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Bolshoi versus Kirov -- once more ?


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Marc

I saw the Bolshoi's Drury Lane performance tonight and really loved it. I thought the male soloists were outstanding, in particular Dmitry Gudanov in 'Spectre'. He danced it as well as anyone I've ever seen, with real technical ease and true musicality. I loved the 'Flames of Paris' pdd danced by Goriacheva and Godovsky and I even thought 'Narcissus' was enjoyable (it was comprehensively trashed by Clement Crisp in the FT) As danced by the promising Gennady Yanin, the choreography made absolute sense of the old Narcissus legend.

I loved Maria Allash too in the third 'Bayadere' variation; she had a softness lacking elsewhere in the women in this piece.

The meagre audience tonight gave the company a warm, richly-deserved, ovation.

Glad to note that Akimov promises that the company will be performing next year at the Royal Opera House. It's a much more fitting venue for the Bolshoi.

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Marc and to everyone else who has posted;

As many may know I am a hugr fan of both the Kirov and Bolshoi. I did go and see the Bolshoi or 'the Stars of the Bolshoi' and I was saddened that the theatre was half empty. I thought that the level of dancing was as always brilliant although some pieces were not as good as i had hoped for. I went to the first programme which opened with Swan Lake. I have to say that this in my opinion let the company done (not entirely the company's fault) Anna Antonicheva performed Odette I was not keen on her as she seemed to be walking through the role as if it were a rehersal. She has a beautiful leg line with pleasing feet and she could have given more to the role. On another note the company looked uncomfortable on this stage that looked too small for them.

When Antonicheva came on a nd danced The Adagio from Raymonda all was forgiven as she performed this role beautifuly and showed off her line to the maximum.

The evening got better when they performed such fire crakers as Don Quioxte pas de deux. Maria Alexandrova was a real treat to the audience and a very good end to the evening.

Regarding to the Kirov vs Bolshoi and the British critics I feel that we hear so much more about the Kirov that Ballet lovers are biased towards them. We have a St Petersburg Newsletter every month in Dancing Times and after last years success of the Kirov the Bolshoi have got a lot to live up to.

I think the Bolshoi is a fantastic company with beautiful dancers that do not recieve the praise that they deserve.

It will be interesting to see how the British take to them when they come ove to Covent Garden in 2002. I am already saving up for my tickets!

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Do we need to remind again that under Fadeyechev and Vasiliev the Bolshoi was restoring its classics, was dancing among others "Agon", "Symphony in C" and "Mozartiana", was acquiring contemporary works, was in other words 'broadening its vision' as much as the Kirov?

Excuse me,I don't know the history of Bolshoi.I'm a very young ballet watcher.What did Bolshoi look like before Vasiliev and Fadeyechev?And what did Vasiliev and Fadeyechev do?

What did the TIME journalist say?

Another question,why is Bolshoi so different from its 1980s?I watched their Swan Lake(1989),Legend of Love(1990),Raymonda(Semenyaka),The Bolshoi Ballet in the Park(1986),Nutcracker(Vasiliev)... ...Now they look very different...What happen?

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Bolshoilover, before Vasiliev, Fadeyechev, and those who followed was the Era of Yuri Grigorovich. The 'Age of Spartacus,' if you will...the great big Soviet Hero. The entire esthetic was big, all-powerful, Soviet, oomph...less finesse and no eye towards happenings in the West. Simple answer to a complex question.

A detail: the men were, on the whole, more muscular. One would never have thought of casting 'smaller' or 'less muscular' dancers like Dmitri Belogolovtsev or Ivan Vasiliev in the role.

The differences between Kirov and Bolshoi style were obvious then; less so now. Bolshoi is gaining in finesse, although I still give the elegant edge to the Kirov-Mariinsky corps of ladies. They could be soon overtaken by the Bolshoi ladies if they do now watch out.

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Bolshoilover, before Vasiliev, Fadeyechev, and those who followed was the Era of Yuri Grigorovich. The 'Age of Spartacus,' if you will...the great big Soviet Hero. The entire esthetic was big, all-powerful, Soviet, oomph...less finesse and no eye towards happenings in the West. Simple answer to a complex question.

If they ever revive The Bronze Horseman it will be a Bolshoi production. Despite what all the people in Saint Petersburg think, it was the Bolshoi version of this ballet that is best remembered by old-time Russian balletomanes (I believe Stalin favored this version, too).

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Bolshoilover, before Vasiliev, Fadeyechev, and those who followed was the Era of Yuri Grigorovich. The 'Age of Spartacus,' if you will...the great big Soviet Hero. The entire esthetic was big, all-powerful, Soviet, oomph...less finesse and no eye towards happenings in the West. Simple answer to a complex question.

Did people like Kirov more than Bolshoi in 1980s? Are the Swan Lake DVD(1989,danced by Alla Mikhalchenko),and Raymonda DVD(danced by Semenyaka),and Legend of Love DVD(1990) filmed in the Era of Yuri Grigorovich?If they are,I like the Era of Yuri Grigorovich.I like it's Soviet,less fineness,powerful...Dancers were all supermen and superwomen then.Now Bolshoi dancers are normal dancers,not supermen anymore.I like that Soviet style very much.Now the whole world is getting more and more alike.

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