zerbinetta

Ceeszi, it was Simone Messmer in the pas de trois Monday night who slid slightly in her variation & then again when she finished. It seemed to my eye to be a matter of not enough resin on her shoes. Other than that, she did extremely well, especially up against that pairing made in heaven of Wiles & hallberg. The corps girl at the end of Act I is supposed to fall down. The peasants are getting rowdy now that the nobility has left the scene. Pastor did a credible impression of Gomes as Rothbart but needs to come up with his own interpretation. Radetsky on Tuesday was pallid, did not hold the stage as he needs to. Gomes is the Machiavellian Rothbart & Acosta the Mephistophelean Rothbart but there are other ways to play this role if a dancer has imagination. I'm seeing Part/Gomes again (oh, joy!) Thursday so will wait to remark on the Mon performance. Tuesday's Swan pairing of Vishneva & Saveliev was all the more impressive since they had 1) 2-1/2 days rehearsal only!; 2) had never danced together before & 3) Vishneva had never done a Swan at ABT (or at the Kirov either, I was told; can this be true?) & Saveliev has not done the role in 4 years. Not that there weren't occasional hitches but very few of them, under the circumstances. Saveliev is a truly wonderful partner & clearly sacrificed himself for his ballerina. She was worth it! It would be unfair to compare her Act II to Part's & I won't. they're totally different ballerinas. Vishneva's was very birdlike & sculptural. Her III did remind me of Makarova, especially the glittering Natasha eyes & icily seductive portrayal of Odile. We also were treated to replacements as Benno & The Girls in the terrific forms of Cornejo, Reyes & Kajiya. Fang got demoted tonight, from Hungarian Princess to one of the retinue. She was lovely, as always.

My rule of thumb, for opera as well as dance, is: if the music is still playing, it is not a time to applaud. Wait for the music to stop.

Giselle05: I had a letter from ABT asking for a contribution to new costumes for their 2006 Giselle. It didn't specifically mention NY but if they're doing it on the road, they are likely to be doing it in NY.

Oh, praise the Lord. I had a horrid image of you (carbro) making me go through all those mini sized shopping bags to find a program from many many bags ago.

Carbro, I'm as positive as I can be that Gillian's debut (which was a matinee - a Wednesday, I think) was with Gomes. There was a poignancy to it which was quite affecting as they were both, I believe, debutant(e)s. I tend to remember matinees very clearly because I don't handle angst too well before sunset & usually only attend them if there is no other option for that cast or if the singer/dancer/whoever is reaching the end of a career. nysusan: sorry if I seemed to ignore your post but you must have been posting while I was typing ..& typing .. & typing.

I'm also with drb on Murphy's Swan Friday. I felt far more of a spiritual connection (or call it chemistry) with Carreno than with Corella. Angel is a fine partner but doesn't suit her as well as Carreno, who is probably not a lot taller but somehow more solid & a supremely excellent partner. Murphy's first Swan was with Gomes, who remains, to my mind, her best partner in the company. She hasn't done it with him in NY since. The pas de trois was delicious both Friday & Saturday. Almost perfect Friday. Kajiya (after a flawless variation, fell out of her pirouettes a bit in the coda Friday but not Saturday) held her own with the more than perfect Reyes & Cornejo. MarkD, I don't think Veronika Part has anything at all to feel embarassed about in her Friday Big Swan. She was on the music; Carmen Corella was not. You would think Rockwell, a former music critic, might have noticed this? Carmen got it together Saturday night - at least I think so. When Part is onstage, I tend to watch no one else, but I didn't notice any distractions out of the corner of my eye. Julie Kent took me by surprise Sat night. She is not one of my favorites, although I do like her in certain roles which do not strain her somewhat fragile technique. I do admire her musicality & lyricism. Her Act II was a bit subdued but perhaps she was saving herself for III, which really does put her to the test. She was an alluring & seductive Odile; managed the fouettes just fine (28, including an opening double, for those who count .. sometimes)> I must admit to not watching either Kent or Bocca much when Acosta was onstage, even doing nothing. This was a completely evil Rothbart. While Gomes toys with the populace & oozes sex appeal all over the ballroom, Acosta chose a different take. His Rothbart disdains "normal" folks; they're disposables; he wouldn't be there unless he absolutely had to be. The audience, the whole house, was included in his contempt for humankind. This is one dangerous fellow. If you got too close to him, you might be electrocuted! There is also a netherworldly erotic edge to his Rothbart. This is one powerful presence onstage, which was wonderful to see, considering how Acosta was able to subdue his natural chemistry so well as Ali in Act I of Corsaire - literally disappearing into he wallpaper. He would seem to be a very good colleague. Carreno did a moving & lyrical Soliloquy on Friday & Bocca on Saturday as well. Siegfried in this production is an unfortunately subdued role. They both partnered wonderfully. Grant de Young did really well as Pastor's replacement in the Neopolitan Sat night. It's not an easy task to take my eyes of Tidwell. I'd also like to point out Eric Underwood, a promising danseur noble, not only for his elegant line, beautiful jump, perfect landings, but also for his partnering skills. All the other nobles bend forward, elbows away from the body, & seem to give a bit of an "oof" when lifting their ballerinas. Underwood's back is straight, elbows close to the body, & his partner sails, seemingly effortlessly, above him. Now for binocs time: be sure to watch Fang as one of the Swans & dream of heaven in the future.

Sylvie Guillem has reached 40 & seems to be coming to the end of her association with the Royal Ballet. What her future plans are I don't know. Comparing Sofiane Sylve to Guillem is the old apples & oranges theme. The only thing they really have in common is that both are French.

or Julio Hallberg. :-D

Let's ask Alexandra.She would know for sure.

Is David Hallberg's first name really Ronald? David suits him much better.

Excellent news! Aren't promotions normally announced at the end of the season? May we hope there will be some more promotions in the works? Several deserving others come to mind.

Gia Kourlas reviewed Reichlen's performance in the opening night cast in the NYT issue of June 23. I believe there is a rule (written? unwritten?) in journalism that a later reviewer is not to cover the same territory already reviewed by another. It is not always observed.

Sorry for resurrecting somewhat ancient history, but my different take from Bobbi on Sylve's Titania reminded me of Ansanelli's Rubies performance, about which we are in total agreement. My feeling was that Ansanelli gave equal weight to each step & each step was danced beyond its limit. There were no highlights because it was all highlighted. It seemed the dance equivalent of shouting. Perhaps future performances will allow her to ease up a bit in this role because she can certainly dance it.

Personally, I have no need to go view old film of Suzanne's Titania as it is forever emblazoned in memory from a couple of dozen, at least. performances. And, yes, Carla K was wonderful. But I guess we didn't see the same things. For me, Sofiane's musicality is creative in a different way than Suzanne's and no less effective. Her cooing over Bottom was matchless & something I always look for but never before found as moving. Her response upon being awakened by Oberon was "Oook,there's a bug in my champagne!" rather than shoving him away, which I always find a bit mean. There was a fundamental sweetness to her portrayal that I don't think I've ever seen. As for an earthbound quality, I don't see this at all. Any dancer with a jump like that can't be earthbound. I see a weighted quality which works wonderfully in the leotard ballets but I don't see it in MSD; didn't see it in Emeralds or any other of the tutu ballets she has danced. My husband, who rarely tears up since the retirements of Gelsey K & Suzanne, was moved to tears by her performance & proclaimed "She has ruined it for me; she is the new benchmark." Ah, well, it's good we see different things at different times. What a bore it would be if we all agreed on everything.

I'm with you, oberon. I thought Sylve was rapturously beautiful. Her impulse is always the music & what she did with it last night was pure magic. A rather astonishing debut in the role, I thought. I don't see what she could improve. Her cavalier was tall enough for her & that's the only partner that matters to Titania, isn't it? Carmena did very well, indeed. Albert is so wonderful as Puck; so witty, so humane; so air-blown. But I would love to see him do Oberon as well.

In a previous post, I did "gush" (I'm not so sure I like this word) about Fang & await her Giselle. Last night, during Polovtsian, I was watching Fang & Kajiya & imagining a Nikiya & Gamzatti .. sometime in the not too distant future. Fang totally breathes music; she's poetry on a puff of a breeze. She needs to work on coming down from point through the foot, but very little else. Kajiya struck a rather amazing balance, way off kilter, the other night & I wonder if she has Suzanne's ability to balance anywhere on her pointe. The future is looking bright at ABT!

PAMom, I don't think any of us were "gushing" over Tidwell's performance, only delighted to see how well such a young & inexperienced dancer did in a killer role. He not only danced it very well but he understood the flavor of the role. He both danced & "performed" it far better than Angel Corella. Were I to take a newcomer to the piece, yes, I would choose Cornejo or Acosta. They are already perfect. But one cannot compare a young man still in the corps to either of these giants.. yet. It is the future promise that delights us. I'm sorry to say I cannot share your admiration of Corella's Petrouchka, either. This is a dancer of enormous gifts who has not fulfilled his potential. He seemed to think Petrouchka was a comedy. It is not about steps & he did his usual overdancing: more turns & higher leaps than anyone else. Corella can be wonderful in certain roles, principally some of the classics, but seems to lack the interest or the imagination for a Spectre or Petrouchka. Every season I hope this is the time when he will become an artist but it hasn't happened yet.

In the 80s you probably would have seen Gary Chryst as Petrouchka. He staged the ABT version. Danny T was very impressive tonight as well. He understands what the role is about, doubly impressive in a young dancer. & he certainly made a gorgeous looking rose!

& one zany who thinks he's a burro!

Ooh, yes, Alexandra .. & Lowell Smith would have been Crassus! For ABT: I can see Gomes & Acosta alternating the roles of Spartacus & Crassus. Nina A & Murphy as P & A. Then the tiny cast: Herman Spartacus, Lopez Crassus, Sarah Lane Phrygia & Reyes Aegina.

One suggestion: having been in the company of artists eating out at a restaurant, it can be intrusive to interrupt the artist while s/he is eating a meal. Try to wait until the course is finished. It will be appreciated.

I'm in total agreement with nysusan about Acosta in Polovtsian. He & Part really made it work. It's a silly but delightful work & he was every inch the Chieftan & I felt he related well to everyone out there, including the singer. I particulary loved the raised & open "Russian" chest he used. Carreno, the next night, was also wonderful. He seems totally healthy & was truly at the top of his turning game. Boone did well but doesn't seem to fully understand this role, whereas Part has all the perfume needed & then some. Abrera danced wonderfully Friday but was, perhaps, more Willi than Sylph. The highlight for me was Gomes' amazing lyricism & Fang's gorgeous Prelude. She had the pure Romantic line from the top of her head to her fingertips. What a Giselle she will make! The Sat night had Hallberg in Sylphides & he was, as always, gorgeous if not quite back to solid form. Riccetto replaced Kent & did very well. Kajiya was delightful; she's fearless in an Ashley Bouder sort of way. I actually prefer a Petrouchka who does not play for sympathy. I've seen too many "boo hoo, poor me" performances & it doesn't work for me. Both Cornejo & Bocca play him very "internally", Bocca more angry & frustrated; Cornejo more delicate & wounded. Both valid & both wonderful. Stappas & Reyes were fine but no match for McKerrow & Gomes the following night. Corella, sad to say, doesn't seem to have a clue what Spectre is supposed to be about, starting with his entrance. Both Cornejo & Acosta appear in the windowframe, as if by magic, at the moment the girl starts to dream about the Rose. Corella made an "entrance"; leapt up to the windowsill & "TADA - here I am". It went downhill from there. This was fine with me because I didn't want to take my eyes off the amazing McKerrow, who dances & acts the girl so "big" & made her work best of any I have seen. Acosta & Cornejo (alphabetic order here) are both totally glorious in Spectre. Again, very different, but delicious. Cornejo, with his subtlety & airborne qualities, is a pearl pink rose. Acosta, with his size & majesty, is a ruby red rose. (They should give him a little more room around the chair, though, as he's a larger fellow than the others doing it) Acosta's performance is both androgynous & deeply sensual. I would imagine these qualities harkened back to Nijinsky in the original. Fauxpas: I have always found McKerrow to be a wonderful actress, using her body & the music to convey the emotion rather than "acting", but I well remember her Little Sister in Pillar many years ago when she was the Cleverest Smartest Minx in Town. An amazing performance only eclipsed by her wrenching Hagar of last year. I'll miss her dearly. Oh, Lord help us - another retirment this season!

The moment that will stay with me is Jock's "embrace" of the audience at the end of Chiaroscuro & yes, oberon, I was blubbing, too. The most remarkable performance, I thought, was the Barber. I didn't think anyone could replace Kate Johnson but Bouder certainly has. I initially thought the ballet would never work without the original cast but I have to take that back. It worked better than ever with this cast: Darci, dancing exceptionally well, really "got" the role, moreso than Merrill Ashley. Askegaard is Adam's equal (in this ballet) & Jock has all the requisite weight & angst. Well played, too. Ah, my two favorite guys are gone but leaving at the top of their game. If you gotta go, that's the way to do it.

In alphabetical order: Acosta: Corsaire slave pas Bujones: Act II Giselle (OMG those entrachats huits!!!) Bart Cook: Melancholic Dowell: Bayadere act II: all the way to that gorgeous exit I like the idea of the Raymonda pas de quatre, but could they do it one at a time? & maybe substitue Schaufuss for Cook in this? I won't be looking at the ballerina, so just make her light & easy to partner.

For their season at the Met, ABT uses a pick-up orchestra comprised of local musicians on break from their normal gigs: a lot of NYC Opera musicians included. I don't know if that orchestra tours with them or if they contract Chicago musicians while in CHI & KC in KC, etc. The Met orchestra is considered one of the finest in the world & will be playing Opera in the Parks while ABT is at the Met. They may also be going on tour; last year they went to Japan & the year before to Europe, I think. They also have performances at Carnegie Hall.