Norman

I see that this week the Staatsballett Berlin had a premiere (I don't know whether that was a world, or just a Berlin premiere) of a two act ballet 'Tschaikowsky' by Russian choreographer Boris Eifman. The four main characters are Tschaikowsky, His Alter Ego, Nadeschda von Meck and Tschaikowsky's wife. So that looks like another case of two dancers representing one character.

That's interesting information on 'Caroline Mathilde', bart. And that reminds me that it is useful to research an unfamiliar ballet before going to see it, especially when the programme wil be mostly in a foreign language, where I can only guess what the words mean.

As I live in England it is much more economic going to Copenhagen for two nights than one, so I am pleased that this programme provides a number of possibilities of seeing two ballets on two consecutive nights. Also, advance notice allows me to keep the dates free. Hopefully I will be able to see Napoli and Caroline Mathilde as well as Requiem and La Sylphide/The Lesson. Last season I saw Ventana and Kermesse in Bruges, followed by The Little Mermaid, so I can add two more Bournonvilles, whilst Caroline Mathilde and Requiem are completely new to me and therefore an exciting prospect!

Birmingham Royal Ballet are currently producing a series of Stravinsky programmes, whilst the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Ex Cathedra are performing a range of his orchestral and choral works. In the 2005-6 season BRB are doing Apollo, Pulcinella and The Firebird. Artistic Director David Bintley invited Kim Brandstrup to choreograph a new version of either Pulcinella or The Fairy's Kiss, and he chose the former, which was premiered this week. In the 2006-7 season they are doing Agon, Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Symphony In Three Movements. Perhaps we may expect The Fairy's Kiss in due course?

Hi bart Thanks for your welcome. In 'Peer Gynt' the real Peer is, of course, the main character and present for much of the ballet. His aspects are occasionally there all together, but mostly they appear perhaps one at a time, along with Peer himself, and mainly when their particular characteristics are relevant to the plot and the development of Peer's character. From memory I don't think the aspects are necessarily there all the time. I think Neumeier uses this technique to delve deeply into the psychology of his main character, as he likes to do in most of his work. In 'Play Without Words' there seems to be no fixed rule, but often the characters on stage will be represented by all three versions at once, some involved with each other, some just standing back and watching. At other times only one, or perhaps two versions are present, and sometimes it's like playing the same story over again with different characters. It's all quite complex and I don't know how the audience follow it. You have to read the synopsis, I suppose, and remember that it was based on earlier works, particularly the well-known Dirk Bogarde film 'The Servant'. As a dance work it probably doesn't matter so much if the audience can't easily follow who is who, as we often have to watch much more obscure works. 'Tales of Hoffman was a great film. It's years since I last saw it, and I have a lasting impression of the brilliant colours, turning the candles into jewels, and the 'Barcarole'. When you come to think of it, the multiple casting of leading roles and the natural passages of ensemble dances, where the steps of the leading dancers are echoed by numerous couples behind them, it is a natural development in ballet to have several dancers playing the same role at the same time.

In John Neumeier's 1989 ballet 'Peer Gynt' there are seven dancers representing the seven 'aspects' of Peer, in addition to Peer himself. They are all born together in the Prologue, and represent Anima, Childhood, Flying, Erotic, Daredevil, Aggression and Doubt. They are all male, except for Anima, who is female, and this dancer also dances Solveig. In Matthew Bourne's 2002 Ballet (Play?) 'Play Without Words' five of the six characters are danced by three dancers each, and the sixth by two dancers. Generally there are fifteen dancers involved in presenting six characters, or various aspects of them. When I saw it the audience seemed quite happy with the idea, but I would think that this technique would be easier to carry off in ballet than in a straight stage play. But remember the film 'Kind Hearts And Coronets, where Sir Alec Guiness played most of the parts, all members of the same family who were murdered one by one? I suppose that, in the case of Swan Lake, the matter is reversed, as we have one dancer playing two parts - Odette and Odile.