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2013 Met Season--Pre-Season and General Info


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The strength of Cory and Marcello becomes more apparent upon viewing a second case, such as at "Works and Process." The structure, tension, and the characterization of evil dissolves without powerful, rehearsed male performers.

What is the source of and motivation for Iago? Why falsely accuse and destroy innocence, happiness and love? I could not derive the source of Iago's hatred, or desire to act upon it, from the play or the dance.

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Iago states early on in the play that he is angry at having been passed over for a promotion. In addition, there are a number of places in the play where Iago's racism is evident and this is a motivation for trying to destroy Othello.

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A persistent debate in literary criticism. "Motiveless malignancy." "Ontological absence." Spurned homosexual desire. Pick your poison.

Motiveless malignancy = pure evil, so non-zen, and lacking in human insight. Ontological absence = a seeming cop out, a lazy response. Is it simply nihilism? A desire for an end?

Spurned homosexual desire - seems off, since Iago seems a randy heterosexual to me, but maybe that is due to performance on video, etc.

Thanks for trying Simon, but I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

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Since we have been talking about discerning Iago's motivations, I thought I would post this review of a current production of Othello that is playing at London's National Theater, with the great actor Rory Kinear playing Iago. This article addresses the question of Iago's motives. Othello will be shown live in the US at part of the NTLive programs on Sept 26, 2013. (Go To the NTLive website to find theaters and times).

http://theater.nytim...6.html?ref=arts

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Here's the release about the first and second week casting:

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST TWO WEEKS OF

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S 2013 SPRING SEASON

AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Irina Dvorovenko to Dance Final Performance with ABT

on Saturday Evening, May 18

Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle to Lead Company Premiere

of Sir Frederick Ashton’s A Month in the Country,

Tuesday Evening, May 21

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The season will begin on Monday, May 13 at 6:30 P.M. with the Company’s Opening Night Gala, featuring a pièce d’occasion choreographed by Marcelo Gomes, set to the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and danced by Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle. The evening will also be highlighted by full performances of Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphony #9, led by Polina Semionova, Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo, Simone Messmer and Craig Salstein, and George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, led by Paloma Herrera, James Whiteside, Veronika Part, Cory Stearns, Xiomara Reyes, Daniil Simkin, Sarah Lane and Jared Matthews. The program will also include Diana Vishneva and James Whiteside in an excerpt from Act III of Onegin, Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev in the Le Corsaire pas de deux, Gillian Murphy in an excerpt from Sylvia and Hee Seo and David Hallberg in the pas de deux from Act III of

The Sleeping Beauty. The World Premiere of Raymond Lukens’ Cortège, set to music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, will be performed by students of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. American Ballet Theatre’s Spring Gala is sponsored by Dior.

The first of eight performances of Onegin will take place on Tuesday, May 14, with Julie Kent, Roberto Bolle, Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin in the leading roles. Gemma Bond and Blaine Hoven will debut as Olga and Lensky at the matinee on Wednesday, May 15 and Isabella

Boylston will debut as Olga on Friday, May 17. Polina Semionova will dance the role of Tatiana for the first time with ABT at the matinee on Saturday, May 18, opposite David Hallberg as Onegin. Irina Dvorovenko will give her final ABT performance on the evening of Saturday, May 18 in the role of Tatiana, opposite Cory Stearns as Onegin. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the poem of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. The ballet received its World Premiere on April 13, 1965 by the Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany and was given its Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York with Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), Vladimir Malakhov (Lensky) and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by the National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The ballet is staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne. Onegin is generously supported through an endowed gift from Ruth and Harold Newman.

On Tuesday, May 21, the Company Premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s A Month in The Country will be led by Julie Kent as Natalia Petrovna and Roberto Bolle as Beliaev. Hee Seo and David Hallberg will debut in these roles at the matinee on Wednesday, May 22. Based on the play of the same name by Ivan Turgenev, A Month In the Country features music by Frédéric Chopin, arranged by John Lanchbery, with designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman and lighting by John B. Read. A Month in the Country received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on February 12, 1976, led by Lynn Seymour as Natalia Petrovna and Anthony Dowell as Beliaev. The ballet is staged for ABT by Grant Coyle.

A Month in the Country will share the program with Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and the revival of George Balanchine’s Symphony in C. Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, a work for twelve dancers, is staged by Tina Fehlandt and features music by Virgil Thomson and costumes by Santo Loquasto. Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes was given its World Premiere by ABT on May 31, 1988. An excerpt of the ballet was given its first performance at the Dancing For Life benefit at the New York State Theater on October 5, 1987. Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes is generously supported through an endowed gift from Monica, Stefano, Cosima and Tassilo Corsi.

On Tuesday, May 21, Symphony in C will be led by Paloma Herrera, James Whiteside, Veronika Part, Cory Stearns Xiomara Reyes, Herman Cornejo, Sarah Lane and Craig Salstein. The matinee on Wednesday, May 22 will feature debuts by Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev in the third movement. Symphony in C, featuring music by Georges Bizet, costumes after Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley, was given its World Premiere by the Paris Opera Ballet under the title Le Palais de Cristal on July 8, 1947 and received its United States Premiere by Ballet Society (now New York City Ballet) on March 22, 1948. ABT first performed Symphony in C at City Center in New York on October 23, 2001 and the ballet received its Revival Premiere on February 22, 2013 at the Hong Kong Cultural Center in Hong Kong, China. The ballet is staged for ABT by Merrill Ashley and Stacey Caddell.

Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo will lead the season’s first performance of Don Quixote on Friday evening, May 24. This performance will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Ms. Reyes and Mr. Cornejo as Principal Dancers with ABT. Staged by Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones, with choreography after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky, Don Quixote is set to music by Ludwig Minkus and features scenery and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Natasha Katz. The McKenzie/Jones staging of the current production was first performed by ABT on June 12, 1995. This production was generously supported through an endowed gift from Anka K. Palitz, in memory of Clarence Y. Palitz, Jr.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000.

Performance-only tickets for the Opening Night Gala begin at $25. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

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A change to program:

PROGRAM CHANGE ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF

SHOSTAKOVICH TRILOGY AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Shostakovich Trilogy, a three-part work choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, will feature Piano Concerto #1, set to Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, in place of the originally planned music from Symphony No. 1.

Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy will be given its World Premiere on Friday evening, May 31, 2013. In addition to Piano Concerto #1, Shostakovich Trilogy includes Chamber Symphony and Symphony #9. The full evening of works features scenery by George Tsypin, costumes by Keso Dekker and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House runs May 13 through July 6. Tickets are available at the Met Box Office, by phone at 212-362-6000, or online at ABT’s website, www.abt.org.

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Isn't it a little late in the game to make this kind of change?

Unusual, but not the first time a major choreographer has made a last-minute change of music. The best example I can think of is Bejart's Le Jeune Homme et la Morte. The company rehearsed it to jazz, but he made a last-minute substitution with the Bach Passacaglia. I don't know if he planned that all along to motivate the dancers or abruptly made the decision himself. Anybody know?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/arts/dance/roland-petit-choreographer-is-dead-at-87.html?_r=0

I don't know what happened with the Ratmansky, but let's hope we learn more in the coming weeks. Perhaps one piece was the wrong length or wrong "feel" for what he decided he wanted to do choreographically.

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In a Ballet Alert! interview, Millepied said that Twyla Tharp's Beethoven Seventh was originally choreographed to some other music by Beethoven (I think he said quartets but I don't have the text in front of me). It seemed crazy at the time that in the House of Balanchine, where music is the floor on which the dancers dance, that music could be treated so...interchangeably.

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Unusual, but not the first time a major choreographer has made a last-minute change of music. The best example I can think of is Bejart's Le Jeune Homme et la Morte. The company rehearsed it to jazz, but he made a last-minute substitution with the Bach Passacaglia. I don't know if he planned that all along to motivate the dancers or abruptly made the decision himself. Anybody know?

Petit related the details in the bonus feature on the POB DVD of the ballet. Apparently, it was Jean Cocteau who insisted that the music should be changed. The final tableau against the Paris skyline was also added after Petit was able to acquire a used film backdrop.

Makes you wonder what the ballet would have been like otherwise.

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A change to program:

PROGRAM CHANGE ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF

SHOSTAKOVICH TRILOGY AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Shostakovich Trilogy, a three-part work choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, will feature Piano Concerto #1, set to Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, in place of the originally planned music from Symphony No. 1.

Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy will be given its World Premiere on Friday evening, May 31, 2013. In addition to Piano Concerto #1, Shostakovich Trilogy includes Chamber Symphony and Symphony #9. The full evening of works features scenery by George Tsypin, costumes by Keso Dekker and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House runs May 13 through July 6. Tickets are available at the Met Box Office, by phone at 212-362-6000, or online at ABT’s website, www.abt.org.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if 6 weeks before the opening night of "The Sleeping Beauty" Petipa would announce that it would be danced to the score of "Nutcracker" or "The Swan Lake".

OK, let's forget about the old fashioned Petipa, let's take as an example somebody more modern: would it be possible to perform "Romeo and Juliet" with the orchestra playing the music for "Ivan the Terrible" or "Cinderella"? Would it be conceivable to substitute the "Bolero" score by the one for "L'enfant et les sortileges"?

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Tharp at times in her career deliberately choreographed to a different piece of music than the one she ultimately intended to use. As I understood from interviews (as best I remember), she did this in order to avoid cliche/predictable relation between dance and music and only after initially setting the choreography adjusted her work to the final chosen score. It was not particularly shocking (for me, even at NYCB) given her relation to choreographers like Cunningham who aimed for complete independence of score and choreography. Though in a way, it was a "compromise" formation to obtain independence from letting the score (seemingly) determine choreographic choices without, in the end, losing the benefits of a closer intertwining of music and dance in which the former also supports the latter or, if you will, serves as its floor.

But none of the above seems to be what has happened with Ratmansky's Shoshtakovich evening and, indeed, would run rather counter to what has been presented publically about it in the past. Presumably the ballet was not coming together in the way originally envisioned: we may or may not learn what inspired the change or when exactly it was determined on...how, why etc.

For myself, I very much regret that I will not be seeing the Shoshtakovich evening this season -- very little ABT at all actually. But whatever Ratmansky decides to do with his work at this stage quite interests me...

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A change to program:

PROGRAM CHANGE ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF

SHOSTAKOVICH TRILOGY AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Shostakovich Trilogy, a three-part work choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, will feature Piano Concerto #1, set to Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, in place of the originally planned music from Symphony No. 1.

....

Hallelujah! Somebody with common sense realized that they were about to receive a three-ballet mixed bill with audience-UNfriendly music. Duh!!! Two rounds of 'castor oil' need to be balanced-off with a little creme-caramel!

The composer's 1st piano concerto is as melodious and delightful as is his 2nd one (which we all know from Ratmansky's lovely Concert DSCH and Macmillan's Concerto). The 1st Symphony is, IMO, as disheartening (headache-inducing, IMO) as Symphony no. 9 and the lugubrious Chamber Symphony for Strings:

The change to some of the more beautiful 'romantic' music of Shostakovich is most welcome!

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Wheeldon used the Shostakovich Piano Concerto 1 for his Mercurial Manoeuvers for NYCB. That was a wonderful ballet. Hope Ratmansky can put his own personal stamp on the music, because I have very vivid memories of the Wheeldon balllet floating in my head.

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p.s. Some of the music of the 'new' piece on the ABT-Ratmansky-Shostakovich triple bill (Piano Conc no 1) should be familiar to balletomanes, the 2nd movement having been 'borrowed' by Yuri Grigorovich for his Golden Age in the early 1980s. The 3rd mvmt of the PianoC1 also sounds familiar but I can't place the prior ballet, maybe another Grigorovich ballet or a Vinogradov ballet??? All melodious and danceable, thank goodness.

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The announcement was made just 4 weeks before the scheduled premiere. But given his relentless work schedule all over the world, perhaps he's a fast worker, along the lines of Balanchine (although I suppose nobody could work as fast as he reportedly did). As much as he loves this composer, he surely knows the new music inside and out. So it's not unreasonable to think he's mostly starting over -- perhaps only using some movement ideas from the earlier attempt. I hope some of this will come out in interviews with Ratmansky and the dancers in the coming months.

It's also worth remembering that he has a lot at stake in getting it "right." This is not a piece d'occasion that could flop and everybody would forget about it. This trio of works will also be performed next year by San Francisco Ballet, so it's going to get a lot of attention.

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With ABT about to begin its Spring Season 2013, would it make sense to start a new thread to discuss the performances themselves and other related events such as dress rehearsals that we're attending, and any other relevant topics that fall within the season itself, rather than append all of that to the 19 pages that have addressed the upcoming season? We could retitle "2013 Met Season" to "2013 Upcoming Season" and the new thread "2013 Met Season." Just a suggestion.

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With ABT about to begin its Spring Season 2013, would it make sense to start a new thread to discuss the performances themselves and other related events such as dress rehearsals that we're attending, and any other relevant topics that fall within the season itself, rather than append all of that to the 19 pages that have addressed the upcoming season? We could retitle "2013 Met Season" to "2013 Upcoming Season" and the new thread "2013 Met Season." Just a suggestion.

We usually start threads with the program title. I would suggest a Gala thread for tonight's performance.

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