Jeannette Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 Did anybody attend Neumeier’s Farewell Gala in Hamburg? Today was the big day…51 years at the helm! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 (edited) It's still to happen. I'm going - but it doesn't start until 6pm local time TODAY. Edited July 14 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oncnp Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 7 minutes ago, Jeannette said: Did anybody attend Neumeier’s Farewell Gala in Hamburg? Today was the big day…51 years at the helm! July?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 I have corrected the month to July, not June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 Neumeier was very moved yesterday night (seemed close to faint on stage...): it was the last full length for him as a Director, at least in Hamburg (the very last two will be the next week in Genoa-Nervi) and he choose Dona Nobis Pacem, a monumental and emotional ballet based on Johan Sebastian Bach Mass in B minor. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted July 14 Author Share Posted July 14 5 hours ago, annamicro said: Neumeier was very moved yesterday night (seemed close to faint on stage...): it was the last full length for him as a Director, at least in Hamburg (the very last two will be the next week in Genoa-Nervi) and he choose Dona Nobis Pacem, a monumental and emotional ballet based on Johan Sebastian Bach Mass in B minor. Thanks. It’s a very moving ballet, as per the recent DVD. Was there a gala today, with excepts from 20+ works? Did Alina Cojocaru dance? Looking forward to reports! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oncnp Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 9 minutes ago, Jeannette said: Thanks. It’s a very moving ballet, as per the recent DVD. Was there a gala today, with excepts from 20+ works? Did Alina Cojocaru dance? Looking forward to reports! Hamburg Ballett John Neumeier - Play 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 2 hours ago, Jeannette said: Thanks. It’s a very moving ballet, as per the recent DVD. Was there a gala today, with excepts from 20+ works? Did Alina Cojocaru dance? Looking forward to reports! Yes, she did: splendidly. If this was really the last show on Hamburg stage for Cojocaru and Neumeier (he remains the choreographer of his many works for the company of couse), it could have not been more glorious. Alina Cojocaru danced the last piece, an extract from Die Dritte Symphonie von Mahaler, with Neumeier entering on stage for the last bits. I like to think it was a spontaneous act of respect: Alina was the first to run to put her bouquet of flowers at Neumeier's feet, followed by the other dancers. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 (edited) T'was a historic evening this particular Nijinsky Gala. Neumeier not only masterminded but compared the whole enterprise. As ever too in Hamburg the music making was supreme. Alina was, again as ever, mesmeric but what was truly worth the price of a ticket to this gala IMHO (assuming one was lucky enough to win the space lottery) were the wholly radiant figures of Silvia Azzoni and Alexandre Riabko in Neumeier's haunting 'Ghost Light'. I suspect this will be the last outing for many of the senior players of this ensemble given the departure of their own creative leading light - the vivid Anna Laudere suggested as much in her emotion at the copious curtain calls and Neumeier himself embraced the hulking shoulders of Edvin Revazov immediately prior to his own thrilling final parade in Dritte Sinfonie von Gustav Mahler. (It reminded me in a way of Alec Guinness' final cocky parade on the last night of the original run of Habeus Corpus.) These artists not only have been entirely loyal to their acknowledged master but to each other and there is no question but that they have served their devoted audience - and oh, so devoted they are - throughout all of their very long careers. I caught the previous three performances prior to the gala as well. I'm so glad I did - especially for the two evenings dedicated to the works of Tennessee Williams. The imaginative details will long live with me I know both from Neumeier's own take on Streetcar - where Laudere was a ravishing and sorely ravished Blanche - as much with the eerie joys of The Glass Menagerie - where Alina was an incandescent Laura and Alessandro Frola - (one of the most technically secure men in this company) - a total delight as Tom - here being almost as big a child as his sister. I loved in Streetcar how in the first act - which dealt entirely with Blanche's past - Belle Reve came alive - all in mourning black - in Blanche's memory - surrounding her from the Victorian period forward to the 1940's. There was one amazing sequence where these haunting figures seemed to consume her and one was - as Blanche so often says herself - confused as to whether she wanted to fight against it or thrive in their fantastical hold. These were occasions where Neumeier - as he so frequently does - cleverly invites his audience through (or is that "on the tantalising cusp of") imaginative intrigue. No straight narrative for him - surely a precursor to the Royal Company's contemporary narrative wash in the works of their own current master, Sir Wayne McGregor. As their director said last week in the Berkshires McGregor is 'vital to the history and development of the Royal Ballet'. That Neumeier has done so for Hamburg will I know ring out for decades to come. Love it or loathe it (as a certain Mr Crisp did) THIS is the House he in oh, so many ways built. There is no question but that HIS audience - the one Neumeier carefully built and serves - loves it. That much must live unquestioned. There were also moments in the Streetcar where the entire company on that vast stage were tellingly employed in quadrilles - again hastened from the fragments of Blanche's telling but ever altering shores of her mind. The Glass Menagerie was even more vivacious in terms of its such like decoration; one rife with gentlemen callers ever wanting to engage victoriously in similar pursuits. There were just so many highlights. I loved the back to back sequences where the emotional frustrations of the children were made vividly real both in Tom's case at the dead ended shoe factory and oh so poignantly in the typing school where a disabled Laura sought almost violently at times to make good on her determination to come through for her mother. Immediately after this she will hobble dance through a crowd only to be confronted by her mother - sharing in her own dogged determination for survival in a world they perceive as being less than kind - whilst attempting to offload the latest copies of Hollywood scandal sheets. As Amanda Wingfield might have put it about both of these enterprises, they were entirely 'rise and shine'. Nay, they positively glowed. Edited July 15 by Bruce Wall 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 11 hours ago, annamicro said: I like to think it was a spontaneous act of respect: Alina was the first to run to put her bouquet of flowers at Neumeier's feet, followed by the other dancers. There is now a video and it started from both Cojocaru and Revazov: funny as can be, I could see the tiny Alina in a lucky gap betweeh standing people and not the giant Revazov 😁 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 I haven't unfortunately been to the Gala, but I was at both Birmingham Royal Ballet "Black Sabbath" performance in Hamburg (a splendid one! And a touching moment at the very end when fellow dancer embraced Tyrone Singleton (I imagine it was him) and presented him a bottle of wine) and 3 last Neimeier ballets, out of which I liked especially "The Streetcar named Desire". As Bruce has already mentioned, Anna Laudere was great as Blanche, but I also liked Charlotte Larzelere as Stella and Mathias Oberlin as Stanley Kowalski. Actually, everyone danced and acted fabulously. Of course, Alina Cojocaru is in her own league, not only dancing and acting but living on the stage. "Dona Nobis Pacem" is a fantastic performance, where both music, singing and dancing unite in an almost divine combination. The absolute hero of the evening was Aleix Martinez, being "He". Closer to the end of the performance, in the piece about the birth of Jesus (?) he appeared completely naked and danced like this for several minutes. I don't remember it was like this on the DVD. I heard that in German theatres there is a tradition to do something funny /naughty at the very last performance of the season, so maybe it was an example of this? Anyway, his dancing and acting was impeccable! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 The finale of the Nijinsky gala was very touching. I hope a video will be shared soon. The extract from Mahler’s 3rd symphony ended on a high note with John centre stage and all the dancers in pairs (ballerinas held aloft on the shoulders of the men). All the dancers except Alina Cojocaru. These dancers then left the stage as John walked to the back. Alina entered at the right side front and walked slowly across to the left side with John’s arms and body bending and reaching out to her. Not a dry eye in the house. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 8 hours ago, Estreiiita said: The absolute hero of the evening was Aleix Martinez, being "He". Closer to the end of the performance, in the piece about the birth of Jesus (?) he appeared completely naked and danced like this for several minutes. I don't remember it was like this on the DVD. I heard that in German theatres there is a tradition to do something funny /naughty at the very last performance of the season, so maybe it was an example of this? No, it's nothing of that. Neumeier decided later to have the dancer naked in that part and thinks it add a lot to the moment (I don't remember to have seen it my previous live view too). Aleix Martinez is a fantastic artist and dancer, excellent in modern pieces but with a very solid classical training (I remember a stunning Giselle peasants pdd of a few year ago). He is a choreographer himself and played a big role in many recent Neumeier crations (he is the main dancer also in Beethoven Project). 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 13 hours ago, Bruce Wall said: what was truly worth the price of a ticket to this gala IMHO (assuming one was lucky enough to win the space lottery) were the wholly radiant figures of Silvia Azzoni and Alexandre Riabko in Neumeier's haunting 'Ghost Light'. I suspect this will be the last outing for many of the senior players of this ensemble Or the opposite, probably: Azzoni and especially Ryabko have been sidelined by Neumeier in the last years and could be more on stage under the next Director. Sascha Ryabko has danced very few roles recently, despite being, as shown as Des Grieux in this Ballett-Tage Kameliendame, still possibly the finest dancer of the company, for the combination of sublime artistry and brilliant technique. The great confort is to have, at least, this wonderful artist recorded as Nijinsky in the DVD of that ballet. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 (edited) We’re so lucky that Neumeier agreed to commercially record so many of his last ballets, such as Nijinsky, Tatyana, Death in Venice, Beethoven, Ghost Light, and the choral works, Dona Nobis Pacem, Christmas Oratorio, St Matthew Passion. (We also have recordings of earlier works, such as Lady of the Camellias, Midsummer Dream, Sylvia, Little Mermaid, and Illusions - of Swan Lake.) What a way to ensure that many ballet lovers who live far from Hamburg can enjoy his art! May he enjoy his (busy) retirement! p.s. Will his full Nutcracker ever be recorded? That’s my secret wish. Edited July 16 by Jeannette 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 Looking at my Neumeier collection… How could I have forgotten the Orphee et Euridice opera-ballet, with the Joffrey? Jaiani and Sulavashvili as the leading pair - divine! Other ballets have streamed or published on tape earlier like Joseph’s Legend or Pavillon d’ Armide. No shortage of filmed works. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josette Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 29 minutes ago, Jeannette said: How could I have forgotten the Orphee et Euridice opera-ballet, with the Joffrey? Jaiani and Sulavashvili as the leading pair - divine! Yes, the Joffrey brought it to Los Angeles, and it was superb. I love his works and have happy memories of work with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 (edited) And the hits just keep on coming! One more that was streamed twice, that’s in my collection: Romeo & Juliet at the Royal Danish Ballet. 1982 (Kirk/I Andersen) and 2016 (Praetorius/Kaas). I also have a film/stream of Neumeier’s ca -2001 triple bill at the Mariinsky: Spring & Fall, Now & Then, and Sounds of Empty Pages (world premiere, starring Fadeev…the new AD of the Mariinsky). Lest we forget the “Pavlova and Cecchetti” pas de deux from his Nutcracker…Lopatkina/Onoshko and other partners! That’s 22 titles plus the short works for the 2006 Vienna New Year show (Pizzicato Polka and Fledermaus Waltz…with Anna Polikarpova!). Edited July 17 by Jeannette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 15 hours ago, Jeannette said: p.s. Will his full Nutcracker ever be recorded? That’s my secret wish. It was recorded in 1975, with Violette Verdy as Louise and Max Midinet as Drosselmeier 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 3 hours ago, annamicro said: It was recorded in 1975, with Violette Verdy as Louise and Max Midinet as Drosselmeier Thanks! I need to find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Plus ‘The Glass Menagerie’ is on Arte TV now and will be there n DVD at some point I believe. his Midsummer Night’s Dream is also on DVD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 Right, Fiona. I mentioned Midsummer Dream in yesterday’s 19:15 post. I have a POB version and the commercially available DVD. Good to hear that Glass Menagerie is on Arte and may come out as a DVD soon. The more the merrier. (And bless the German sponsors!) Maybe a more recent Nutcracker may be in the bag? I’m just grateful for the “Pavlova and Cecchetti” portion with Lopatkina, filmed first at Smolny Cathedral. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 7 hours ago, Jeannette said: Good to hear that Glass Menagerie is on Arte and may come out as a DVD soon. I asked a HB staff member about that and actually the release as DVD is not easy at all due to music rights. Fingers crossed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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