Birdsall

Yes, even during a singer's recital, if she sings a set of Strauss Lieder you will sometimes find an audience applauds after each song, and that is actually bad etiquette. You are supposed to wait until the entire set of Strauss Lieder is done and then applaud and then comes the next set of songs (maybe by Debussy). You wait until all songs in the set are done. But audiences get excited and an especially well done rendition can cause you to forget and applaud. It was surprising to me at first when I went to ballets (and I was mainly an opera lover) to hear so much applause throughout the show even when the music is playing. In opera you aren't supposed to even applaud as the curtain starts to go down if the music is still playing (although most audiences do ruining some amazingly introspective moments). Personally, I wish the curtain would not go down until the final note sounds. But that is just me. I think the lowering of the curtain causes an automatic explosion of applause and I have shook my head in disbelief at times. That is a great video of Barenboim's eyes coming out of their sockets at the very end of Tristan und Isolde when the audience starts to applaud before the final note. Since ballet is a more physical and athletic art form it has developed so that it is normal to applaud when someone does something incredible. I also think that ballet music has the reputation of being less serious music (mainly something to dance to), so it is a lesser crime to interrupt Minkus as opposed to Wagner! LOL

That would be wonderful! If her Myrtha and Giselle are any indication she can handle both dramatic sides to Swan Lake! I would love to see her in that! For those of us who love classical story ballets it is normal to want MCB to diversify and get better at them. I think others have good points. Maybe they will run the risk of not being extraordinary in Balanchine if they concentrate on full-lengths. I have a feeling the model that they are using (3 rep programs that include Balanchine, Nutcracker (Balanchine's), and one other story ballet) for the most part will continue to be the way they do things. It makes sense. It enables them to specialize and yet still throw us a bone each year! LOL Next season no full lengths (unless you count Nutcracker) but we had two this season, so the average still comes out to 1 full length story ballet. Maybe one day Miami can support two different professional level companies.....one for just story ballets and MCB. That would be wonderful. Then, and only then would I jump on the side of those who say MCB should specialize completely.

I think the Royal Ballet's Coppelia with Leanne Benjamin and Carlos Acosta is my favorite commercially available Coppelia. I think the Australian Ballet's Coppelia is better in some respects, but I somehow like the Royal Ballet's production a bit more. It is sort of clean and simple and cartoonish but in an artistic way. I just recently watched the Kirov's (now Mariinsky's) version and hated it!!! It has all new choreography and I would caution people. The sets and costumes on the Kirov video look like it takes place during the 18th century in a very large European city to me, whereas most productions look more 19th century Romantic Period and a small village. I am open to new choreography usually, but the Kirov's video is just not what most people would look for in a Coppelia, I don't think. The story is pretty much the same, but be prepared for totally different choreography than you are used to and not all that incredible either (in my opinion, the only reason to do all new choreography is to stun us with amazing leaps or what have you....). Anyway, stay away from the Kirov Coppelia, if you prefer a traditional version. I think you can't go wrong with the Australian Ballet and the Royal Ballet versions. Both are great, in my opinion.

spinning2night, I got my ABT tickets in the mail today, so you probably did too. I bought them on Sunday. I only mention b/c you were worried about the time frame how long before they send out tickets. Thought I would mention this in case you haven't gotten yours yet. You probably will any day now.

Well, this is a good point. I am not a dancer, so haven't thought about that. However, as an audience member I want more story ballets. Miami City Ballet is more famous and experienced at the Balanchine repetoire, but I would like to see them continue to do a variety and do the story ballets (even if a different style) along with the Balanchine and contemporary rep. There isn't as much ballet down here as in NYC, so I think a company has to diversify rather than specialize down in Florida. Of course, whenever you have hands in several pots, you do run the risk of becoming very generic and losing your "special-ness." So this is a good debate on this topic.

I would love for them to add more programs and keep the number of rep programs and simply add an extra story ballet or two each year. That would be ideal. I understand saying they should specialize and stick to what they know, but....... If ABT came down to Florida and did 5 story ballets every year I would say, "Yes, MCB should just do Balanchine," but since ABT has only come down sporadically and done ONE story ballet at times, and most of us love story ballets, we do want MCB to do story ballets and to get better at them.

I would love for MCB to do more story ballets or excerpts like Raymonda's wedding, etc. So I agree, but maybe there are issues that we don't know about. I don't know. I have always heard that story ballets sell better (put more people in the seats), so there must be some reason we don't know about that keeps them from doing these story ballets. Usually they only do one per season. This season they are doing 2 (Giselle and Coppelia) which I think is unusual for them, isn't it? Next season they aren't doing any story ballets. If story ballets are cash cows I wonder why they don't do more of them.

Thanks for all the info. That helps make the wedding as sad understandable. Overall I do love Makarova's version of Bayadere. I think the only wish I have is that she could have kept the Shades at 32, but I read that the Met's stage could only hold 24. When you watch versions with 32 it seems to go on forever and is mesmerizing! But I guess 24 Shades all in synch is pretty amazing too, so I can't really complain.

Thanks, Bingham, I pre-ordered my copy, and it is dirt cheap at $20!!!

From my experience with opera tickets everywhere it seems like most performing arts companies nowadays have a record of your ticket purchase in the computer and I have lost tickets before and they were able to look up and re-print them for me before the performance. I imagine ABT has this ability, so it won't be the end of the world if your tickets don't come in time. At least I don't think.

Oh? Not to get too Clintonian on this, but what do you mean by "fill"? I frequently see many empty seats on weeknights and even weekends, especially at NYCB during those weeks when it is in direct competition with ABT across the plaza.I congratulate Lourdes and wish her all the best. I am pleased that the position, if it had to go to someone, went to a person who for many years worked directly with Mr. B. I guess I should have said that New York City has a better chance of filling seats on a Tuesday night. Or even a better chance programming something rare like Il Pirata (opera) at the Met (although there were empty seats in the performance I saw many years ago). You can't put on Il Pirata in Florida and expect sold out audiences even on Saturday night. I think that even in NY the weeknights do not sell as well as weekends, but they sell enough to actually do them, I assume, or I can't imagine they would continue to program during the weeknights. It is no coincidence that Miami performs its ballets during weekends (Friday to Sunday) in all 3 cities that it regularly performs in.....they have a better chance of selling tickets on those days and nights.

The production by the Bolshoi was nice. I felt like the ballet was so promising with beautiful sets, costumes, dancing, and at the end of Act 1 I thought, "I love this ballet I never saw before," but then after I went out for lunch I put on Act 2 and thought I was going to fall asleep the entire time. I just felt it did not live up to its promise. I also hate slapstick. I did think the male danseur did a wonderful job conveying a female dance style, but I did not find that funny at all like the audience. I guess I've seen way too many drag shows to find a man in a dress that funny. It seems almost passe nowadays.

Great news to hear that! Like Cristian I would like to see more story ballets by MCB, but it might be difficult for them, so if ABT could tour down this way it would be great!

I asked the head of the local ballet company in my town if she would ever consider doing Raymonda, and she said they are too small for such a ballet. There are lots of roles and a need for a big corps, I assume. I suspect MCB has to also consider things like this, even though it is a decent sized company. Not everyone can dance every night, and squeezing in 3-4 performances in a weekend like they do, I suspect it is hard to perform some of the story ballets without working the corps to death and some of the soloists. If South Florida were more concentrated like a huge city instead of a sprawling megalopolis where nothing is centrally located they could probably do lots of performances throughout the month on other days besides just weekend days and still fill seats, but I suspect some of these issues keep them from staging some of the classics. I could be wrong. I know Palm Beach Opera tends to squeeze the entire run in one weekend requiring two casts since singers can't sing a huge role two nights in a row. Anyway, I assume issues like that might play a part. It is probably easier to sell seats to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances than other nights of the week in Florida. New York City can probably fill seats on a Tuesday night.

You have a point, however, I'd keep in mind everyone knows it isn't a happy wedding. Solor DEFINITELY does not want to be there. Gamzatti very much knows that. And there is a shade that everyone feels, interrupting the proceedings. It is clearly, by this point, a forced marriage, and Gamzatti knows that her triumph is only apparent, not real. (Or at least that is how I read it). Hence the ominous feeling over the event. Well that, and, as you say, we know what is going to happen I agree with what you say, although Gamzatti seems so anxious to have Solor at any cost (bullying Nikiya) that I would think she would be somewhat happy she's getting what she wants assuming she could get him to fall for her once they are married. But you are right that deep down inside she KNOWS he has his mind and heart elsewhere.

Ilya, Wikipedia's entry for Marie-Agnes Gillot lists her "Filmographie" and the Raymonda is listed with (a paraitre) at the end of it meaning it is "in preparation" and the fan site for Dorothee Gilbert has brought up the issue several times with things like, "Still no word about the Raymonda".... So these things make me think they are planning to release it commercially but some unknown issue is holding up its release. I wonder if Paris Opera Ballet is waiting for 2013 (the 20th anniversary of Nureyev's death) to release it along with some other stuff. Just a WILD guess. Or maybe they have shelved the idea of releasing it on dvd commercially. What is so weird is that there is a Dancer's Dream documentary on Nureyev's work on Paris Opera's Raymonda, yet there is no actual dvd of the ballet from them. All the other Dancer's Dream documentaries are of ballets where the actual videos of each ballet are available also. Raymonda is the only one that is not available as a performance. It certainly is very strange.

Maybe some ballerinas will learn it and decide to substitute this version into their performances one day. Sometimes it just takes one person to do something and others will follow, but currently from what you say hardly anyone does it. Maybe no teachers are teaching this version of the variation.

I quite agree. It could be that I grew up with the Makarova version which doesn't have that variation, so I am not used to it. But before that, she is so sad and filled with longing and sorrow. Then...he gives her flowers...and her joy is just TOO MUCH! She is bouncing all over the place. It is manic and almost disturbing (to me), like a prelude to the mad scene or something. The more restrained joy she shows in the Makarova version just seems more believable and less, well, crazy... LOL I guess the hyper basket dance is a bit TOO MUCH, but I watched versions by the Mariinsky and Paris first. Then, I bought the earlier Royal Ballet version of Makarova's with Asylmuratova which includes that dance, so when I watched the La Scala and the later Royal Ballet versions without the dance I was a bit shocked, b/c I expected it. My first reaction was, "Why did they take that out???" It does seem like Makarova tried to do away with all the silly stuff in Bayadere and keep it mainly tragic. She took out the Manu (jug of water on the head) dance, the group of men pounding drums and throwing them up in the air, etc. She even made the Golden Idol fit in at a better place (personal opinion). So when you watch Makarova's version it moves faster dramatically and stays pretty tragic throughout. I actually like it a lot. BUT am I the only one who feels her final act (which is supposed to be a marriage ceremony) seems like the characters are going to a funeral??? I mean, we know everyone is going to die, so, in essence, it is a funeral, but the characters don't know that. I feel like Makarova's final act (which she pretty much created) has such a gloom and doom feel to it even in the dancing that it seems almost funny that a wedding is supposed to be taking place!!!

Thanks, Emilienne!

I just watched this ballet online (I guess it was the 2003 premiere), and Act 1 was so promising. Loved Ramantsky's choreography, but then Act 2 had so much silliness and slapstick and was sort of boring to me despite some great dancing. Not sure I want to go to the HD transmission at the movies now since I have to drive an hour or more. This ballet just does not transport me. Does anyone know who was in the 2003 cast? The ballerina looks like she could be Alexandrova, but I wasn't sure.

I would choose the Russian Seasons just out of curiosity. I loved Ramantsky's "Symphonic Dances" in Miami on March 1.....I have read that Russian Seasons is earthbound. But I would still go just to see, if I were there at that time! Serenade/Firebird/Symphony in C sounds like the best program though, so if you can manage it, I would go to that! But your plane might be delayed, etc., so I would wait till the last minute and hope to get a last minute ticket.

Yes the "Finger Fairy" variation is the Fee Violente (Violent Fairy - 5th Variation). That's my favorite fairy too! Love the 2nd Shade in Bayadere also. Raymonda's scarf and also her final Hungarian dance are favorites too. There are so many. Kitri variations, Aurora's Rose Adagio (if that can be considered a variation), etc. Hard to choose just one favorite!!!

Thanks....I was thinking about Liebeslieder Walzer/Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet on May 22. I arrive May 22 and leave May 27, so that is probably the only thing I have much interest in, but it is the day I arrive. I might be too tired. I hate to travel. I am also trying to fit in seeing a friend or two and going to Jivamukti Yoga during the daytime on some days. So it will be busy. I might just play it by ear and let Fate decide whether I get a ticket at the last minute or not. My partner will be happy if I don't and then we could go to a nice dinner. He is a big foodie.....is that the correct term?

I noticed that about NYCB! Thank you, California. I am going to wait. Do you think it is possible to get in the night of the performance? The one I want to go to is the day we are arriving, so I thought maybe I should wait and see if I feel up to it. You can usually get last minute tickets to operas, so I assume the same is true for ballet. It just isn't always the greatest seats (off to the side). Occasionally someone will sell an extra ticket or two that night too. I totally agree with you. Most online ticketing systems are going toward choosing your own seat, and NYCB should do that. Any other system is antiquated at this point in time!!! I would think the choose your own seat cuts down on phone orders and work on the administrative end. So it seems like it would be a win-win for both the ticket office and the customers.

I just got my tickets for two Bayaderes (May 24 and 25) so I can see Vasiliev on the 24th and Vishneva and Osipova on the 25th! Can't wait! There are good seats but sort of off to the side in the orchestra. Now I hope I can sneak in a NYCB performance on our trip. My partner used to get so mad that all we did at night in NY was go to the opera. Now it is going to be ballet! LOL He wants to have leisurely dinners. So I was going to stick to just these two performances but am going to find a way to sneak another thing in.