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May 2006 Castings (exciting news!)


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Right on. I couldn't have expressed it better, canbelto.

As Aurora, she's literally a beacon of light. Joyous, playful, girlish, with a pure classical style. Then as Giselle, she's no delicate shrinking violet, but a strongwilled, passionate girl, so her breakdown is so much more effective. In Act 2, she's of course unbelievably beautiful and technically strong, but again, I love how she injects Giselle with so much strength. This is a Giselle determined to fight with Myrtha to the end to save the man she loves. As Carmen, she's sexy, sultry, playful, without being the least bit crude or distasteful.

I think it's great that the Kirov cultivates new talent. Of the new crop, Evgenia Obratsova and Yulia Bolshakova seem very promising. But Vishneva is a talent that the MT would be wise to keep.

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As Aurora, she's literally a beacon of light. Joyous, playful, girlish, with a pure classical style. Then as Giselle, she's no delicate shrinking violet, but a strongwilled, passionate girl, so her breakdown is so much more effective. In Act 2, she's of course unbelievably beautiful and technically strong, but again, I love how she injects Giselle with so much strength. This is a Giselle determined to fight with Myrtha to the end to save the man she loves. As Carmen, she's sexy, sultry, playful, without being the least bit crude or distasteful.

I think it's great that the Kirov cultivates new talent. Of the new crop, Evgenia Obratsova and Yulia Bolshakova seem very promising. But Vishneva is a talent that the MT would be wise to keep.

So, is it safe to say that you are giving her two thumbs up?

Is this based on video-watching or live experience?

The use of the word "cultivate" is highly unfortunate within Mariinsky context, considering what happens with most of their talents, (take even Vishneva), after a few years.

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I can understand what is appealing about Vishneva, but the one time I saw her perform live, as Aurora, I felt like I was watching a Personality, not a character. She almost appeared to be a Guest Star, while the rest of the Mariinsky performers, who ranged from great to just fine, seemed to have a unified dramatic focus that Vishneva did not share.

Because the difference was not from exaggerated positions -- Lopatkina did that in several places in the Lilac Fairy solo, which shocked me -- I think the contrast came over more live than it would be in a video, where the stage picture tends either to recede or to appear in miniature.

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During the past two years or so, I've noticed more of what Helene & Marc cite, i.e., the 'diva' taking over. She's not quite as bad as Ananiashvili ever was but I do detect a bit of 'Ananiashviliness' in my recent viewings of 'live Vishneva.' It's hard to escape -- now a superstar in the ballet world, one of a handful of dancers who can maintain a huge schedule of international engagements, a la Guillem.

That's why, you'll notice, I cited her 1995 Nikia as the best that I've seen. I also love her recent performances in the new-old version of 'Bayadere,' but those graduation Nikias were nothing short of miraculous. DV was quite unaffected back then but already super-strong, technically.

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As Carmen, she's sexy, sultry, playful, without being the least bit crude or distasteful.

canbelto, I'm a great admirer of Ms Vishneva's talents. I think her Nikiya is a magical interpretation. But I don't think she is equally effective in everything she performs.

You seem to feel she offers everything there is to offer in Carmen.

My view is different, based on her 2003 Carmen pdd at the Mariinsky Festival. She offered all you described, but without a trace of the wit and wry humor, I for one, associate with the Carmens of earlier interpreters. Vishneva gave us a 'hot' number.

Petit's choreography, created in mid-20th c. seemed to be a commentary on femme fatale 'numbers', a refreshing innovation in ballet at the time.

For me, Ms Vishneva's Carmen was devolution of the choreography.

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So, is it safe to say that you are giving her two thumbs up?

Is this based on video-watching or live experience?

Both.

My view is different, based on her 2003 Carmen pdd at the Mariinsky Festival. She offered all you described, but without a trace of the wit and wry humor, I for one, associate with the Carmens of earlier interpreters. Vishneva gave us a 'hot' number.

Petit's choreography, created in mid-20th c. seemed to be a commentary on femme fatale 'numbers', a refreshing innovation in ballet at the time.

For me, Ms Vishneva's Carmen was devolution of the choreography.

I've seen Carmen several times, both live and on videotape, and Vishneva and Ferri's were by far the best. They were, as I said, sultry and sexy and playful.

Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre gave us grand tragedy. It was riveting, but it wasn't Carmen.

And let's not talk about Natalia Makarova ... (as a huge fan of Makarova too)

Don't get me wrong. I think there are some thing Vishneva does not excel in. For instance, although I enjoyed her Rubies immensely I could see why Balanchine stylists might find her port-te-bras objectionable. I am not saying Vishneva is perfect in everything she does. But I do think it is immensely unfair to say she's just good in Forsythe and Balanchine, because of Vishneva's prodigious talents in classical ballet. She is so much more than "In the Middle Somewhere Elevated" and "Rubies."

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Ladies and Gentlemen, your weekly cast-change update!

May 5 - Ondine - Leonid Sarafanov replaces Vladimir Schklyarov as Matteo. This was to have been Schklyarov's debut in the role. Thus, Sarafanov remains the only man to perform the role of Matteo in this version of the ballet. Schklyarov is still listed to dance the Chemyakin 'Nutcracker' on May 27; hopefully he will be OK and not suffering from recent back troubles.

No other changes...for the moment.

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Parenthetically - Ruzimatov did not dance; it was Dmitri Semionov. I've wanted to see him since Andrei mentioned him several years ago, and Andrei was quite right about his gifts. Perfect proportions, lofty jump. I'm not upset at all to have seen him. Tereshkina did dance as well - she was at her best in the Kingdom of the Shades, and her best is quite respectable.

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