the dancing was pretty sparkling as well!

 

Swan 66 did you get to see Cuthbert do Nutcracker in the end was just thinking about you a couple of days ago!

[Wulff]

Many of the 19th century ballet scores have been subject to numerous revisions and interpolations. When Acosta and Yates first went to work on the Don Q music they could find no complete original orchestral score, so they went back to the piano score and worked from there. I would imagine that the Bolshoi orchestration is the work of several hands and some of the interpolations in both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky versions, eg the "Apache" number and the "Oriental" solo are pretty certainly not by Minkus. I believe that Lanchberry orchestrated Nureyev's version of Don Q as he did Makarova's version of Bayadere. As for the version of Swan Lake which we know and love, that is full of cuts and interpolations and pieces that are not by Tchaikovsky. Drigo, Petipa and Tchaikovsky's brother Modeste gave the whole ballet a thorough working over both as to plot and music when the 1895 version was produced. Sleeping Beauty was subject to cuts from the outset and the RB version sets some numbers to music intended for other different numbers. The RB's Giselle does not use Adam's original orchestration since apparently the original was not judged "exciting" enough, and as for Corsaire that score deserves to win prizes for being the ultimate "dog's breakfast", although the Delibes section is probably the most musically satisfying. So it is more than likely that the versions that some members find more "exciting" are simply beefed-up versions of the original orchestration.