Mary

20 hours ago, Ivy Lin said:

) I don;t agree with the artistic decision to begin the white swan pas de deux with a soulful look into Siegfried's eyes. I think in the beginning there should be some fear, and one of the beauties of the white swan pas de deux is how that fear gradually dissipates. I think the loving glance Nunez gave Muntigarov was just not a choice I agreed with.

agree entirely...that should be the underlying trajectory of this pas de deux and it's in the music.

Not hard to understand though.

Quite so Sim. But there has been so much ballet on in London in recent weeks with very fine performances wherever you look! Maybe that is to do with it. I was disappointed though not surprised to see so little made of the new RB Swan Lake production in the media generally; once upon a time, the Royal Box would have been full of dignitaries, it would have been mainstream news.. it is all v disappointing... But my feeling is that there is a popular groundswell of enthusiasm for ballet again, and the critics and media and assorted bigwigs will catch up eventually.

I do get fed up with people thinking I must be 'snooty' because I go to the ballet a lot, so it's nice to know I'm really 'vulgar and common'-hurray!

😄.

I would much prefer to have the whole Act before applause....I don't recall there being so much bowing between each variation in the SL pas de deuxs before...It does break up the atmosphere...

Clapping on for special occasions is all right because the atmosphere is yet to build....

8 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Quite - what else would we talk about?

Changes did get made to Winter's Tale for its second run, some of which were keenly aired on this forum..

I think it highly likely Scarlett will want to make some changes. Judging from all the insights etc, he  obviously understands that he is part of a bigger whole, not just an individual talent..so he is  likely to listen to other views.  It would be absurd, come to think of it, to imagine  everything would be 100% perfect first time round.

My Picturehouse is very good, no problems. 

Last night I could have done without the ( elderly)  lady 2 seats down though....'Isn't he lovely! she kept saying very audibly about several of the male dancers, and  'Oooh isn't THAT one lovely!' or 'Oh yes, he's good isn't he? ' 'No he's the best! He's lovely' etc etc

It would have been amusing but I rather wanted to  be transported to enjoy the loveliness for myself...

2 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

I think that it's because he 'sells' the role so well that it only really works with him in it; otherwise the amount of dancing for Benno vs Siegfried is even more inexplicable.

I agree- it seems to me the role has been written in this way, as very up-tempo and bravura, and you could say Campbell just does that best..so, if it  seems inappropriate in the overall context of the ballet, the fault, if there is a fault, lies with the choreographer not the dancer.

It is far from clear what the purpose of Benno's expanded role really is, and it doesn't seem to me to add to the ballet as a whole. But, A. Campbell took what he was given, and delivered it extremely well, in my view.

Thank you!

Among many other details, I found myself noticing Claire Calvert's big swan -being able to see the faces is always such a joy- and one thing I like about this production is the humanising of the cygnets/supporting swans as they empathise with and comfort Odette. Calvert was especially lovely I thought.

2 minutes ago, bridiem said:

Nunez sensational. Muntagirov beyond sensational. I have no more words.     

Agree they were both marvellous tonight, a dream of beauty. Once again Muntagirov's noble bearing  and peerless technique held me spellbound.

. It was wonderful to see this cast, which I saw live, close up on screen as well -Iiked the production more this time, seeing more detail. still think there is way too much Benno, for no discernible reason:  though Alexander Campbell was excellent again, it is not him, -he is a delight-it is the role. The scarlet jacket and lilac tights outfit once again I found distracting.

Apart from that- bloody marvellous.

Saw it [Coppelia] yesterday and enjoyed it very much- a rich feast of colour, spectacle, fun and some superb dancing, and of course that marvellous buoyant score.

I watched very closely trying  to decide what was 'not to like', as they say. Ms Shrainer is a fiercely energetic dancer, and after all this choreography is pretty fiendish especially in Act 3, so no wonder that, with the live filming as well,  there was a look of sometimes intense concentration on her face in place of the sunny smile appropriate to the role ( I kept imagining Marianela Nunez, with her radiant smile,  in this role- ideal)

I admired Shrainer's strength, energy and attack, though at times there were some slightly less than poised moments perhaps.

As always Artem Ovcharenko was elegant and lovely to watch but I thought danced with  less than his usual power and the principals didn't seem to me to have much chemistry.  The soloists are always interesting to see in Bolshoi screenings- very varied yesterday in style and delivery...

Some of the designs, on the other hand, are perhaps a bit over-powering especially the corps in act 3 in a mixture of black, purple, pink and yellow tutus...er...But the men in powder blue satin with plumed hats looked wonderful.

Katya Novikova, looking glamorous as ever, gave us a wealth of information. I shall miss these broadcasts over the summer months.

I do wish the RB would give us Coppelia some time soon. No one dies..................................

1 hour ago, SheilaC said:

 

 

Unfortunately the ear plugs didn't prevent someone in the central stalls being seriously incapacitated during the piece. Like the music, the choreography was often dark and aggressive, and contained words blaming his mother for leaving him.

This has made me laugh  a great deal and also give thanks I wasn't there!

Thanks for such an interesting review, SheilaC.

There is just too much on at once, and a limit to the ticket fund and to the number of life's minor, i.e. non-ballet obligations  I can cancel in the next 2 weeks- argh!

May I make a plea again for the use of full or surnames,  as I always get confused by a lot of first name only references?

....

All of these suggestions sound marvellous and I would like to see a lot more cheerful, comic, or just joyful ( Symphony in C) programming generally. We seem to live in an age of doom, tragedy, woe etc. and (melo)dramas about terrible suffering are what's wanted. Not by me...

A minority view I know! I would like a whole season of joyful dancing rather than angst-ridden expressive acting (might make an exception for Swan Lake and Giselle).

29 minutes ago, toursenlair said:

 Lots of Balanchine actually. 

Precisely!

Intriguing! to me it does not seem at all the most likely subject.

Indeed. I was wondering what Mr Crisp thought of the new Swan Lake.

3 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Well of course both Alexander Campbell and William Bracewell honed their stage craft at BRB and ardent followers of BRB already knew that they were both wonderful when they joined RB!

Indeed, and having been thrilled by Mr Bracewell in the BRB The King Dances fairly recently I was so much looking forward to seeing him at RB. Missed him this weekend alas. I too would like to hear more about the performances....

8 hours ago, Shirley said:

I was in row R so not obvious for me but then I was looking at Siegfried through binoculars 😉

and who could blame you?

 I think a lot of people were focusing on Siegfried - of course. My companion missed the vision/spirit completely.

The point is, Siegfried doesn't see her.  If he were to, then the 'resolution' would fit the music, - for me. It isn't Giselle because in Giselle he has seen the spirit.

Remiss of me not to say how good Alexander Campbell was, thanks for reminding me Lindsay.

Very exposing indeed, as you say, and he was fully in control- as we have come to expect from him. Bravo.

I must say though, that on a night when the costumes actually made me gasp,  then grin like a madwoman with joy..I wasn't so keen on Benno's- the lilac one in act 1 I thought didn't quite go with the rest of the set and seemed  a bit ...weedy? and then he seemed to have borrowed the suit from the Nutcracker in that scarlet tunic, which I found distracting.  Probably just me.

5 minutes ago, Sim said:

I think that after only one viewing I too prefer Dowell's Act 4, especially the last 10 minutes.  To me, the music indicates some kind of apotheosis, or some kind of uplifting spiritual resolution.  That second when the music stops then goes really slowly, building up to the final crescendo, and all the swan maidens, on pointe, arms outstretched to the side,  turn to face Odette and Siegfried as they go off to swan heaven.....that is an image in ballet that always makes me choke up and get goosebumps.  I don't think this new Act 4's ending will have the same effect....but it's a good one anyway, and I love that the ghost of Odette still remains.  Poor old Siegfried....I much prefer it when he dies too, then at least he and Odette are together for eternity.....!

I agree Sim. Of course in the music it's an apotheosis. This new ending is a little too bleak. The rest of the production listens to the music and follows it, so well, up until that moment.

8 hours ago, bridiem said:

Thrilling climax to Act 3, when black swans pour onto the stage. 

 

.

Wasn't that a brilliant moment- the staging of all the big scenes was really excellent, -really using that huge stage, with the spiral staircase adding depth and drama...and the use of cygnets there worked so well, (so much better than evil gnomes) .

But the  tutus. They were just utterly ravishing. I wish some of the costume department could have come on stage to take a bow. I'd like to say- your work is absoutely marvellous, well done!

He was STUNNING and brought the house down.

It was good! Well done to all. Nunez and Muntagirov beyond praise. Poise. Elegance. Understatement. Deep emotion. 

Beautiful costumes..Odile's tutu especially. Ballroom set gorgeous..those flickering chandeliers.... very effective.. marvellous !  

37 minutes ago, Jane S said:

Well, if I had to choose a performance based on those photographs, I'd say never mind Odette and Siegfried, catch a night when McGorian and Gartside are on!

Absolutely.

Really enjoyed that, thank you once again Forum for alerting me!

I admit I am still a bit confused though about how much of the choreography in this production will be Scarlett's. Obviously the Spanish dance which we just saw, and which I enjoyed, ( although I had to laugh at his repeated assertion that he wanted to 'avoid cliches' as it is entirely  what you might expect. Poor Tierney Heap trying to manage that enormous skirt, beautiful but surely a bit much  - how rotten for her to fall over, but no wonder.)

He was clear that Ashton's Neapolitan dance stays- but perhaps we knew that.

What a joy to see Nunez and Muntagirov rehearse- I think   part of the new Act 4, with most wonderful Tchaikovsky reinstated- good call.

Interesting to hear John Macfarlane talk about how ideas translate into real sets and costumes. They look lovely, though I wonder whether they are going to create a Forum bete noire:  dark stages....

I am sure some of you will explain to me (and I suspect I am being dim) what the overall situation as regards choreographic content will be....Scarlett talked a lot about it but I didn't quite understand what he meant, e.g. 'that the heritage would be preserved  but would 'carry his stamp and his integrity'- ??? It seems a bit contradictory.

His love for the ballet certainly came over and made me warm to him.