18 replies to this topic

[drb]

Michael, on Jul 21 2005, 03:55 PM, said:

I don't know why I forgot to mention the Bolshoi Orchestra.  They were glorious and made Minkus sound almost like Delibes.  One Evgeny Gurev on the Cornet (who was mentioned in the program), and another unnamed player on the Trumpet, were so perfectly bright and sustained, in tune and in key, in the Cornet solo and elsewhere, at the top of all of the orchestral chords, that it was probably the best I have ever heard Orchestral Brass.

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Thanks for that, Michael.  They were equally wonderful Tuesday, another level above what we get on even a great day at ABT or NYCB.  It is a shame that they have been stained by the "review of record," in the Times, for Monday's performance.  Mr. Rockwell was very much correct in this regard, but there must have been some extraordinary extenuating circustances involved.  I hope he'll have an opportunity to re-review the orchestra.

[Michael]

Rockwell's review was an abuse of his power.  He appears to have an agenda somewhat like a fan at the moment.  He comes to ballet inexperienced and it's interesting to see him respond to things like the Bournonville Festival or more recently to  La Vishneyva in what was evidently his first big foot-stomping, flower-throwing Giselle experience.  But one expects a lot more form the New York Times than that.  My son the Politics Major could now be their diplomatic reporter?

Zacharova was a wonderful Kitri last night (Thursday).  She handled the demi character stuff very very well, dancing through it rather modestly (twelve noon extensions notwithstanding, she always does that) but with great energy and joy (that was what projected) and adopting comic timing a la Ananiashvilli.  In a lot of ways, Nina appears to be her model right now, Zacharova is an unexpectedly strong actress/dramatic Ballerina.  And of course, she's dancing Nina's role with  Nina's company. And Ananiashvilli is a great comedienne.

[drb]

Natasha Osipova was the first dancer's name mentioned in the Gia Kourlas review of DQ's 2 & 3.  And my personal favorite in the DQ's that I saw.   If you missed DQ but want to see the phenom, in Friday's Spartacus she was the fifth shepherdess at the beginning of act 2, the last one who comes down from the 'hill.'  A thrilling, glowing cameo.

[drb]

In a city without readily available [save for the internet] professional ballet reviews, here's a refreshing one of the opening night of Don Quixote, by Eric Taub of ballet.co's magazine:

http://www.ballet.co...olshoi_0705.htm

"If the Bolshoi dancers are sometimes cavalier about pointing their feet or straightening their knees, they are never less than passionate about their music, dancing on top of the beat in a manner more reminiscent of City Ballet than the more-somnolent Kirov, where sometimes it seems that keeping on the beat is considered vulgar. "