23 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Question of the week:  I'm curious about what people think of when they think of "Swan Lake."  What does a production have to have to satisfy you? What do you expect when you go to see a production that you don't know anything about?  I'll happily stipulate that there isn't an "authentic" production around, but there are still things -- images, steps, parts of the story -- that mean "Swan Lake" to people: 24 swan maidens, 32 fouettes, love, betrayal, death, owls.  Benno or a Jester?  Happy ending or sad?  All or none of the above.

Alexandra

[Steve Keeley]

My expectations of a proper SW include the basic 4 acts, with Act II and Act IV the "White Acts."  Female swans.  No psychological re-interpretations. NO JESTER!!!  A Black Swan pas de DEUX, not a pas de trois including Rothbart. And they jump in the lake at the end; the score was not written for a happy ending.  See the video of the ABT production with Makarova/Nagy to see how to do it right.

~Steve

[cargill]

I basically agree with Steve, especially NO JESTER.  But when I saw Makarova, she used to leave out the 2nd act mime, which to me is essential.  Without it, the ballet become more abstract and less tragic.  I also really like the Drigoesque last act that ABT does.  I think it has a nice flow and variety.  And I think Rothbart should be a vaguely menacing evil, not run around the stage in red tights and shadow box.  And it should be set in Medieval Germany, because that is the period of the myth.  Basically, it shouldn't look anything like the current Royal Ballet production.

[Kevin Ng]

I am happy as long as I can see the Kirov Ballet dancing in the Sergueyev version of Swan Lake.  Everything in this production is right in scale and tone.  Every performance of Swan Lake by the Kirov is like a ritual to me!

[Kevin Ng]

I am happy as long as I can see the Kirov Ballet dancing in the Sergueyev version of Swan Lake.  Everything in this production is right in scale and tone.  Every performance of Swan Lake by the Kirov is like a ritual to me!

[Giannina]

For me "Swan Lake" is the ultimate test for the ballerina.  She's in a tutu so there's no place to hide sloppy technique.  This is where she "shows me what's she's got", and if she is one of the best she will never look better.  It takes my breath away just thinking about it.  


Giannina

[Ed Waffle]

1) Agreement with Steve Keeley on ending--we saw Makarova and Nagy HURL themselves from a rock into the wings at the end of one performance and it is the single most memorable moment we have had in a theater.

2) The concertmaster should really dig into the adagio and play it not just as accompaniment but as a virtuoso solo violin piece.

3) All the things I will think of (as Juliet Shore mentioned) that I will recall as soon as I hit the "submit reply" button.

[This message has been edited by Ed Waffle (edited 03-18-99).]

[Marc Haegeman]

Swans danced by girls and led by a ballerina who knows her trade -- preferably Kirov/Sergeyev production.

Can somebody tell me please what's wrong with that poor jester?  Thanks.

[dirac]

I like a solid conservative Swan Lake, and I fear I must agree that the Jester is an annoyance. At the most he's acceptable as a diversion in the early court scenes, but that's that.  I also object to giving Siegfried too much prominence, as in the Grigorovich version, mainly because the musical scheme doesn't allow for it.  (This is also true for the Jester.) I know the danseurs get unhappy about having to take the back seat, but that's the way it goes, guys.  I think the Nureyev solo is all right, though.

[Paul W]

My most vivid memory (5 years ago?) of the  Balanchine version of Swan Lake was a ballerina exiting stage far right after a long, long slow bourre across the stage!!  I see it in my dreams.  That would satisfy me at this point.

By the way, cargill,  what exactly is "a Drigoesque last act" ?

[Kevin Ng]

Paul, I also love the Balanchine version of Swan Lake.  I last saw it danced by NYCB in 1996 with Kyra Nichols.  After the Kirov Sergueyev version, this Balanchine version is my second favourite.

I dread the new Peter Martins production of Swan Lake that NYCB is going to premiere this summer.  I saw this Martins version once in 1997 danced by Royal Danish Ballet.  It is awful!

[Lillian]

Oh sorry, but the one act Balanchine Swan Lake just doesn't "do it" for me. I like the whole thing, especially the beginning of the fourth act Kirov version with all those sad little swan variations to that delicate music.
I also prefer a thin Swan Queen and corps to give it that otherwordly feeling. There is nothing worse than robust Swan Queen. This is why I quite liked Mezentseva in this role.
Did anyone see Kirkland dance Swan Lake? I can't even imagine what that would have been like?

[cargill]

Paul, When Petipa decided to choreography Swan Lake (after Tschaikovsky had died), he had Drigo redo the fourth act.  As I recall he reorchestrated some of it, and (I haven't looked this up), may have added some of his own plinky-plinky music.  The ABT version uses it.  There is the drama of the Tchaikovsky storm, and then a brief lighter pas de deux (the plinky-plinky bit), and then the Tchaikovsky suicide and apotheosis.  I have come to really like the soft contrast between all the drama.  Most redone last acts are so frantic.  Another thing I like are a few black swans in the last act, to give a bit of contrast to the second.

[Kevin Ng]

Juliet, I didn't take detailed notes from the single performance of Peter Martins' Swan Lake danced by Royal Danish Ballet, led by Silja Schandorff and Kenneth Greve.  But I found the choreography generally over-fussy, like Martins' ballets for NYCB.  There were plenty of technically difficult steps busily strung together which formed no coherent shape.

On the whole, the Martins choreography did not improve on the traditional choreography, or indeed the Balanchine choreography in Mr. B's one-act version.

To be fair, the sets and costumes designs were however colourful enough and quite good.

[Kevin Ng]

Juliet, I didn't take detailed notes from the single performance of Peter Martins' Swan Lake danced by Royal Danish Ballet, led by Silja Schandorff and Kenneth Greve.  But I found the choreography generally over-fussy, like Martins' ballets for NYCB.  There were plenty of technically difficult steps busily strung together which formed no coherent shape.

On the whole, the Martins choreography did not improve on the traditional choreography, or indeed the Balanchine choreography in Mr. B's one-act version.

To be fair, the sets and costumes designs were however colourful enough and quite good.