79 replies to this topic

[kfw]

I agree with dirac. I'm not bothered by Garis' ego, I'm thrilled to hop into the time machine and watch and contemplate "the Balanchine Enterprise" with an observer so thoughtful, sensitive, musically knowledgeable and emotionally involved with what he's experiencing.

For example, from pages 77-8 of the original hardback: "And so at the end, Apollo and the muses did not mount to Parnassus but instead moved around a stage which now represented no illusioned space. This makes a tremendous difference. When Apollo and the muses leave, they leave us behind in our mortality. This is what the music seems to say in its reiterated cry of lamentation dying away at the end, and it is what the old version of the ballet used to say, simply and effectively, as the four immortals waited motionlessly on the staircase for their chariot."

Agree or disagree with his opinion, but that's good writing.

[bart]

As dirac and kfw say, there's much that's insightful, valuable, and even well-written in the Garis book. Those parts give it importance as an historical record and weight as a a book of critical insights into Balanchine's work and the achievements of his company.  

For this reader, however, there's also much that's overly subjective, obscure, long-winded, self-indulgent, and ... strangely irritating.  

A good book?  A mixed bag?  A curate's egg?  Take your pick.

[Farrell Fan]

Okay, there are isolated passages that are quotable, but the book as a whole gave me acute indigestion.

[dirac]

kfw, on Apr 3 2007, 01:00 AM, said:

I agree with dirac. I'm not bothered by Garis' ego, I'm thrilled to hop into the time machine and watch and contemplate "the Balanchine Enterprise" with an observer so thoughtful, sensitive, musically knowledgeable and emotionally involved with what he's experiencing.

For example, from pages 77-8 of the original hardback: "And so at the end, Apollo and the muses did not mount to Parnassus but instead moved around a stage which now represented no illusioned space. This makes a tremendous difference. When Apollo and the muses leave, they leave us behind in our mortality. This is what the music seems to say in its reiterated cry of lamentation dying away at the end, and it is what the old version of the ballet used to say, simply and effectively, as the four immortals waited motionlessly on the staircase for their chariot."

Agree or disagree with his opinion, but that's good writing.

Thank you for reminding me of that fine passage, kfw.

[macnellie]

Watched a documentary of Nureyev recently. There was a brief excerpt of his Apollo and I wanted to see more!  Does anyone know of this video?  Is it with the Joffrey?
Thanks

[rg]

the NYPL dance coll. has filmed excerpts of APOLLO w/ Nureyev and the following companies, mostly in rehearsal:
Ballet de Theatre Colon
Vienna State Opera Ballet
Dutch National Ballet (this seems to be the most professional of the films, as it was telecast)
Ballet de Grand Theatre de Geneve
Royal Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet

[sandik]

Frustrating news -- after several seasons performing the mid-career Apollo (birth scene and stairs) as staged by Francia Russell, Pacific Northwest Ballet is going to do the later version with no birth and no stairs (and so no ending on the stairs).  I know, I know -- it was his ballet to change if he wanted to -- but I really love the older version.

Sigh.

[Helene]

Disappointing news.

I think the reason I didn't love Ib Andersen's Apollo as much as I expected was that he didn't get to do the opening development by the time I saw him with NYCB.  Happily, he's staged the full version for his company.

[bart]

sandik, on 21 February 2012 - 10:14 PM, said:

Frustrating news -- after several seasons performing the mid-career Apollo (birth scene and stairs) as staged by Francia Russell, Pacific Northwest Ballet is going to do the later version with no birth and no stairs (and so no ending on the stairs).

I wonder what the rationale for this is.  Aesthetic preference? A sense that the older version is somehow old-fashioned?  Desire to shorten the performance time?

[Helene]

One rationale can always be that the shorter version is the one Balanchine preferred.  Also, if Boal is staging the ballet, that is the version that he danced and that he knows.  According to the Balanchine Catalog, the birth scene was removed in 1979 for a revival with Baryshnikov,.  Boal might have seen the work with the birth scene until about age 14, but not at NYCB after that.

[sandik]

bart, on 22 February 2012 - 06:20 AM, said:

wonder what the rationale for this is.  Aesthetic preference? A sense that the older version is somehow old-fashioned?  Desire to shorten the performance time?

I think probably that this shorter version is the one that Balanchine preferred, and it's the one that's most often performed today.  I am just an old-fashioned girl when it comes to Apollo, I guess!

[California]

sandik, on 21 February 2012 - 10:14 PM, said:

Frustrating news -- after several seasons performing the mid-career Apollo (birth scene and stairs) as staged by Francia Russell, Pacific Northwest Ballet is going to do the later version with no birth and no stairs (and so no ending on the stairs).  I know, I know -- it was his ballet to change if he wanted to -- but I really love the older version.

I really miss the stairs at the end, which can be seen in the Balanchine biography DVD (with Farrell and Martins). That doesn't involve more time, so what's the explanation? The stairs did look very narrow and risky. But I can't think of other explanations. Does anybody know?

[Helene]

It does involve hazard pay.  However the official short version ends with the AT&T logo starburst, and to add the stairs would mean an exception from the Balanchine Trust.

[California]

The higher cost alone might explain things in this day and age. Repeating the starburst is an acceptable ending, but it doesn't capture the ascent to the heavens/eternity of the music at the very end. At least we have the stairs on tape, available for purchase!

[dirac]

sandik, on 21 February 2012 - 10:14 PM, said:

Frustrating news -- after several seasons performing the mid-career Apollo (birth scene and stairs) as staged by Francia Russell, Pacific Northwest Ballet is going to do the later version with no birth and no stairs (and so no ending on the stairs).  I know, I know -- it was his ballet to change if he wanted to -- but I really love the older version.

Sigh.

He also cut some great music.  Farrell said in her book she was sufficiently surprised by that to remark on it to him - "You don't usually cut music like that." "No, I don't," he replied. End of discussion. ("Shut up, he explained.")