Mary

ROH:please shorten the intervals!

Running shoes on then! thanks v much.

Oh dear- when you say 10.50pm do you mean after all curtain calls etc?

My beloved old opera glasses are broken.

I went into my local, rather good, camera and  binocular shop, and they had absolutely nothing.

Can anyone recommend a pair or where to go to try some- I understand some cost a fortune but I can't run to £700.

It seems some other forumers are in a similar plight so all ideas very warmly received.

Thanks.

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

I had the interesting experience last night of seeing this bill from the Amphi but without opera glasses. I forgot them, for I think only the second time in 42 years of ballet-going!! I was rather dismayed when I realised I didn't have them, but of course it forced me to allow the bigger picture to prevail instead of spending so much time focussing (literally!) on the leads or other individuals. And it was a great experience! Especially with Symphony in C,

Agree SiC is best seen 'whole' and best from the amphi. I find if I try to focus in, I just miss too much and anyway the part does not mean as much without the whole. whereas for Month I want to zoom in at times, eg the pas de deuxs.

My beloved opera glasses have just died and it is not easy to replace them so I might have to start a thread to ask for recomendations...

17 hours ago, Richard LH said:

 

I was wondering  what Yslaev's keys were for, and why does need them at that moment?

15 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

I've never really thought about that; but maybe it's a) a bit of light relief, b) an indication that Natalia's husband is older than her and a bit absent-minded, and/or c) an indirect reference to the fact that Yslaev has lost the means of keeping things (people?) secure/confined; the fact that it is Natalia who then finds the keys has myriad possible interpretations!

As well as showing that he's going a bit daffy ( agree this is all too familar!) and is no longer 'in charge'  I think there is more symbolism going on here as well- he has 'lost it' in every sense.......

10 hours ago, FrankH said:

As for Paris, the poor chap unwittingly wanders into this tragic mess, and is swatted away without even a drawn-out death scene. Is this a deserved fate for anyone who dares to threaten Young Romantic Love?

Macmillan does not portray Paris like this though- he makes very clear that he tries to force himself on Juliet when she has made it clear she does not want his attentions: he manhandles her and there is a suggestion of assault.

I have not seen any interpretation that does not foreground this very clearly.

It helps the audience to understand her desperation, and his stabbing by Romeo ( who can't know this- but we do.)

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

the main star of the show was Frederick Ashton

Indeed.

Shame- he was lovely in Month in the Country the other day.

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

 

The monks are always invisible these days, even in the theatre through high gain binoculars.

its a modern trend I think, save 50p on the electric bill, so gloomfest rools ok!

Perhaps they're saving money on monks as well...

Naghdi/Ball were even better than their marvellous live Saturday matinee performance I thought-and that was superb!

I thought Yasmine -whose dancing was quite delicious- actually acted the final scene better tonight, allowing herself to seem really dead and to slump- and it made it more painful-as it should be.

I took my husband to the screening, who doesn't often go, and he was just spellbound, and there was lots of applause in our cinema. It made me proud  as if I had somehow had a hand in it!

Aren't they lovely.....

Agree about Mr Sissens- I am very keen to see a lot more of Joseph Sissens next year. On my visits he has often been there in the background dancing like a dream, but I would like him to come out to the front now please...so that I can really get a chance to see that elegant line and impressive jump, and I suspect he is capable of much much more.

It is a bit confusing.

If this is a run-through by 2 tired dancers, then commenting on the quality is out of place.

But if RB are posting it up as a piece of 'performance'  and it's OK for us to comment, then presumably any of us is allowed to make a negative comment? Others may disagree with the negative comment of course.

Personally I feel film of them actually in performance would be a better advert.

Yes it was a bit much at a matinee wasn't it 😄

Actually I had some free water.

To be fair they were different wines.

I think at the Piazza bar outside, you are also being waited on, so you are going to pay more.

But then so are you in the amphi restaurant. Very odd.

A very small bowl of  nuts to go with your wine is £5.

On 06/06/2019 at 18:09, JNC said:

A month in the country was absolutely lovely. I have to confess; I wasn’t a huge fan of two pigeons and AMITC got off to a bit of a slow start. I saw Osipova/Hallberg in RJ and their famed partnership didn’t quite reach the level of passion and chemistry I expected. But after a bit of a hesitant start, they brought it here in devastating waves. Osipova was brilliant as Natalia, the pure emotion and drama. I was worried she may ‘overact’ it but I thought it was spot on. Her technique was flawless too. Hallberg was much more suited to Beliaev than Romeo, all light air and dandy, not requiring the aggression and heat of Romeo. Whilst his technique was near flawless, sometimes it did feel as he was only bringing/able to bring 80% to the role, and I wonder if his injury has affected him or if perhaps he was still warming up to the role, it being his first live performance. Having said that, when he clutched Osipova’s hands at a crucial pause the spark was lit, and their second pdd brought it in spades. I could feel the famed partnership igniting and understand all the platitudes now. Shame it didn’t quite happen in RJ with all that potential but so glad I saw it here. Saying this though, I’m not sure if it was enough to make me book for them again which is odd as I did really enjoy their partnership here. Make of that what you will! I do think Hallberg is a very different dancer to other RB males which somewhat justifies his numerous guesting this season and next, but don’t think it justifies it enough in my opinion! 

 

Hinkis as Vera was good at showing pure puppy love and petulance, but I felt there was a certain depth of emotion missing which I felt Hayward would have brought. It’s unfair for me to compare as I’ve not seen Hayward though, and Hinkis made a promising debut, though it’s certainly not there yet. Acri was similar - a lot of potential but some elements of technique etc need a little more work. He brought good ‘character’ though and projected well. 

Having just seen this cast I agree with every word here JNC, so no need to write much- I really enjoyed seeing Osipova and Hallberg- what superb artists they are:  different yes, to the RB regulars, but so glad to have seen them and a very moving performance. Osipova's final walk towards us will live with me for a long time- you could see the life, the hope, go out of her, she seemed to visibly collapse from inside. True theatre.

I agree that Hinkis and Acris were good but, Hinkis showing less emotion than Hayward  and Acri not showing the  fantastic technique of Hay in Cast 1.

ever selfless on behalf of Ballet Forum, I carried out some research and have discovered to my surprise that the price of a 175ml glass of 'house' white wine ( they are different wines) is as follows:

amphi bar 6.10

amphi restaurant 7.00

Piazza Bar 8.75.

They have different house wine and soft drinks in the 2 bars. All getting absurd.

10 minutes ago, serenade said:

in the meantime I've discovered the whole ballet with Lynn Seymour and Anthony Dowell is on youtube so off to watch it...

One to watch endlessly, for a lifetime, serenade!

I remember Pennefather and agree he looked and acted the part extremely well.

Thanks for the inteersting comment.

44 minutes ago, Beryl H said:

The thing that was going through my mind was what a masterpiece the ballet is, there wasn't an out of place movement in the entire ballet, I almost wanted more but that is probably one of the reasons it is so perfect! 

Could not agree more about Month in the Country,  Beryl.

I am puzzled by the very strong differences in opinion about Hallberg in Month though- wonder if anyone who didn't like his interpretation can say more about why??

Gordon Bennet! whose idea was that.............................

Your description is spot on- they look like duvets in a teenager's bedroom having been  left unattended for a fortnight......

What dancers have to put up with.

33 minutes ago, annamk said:

in Month Hay danced everyone off the stage, Hayward showed great expressive and natural acting

Agreed- and just wanted to add i really should have said how wonderful Hayward and especially Hay were in Month in the Country- can't see how these roles could possibly be better danced.

I'd love to see a photo illustrating the 'manky duvet' look it sounds like a scream!

I think after Johnny Cope's very sad acccident , his first role back was in the Firebird, - (correct me if I'm wrong) so I had a sense of deja vu. Ed Watson was perfect in this role which, though it is not a dancing role as such, does require enormous expressive power if the balllet is to have its effect, especially at the end when his one simple gesture -raising the sceptred arm - speaks volumes- and indeed it did- of right triumphant and order restored ( if only). It was marvellous to see him back, and may we see more of him in future.

Yasmine Naghdi was a beautiful and fiery firebird indeed. Such classical speed and precision- just what is needed.

The highlight of the evening though had to be Nunez in A Month in the Country which is a work of genius- of deep and profund genius. I;ve watched it many times on video and it is enthralling to really dwell on the level of detail in the characterisation, the built up motifs, the way the steps fit the music, the movement of characters in and out of the set- and the exquisite expression of love and loss, set off by the innocent observation of Kolia, a boy who can't quite understand what is going on.

Nunez was heartbreaking as Natalia, and Ball a dashing Beliaev ( no he does not -yet?- have Anthony Dowell's line- who does? perhaps Muntagirov and I look forward to his performance again soon).

Symphony in C is  ballet heaven every time and the combination of these two ballets is almost too much joy.

The company in such great form can do full justice to a ballet that has to be done perfectly- so much timing, symmetry that must be right, speed but also proper restraint. Everyone was good, Fumi Kaneko was ideally regal I thought, Alexander Campbell on top form and so well able to show off the lilting rhythmical fun in the dance,  but Muntagirov was the really sparkling jewel in this lovely piece.

Seeing it once is just not enough....

However, Month did remind me yet again that I want very much to see more Ashton: such masterly choreography should not be lying in a vault.