12 replies to this topic

[CarolinaM]

The Sleeping Beauty

Music: Piotr I. Txaikovski
Choreography: Marius Petipa (with additions of Frederick Ashton, Anthony Dowell and Christopher Wheeldon). Produced by Monica Mason and Christopher Newton, on the original of Ninette de Valois and Nicolai Sergueiev.
Scenery and costumes: Oliver Messel (produced by Peter Farmer)
Lighting: Mark Jonathan

10 July: Sarah Lamb and Sergei Polunin at 5 pm; Tamara Rojo and Rupert Pennefather at 10 pm.
11 July: Marianela Núñez and Thiago Soares.
12 July: Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg
13 July: Tamara Rojo and Rupert Pennefather

JONC Jove Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya
Conductor: Valeri Ovsyanikov

http://www.liceubarc...che=1&L=2[event]=183&cHash=54c6748e3e57a57207474d888fbd8c3c

[DanceActress]

Any reports on the Barcelona Sleeping Beauties?

[sunday]

DanceActress, on 20 July 2010 - 09:56 AM, said:

Any reports on the Barcelona Sleeping Beauties?

I was at the opening night, with Rojo as Aurora. She was magnificent, despite a minor error in Rose Adagio. One curtain call, if memory does not fail me.

Did not go to see Cojocaru because of a messed up agenda. People say she was truly memorable.

More later, but as that choreography was new for me, the review would be limited.

[leonid]

DanceActress, on 20 July 2010 - 09:56 AM, said:

Any reports on the Barcelona Sleeping Beauties?

I found these reviews for which I have used my google toolbar facility to translate. I hope you are able to read them in the USA.

http://www.elpais.co...12elpcat_11/Tes

http://avui.elpunt.c...cio-mitica.html

http://www.elperiodi...te/381215.shtml

[bart]

sunday, on 20 July 2010 - 10:59 AM, said:

More later, but as that choreography was new for me, the review would be limited.

Please, Sunday, be as detailed as you can.  Your insights are always valuable and much appreciated.

[sunday]

There is another review, provisionally translated with Google, here. Perhaps an English version is in the works.

No, Bart, I'm not teasing you. Promise.  

[DanceActress]

Thanks for all the linked reviews!

Tamara Rojo is such a womanly dancer. I can imagine her Aurora being a mature contrast to Alina Cojocaru's innocent take on the character.

[CarolinaM]

Thanks Sunday for linking this review but Oh my God... what an awful translation that of Google!!

No, I'm affraid there was no English version in the works but now I'll try to find time to fine tune this one.

In any case, it has been so wonderful to see a company as the Royal Ballet is, with a Ballet as this Sleeping Beauty is, at the Liceu. Wonder how much we will have to wait to have another great classic...

Corella's Swan Lake should be there but will not. Saw it in Oviedo and was great. Anyway Catalonia is lucky enough as will see it in Sant Cugat beginning of October.

[CarmelaSMira]

In my opinion, the best Aurora of the Royal Ballet currently is Marianela Nunez (her performances this season were wonderful). Alina Cojocaru for me is second, but it's a matter of taste! I am not a big fan of Rojo as Aurora, she seems a little too "distant" somehow in the role although she is of course technically wonderful!

[4mrdncr]

CarolinaM, on 21 July 2010 - 11:58 AM, said:

Thanks Sunday for linking this review but Oh my God... what an awful translation that of Google!!

No, I'm affraid there was no English version in the works but now I'll try to find time to fine tune this one.

In any case, it has been so wonderful to see a company as the Royal Ballet is, with a Ballet as this Sleeping Beauty is, at the Liceu. Wonder how much we will have to wait to have another great classic...

Corella's Swan Lake should be there but will not. Saw it in Oviedo and was great. Anyway Catalonia is lucky enough as will see it in Sant Cugat beginning of October.

Yes Carolina, it's strange that CB isn't at the Liceu this year, though they did appear at the Coliseum earlier. Maybe the theatre was already booked up this year so CB had to find other venues?  (And no Tivoli either)  Or is the company trying to reach a wider (more diverse?) audience?

PS. I actually find Google is a lot better at translation/english syntax than other services--eg. Babelfish.
But it seems translations are a problem everywhere these days...e.g. on PBS from a journalist working at the European Union headquarters in Brussels... ENGLISH: "out of sight, out of mind"  GERMAN TRANSLATION: "invisible idiots"

[bart]

CarolinaM, your review deserves a much better translation.  And I identify with how frustrating it can be to see your work exposed in public at less than its best.  

I'm glad, though, that BT'rs have a chance to read your excellent review.  

[sunday]

Well, there it goes...

Sleeping Beauty by The Royal Ballet
Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, July 15th, 10pm

Princess Aurora: Tamara Rojo
Prince Florimund: Rupert Pennefather
Rest of the cast: Well, I gave my Pennefather-signed hand-program to a young lady*, so...

There is a much-viewed DVD of Paris Opera Ballet performing SB -Nureyev choreography- in my collection. Alas, I was not quite conscious of the differences. I was surprised, for instance, to see the Lilac Fairy in a dancing, not mime, role. I expected also to attend Cojocaru's performances in order to better understand this ballet but work prevented me of doing that. So, I'm quite reluctant to write this review because I don't think I've got enough information to make a fair review. Moreover memories are fading, and they are becoming reminiscences of a wonderful experience.

First of all, this ballet -already colossal by itself- when performed by this company materializes in something of great magnificence. Exquisite props, beautiful costumes, the works. Without the worst of the Rococo excesses** of the POB version, it should be said.

The Prologue was spent admiring the sharpness and precision of the various fairies. The difficult Canary variation was particularly appreciated by the public. Kudos also to the Corps. However, about the Corps, there is something about their arms that bothered me - sometimes, when doing a second, I think, port de bras, the working arm stopped suddenly when reaching the, let's say, temporary rest position, between third and fifth (methinks). That too-sharp end of motion could be mistook for jerkiness until one becomes used to. Perhaps this is a RB peculiarity, perhaps the choreography specifies it, I don't know.

In Act I the Wheeldon choreographed Garland Waltz was a beautiful showing off of Corps' drill. Then came the first main course of Ballerina sparkle, the Rose Adagio. Usual, discrete applauses to welcome Rojo, and she promptly slipped a little bit. Understandable, as she is prone to injuries and perhaps has not recovered well of the last one. Despite that little hiccup, she performed a smart RA, with very good balances, and was cheered consequently.Some people thought otherwise, however - but as I do not remember exactly what they found wrong, nor could find it after some time seeing RA clips and consulting glossaries, I'll refrain from elaborating.

When finishing Rose Adagio, Rojo made some movements that surprised me. She began with a couple of a kind of pirouettes with the working foot not going back to touch the supporting knee but kept pointing down during the turn, forming a 90º angle with the thigh. I took that bit as another occurrence of the famous "32 fouettés" ***.  

Enter Prince Florimund in Act II, a funny game of blind man's bluff, another Corps tour de force in the Vision scene, and a fight between Carabosse and the Lilac Fairy very well done. Liked very much the destruction of Carabosse showed through the mirror on the bed's headboard. It must be said that Pennefather made a very convincing fairytale prince, His poise, elegance, and the fluidity and harmony of his movements were outstanding. Pity his jumps were no match for those of Acosta, Corella or the Russians.

The overpowering Act III of sleeping Beauty is rich in opportunities for soloists to shine. And the RB ones make ample use of those opportunities. Puss-in-Boots tried amusingly to woo the White Cat so well one could feel the purring. The Bluebird and Princess Florine left us gaping in amazement. More fun with a Red Riding Hood and a "Big Bad Wolf", also perfect, etc. Rojo and Pennefather crowned this ballet with a excellent performance in the PDD.

On exiting we meet some members of the cast: the Spanish soloist that Carolina cites in her review, Pennefather, the Bluebird, and Ms. Rojo herself. She has a striking, ethereal presence, and gently entertained all the fans that asked her for autographs.

* After all, she was the one that asked Prince Florimund for a autograph so she earned that hand program.

** For instance, the costume of the POB Lilac Fairy is one thing of luxurious beauty to behold, but more than a bit cluttered, IMHO.

*** After the performance, talking with a group of really knowledgeable balletomanes about the "32 fouettés", I got -after a almost gentle remind that there are no such thing as "32 fouettés" in SB- that Tamara has done something know as the "Cuban variation", perhaps as a compensation for a not totally flawless RA. Also I got a quite needed lesson of humility - pedantry is one of the evils that stalk a new aficionado.

If, on top of that, there was another faux-pas, this time about Marianela Núñez nationality, then one becomes very careful of putting his foot on his mouth, AGAIN. And there was another one, but I think I've been imprudent enough for today already.  

**** That sometimes remembered me of that other, Lloyd-Webberian, White Cat. However, it's easy to exhaust all the catty (in the good sense ) register, and perhaps the choreographer of CATS drew some inspiration of the RB rendition of the SB character.

[CarolinaM]

CarmelaSMira, on 22 July 2010 - 05:35 AM, said:

In my opinion, the best Aurora of the Royal Ballet currently is Marianela Nunez (her performances this season were wonderful). Alina Cojocaru for me is second, but it's a matter of taste! I am not a big fan of Rojo as Aurora, she seems a little too "distant" somehow in the role although she is of course technically wonderful!

I didn’t see Marianela, I wanted to and my elder granddaughter (just four) also, as she is fan of her “Fille mal Gardée” but we had a family party that we couldn’t miss so no possible to attend. But as I report in my review on Balletymas, friends told that her performance was truly memorable.

I adore Alina’s way of dancing and I loved her at the Liceu, truly the best of the three I saw, but would have liked it very much to see Marianela as well.

4mrdncr, on 22 July 2010 - 08:59 PM, said:

Yes Carolina, it's strange that CB isn't at the Liceu this year, though they did appear at the Coliseum earlier. Maybe the theatre was already booked up this year so CB had to find other venues?  (And no Tivoli either)  Or is the company trying to reach a wider (more diverse?) audience?

No, I’m pretty sure that the Liceu thought that we had enough classic with RB and that there was no room for more. Anyway, Sant Cugat will be ok, three days, with the orchestra of Sant Cugat, whose conductor I met in Oviedo as he was preparing for conducting the ballet what made me really happy. In addition Sant Cugat created the sets and is co-producing it. Maybe when the Liceu realizes that it is a truly good production they will program it for next season. Hope so.

As for the Tivoli, it is announced on Corella Ballet web page that they will be there all January 2011 long with the third mixed bill, the one they presented in NY.

4mrdncr, on 22 July 2010 - 08:59 PM, said:

PS. I actually find Google is a lot better at translation/english syntax than other services--eg. Babelfish.
But it seems translations are a problem everywhere these days...e.g. on PBS from a journalist working at the European Union headquarters in Brussels... ENGLISH: "out of sight, out of mind"  GERMAN TRANSLATION: "invisible idiots"

Yes, one has to be very careful when using that tools  

bart, on 23 July 2010 - 03:07 AM, said:

CarolinaM, your review deserves a much better translation.  And I identify with how frustrating it can be to see your work exposed in public at less than its best.  

I'm glad, though, that BT'rs have a chance to read your excellent review.  

Many thanks, Bart!! I truly appreciate your words. I wish I had more time but I tried to improve the google translation and it was more difficult than starting from the Spanish one.

If I have a bit more time soon I’ll translate.

And thanks Sunday for sharing with us!!!