Yesterday I went to La Scala for the Ballet season's premiere which starred Sarafanov and Somova (and Barenboim as conductor). While I found both Sarafanov's performance and Barenboim's conducting as brilliant and exciting as I remembered and as I expected, Somova confirmed the negative voices I heard and read about her. She's insignificant, completely lacking in that particular charisma that marks great ballerinas, and her technique does not balance this out. I found in her movements something unfinished, "untidy" and ill-defined..I mean, she just "throws" her leg in arabesque or attitude.
I was quite excited about seeing someone new in the role of Odette/Odile, because Zakharova began even to bore me (forgive me!). Now the only thing I (and all the loggionistis I talked to yesterday) can think about is: give us Sveta back! Or at least Osipova, or Semionova, or whoever...
I'm looking forward to seeing Guillem and Murru this february.
Cheers!
