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Bolshoi in New York - 2017


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See p. 58 of this season announcement from the Bolshoi: http://bolshoi.ru/upload/medialibrary/20c/20c115ae3172aeea15884a1c15359cbc.pdf

 

Koch Theater

July 20, 21, 22 (mat & eve), 23: Jewels (with artists from POB and NYCB)

July 26-30: Taming of the Shrew

 

Given the location and dates, I assume this will be part of next year's Lincoln Center Summer Festival. I wonder if they've worked out the kinks in their ticketing system! 

 

Seems like a very strange rep to bring to New York. I was hoping to see their Don Q again - the best production out there, I think. What can people tell us about Shrew?

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The current Don Quixote at Bolshoi, they have mounted a new production by Alexei Fadeyechev last season and it is far from their best production IMHO (it was shown in cinemas) 

http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/41494-bolshoi-2016-london-tour/

 

See this thread of Bolshoi London tour (volcanohunter's entry) and you might understand why. I think Taming of the Shrew is a much better choice, this work is fun, sexy and stylish, and showing the great qualities of the Bolshoi dancers (I saw it live at the Dance Open Festival in St Petersburg last year) . We in Japan will have Bolshoi next June but not thrilled with Grigrovich's Swan Lake and Giselle and envy NYC having Taming. (well, we have Flames of Paris which is a consolation) 

 

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Whatever the organizers imagine, I hope one doesn't need guest artists to sell the Bolshoi at the Koch theater. Weren't they almost entirely sold out their last run? 

 

I'm not saying I wouldn't be intrigued to see, say, Ashley Bouder dance Rubies with the Bolshoi--and I would also love to see Taming of the Shrew in any case--but I wish NY would get the kind of Bolshoi (and Mariinsky) visits London does or, for that matter, the kind of NYCB visit Paris just got: three weeks of varied repertory and casting.  Lincoln Center Festival doesn't seem designed for that kind of season and, I suppose, is not interested in it either.

 

I guess one should just be grateful they are coming at all. I will certainly try to see them if I can...

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On 9/7/2016 at 3:48 PM, balletforme said:

I agree that it seems a strange content.  .. I am kind of new to ballet but why would Bolshoi come to NYC and do a signature Balanchine piece?

 

'Cause the Bolshoi does it better.

 

And when they bring their signature pieces over here, they universally get panned. Just go back and read comments on Spartacus, Swan Lake, etc. from their previous visits.

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Don't agree that the Bolshoi does Jewels better than NYCB -- no surprise there. Do agree that NY critics and some portion of the audience is often unreceptive to Bolshoi's 'own' specialized repertory. But I kind of wish the company/Lincoln Center response would be to 'double down.' Go even more BOLSHOI! It's not like the NYTimes is likely to rave about Taming of the Shrew. (Has Macaulay ever praised Maillot's choreography?), but the company sells out anyway. Their Spartacus, Swan Lake, Don Q season was, as best I remember, completely sold out with people scrambling to find turned-back tickets.

 

And they have repertory that likely would be well-received even by NY-Centric fans and critics. Macaulay has raved about the Bolshoi Coppelia in the Times; I think Sulcas has too--has NY ever seen it? I saw it in London and I am hard put to imagine any admirer of nineteenth-century ballet not loving it.  Also wouldn't mind seeing the Bolshoi in more Ratmansky, including ballets danced in NY . . . I've always thought a Bolshoi Russian Seasons would be a special treat. Not just for this or that great ballerina -- I'm sure the Bolshoi has beautiful ballerinas in Diamonds -- but for the whole spirit of the thing. 

 

In fact, I have a long list of...oh well, best fantasize in private :wink: .

 

Edited to add: I fear the response is that no matter what the company,  the varied segments of the New York ballet going audience will only go to see ultra familiar titles/repertory; one can 'risk' the Maillot because it has a Shakespeare title, isn't the most expensive to present, and has gotten some publicity from broadcasts etc. I very much hope that is not true. Because ... too depressing. And I'm skeptical -- can it really be that hard to market the Bolshoi?

 

Edited 2nd time to add: I imagine for some of their productions they feel they need the Met not the Koch.  

 

 

Edited by Drew
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I mostly agree with Drew.  It's always going to be a matter of taste but for me the Bolshoi doesn't do Jewels better than NYCB.  Far from it.   I think the Bolshoi is better off bringing their signature full length ballets to NYC.  Bring a specialty that shows the Bolshoi's strengths.  Today's NYCB dancers in Jewels are amazing to the point a Bolshoi dancer can't reach.  IMO of course.

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The Maillot got very good reviews when the company toured London, so I assume they're hoping it goes over just as well in the US. Unfortunately, however, I don't think there's really anything they could do to make Macauley like them, and they can't get any other high profile reviews in New York. 

 

As for Jewels, they're only doing Diamonds; NYCB will perform Rubies and Paris Opera will perform Emeralds. And while I wouldn't argue that anyone in the world is better than Sarah Mearns at the lead part in Diamonds, I do think that, on the whole, the Bolshoi is just as good at that act as NYCB. I think it should be a very interesting night.

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I'm not entirely sure what NYCB will be performing. Presumably it will be taking turns at Emeralds, too. But the Bolshoi will be doing Rubies as well as Diamonds. Both are inferior to City Ballet's performances. The Bolshoi's Rubies is too upright. Its Diamonds is also stiff and safe. They're very afraid of falling off the vertical.

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11 hours ago, Drew said:

Don't agree that the Bolshoi does Jewels better than NYCB -- no surprise there.

On the whole, given NYCB's current 1st and 2nd cast rosters, I agree with you (Rubies has always been superior...and it's not like Emeralds plays to the Bolshoi's traditional strengths, either).  But as totally mesmerizing as Mearns is as the lead in Diamonds, she doesn't show me why it's substantially different from her other tutu roles.

 

When Korbes did Diamonds at PNB (the best interpretation I've ever seen), it looked unlike anything else she's done. So, I'm curious to see if folks with a greater distance from the house of Balanchine feel they have the freedom to look at those roles a bit more critically.

 

11 hours ago, Drew said:

I fear the response is that no matter what the company,  the varied segments of the New York ballet going audience will only go to see ultra familiar titles/repertory; one can 'risk' the Maillot because it has a Shakespeare title, isn't the most expensive to present, and has gotten some publicity from broadcasts etc. I very much hope that is not true. Because ... too depressing. And I'm skeptical -- can it really be that hard to market the Bolshoi?

Agreed, if the Maillot is due to timidity, it's confusing. The major Russian companies are bankable in NYC no matter what they dance:  the combined expatriate/emigrant/Russophile balletomane audience block is ironclad. (Every other company has to calculate programming to the hilt.)

Edited by choriamb
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8 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

I'm not entirely sure what NYCB will be performing. Presumably it will be taking turns at Emeralds, too.

According to the New York Times article published November 30th about these performances, only POB will dance Emeralds, and the Bolshoi and NYCB will alternate between Rubies and Diamonds.

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I've never seen the Bolshoi perform Balanchine but I have seen the Mariinsky. Especially with his lyrical work, such as Symphony in C, I think that these dancers are exceptional. You might call it a 'cover version,' but it certainly is beautiful. Someone at another forum, who also posts here, once suggested that Balanchine would have gladly reworked it for the Mariinsky dancers, as he did for his own dancers. Then, maybe, it would be officially authentic.

Edited by Buddy
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I like the idea of a cover version. One needn't make a fetish of authenticity--some covers work. Some don't. And people respond differently to them in any case. 

 

And...whatever doubts I have, this Lincoln Center Festival Jewels is ON -- so I can only wish it success. A lot too since I want to see more ballet at Lincoln Center during the summer.

 

I do genuinely think it is likely to be a lot of fun for admirers of Jewels. And the Bolshoi has several ballerinas whose performance of Diamonds should be more than well worth a look.

Edited by Drew
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Creatvity is a fascinating and beautiful thing, Drew. Balanchine used a great deal from other styles and other arts along with his own genius invention to create his very special and personal art.

 

I've seen the famous groups from America perform Balanchine and I love the feel of 'authenticity,' of being close to the source, of capturing the original intent. On the other hand I love the 'interpretations.' With the Mariinsky, as I wrote above, for me, they're just so beautiful. 

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If anybody has info on when Taming of the Shrew tickets go in sale, please post.  I know Jewels is part of the Festival, but is Shrew also?  I believe there is a pre-sale for Festival friends.

 

I'm planning on seeing it.  Last May I saw an excerpt at the Benois de la Danse Shakespeare-themed program, and I'd like to see the piece in its entirety.

 

It seems there is appetite for Maillot's works in New York.  His company brought Cendrillon last year and Lac a couple years earlier.

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