Bayerisches Staatsoper Announces Live Stream Schedule for 2014-15 Season

[Bruce Wall]

This includes the new production of Paquita by Ratmansky and a work by British contemporary choreographer R. Maliphant....  The Company email reads: 

 

In 2014/15, the Bayerische Staatsoper is presenting its third season of selected performances as live streams free of charge online withSTAATSOPER.TV. These will also include all the new productions by the General Music Director Kirill Petrenko. Classical music fans from all over the world can thus follow seven evenings of opera and two of ballet at the full length, live from Munich. The first broadcast, on 5 October 2014, will be the audio-visual transmission of Richard Strauss’ Die schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman) in Barrie Kosky’s production, with Brenda Rae and Franz Hawlata in the main roles (conductor: Pedro Halffter).

The program for the 2014/15 season:
 

Oct. 5, 2014, 6.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Richard Strauss
Die schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman)
Musical direction: Pedro Halffter
Stage direction: Barrie Kosky
With Brenda Rae, Franz Hawlata, Daniel Behle a.o.

Nov. 1, 2014, 6.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Leoš Janáček
The Makropulos Affair
New production
Musical direction: Tomáš Hanus
Stage direction: Árpád Schilling
With Nadja Michael, Pavel Černoch, Tara Erraught, John Lundgren a.o.

Jan. 11, 2015, 6.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Paquita
Choreografie: Alexei Ratmansky / Marius Petipa
Musical direction: Myron Romanul
Soloists and ensemble of the Bayerisches Staatsballett

Feb. 1, 2015, 7.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Gaetano Donizetti
Lucia di Lammermoor
New production
Musical direction: Kirill Petrenko
Stage direction: Barbara Wysocka
With Diana Damrau, Pavol Breslik a.o.

April 12, 2015, 7.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Gaetano Donizetti
L’elisir d’amore
Musical direction: Asher Fisch
Stage direction: David Bösch
With Ekaterina Siurina, Charles Castronovo, Ambrogio Maestri a.o.

May 19, 2015, 7.30 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Der gelbe Klang / Spiral Pass / Konzert für Violine und Orchester
Choreographien: Michael Simon / Aszure Barton / Russell Maliphant
Musical direction: Myron Romanul
Soloists and ensemble of the Bayerisches Staatsballett

June 6, 2015, 6.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Alban Berg
Lulu
New production
Musical direction: Kirill Petrenko
Stage direction: Dmitri Tcherniakov
With Marlis Petersen, Daniela Sindram, Bo Skovhus a.o.

July 4, 2015, 7.00 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Claude Debussy
Pelléas et Mélisande
New production
Musical direction: Constantinos Carydis
Stage direction: Christiane Pohle
With Alastair Miles, Elliot Madore, Markus Eiche, Elena Tsallagova a.o.

July 2015
A live stream from the Munich Opera Festival
(TBA)

 

 

http://streaming.staatsoper.de/

 

[Norman Reynolds]

The first item in today's Dance Links is a Financial Times review by Laura Cappelle of Bavarian State Ballet's production of 'Paquita'. This is a reconstruction of the 'lost' Petipa by Alexei Ratmansky with Doug Fullington. There will be a free live-streaming of this on Sunday January 11th at 5.00pm (UK time), as previously and helpfully advised by Bruce Wall above.

 

It would be interesting to compare this with Pierre Lacotte's 2001 reconstruction which is available on a Paris Opera Ballet DVD.

[alison]

Oh, curses - just in the middle of the time when my Fair Use policy will prevent me from actually watching it live, and my monthly subscription runs out 10 minutes before that period ends and I could have watched it, assuming that it will be accessible after the event as well

[toursenlair]

Oh, curses - just in the middle of the time when my Fair Use policy will prevent me from actually watching it live, and my monthly subscription runs out 10 minutes before that period ends and I could have watched it, assuming that it will be accessible after the event as well

Unfortunately, Alison, Bavarian State Ballet only streams stuff live. It is not archived after the fact.

[John Mallinson]

Live stream of Paquita is tonight at 6pm CET which is 5pm GMT.

[Vanartus]

Fantastic info - many thanks. Saw Paquita in December - amazing.

[Bruce Wall]

Can I just encourage you - having had the privilege through work to have occasion to see this Paquita twice during the past week - to watch this.  The production itself I thought breathtaking.  The theatre is - as ever - also radiant.  I will be most interested to hear what you think.  I know there are many here who have struggled with Ratmansky in the past but I do sincerely feel that so much of his key work has sadly not been seen here ... and certainly I was oh, so delighted when Concerto DSCH was presented nine years after its NYCB premiere by the Mariinsky at our own wonderful ROH. 

 

Here Ratmansky's work is seen in tandem with that of the glorious Doug Fullerton and his Stepanov zeal.  That breathtaking Giselle he helped frame for Carla Korbes (another unique artist who will sadly never have been seen in London as she retires at the end of this season) was oh, so instructive in several key ways and I'm sure the upcoming Ratmansky mount of Sleeping Beauty for ABT's 75th season will also be enticing for the same reasons.  (That opens first at La Scala.)  The decor of the Paquita I think you will certainly enjoy - (vibrant without being garish methought) - and the orchestration - especially that of the Minkus which was familiar to me - is refreshingly buoyant and exceedingly well played.  Indeed it came wonderfully alive. 

I don't always think the company as a whole is up to some of the challenges - but I do so bless them for trying ... and this fine (IMHO) production can but help to build core strength amongst their ranks.  The male artists from the Company's corps who took on the chief male dancing responsibility in the delightful first act pas de trois did very well.  It was also wonderful (for me at least) to see a balletic scenario where hyper extensions were no where on the horizon and a defining petit allegro was clearly being celebrated.  I was also amazed to see the use of 'off-balance' being toyed with at times ... as in the final moment's of the last act's grand pas de deux's adagio.  I didn't think either of the two casts of principals really snared that particular opportunity as they might have but I could vividly imagine how it might otherwise look in the hands of, say, Tamara Rojo with an Alban Lendorf ... or perhaps a Francesca Hayward or a Sara Mearns with a Robbie Fairchild or a Tyler Angle; fine dramatic/balletic artists all.   The czardas that immediately precedes the part we best know as 'grand pas classique' - is performed by a company of 24 children - and is entirely life enriching. The audiences' lustrous applause at its end sustained on both occasions that time it took for the young dancers to run off-stage and up onto an upper stage balcony where they would remain in full view for the dazzling treats that Ratmansky/Fullerton/Stepanov have created to occur below. 

 

(A side note:  It was lovely to see that these Munich audiences still dress for the ballet.  It's very much an old world charm.  Both performances I attended were full and I got a definite sense of occasion from all present.  During the interval there was a palpable parade through the many grand rooms that made up the front of the first balcony level.  I too joined their stroll and was dazzled by the engagement of the conversation about the work at hand - and their pride in it - every bit as much as I was beguiled by the enchanting chandeliers and illustrious change in colours/mouldings within the differing facades.)

Edited January 11, 2015 by Bruce Wall

[Angela]

I am SO, SO, SO interested in what you all will say about the mime in the Paquita reconstruction. Is this really what they did at Petipa's time?

 

And Bruce, the name is Doug Fullington   

[Pas de Quatre]

Have just watched this live stream and was utterly entranced. I agree with Bruce that there are technically stronger companies, but would they have the same appeal? The children were excellent, presumably from the school.

 

However it was the overall feel of the choreography and production that I particularly liked. Paquita is Spanish of course, but this had a real connection to the 19th Century style of Classical Ballet much influenced by Classical Bolero - so no extreme extensions (waist high generally) and lots of fast foot work and beats. In some ways it also made me think of Bournonville, and also the mime scenes of the Pantomime ballets in The Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

[alison]

Unfortunately, Alison, Bavarian State Ballet only streams stuff live. It is not archived after the fact.

 

Live stream of Paquita is tonight at 6pm CET which is 5pm GMT.

Annoyingly, my ISP seems to have been quite happy to allow me to watch videos on YouTube this afternoon despite the fact that I'm supposed to be blocked. Unfortunately, I'd erased this from my memory and only just found the thread, so I assume it's too late by now  

[Aruna S]

I missed a bit of the first Act, and the livestream kept freezing inexplicably on my computer every few minutes which was very annoying. Whatever the problem was, it resolved itself just in time for the entrance of the children so I was able to enjoy the final part. It was a joy to watch. Well done, Bayerisches Staatsballett!

[Bruce Wall]

A very interesting comment by DOUG FULLINGTON (Thanks Angela) himself that you may find of interest.  This is from the Ballet Alert site:

 

No fouettes in the Paquita notation. The only ballet in which they are notated is Swan Lake.

 

We interpolated the Delibes variation for Lucien for three reasons: 1-no variation is notated for Lucien and no music is included in the sources for his variation. 2-the choreography for the variation is well-notated and was intended for the Delibes music. 3-the variation is exactly the kind of male choreography that would have been danced circa 1904, when most of the Paquita choreography was notated.