5 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

Congrats to the Mariinsky-related (and I truly mean "related"...not actual) recipients of today's Golden Mask Awards in Moscow, for best theatrical performances and work in 2008:

Best New Ballet Production:  Vishneva: Beauty in Motion (S. Danilian Productions of the USA...not technically Mariinsky)

Best Ballerina Performance:  Diana Vishneva for 'Vishneva: Beauty in Motion' (again - Danilian Productions)...beating Natalia Osipova's much-lauded La Sylphide...hmmmm.....

Best Male Ballet Dancer Performance:  Igor Zelensky as Solor in La Bayadere, Spring 2008 Novosibirsk Ballet Theater staging (beating Ivan Vasiliev, Vladimir Schlyarov, etc.)

So one could say that the Mariinsky Ballet won three trophies. Indirectly. Cheers!  

The Mariinsky Ballet is still in the running for a Benois de la Danse award -- Ekaterina Kondaurova (for Odette-Odile) is nominated in Best Female Performance category, along with Osipova in three roles, incl Sylphide. [Benois Nominees link: http://benois.theatr...h/history/2009/ ]


Here is the link to the official Golden Mask site, with list of all of today's winners (alas, only in Russian, thus far):

http://www.goldenmas...p?nid=935&year=

[aurora]

Natalia, on Apr 18 2009, 04:32 PM, said:

Congrats to the Mariinsky-related (and I truly mean "related"...not actual) recipients of today's Golden Mask Awards in Moscow, for best theatrical performances and work in 2008:

Best New Ballet Production:  Vishneva: Beauty in Motion (S. Danilian Productions of the USA...not technically Mariinsky)

Best Ballerina Performance:  Diana Vishneva for 'Vishneva: Beauty in Motion' (again - Danilian Productions)...beating Natalia Osipova's much-lauded La Sylphide...hmmmm.....

wow--having seen Beauty in Motion I have to say I am shocked...

[Natalia]

Aurora, it goes to show you how different sorts of productions appeal to different people. Just as Western audiences didn't care much for Beauty in Motion, they didn't like Eifman's Musagete a few years ago. Both 'losers' to American audiences ended up winners in Russia, with Golden Masks. Different strokes for different folks.

I am still in shock, though, about Osipova's Sylphide not having won, as it was highly acclaimed both by local (Russian) and Western critics and observers. I would have even given the award to Osipova over Obraztsova (nominated for Carnavale), my sentimental favorite dancer among the nominees...but she has already won for Ondine. Perhaps the voters thought the same about Osipova -- because she won a year or two ago for Upper Room? Many of my friends are now in shock; Osipova was the most worthy winner, in our humble opinion. It's mind boggling, actually.

p.s. Perhaps this is Vishneva's 1st Golden Mask, after all of these years? She's won a bunch of other trophies throughout the yrs -- the Isadora, Golden Sofit (StP awards), Russian Balet magazine award, Benois de la Danse, etc.  For a life-long body of work, Vishneva is totally worthy. Oh, well...Congratulations, all the same. Vishneva has been another huge favorite of mine...just not in Beauty in Motion.

[Marc Haegeman]

Just to add that Osipova and Lopatin were awarded a special prize from the jury for their La Sylphide pas de deux. Not quite the same of course, but still they weren't totally ignored.

[Natalia]

Marc Haegeman, on Apr 18 2009, 05:19 PM, said:

Just to add that Osipova and Lopatin were awarded a special prize from the jury for their La Sylphide pas de deux. Not quite the same of course, but still they weren't totally ignored.

Thank goodness for that, Marc. Somebody on the jury felt pangs of guilt...

Oh, and I see at the bottom of the above Russian list that Beauty in Motion also won the "Critic's Prize" among ALL theatrical productions -- opera, ballet, theater & puppetry? So it has been deemed the super-duper, ultimate theatrical production in all of Russia for 2008. Uh...OK.

[Sacto1654]

Natalia, on Apr 18 2009, 02:21 PM, said:

Oh, and I see at the bottom of the above Russian list that Beauty in Motion also won the "Critic's Prize" among ALL theatrical productions -- opera, ballet, theater & puppetry? So it has been deemed the super-duper, ultimate theatrical production in all of Russia for 2008. Uh...OK.

Given the iffy reception to Beauty in Motion by Western audiences, the Russian audience must have a quite different sensibility in ballet for this show to win the Golden Mask.

But I'm glad that Kondaurova is still in the running for the Benois de la Danse award--from what I've read about her premiere performance as Odette/Odile in Lebedinoye Ozero, it caused quite a sensation in Saint Petersburg and well beyond that, too. If she wins maybe the Mariinsky Theatre management will see it fit she at least gets First Soloist status?