RB Concerto / Enigma Variations / Raymonda Act III, 2019

[alison]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

Edited to add appreciation for what the RB is giving its audience. Amazing - and so many debuts!

 

Yes.  How many were there yesterday?  With the bill being so spread out, I've totally lost track.

[Guest]

I was happy to have another chance to see this wonderful triple bill so am not going to complain about the programming. I think this classically weighted part of the season is pushing the dancers to yet greater heights and must be giving those with upcoming debuts in Coppélia and Swan Lake even more strength and confidence. I remember somebody worrying in another thread that it looked as if the first soloists weren't going to have much to do this season!

 

Last night was a sparkling occasion. It seems pointless to single out any particular dancer as there were so many fabulous performances. What a feast! 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by Darlex

[Blossom]

32 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

I don't think that this season is particularly well-balanced - neither for the dancers nor for the audience.

I enjoyed having the Concerto/Enigma/Raymonda Triple back but the rehearsal implications for the company in the middle of Coppelia (for which some casts are only having their stage calls this week) and The Sleeping Beauty must have been considerable.

Completely agree with this, as an audience member the schedule for Autumn/Winter seems pretty full on - and that’s without considering the implications on the dancers.

 

Despite this, I found this triple bill thoroughly enjoyable - it’s always such a treat to have such a range of styles in one evening.

 

Having read earlier comments on this thread about the standard of character dancing and having found the Coppelia character dancing weak and disorderly, Raymonda pleasantly surprised. Still some room for improvement and I think next time such strong character works are scheduled, there needs to be an opportunity to go back and re-teach the stylistic elements of national dances as there are very few who have a natural flair for them. Mayara Magri particularly hits the mark for me and loved her solo last night. Marianela Nunez of course gave her usual all and was a pleasure to watch.

 

Rewinding to the beginning of the evening, was delighted to see Anna Rose O’Sullivan opening Concerto. It’s been an exceptionally busy season for her so far and really enjoy her adaptability to seemingly every role which comes her way. Really enjoyed the choreography, the music, the colours and lovely to see Naghdi/Hirano’s finished work, rehearsed on World Ballet Day.

 

Enigma variations was a lovely work of vignettes based on the diarised observations of Elgar. I assume it takes quite a few viewings to understand exactly who is who but was a perfect parcel of Ashtonian choreography. Only 2 minutes of Matthew Ball but so much character in his performance, as there was also in the comic role Paul Kay played (need to refer back to the cast sheet). Morera played Elgar’s wife with expression in every bone in her body.

 

My friend and I had the pleasure of some lovely neighbours in stalls circle a77 and a80 last night (Identifying incase you are on here!)- was such a pleasure to chat.

 

[LinMM]

Will have to write this when get back home now but yesterday turned out to be some sort of intrepid trial just to get to the ROH in the first place couldn’t get to seat as 10 mins late but a lovely member of staff called Salvatore came to the rescue so did see most  of my beloved Concerto after all but more on this later as nearly out of mobile data so can’t spend much time on the phone 😩

[alison]

Oh.  East Croydon meltdown, I'm guessing?   Good job you were staying overnight, by the sound of things.

[Rob S]

33 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Will have to write this when get back home now but yesterday turned out to be some sort of intrepid trial just to get to the ROH in the first place 😩

 

Did you get caught up in the Star Wars premiere? I made sure I got there from Piccadilly via the Outer Rim....aka Shaftesbury Avenue 🚀

Edited December 19, 2019 by Rob S

[Scheherezade]

I also revisited last night with a friend who had to miss an earlier performance and I must say I left on a high due, in no small part, to the exceptional performances delivered by Muntagirov, as always, and by Nunez, who managed to conjure something quite magical in her interpretation last night.

 

I would agree with all the stand-outs identified in Blossom's post - Morera, Kay and Ball in Enigma Variations, to which I would add Gartside who, I find, brings an added poignancy to the Nimrod variation.

 

Another busy night and joyful performances both from Mayara Magri, who is becoming unmissable in whatever she does these days, and Anna Rose O'Sullivan, and a particularly moving rendition of the 2nd movement of Concerto from Naghdi and Hirano.

 

With the embarrassment of riches on offer at the moment, it does rather seem that we are being short-changed for the rest of the 2019/20 season but no complaints from me for the programming over the last few months.

[Lizbie1]

1 hour ago, Scheherezade said:

to which I would add Gartside who, I find, brings an added poignancy to the Nimrod variation.

 

I thought so too when I saw the first part of the run - I think he's just a brilliant character actor, let alone dancer: manages to be both subtle and completely clear.

[Rob S]

I was very surprised to see the post by Nunez on Instagram where she said it was her debut in the role. When was Raymonda last performed by the RB?

[bridiem]

37 minutes ago, Rob S said:

I was very surprised to see the post by Nunez on Instagram where she said it was her debut in the role. When was Raymonda last performed by the RB?

 

That is surprising. I know they did it in 2012-2013 (I went in Jan 2013) so I assume that was the last time. Not sure about previous years.

[now voyager]

IIRC, she was scheduled to dance it, but was injured or ill and did not. (I remember sitting through a performance feeling very disappointed.)

[alison]

Didn't she dance it in the RBS Schools performance with Ivan Putrov?  Or am I thinking of something else?

[capybara]

1 hour ago, alison said:

Didn't she dance it in the RBS Schools performance with Ivan Putrov?  Or am I thinking of something else?

 

It WAS Nunez and Putrov. Your memory has served you well.

[LinMM]

Going to this triple bill yesterday was already a delayed visit from earlier in the running of this programme when the ROH very kindly moved my ticket to this performance as I was still recovering from the broken ankle and at that time was not ready for the general onslaught of London!

So yesterday I set off from Brighton station on the Gatwick Express at quarter to four thinking would arrive at the ROH with loads of time at least an hour and a half for a nice cup of tea and a bit of a relax before the performance. No such luck 😬

Just before we got to East Croydon the train stopped and there it stopped for nearly an hour before we learned that there was a signal failure but things might get moving soon. We saw other trains suddenly start to whizz past so hopes started to rise. Then we were moving ...hoorah onwards to Victoria we all thought. However after about four mins we arrived at East Croydon station where we stopped again and then discovered we had been terminated for the day. 

There followed a series of up and down stairs and over to platforms where a trains for Victoria was just coming but then sadly all terminated at East Croydon.....including once where we were all told to get on a train a dead cert for Victoria only for five minutes later to all be told to get off again 😩 

It finally became clear to passengers and Staff alike that there WERE NO TRAINS going to Victoria. 

So finally had to head for London Bridge instead and spent the time trying to work out the least worse option to get to Covent Garden from there. I'm still not that good on stairs so the thought of too many more that evening was not exactly appealing.

By the time got to London Bridge it was nearly 6.30pm so had more or less given up on being on time for Concerto but decided if got a taxi there was an outside chance but looking at the queue. .....

Anyway I decided to ask if there was anyone else going to Covent Garden and there was....a young lady fairly near the head of the queue ...she was happy to share a taxi and I had given up all moral considerations about queue jumping etc by that point so finally made it to the theatre ( the young lady was going to a nearby restaurant not the theatre but was fascinated by the idea of going to a ballet ....and was keen to hear about one of my favourites .....she had never heard of Shostakovich in fact but was going to look him up.... and the ballet later! 

 However it looked like Shostakovitch was going to pass me by that evening as arrived at the ROH at 7.05pm 

I dashed to the cloakroom and rushed back to the foyer in the hope that it may not have started ....but it had. 

" You'll have to go and watch it on the Monitor" a young lady told me. I couldn't help but exclaim my despair of missing one of my favourites and the whole sorry story of the struggle to get there came out. Was there not any chance of sneaking into standing I asked. 

And that's when Salvatore came in. Ahhh it is Christmas time he said .... I know somewhere ...a quick exchange with the young lady and with that  I was whisked up to the Grand Tier and in a space right along the back I was aloud to stand!! The only one there! 

 

This was a good ten minutes or so in but just caught one of Anna Rose's solo pieces but I was still arriving mentally during the first piece really so won't comment. But was there to see Nagdhi and Hirano's beautiful second movement and then the absolute delight of Fumi Kaneko in the third movement. She is just such a joy always has so much time and space in her dancing ....that was certainly one of the best third movements I've seen. 

It was nice to finally get to my seat in the Balcony for the rest of the evening. I enjoyed the Elgar with some fine performances of their characters from Calvin Richardson, Matthew Ball, Bennet Gartside, Morera and Saunders and Anna Rose and Magri really shone in theirs. 

This is a gentle piece almost understated and must be quite difficult for the cast to bring it together in a cohesive fashion especially with changes of casting as creating a meaningful atmosphere between the characters in a work like this  is not easy. It would be nice to see this ballet a bit more often so one is not always having to renew ones acquaintance with it. But a lovely gentle soft gem of a piece. 

Raymonda is the complete opposite of course full of panache and "look at me" stuff. 

I had forgotten how beautiful the set and costumes were ....so impressive when the curtain went up. And I thoroughly  enjoyed the Czardas from Arestis and Nicol Williamson..... ( I think ...have left cast sheet in London 😬) I thought it looked really good 

Fumi was outstanding in her solo ....again ....but all were danced well. The four boys together piece was excellent from Hay Corrales Acri and really sorry I've forgotten the 4th dancer's name  but all were pretty equal and together....though it always wants to make me laugh a bit where they all take it in turns to do the turns one by one in a line across the stage. The first time I saw this ballet a young Wayne Eagling was one of the four!! 

But in this Raymonda the night belonged to Nunez and Muntagirov....absolutely fab dancing from these two....and that solo with the "claps" is one of my favourites ...gorgeous music and so expressive. Nunez was just perfect in this completely in control ...she could do whatever she wanted with it. The two of them together were such a joy. 

So joy to end the day ...Thankyou Royal Ballet. And although afterwards I set of for the bus stop I decided to spoil myself with another taxi  in the end and was very glad I was staying in London that night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bridiem]

What an awful journey, LinMM! But I'm so glad you saw almost all of the bill and enjoyed it so much.

[JohnS]

I managed to catch both performances yesterday and agree with Mary’s comment above that the afternoon had a few rough edges.  There’s been a big gap since the last Triple Bill and with all the other demands it must be pretty tough to pick up from last time.  I think the first performances of The Triple Bill, particularly Concerto, took a bit of time to gel.  The evening was better and there were some lovely performances, particularly in Enigma with Laura Morera’s peerless Lady Elgar, but I do wonder about the planning for this programme and why there was such a gap.  

 

I couldn’t avoid picking up audience comments about what was going on in Enigma with some people believing someone had died.  More evidence demonstrating there’s a need for a useful synopsis and I really can’t understand why such material cannot be made available in the cast sheet or on line.  Making performances more accessible in terms of what is being presented seems very much in the spirit of Open Up.

 

I’d managed to pick up a central seat Row A Balcony Stalls so had a fabulous view, giving a great perspective  of the whole stage.  But in Concerto and Raymonda, there’s no escaping untidiness.  Unless the Pas de quatre are spot on when they are supposed to be in unison it doesn’t work. That means taking off and landing together and I’d much prefer to sacrifice height for togetherness.

 

I still don’t get Raymonda on fifth viewing.  I find Raymonda very much the ice princess and the Hungarian elements a bit tedious.  But great to see Nuñez/Muntagirov and the audience clearly enjoyed the performance.

[Scheherezade]

Hurrah for happy endings, LinMM. And for Salvatore. It’s good to know that the spirit of Christmas is alive and well. 

[Scheherezade]

25 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I couldn’t avoid picking up audience comments about what was going on in Enigma with some people believing someone had died.  More evidence demonstrating there’s a need for a useful synopsis and I really can’t understand why such material cannot be made available in the cast sheet or on line. 

The people sitting next to me were speculating about who was who with evident confusion, having initially thought that a number of the women were one and the same person then deciding that there must have been at least two of them as one of them was a ghost, which meant that she must be dead.
They then turned their attention to the behaviour of the men, rejecting the idea that one of them was having an affair with the wife of the other in favour of the more wholesome explanation that they must have been brothers.  

[alison]

Quote

By the time got to London Bridge it was nearly 6.30pm so had more or less given up on being on time for Concerto but decided if got a taxi there was an outside chance but looking at the queue. .....

 

For future reference - should it be necessary - you would probably have stood a reasonable chance getting the train to Charing Cross and walking from there, depending on how well your foot has healed.  I've got into Charing Cross with 15 minutes to go and made it in time for the start of the performance.  Very unfortunate for you that it happened to be an early start performance  

[MJW]

9 hours ago, LinMM said:

Going to this triple bill yesterday was already a delayed visit from earlier in the running of this programme when the ROH very kindly moved my ticket to this performance as I was still recovering from the broken ankle and at that time was not ready for the general onslaught of London!

So yesterday I set off from Brighton station on the Gatwick Express at quarter to four thinking would arrive at the ROH with loads of time at least an hour and a half for a nice cup of tea and a bit of a relax before the performance. No such luck 😬

Just before we got to East Croydon the train stopped and there it stopped for nearly an hour before we learned that there was a signal failure but things might get moving soon. We saw other trains suddenly start to whizz past so hopes started to rise. Then we were moving ...hoorah onwards to Victoria we all thought. However after about four mins we arrived at East Croydon station where we stopped again and then discovered we had been terminated for the day. 

There followed a series of up and down stairs and over to platforms where a trains for Victoria was just coming but then sadly all terminated at East Croydon.....including once where we were all told to get on a train a dead cert for Victoria only for five minutes later to all be told to get off again 😩 

It finally became clear to passengers and Staff alike that there WERE NO TRAINS going to Victoria. 

So finally had to head for London Bridge instead and spent the time trying to work out the least worse option to get to Covent Garden from there. I'm still not that good on stairs so the thought of too many more that evening was not exactly appealing.

By the time got to London Bridge it was nearly 6.30pm so had more or less given up on being on time for Concerto but decided if got a taxi there was an outside chance but looking at the queue. .....

Anyway I decided to ask if there was anyone else going to Covent Garden and there was....a young lady fairly near the head of the queue ...she was happy to share a taxi and I had given up all moral considerations about queue jumping etc by that point so finally made it to the theatre ( the young lady was going to a nearby restaurant not the theatre but was fascinated by the idea of going to a ballet ....and was keen to hear about one of my favourites .....she had never heard of Shostakovich in fact but was going to look him up.... and the ballet later! 

 However it looked like Shostakovitch was going to pass me by that evening as arrived at the ROH at 7.05pm 

I dashed to the cloakroom and rushed back to the foyer in the hope that it may not have started ....but it had. 

" You'll have to go and watch it on the Monitor" a young lady told me. I couldn't help but exclaim my despair of missing one of my favourites and the whole sorry story of the struggle to get there came out. Was there not any chance of sneaking into standing I asked. 

And that's when Salvatore came in. Ahhh it is Christmas time he said .... I know somewhere ...a quick exchange with the young lady and with that  I was whisked up to the Grand Tier and in a space right along the back I was aloud to stand!! The only one there! 

 

This was a good ten minutes or so in but just caught one of Anna Rose's solo pieces but I was still arriving mentally during the first piece really so won't comment. But was there to see Nagdhi and Hirano's beautiful second movement and then the absolute delight of Fumi Kaneko in the third movement. She is just such a joy always has so much time and space in her dancing ....that was certainly one of the best third movements I've seen. 

It was nice to finally get to my seat in the Balcony for the rest of the evening. I enjoyed the Elgar with some fine performances of their characters from Calvin Richardson, Matthew Ball, Bennet Gartside, Morera and Saunders and Anna Rose and Magri really shone in theirs. 

This is a gentle piece almost understated and must be quite difficult for the cast to bring it together in a cohesive fashion especially with changes of casting as creating a meaningful atmosphere between the characters in a work like this  is not easy. It would be nice to see this ballet a bit more often so one is not always having to renew ones acquaintance with it. But a lovely gentle soft gem of a piece. 

Raymonda is the complete opposite of course full of panache and "look at me" stuff. 

I had forgotten how beautiful the set and costumes were ....so impressive when the curtain went up. And I thoroughly  enjoyed the Czardas from Arestis and Nicol Williamson..... ( I think ...have left cast sheet in London 😬) I thought it looked really good 

Fumi was outstanding in her solo ....again ....but all were danced well. The four boys together piece was excellent from Hay Corrales Acri and really sorry I've forgotten the 4th dancer's name  but all were pretty equal and together....though it always wants to make me laugh a bit where they all take it in turns to do the turns one by one in a line across the stage. The first time I saw this ballet a young Wayne Eagling was one of the four!! 

But in this Raymonda the night belonged to Nunez and Muntagirov....absolutely fab dancing from these two....and that solo with the "claps" is one of my favourites ...gorgeous music and so expressive. Nunez was just perfect in this completely in control ...she could do whatever she wanted with it. The two of them together were such a joy. 

So joy to end the day ...Thankyou Royal Ballet. And although afterwards I set of for the bus stop I decided to spoil myself with another taxi  in the end and was very glad I was staying in London that night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can sympathise - I had a similar problem with my train to London when I went to the mixed bill last month and just managed to miss the start by a few minutes, despite running up the stairs at Covent Garden tube! Hence why I decided to book again for today's matinee ! 

[zxDaveM]

I was affected going home, all my trains to my local station cancelled (or rather, erased from the timetable). I had been up town for the matinee, so didn't have the stress of getting there though!!

 

A tip for the future - if you find you have to go to London Bridge, transfer there via platform 8 or 9 to Charing Cross. There are lifts from platform level to the concourse, or on most platforms up/down escalators. Charing Cross is then about a 10mins walk to ROH along the Strand. Its actually easier getting to ROH than from Victoria - no tube!

[Jan McNulty]

I had a lovely time at the matinee on Wednesday.

 

I love Concerto and it was a joy to see Isabella Gasparini making her debut in the first section.  I always think that ROH must save a fortune on electricity when Isabella is lighting up the stage.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole performance.

 

Enigma Variations was the highlight for me.  I thought Bennet Gartside was outstanding as Elgar and I was very moved by his performance.  I would go as far as to say (never having seen the original cast and my first viewing being BRB with Desmond Kelly) that he is my favourite Elgar of all time. Kristin McNally was pitch perfect as Lady Elgar as was Gary Avis as Jaeger.  William Bracewell was dynamite as Troyte ... oh wow, what a comeback!

 

Enigma Variations is, IMO, a total masterpiece.  Ashton's character vignettes are all exquisite and I think this piece works because there are no real fireworks - it is all subtle elegance and understatement.  That one tiny move in Nimrod where Elgar just lifts his wife off the floor by a couple of inches always reduces me to mush.  I am so glad that I got the opportunity to see this work again and I hope that will continue in the future.

 

Raymonda was a splendid way to end the performance.  (Although only the final act) I finally understood why Raymonda chose Jean de Brienne over Abderakhman with Federico Bonelli's gorgeous interpretation of our hero.  Lauren Cuthbertson was a total delight in the title role.

 

An added bonus was the coincidence of sitting next to a good friend - neither of us knew the other was going!  Also good to see and chat to fellow Forum members.

 

All in all, it was a great day out (and, fortunately, a good journey to and from Liverpool on the train). 

[Mary]

Janet, I agree with every word you say on Enigma Variations, and that performance of it: Gartside/Avis/McNally were so very moving and I am glad it was not just me staunching the tears in that exquisitely moving pas de trois for Nimrod.

One reason I love Enigma Variations- as well as agreeing with all you say- is it's glorious celebration of friendship- not something which is that much featured in ballet, but- the older one gets- the more important it seems to be in life.

 

(As I would like others to share our love for the ballet I do wish they would add a bit more to the synopsis next time.)

 

 

[Fonty]

11 hours ago, Scheherezade said:

The people sitting next to me were speculating about who was who with evident confusion, having initially thought that a number of the women were one and the same person then deciding that there must have been at least two of them as one of them was a ghost, which meant that she must be dead.
They then turned their attention to the behaviour of the men, rejecting the idea that one of them was having an affair with the wife of the other in favour of the more wholesome explanation that they must have been brothers.  

 

Did these people not have a copy of the free cast list?  They can't have done, otherwise they would have noticed that the dancers were all playing characters with different names.  And there are also brief descriptions of each person, including the lady who was away on a sea voyage at the time of composition.  Having said that, I might have been as confused as others as to the significance of the letter if I hadn't done a quick bit of research beforehand.  So I think that point might have fitted that point in somewhere in the synopsis. 

 

[ElleC]

4 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

IWilliam Bracewell was dynamite as Troyte ... oh wow, what a comeback!

 

 

Oh fabulous!!!!!!  I've been waiting to hear that William was back, and keeping everything firmly crossed.   I'm going tonight and now even more excited.  Thank you, Jan, for being the bearer of such glad tidings!   Also, presumably looking good for Coppelia too - again keeping everything crossable crossed!

[Richard LH]

4 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

William Bracewell was dynamite as Troyte ... oh wow, what a comeback!

 

Great to hear, Jan. Looking forward to seeing him tonight...

[alison]

Very sorry to have missed him, especially since he's been off for so long   But the casting information on the production page was so confusing that I managed to miss him.  (And I could have sworn Gasparini was dancing Dorabella in Enigma.  I was obviously wrong about that)

[LinMM]

Thanks for the travel advice from London Bridge! I do occasionally take a through train from Brighton to Thameslink station and get the no 11 bus down to the Strand and walk through from there. But that night it was either London Bridge or London Bridge!! And I don’t know the station well enough (as yet) to negotiate going to other destinations. 
 

I would like to correct something in my last post as I think it was Nicol Edmonds NOT Williamson who danced the Czardas with Christina Arestis especially as they both danced it so well. 
Also Nunez has posted on Facebook that it was her debut in this role and that she really loved dancing it!! That was even more impressive then  if it was her debut ...she seemed to really own the role a super confident performance. 

[ninamargaret]

i totally understand Jan being reduced to mush in Enigma - I react in the same way and did on Wedneday afternoon.Don't know what it is, if it's Elgar, Ashton, Ashton 's portrayal of the Elgar/Alice relationship  or what. nothing to do with the cast, excellent though they were, it's always affected me from the very early performances that i saw.And who wouldn't have fallen for Jean de Brienne as danced by Bonelli! it's just that lovely relaxed style of his with good partnering that I love.

[alison]

22 hours ago, alison said:

 

For future reference - should it be necessary - you would probably have stood a reasonable chance getting the train to Charing Cross and walking from there, depending on how well your foot has healed.  I've got into Charing Cross with 15 minutes to go and made it in time for the start of the performance.  Very unfortunate for you that it happened to be an early start performance  

 

It just about worked today: I caught a train at 5 past and got into the ROH about 28 minutes past, but it did require a bit of jogging ...

[Dawnstar]

While most of the dancers were pretty busy today I think Tomas Mock might have been the busiest: replaced various others as one of the second couples in Concerto & the Hungarian lead couple in Raymonda for both performances, plus scheduled Richard Arnold in EV this evening!

 

Is my memory going or did Bonelli do his circle of jumps one way round this afternoon & Muntagirov do his the other way round this evening?

[alison]

Quite likely.

[bangorballetboy]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Is my memory going or did Bonelli do his circle of jumps one way round this afternoon & Muntagirov do his the other way round this evening?

 

That's correct.  One of them prefers to turn to the left and the other prefers to turn to the right.