32 replies to this topic

[canbelto]

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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.

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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."

[Natalia]

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.

[Leigh Witchel]

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.