Paris Opera Ballet in "Jewels" - PBS Spring 2006

[art076]

Saw this brand new listing on the PBS Great Performances web site today:

"JEWELS" FROM THE PARIS OPERA BALLET

Over a career spanning more than six decades, groundbreaking choreographer George Balanchine made ballet a modern art. From his early days in Russia to his trailblazing role as co-founder of New York City Ballet, Balanchine reigned supreme among the pioneers of 20th-century dance. Premiering in 1967, "Jewels" is the choreographer's only plotless work in three acts. The abstract ballet illuminates, with clarity and brilliance, the music of Fauré, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky in its three movements -- the romantic "Emeralds," the jazzy, neoclassical "Rubies," and the classically inspired "Diamonds." "Jewels" literally shines, as the dancers' costumes are imbued with the brilliance of the stone for which each section is named. Brought to life by the Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris, the splendid "Jewels" features opulent costumes and sets by renowned French designer Christian Lacroix.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/jewels/index.html

Currently set for Spring 2006 without a definite date.

[Dale]

Wow. Thanks for this. Barbara Horgan of the Balanchine Trust spoke of trying to get either POB or the Kirov to film their new productions of Jewels at a seminar last year. I guess she got POB. This is great. I'm crossing my fingers for Dupont in there somewhere.

[bart]

Wow indeed.

For those who want to prepare, there's a 2003 Ballet Talk thread dealing with the POB Jewels. It's fascinating.

Paris Opera Ballet, Jewels, 2003

[Azulynn]

Aurelie Dupont will probably be in Rubies - that's the only part she is scheduled to dance, along with Marie-Agnès Gillot. Should be just great to have as well Letestu, Martinez, probably Pujol and others in the same performance... ;)

[DSanderson]

In their most recent catalogue, Opus Arte has announced their plans to release a DVD of "Jewels" in 2006, so presumably it will be the POB performance.

Dana

[bart]

Barbara Horgan of the Balanchine Trust spoke of trying to get either POB or the Kirov to film their new productions of Jewels at a seminar last year.  I guess she got POB.

Question: given that this is American public tv and there seems to be a One-Ballet-a-Year quota, why not NYCB -- or a smaller company with a good Jewels in rep, like Miami (a la the Seattle Midsummer Night's Dream)?

[carbro]

While I eagerly look forward to the POB Jewels, bart, I completely agree that the US has many sources of Great Performances of ballet. Ya think maybe PBS seeks a bill with greater fame and cachet, with an eye to dvd marketability? That perhaps they fear a MCB program won't draw the way POB will?

[Estelle]

Ya think maybe PBS seeks a bill with greater fame and cachet, with an eye to dvd marketability?  That perhaps they fear a MCB program won't draw the way POB will?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wonder if the Balanchine Foundation has a role in the choice of companies who are authorized to publish a video of a Balanchine work ?

Also perhaps the ballet was planned to be filmed to be released on DVD (and perhaps also shown on French TV- I do hope so !), as the POB seems to have a more active filming policy now than a few years ago, and so it was more convenient for PBS to show that video rather than organizing the filming of another company ?

I do regret a bit that it wasn't filmed a few years earlier, before the retirement of some dancers (e.g. Isabelle Guérin, Elisabeth Maurin, Fanny Gaïda...) but well, "never look a gift horse in the mouth"

[Dale]

It might be the cost. I noticed that pbs is going to show a French production of Le Rossignole. These broadcasts might signal a broadcasting partnership between two companies. On one hand, we've been complaining about the lack of ballet on PBS. It's been suggested that "hey, other countries are producing broadcasts, why not arrange for the US rights for those?" So, now they are. On another hand, it's a bit boring to broadcast something that already is coming out on DVD.

Regarding Horgan, she said, when asked about filming ballets, at the Museum of Television and Radio that those were the two companies that she was looking into. Farrell and Villella also were at the seminar. Both said they would welcome PBS to work with their companies -- great advertising they said.

[Helene]

Barbara Horgan of the Balanchine Trust spoke of trying to get either POB or the Kirov to film their new productions of Jewels at a seminar last year.  I guess she got POB.

Question: given that this is American public tv and there seems to be a One-Ballet-a-Year quota, why not NYCB -- or a smaller company with a good Jewels in rep, like Miami (a la the Seattle Midsummer Night's Dream)?

It took the BBC to get PNB's A Midsummer Night's Dream on TV and to DVD.

The choice of Kirov and POB, could be a comment on how Balanchine is becoming "internationalized" (as if it hadn't been before, in smaller companies, like the Balanchine-affiliated company in Geneva) and/or how the standard is being upheld outside NYCB. What is a bit scary is that videos become iconic, and whatever is captured on film will be considered the way Balanchine ballets are supposed to be danced. From all of the reviews I've read of POB's and the Kirov's attempts so far, while there are some stellar and interesting individual performances, they are still foreign in style and approach, particularly in the corps work.

[Natalia]

It probably has to do with cost. It's cheaper for PBS to pay for the rights to broadcast something that already exists on tape (TDK's taping of the POB 'Jewels') than for funding a 'filming-from-scratch' venture.

PBS has done similar things before, e.g., airing the KULTURA/Australian Ballet's remastered DVD of Nureyev's "Don Q."

[canbelto]

Can I pipe up and say at this point I'd rather see the POB do Jewels than the NYCB? The issue is not "style," but rather the quality of the dancing. The POB corps is the most wonderful and uniform in the world. At its present state the NYCB corps does not match the POB by a longshot. I think Jewels would benefit from the discipline and uniformity the POB can bring to just about anything. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[bart]

I am still conflicted about this, although I understand all the positions including those famous last words: "It's better than nothing."

Where is the achievement if PBS merely "plays" a POB video -- or even guarantees a financial contribution to the POB video production?

If there is indeed a deal with French television, it would seem to be similar to all the so-called "co-productions" with BBC, (Mystery, etc.) where the other side creates and produces the work, and we (PBS) give a little money, send over a few people we call producers to observe and interfere, film an introduction with a US cultural celebrity, plaster our name all over it, and brag to our contributors how supportive of the arts we are.

These activities, though better than nothing, seem rather a rather pedestrian and somehow demeaning way for PBS to pursue cultural prestige, compared to its genuinely creative involvement in the arts years ago.

But -- of course -- it IS better than nothing. And there is one big advantage over having to buy the CD individually: we'll all get to watch it on the same evening, participating in the virtual reality of a shared cultural "event."

[carbro]

PBS's cultural coverage no longer strives for the high quality it used to achieve consistently. (I don't question that funding is a big factor, but I doubt it is the only one.) How many Andre Rieu (sp?) specials can anyone stomach? So a POB Jewels -- pre-fabricated as it appears to be -- is mere lip service to the handful of culture vultures still out there.

Thanks a lot, PBS!

[drb]

For a preview of the DVD, and a look at Lacroix's version, here are photos from Agence Enguerand of POB in Jewels. The date given, 27 October 2005, suggests it may have been the dress rehearsal, since the opening night was 28 October.

Emeralds (12):

http://217.167.132.38/agence/general.php?o...t=&type_action=

Rubies (8):

http://217.167.132.38/agence/general.php?o...photo=selection

Diamonds (15):

http://217.167.132.38/agence/general.php?o...photo=selection

POB gives the casting for the video as:

EMERAUDES

Laëtitia Pujol - Mathieu Ganio

Clairemarie Osta - Kader Belarbi

Nolwenn Daniel

Eleonora Abbagnato - Emmanuel Thibault

RUBIS

Aurélie Dupont - Alessio Carbone

Marie-Agnès Gillot

DIAMANTS

Agnès Letestu - Jean-Guillaume Bart

[bart]

Truly stunning photos, especially the Diamonds. Thank you.

[Dale]

Thanks for the cast. Unfortunately, the photos don't work for me.

[dirac]

I don’t see any downside. I’m just grateful that it’s not another [big Name Ballet Company Here] in Swan Lake. Not everyone can buy or see the DVD, so to have the ballet broadcast, especially on a non cable network, is great. Looking forward to it.

It won’t have any immediate effect, but write PBS via regular mail if you want to see more dance – especially if you’re a subscriber. The halcyon days of the seventies are not coming back, but we can try for improvement.

[richard53dog]

I don’t see any downside.  I’m just grateful that it’s not another [big Name Ballet Company Here] in Swan Lake.  Not everyone can buy or see the DVD, so to have the ballet broadcast, especially on a non cable network, is great.  Looking forward to it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

dirac, I feel the same way. Hopefully it will pull in a lot of viewers when PBS airs it. Plus if I like it, then I'll buy the "potential" DVD

Richard

[canbelto]

I'm personally looking forward to it. I sometimes think that Paris etoiles tend to be ice-cold, but no one can deny the absolute uniformity and beauty of their corps. They truly move as one body.

And the ballet videography needs a complete Jewels. The excerpts Balanchine created for the Dance in America specials are intriguing, but they do not remotely capture the Jewels experience.

[Estelle]

The photos don't work for me either.

[Edited to add] Now the site works again. Thanks, drb, the Enguerand photos really look great.

By the way, one also can see photos of older POB performances of "Jewels" (in 2000 and 2003) on the same site. What a pity Manuel Legris wasn't filmed in "Rubies", he was so wonderful in that role (even if I'm sure Alessio Carbone was very good too).

[Mashinka]

I believe the recording was actually made at the performance on 5th November as I noticed five cameras set up in the auditorium and a sound recordist was prowling around in the orchestra pit. Certainly the cast given exactly matches the cast I saw. Everyone is in for a treat as it was an absolutely cracking performance.

I sometimes think that Paris etoiles tend to be ice-cold, but no one can deny the absolute uniformity and beauty of their corps. They truly move as one body.

Not sure that I agree with that assessment of the etoiles, I always think of Pujol and Legris as exceptionally warm dancers. In recent years the quality of the corps has been uneven, but they were on top form in Jewels.

[drb]

The plan was to have the same cast on 3, 5, and I think 8 November and combine the performances to get the best video possible.

Dale and Estelle, the Agence Enguerand site is back up and their three photo sets are again visible.

[Dale]

I think the POB Jewels will be interesting. But I think, personally, finding one production to tape as the ultimate version of Jewels would be tough right now. Ideally, a company versed in "Balanchine style" would be best. NYCB still is one of the best when it comes to Mr. B's teachings about musicality and speed. But I think they are lacking a complete set, when it comes to casting. I've seen Miami in this over the years and it was one of the most satisfying productions I've seen, imbued with the right spirit. Among the other companies I've seen in Jewels are PA Ballet, POB and the Kirov (I'd love to see Korbes in Diamonds in the upcoming PNB show) -- each production and cast had something special to it but was not the ultimate (for ex. the Kirov corps was sublime in Diamonds but the tall girl in Rubies was sort of clueless). With POB, I found it a little bland -- there was no differentiation between the sections. You'd think they'd be best in the "French" section, but I didn't find this to be true (Emeralds seems to be the section hardest to grasp today). I'm eager to see Dupont in Rubies - she's such a musical dancer and owns a lovely line. But I found Letestu too up and down in Diamonds (not in focus but in execution). This role is all about controlled risk -- the appearance of falling but not falling -- about hanging on to the thread of a phrase even if it means going almost horizontal (I don't mean sloppy - I've seen a bunch of those - it's not the same thing).

[atm711]

The photos are stunning...although I have reservations about the costumes by Lacroix---too many ruffles for 'Rubies' and too much ornamentation for 'Diamonds'.