270 replies to this topic

[Catherine]

Birdsall - the 11th is my birthday too!!!   Happy early birthday to you!

[Birdsall]

Catherine, on 10 February 2013 - 02:17 PM, said:

Birdsall - the 11th is my birthday too!!!   Happy early birthday to you!

OMG! I never meet anyone with a Feb. 11 birthday, and then this year I found out a friend's boyfriend is the 11th, a new friend is the 11th, and now you! That is so unusual! Happy Birthday to you too!

Any idea who will replace her?

[Birdsall]

I just saw that Osmolkina is replacing her. That should be good.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Helene, on 06 February 2013 - 11:12 AM, said:

I see Nikiya as being happy twice: in her PPD with Solor, at least in part, and where she receives the basket.  If she doesn't show that she thinks it's from Solor, then there's no way of making sense of why she embraces it, as opposed to it being a dance prop, and it's the only way for us to see what it represents: her assumption that Solor will remain true to her, even through she's just learned he's engaged to Gamzatti and has been behaving like an engaged man, if publicly, like Radames in "Aida."  She dies before we see whether he'd have put his money where his mouth is, like Radames, or whether he's a weasel, like Albrecht, at least Act I Albrecht.

The whole business with the happy face during the basquet dance is a little tricky.  She can certainly try a "defeated" sad smile as if telling Gamzatti..."You've got the Prince and this is my consolation prize..?, So be it", but certainly one happy wide grimace is just too much.  Solor is right there next to his fiancee...a now forbidden territory for her, so it does not make sense to portray her sooo happy I think.

[YID]

wrong text -sorry

[Helene]

A gentle reminder:  links from official sites only.

[Birdsall]

I tend to view Nikiya's "happy dance" in Bayadere as sort of a cabaletta. Many of you may know that in bel canto opera, singers will sing a slow cavatina/aria and then some minor character brings them a letter to read and their mood changes from melancholy to happy and they sing a fast paced cabaletta with embellishments galore thrown in. Sometimes it is a BIG STRETCH for the character's mood to change 180 degrees like that, but it was part of that time period's formula for arias.

So I tend to view Nikiya's basket dance as sort of like that change of mood cabaletta. She was sad and danced slowly. Then, Aya gives her flowers from Solor, and she suddenly thinks, "OMG! He loves me after all!" and her mood does a 180degree turnaround. It is not very realistic dramatically but it makes for a good show! LOL

This could be why Makarova left out the "happy dance" when she staged Bayadere here in the West. She knew it was not realistic and did not help the drama and made no sense. In fact, she took out a lot of the things that could be considered silly (like the manu dance) and her version is actually much more serious, in my personal opinion.

But I do enjoy the "happy dance," so I prefer it to be left in no matter how unrealistic it is at that moment.

[Helene]

I thing the change of mood is very realistic: when people are the most despairing, they cling to any sign that gives them hope, and that hope gives a shot of mood-changing adrenaline.  To Nikiya, the basket is a tangible sign that she should hope.

[aurora]

Helene, on 11 February 2013 - 11:31 AM, said:

I thing the change of mood is very realistic: when people are the most despairing, they cling to any sign that gives them hope, and that hope gives a shot of mood-changing adrenaline.  To Nikiya, the basket is a tangible sign that she should hope.

It rarely works for me (the basket dance). I agree with what you say above on principle, but both the music and choreography of the basket dance are so manic that the change from the melancholy preceding it is almost always jarring.
In my opinion you still have the change of mood in the Makarova version. She is happy when she receives the basket. It does give her hope. Its just more subtle.

[canbelto]

I think the change in mood is realistic too. Solor and Nikya's relationship has always been clandestine, so it makes sense that she'd think the basket was his way of signaling that even though he was engaged to Gamzatti, his heart was still with her (Nikya). What I DON'T think is realistic is Minkus's melody for the "happy" dance. The unsubtle loud melody with the thump thump rhythm doesn't really fit the mood. I'm thinking a composer like Delibes of Tchaikovsky could have done more with making the transition more subtle.

[aurora]

canbelto, on 11 February 2013 - 03:26 PM, said:

I think the change in mood is realistic too. Solor and Nikya's relationship has always been clandestine, so it makes sense that she'd think the basket was his way of signaling that even though he was engaged to Gamzatti, his heart was still with her (Nikya). What I DON'T think is realistic is Minkus's melody for the "happy" dance. The unsubtle loud melody with the thump thump rhythm doesn't really fit the mood. I'm thinking a composer like Delibes of Tchaikovsky could have done more with making the transition more subtle.

100% agreed here. In fact I think the music is a major part of why I find this variation "manic."

[cubanmiamiboy]

aurora, on 11 February 2013 - 03:58 PM, said:

canbelto, on 11 February 2013 - 03:26 PM, said:

I think the change in mood is realistic too. Solor and Nikya's relationship has always been clandestine, so it makes sense that she'd think the basket was his way of signaling that even though he was engaged to Gamzatti, his heart was still with her (Nikya). What I DON'T think is realistic is Minkus's melody for the "happy" dance. The unsubtle loud melody with the thump thump rhythm doesn't really fit the mood. I'm thinking a composer like Delibes of Tchaikovsky could have done more with making the transition more subtle.

100% agreed here. In fact I think the music is a major part of why I find this variation "manic."

Would love to know how Mathilde and Anna-(so different in personality)- approached this very moment and music...

[Rosa]

[Tiara]

I saw Xander Parish's debut with Osmolkina, replacing the unfortunately injured Ivanova, and he has a lovely stage presence and his performance was full of thoughtful acting detail    He has a fine, princely physique and partnered Osmolkina well despite the limited rehearsal time.  He also has beautiful legs and feet.    Osmolkina's act 2 Giselle in particular was soft and lyrical.  Maria Shirinkina's Peasant Pas was also very charming and light and Konstantin Ivkin showed off his amazing elevation, although not yet having quite the refinement of Filipp Stepin in this role.

[Mme. Hermine]

Keenan Kampa performed as Kitri again today:





Dryad Queen Yulia Stepanova:



Amour, though I can't read her name: