Mary

My memories of being there in December are of staggering from gluhwein booth to gluhwein booth..as well as the fabulous food in Demmel, how I love those cafes; and  a magical Nutcracker, possibly the coldest night I ever experienced, - wearing my pyjamas under my clothes in the Opera House!

if you haven't read it I recommend reading Edmund de Waal's The Hare with Amber Eyes- family memoir of a Viennese family- but it is melancholy and tragic ( a whole culture-Jewish-intellectual- cultured-  was wiped out by the Nazis, which really explains the dark side of the place which  everyone notices )

Thanks so much. This is an inspiration. So much excellent footage. I really enjoyed watching Dowell and Macmillan coaching, the interviews with Mukhamedov, a beautiful young Monica Mason, and so much more: most of all so much dancing. It is indeed a model documentary and I learnt a lot watching it. He comes across as so dedicated and focused.

I would love to see Winter Dreams again at the RB.

1 hour ago, penelopesimpson said:

I'm doing all three Watson performances and one Macrae.  I can't imagine him in the role at all because for me he is cheeky chappie but I suspect he will surprise us and be excellent.

I didn't like Frankenstein, but he was a brilliant Creature: not remotely cheeky. He is also my personal favourite Oberon. He has a strange other-worldly side. So I think there is much more to him than cheeky chappie. Though there is that.

I sometimes deliberately focus on the man partnering in a pas de deux- it can be very rewarding and engrossing to just watch him ( in case of a good partner) and many times did I watch Mr Cope with great admiration. Muntagirov reminds me of him in his partnering style. He seems to be fully focused on his ballerina, to be watching her with loving attention, to be poised at all times ready to respond to her in a way that can be very beautiful to see. In a sense, a good partner is trying NOT to be noticed, but that is a great art in itself.

Of course, this really only works if you have seen a piece many times.

9 hours ago, Jillykins said:

Me too! Looking forward to Friday. Went to Vienna last October and learnt a lot more of the history. Will feel the benefit on Friday. 

That is commendably thorough, my goodness!

There is Monday too of course..a BH matinee, usually rather quiet in my experience..and then next week..

I am very intrigued to see how McRae tackles the role.

Yes indeed, thank heaven for Radio 3.

I hope you enjoyed some of the wonderful singing Alison.

There was also a lot of dance- mostly -apart from a rather over-the-top peasant number in Act 1- of course ballroom dancing, choreographed by Kim Brandstrup. It all looked pretty, but, the stage was very overcrowded with huge numbers of people and an awful lot of giganic sets, which took away somewhat from the effect for me.

Did you manage to get to Onegin then? pretty sensational I thought, just back!

20 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

I agree with everything that has been said about last night's performance of this true masterwork.  

 

Can I just add a note of acclaim for Calvin Richardson in the Emeralds PDT last night - so ably abetted by the shimmering O'Sullivan and Stock.  This is another young man who has 'potential principal' written ALL over him.  Given the precision of his placement; the instinctive cunning of his musicality I would go so far as to say that this is a 'Muntagirov in the waiting'.  How wonderful for the younger dancers - most especially the fine apprentices (not to mention the audiences) - to have such vivid role models to learn from and/or aspire towards.  

 

Such can only feed - much as Balanchine's own magical canon  - the visceral joy of us all.  

 

Indeed, I meant to say, Calvin Richardson was really superb- he shone: great stage presence and the all important very precise feet.

Balletfanp, you took the words out of mouth.

I couldn't resist seeing Muntagirov in this one more time either, and he did not disappoint. Every step is so crystal clear, every jump so perfecly placed, every gesture so pure, so elegant, yet his presence so solid;  his solos both exciting and perfect, his partnering so thoughtful and yet discreet.  He leaves me utterly speechless in the interval ( unusual for me.)

I agree Lauren Cuthbertson seemed more vibrant- but then i think the person who found her 'dull'was mising a lot anyway: she is not Nunez, true, but has so much of her own quieter charm.

I was so sorry to hear about Akane Takada. But, thrilled to see McRae/ Lamb once more and they were dazzling again- really, the evening showed off perfectly how he, and Muntagirov, both seemed made for their roles.

Emeralds gets more enchanting with every viewing, especially the beautiful arms. What can one say- a truly wonderful 'chain' of performances, and please, please bring us more Balanchine,  Mr O'Hare.

Thanks to the forum I looked out for Hay (and remembered him from Woolf Works especially) and agree he is a special dancer. I too love the ending of Emeralds and keep seeing and hearing it in my mind's eye- what a sublimely lovely moment that is, with the placing on the stage somehow so brillliantly evoking romantic melancholy.

I don't think Steven McRae means to look pleased with himself or 'self-satisfied'-or  anything like that- it is just his face!

But if he did, well:  he has a lot to be pleased about.

I for one am always delighted to watch a dancer who can really do everything and more, so fast and so high and with total precision, and who works with his partners with incredible coordination. We have plenty of dancers with other attributes and more subtlety... let's enjoy him for what he is.

3 hours ago, Jam Dancer said:

I am happy to see the casting information now complete, really I am. I already have a ticket to 1 performance by each cast so the new information doesn't change much for me. What I would really like to know, however, is the additional cast for Symphonic Variations. Why only list the lead couple when the other two couples are on stage  for the entire piece? Surely they must have selected the other couples by now? This is one of my favourite ballets and I am looking forward to it, perhaps more so than the other pieces on the programme.

Yes! All 6  important in Symphonic Variations- that's the whole point isn't it?

So sorry to hear your evenng was sullied in that way Jam dancer- also some awful loud coughing- and such a fabulous performance too. Nunez hitting her peak I do so agree. Not sure what to say about her partner- it is a bit of an odd situation.

Emeralds- Rubies- the best I have seen. I am about to book some more tickets, because this doesn't get any better, and it is a long long time until they perform anything as good.

Looking forward very much to Campbell as Oberon- perfect- and with Morera- will be one of the season's highlights I feel sure. Did he dance the role with BRB? (surely?)

Thanks Janet.

What these dancers go through- the agony. Ms Takada is evidently an incredibly tough woman- hardly a 'china doll' (!) - and my admiration for her-very high anyway and even higher after Rubies at the weekend-  has even increased after reading this.

Very good programme. Let's hope there will be more in the series...(I wonder what might be next??) and please more Gavin Sutherland.  This man is a national treasure, and his clear, unpatronising and fascinating explanations of how music works should be compulsory viewing in schools.

Wouldn't it be great if they now show us a full length traditional and Khan production. Back to back. With the divine Alina Cojocaru.

One can hope.

Itziar Mendizibal?

Is it related to the new season promotional photo by any chance?? Sarah Lamb?  or Marienela Nunez?

We posted simultaneously Geoff! I have no idea why it was adults only....not that it seemed likely to appeal to children at all.

Don't disagree trog.

I did think Smirnova was beautiful in act 1- she brought the most exquisite phrasing and line to what was really a fairly unsatisfactory chaacrter and sceanrio.

Overall it seemed to be Man mistreats women and then ehines x 3, not really brigning out what Lermontov's novel is about.

Act 2 I could have done without entirely.

Act 3 seemed much more successful to me and could almost stand alone. I liked the inetersting set of a 19th C gym with soldiers in different states of well being adding interest to the dancing. i thought the wheelchair dancers were moving and oustandingly skilled.

The music was very good I agree- and especially the fine soloists. A lot of the choreography seemed vaguely recognisable from here and there.

On the whole, there was much I really liked  a lot, but,  it didn't work as a coherent piece for me.

2 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

I've just got around to watching the new season promo on YouTube. The only word that springs to mind is  -  ghastly

I blame the opera dept!

Agree!

Who said 'It cost a lot of money to look this cheap'- which sprang to mind......

Yes to all the above. I shall continue to book to see Muntagirov in everything he does as he is in a class of his own for beautiful classical dancing at RB.

Can't help feeling it is a shame there is no Balanchine next year, when the dancers so excel in this exquisite clean-cut, long-limbed style. It seems to me, anyway, that they should be doing a LOT more of this, and a lot less of- but, enough.

In Rubies I did enjoy the panache and character of Campbell - and surely Akane Takada has developed into  this role really well. However, I am looking forward to seeing Lamb and McRae (the human blur) because for me they are head and shoulders above the rest in Rubies.

Jewels with RB on top form + Cuthbertson + MUNTAGIROV  =  ecstasy!

Just that it's a bit harder to enjoy watching a dancer when s/he's wearing a 10 ton furry rabbit costume complete with enormous head, but, other than that.....

I love Winter's Tale too but could have waited another year as it was only on  a year ago AND it was live screened. I hope this is all not because they are spending a fortune on daft special effects for the new SL......( real flying swans,  explosions by von Rothbart....let's hope no stage strewn with body parts a la Frankenstein, etc)