31 replies to this topic

[Kevin Ng]

A.M., thanks for your very interesting updates on this Neumeier programme.  Do you think the Kirov will tour in future with this programme?

[Marc Haegeman]

A.M. They used to tour with Eifman, Petit, Vinogradov, and things like that in the eighties, but that's definitely from another era.

[Leigh Witchel]

Quote

"Sounds..." - what is it all about? "About a human being the center of everything," - says Neumeier. It cannot be explained by words, just like Leonardo's "Joconda" cannot be. It's a pure choreography. The protagonists have no names. The young man (Andrian Fadeev) is surrounded by mystic strangers. Who is that girl in black (Uliana Lopatkina) - Destiny? Line of Life? Music? And another one, in cherry (Diana Vishneva) - Muse? Love? There's no answer; spectators are free to interpret it.

Gotta hand it to Neumeier, he sure knows how to do PR that sounds like it came straight from Delphos.  Is it just me, or does anyone else resent the "it means whatever you want it to mean" line?  I think that's a given.  When someone asks me what my work means, I've stopped giving that answer.  It feels like a cop-out, or like I don't have a clue how to make something that says what I have to say, or worst of all, that I don't even know what I have to say.

[Drew]

After the actual quote from Neumeier "about a human being the center of everything," I couldn't quite tell from A.M.'s original entry whether or not the rest was also a a paraphrase of Neumeier, or, rather a quotation or paraphrase of the author of the newspaper article (or even perhaps A.M.'s own thoughts about the ballet) so it seems a little hard to judge, especially since we're dealing with multiple translations (Neumeier into Russian? Russian into English?)

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[ 05-07-2001: Message edited by: Drew ]

[Andrei]

A.M. wrote :
I think Neumeier is opposing to that by giving
                       AESTETIC impression that spectator can "fill in" with his (spectator's) own story.

I didn't see this particular work either, but in my list of choreographers, Neumeier is a direct descendent of Petipa. He'd like full lentgh ballets, he used the same structure, some times the old stories, some times he's inventing his own, but doing this he emphasis not on illustration of actions, but on inner motivation of heroes.

Leigh, as I know, Nuemeier is a great spokeperson, he'd like to talk and he leads an educational program in Hamburg, so, it's no way for him to say "think what do you want to think" or something like that. I heard that press-conference with him in St.Petersburg became the lecture of ballet's history - so full were his answers.

[Alexandra]

I thought it interesting, Andrei, that you count Neumeier as a descendant of Petipa.  Syvil Shearer, the American modern dancer with whom he studied before going to Europe and who is a great supporter of Neumeier (and a very interesting woman) has written that she thinks he's in the Noverre-Fokine line -- the story is more important than the steps.  (My objections to Neumeier, aside from, as is often written, "He talks a good ballet" -- meaning that the program notes are often more interesting than what's going on on stage -- is that much of the choreography I've seen is so awkward -- in places where, it seems, he's trying to be beautiful.)

[Mme. Hermine]

certainly the kirov brought a balanchine program on their last tour, doing 'symphony in c', 'tchaikovsky pas de deux' and i don't remember what else, and in 1992, i seem to remember 'leaves are fading' on another program not composed of the classics.

[Patricia]

Greetings and Hello!  This is my first posting...

In response to A.M.'s question, I did see the Kirov perform IN THE NIGHT and THE LEAVES ARE FADING when they performed at the Met in the summer of 1992.  Also on the same program was the original APOLLO with Prologue, Epilogue and staircase.

[Alexandra]

Welcome to Ballet Alert, Patricia.  I hope you'll post about what you're seeing today, as well.

I would have loved to see the Kirov in "In the Night" and "Leaves."  They did an all-Balanchine evening in D.C. (which I thought was very fine) and a "Lilac Garden" which was peculiar -- but wonderful in its own way.

[Kevin Ng]

I just found this article in the archives of St. Petersburg Times on Neumeier.
http://www.sptimes.r...ures/a_3158.htm