Kevin Ng

NO7, I found out that the Kirov will only tour Manchester next spring, but not Dublin and Edinburgh. The Hong Kong audience loved the Kirov's two performances of "Jewels" yesterday even more than "Giselle". Both performances, especially the evening, were gloriously danced. Sofia Gumerova was superb as the "Diamonds" ballerina and the second woman in "Emeralds". (I miss Veronika Part in this role in Emeralds though.) Andrian Fadeyev was a dazzling "Rubies" soloist, full of charisma, dancing with Elvira Tarasova. There were loud ovations at the end of both Jewels performances from the appreciative audiences who are 'starved' of Balanchine choreography. It's not possible unfortunately to see Balanchine ballets often in Hong Kong. The last time Balanchine choreography was performed here was in 2000 when the ABT danced "Theme and Variations", and the Pacific Northwest Ballet danced "Midsummer". I am deeply grateful to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for asking the Kirov to bring "Jewels" here.

There were more curtain calls for last night's cast of Giselle - Maya Dumchenko and Leonid Sarafanov - than the opening night's cast. Dumchenko's Giselle was beautifully danced. Sarafanov made a most promising debut as Albrecht. This is a budding star to watch in the near future! http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/ballet/soloist/sarafanov It will be interesting to see the Hong Kong audience's reaction to "Jewels" today. The cast list for the two galas in Macau this coming week is as follows. 5 Dec. Rubies - Tarasova, Fadeyev, Dumchenko. Swan Lake pdd Act 2- Gumerova, Korsuntsev Chopiniana 7th Waltz - Dumchenko, Baranov Fairy of Dolls - Sheshina, Khrebtov, Scherbakov Sleeping Beauty pdd - Ayupova, Korsakov Romeo and Juliet pdd- Dumchenko, Baranov Dying Swan - Gumerova Le Corsaire pdd - Tarasova, Batalov 6 Dec. Almost the same programme, except that Ayupova and Korsakov will dance Tchaikovsky pdd instead. Don Q pdd replaces Le Corsaire pdd, with Tarasova and Batalov

Svetlana Zakharova is injured and hasn't come to Hong Kong in the end. Zhanna Ayupova danced the second night of Giselle instead, and Sofia Gumerova will replace Zakharova in one of the Diamonds performances. In the second gala programme in Macau next Friday, Anton Korsakov will make his debut in "Tchaikovsky pas de deux", dancing with Ayupova. This pair will dance Sleeping Beauty pas de deux on the first gala.

The Hong Kong performances of Giselle will see the debuts as Albrecht of both Danila Korsuntsev and the new 20-year-old young dancer from Kiev, Leonid Sarafanov, who haven't yet danced the role in St. Petersburg. I show my preview in South China Morning Post. http://totallyhk.scmp.com/thkarts/arts/index.html

I saw Mayerling twice this time round, but only with one cast - Jonathan Cope and Tamara Rojo. Cope danced Rudolf magnificently, and I think his moving interpretation was as good as the creator of the role David Wall whom I saw in the 1980s. I never saw Lynn Seymour as Mary Vetsera, and the best cast that I saw was Alessandra Ferri before she left the Royal Ballet. Rojo was good, but nowhere as enticing as Ferri in the pas de deux. The whole Royal Ballet company danced wholeheartedly.

Sylvia, I share your views about Alina Cojocaru's performance on Monday. It's a pity that I didn't have time to see Bussell and Bolle before I left London. I hope that you can report on this cast later.

All the tickets for the five performances of the Kirov in Hong Kong have long been sold out in early Nov., as I just found out on my return to Hong Kong. The two performances in Macau will be at the Macau Cultural Centre (where the political handover ceremony in 1999 took place when Macau ceased to be a Portuguese colony and reverted back to China) on 5, 6 December. The Macau performances will consist of "Rubies" and various pas de deux. The advertised casting of Giselle in Hong Kong is as follows. 28 Dec. - Vishneva, Fadeyev 29 Dec. - Zakharova, Korsuntsev 30 Dec. - Dumchenko, Sarafanov.

I've received the schedule of next year's Stars of the White Nights Festival, which will last for 3 whole months from May to August. Visiting companies which will perform at the Maryinsky Theatre include the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, and the National Ballet of China. 11th International Festival "Stars of the White Nights" dedicated to the 300TH Anniversary of St Petersburg May 5 - August 5, 2003 Artistic Director: Valery Gergiev Monday, May 5 & Tuesday, May 6 Prokofiev/Konchalovsky/Tsypin WAR AND PEACE** With Anna Netrebko, Gegam Grigorian and Vladimir Moroz Conducted by Valery Gergiev Wednesday, May 7 ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE Shostakovich Festive Overture Glazunov Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No. 7 Soloist: Vadim Repin Conducted by Valery Gergiev Thursday, May 8 WORLD ORCHESTRA FOR PEACE Strauss Don Juan Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 "Italian" Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 Conducted by Valery Gergiev Friday, May 9 BALLETS BY SHOSTAKOVICH * The Young Girl and the Hooligan Klop (The Bedbug) Leningrad Symphony Saturday, May 10 Petipa/Tchaikovsky SWAN LAKE * Zakharova, Kolb Sunday, May 11 Tchaikovsky/Leiser & Caurier 12:00 EUGENE ONEGIN ** (new production) Petipa/Adam 20:00: GISELLE* Vishneva,Ruzimatov Tuesday, May 13 Prokofiev/Alexandrov SEMYON KOTKO ** Wednesday, May 14 Zakharov/Asafiev FOUNTAIN OF BAKHCHISARAI * SMOLNY CLOISTER SINFONIETTA CRACOVIA Penderecki Sinfonietta for Strings Mozart Piano Concerto in A, KV 488 Beethoven Symphony No. 3 Soloist: Christoph Eschenbach Conducted by John Axelrod Thursday, May 15 Petipa/Tchaikovsky SWAN LAKE* Pavlenko, Korsuntsev Friday, May 16 Petit/Bizet, Balanchine/Stravinsky, Balanchine/Prokofiev CARMEN, APOLLO, PRODIGAL SON * Saturday, May 17 Petipa/Minkus DON QUIXOTE * Sunday, May 18 & Monday, May 19 CENTRAL BALLET OF CHINA RAISE THE RED LANTERN Director: Zhang Yimou SMOLNY CLOISTER ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Mahler Symphony No. 3 Conductor: Zubin Mehta Tuesday, May 20 Ratmansky/Prokofiev CINDERELLA * Wednesday, May 21 Lavrovsky/Prokofiev ROMEO AND JULIET * SMOLNY CLOISTER ORCHESTRE DES CHAMPS-ELYSÉES Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 Conducted by Philippe Herreweghe Thursday, May 22 AN EVENING OF PROKOFIEV Maddalena - Opera (semi-staged)** Prodigal Son - choreography by Balanchine* SMOLNY CLOISTER ZAGREB PHILHARMONIC Friday, May 23 Musorgsky/Alexandrov 18.00 KHOVANSHCHINA ** Conducted by Valery Gergiev Saturday, May 24 Verdi/McVicar 20.00 MACBETH ** Conducted by Valery Gergiev SMOLNY CLOISTER COLLEGIUM VOCALE GENT 15.00 Bach: Mass in b minor Conducted by Philippe Herreweghe Sunday, May 25 12:00 ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF THE MARIINSKY Mahler: Symphony No. 2 Anna Netrebko (soprano), Olga Borodina (mezzo soprano) Conducted by Valery Gergiev Petipa/Tchaikovsky 20:00 SWAN LAKE* Monday, May 26 From the Archives of the Mariinsky: HISTORIC BALLETS * Tuesday, May 27 Tchaikovsky/Galybin THE QUEEN OF SPADES ** Conducted by Valery Gergiev Wednesday, May 28 Petipa/Tchaikovsky SLEEPING BEAUTY * Thursday, May 29 MET ORCHESTRA Mahler Symphony No.1 Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Conducted by James Levine Friday, May 30 '300 YEARS of ST PETERSBURG' GALA with Olga Borodina, Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Uliana Lopatkina, Karita Mattila, Anna Netrebko, Bryn Terfel, Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Farukh Ruzimatov, Igor Zelensky and others Conducted by Valery Gergiev Saturday, May 31 12:00 MET ORCHESTRA Berlioz La Mort de Cleopatra Brahms Double Concerto Rachmaninov Third Piano Concerto Soloists: Olga Borodina (mezzo soprano) David Chan (violin), Rafael Figueroa (cello) Arcadi Volodos (piano) Conducted by James Levine Petipa/Adam 19:00 GISELLE * Sunday, June 1 Shostakovitch/Molostova/Tsypin 19:00 LADY MACBETH ** Conducted by Valery Gergiev Monday, June 2 ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF THE MARIINSKY Tchaikovsky Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet Berlioz Romeo et Juliette Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet Conducted by Valery Gergiev June 3, 6 & 9 Verdi/Roubaud LA TRAVIATA (new production)** With Anna Netrebko in the title role Conducted by Valery Gergiev Thursday, June 5 Rubinstein/Dodin THE DEMON ** Nikitin, Conducted by Valery Gergiev Saturday, June 7 BALLET GALA FRANKFURT BALLET, William Forsythe SMOLNY CLOISTER ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Berlioz Requiem Conducted by Valery Gergiev Sunday, June 8 12:00 ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Mahler Symphony No. 6 Conducted by Valery Gergiev 19:00 PARSIFAL** Conducted by Christoph Eschenbach Tuesday, June 10 Petipa/Minkus LA BAYADERE * SMOLNY CLOISTER LAHTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Sibelius Pohola's Daughter Aho Symphony No. 9 Sibelius Symphony No. 5 Soloist: Christian Lindberg VYBORG CASTLE Verdi AIDA** Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda Wednesday, June 11 VYBORG CASTLE SWEDISH RADIO ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS LAHTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MARIINSKY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS Verdi Requiem Conducted by Valery Gergiev Thursday, June 12 SWEDISH RADIO ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS Brahms Requiem Conducted by Manfred Honeck June 13, 14, 15 & 16 Wagner/Mirzoev/Tsypin DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN (new production)** Cast includes: Vladimir Vaneev, Viktor Chernomortsev, Olga Sergeeva, Gary Rideout Conducted by Valery Gergiev Friday, June 13 22:00 SMOLNY CLOISTER SWEDISH RADIO CHORUS Saturday, June 14 14:00 ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONS Conducted by Justus Frantz Sunday, June 15 14:00 MARIINSKY YOUNG PHILHARMONIC Mahler Symphony No. 5 Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda Tuesday, June 17 Leontiev, Fokine, Nijinsky 20:00 STRAVINSKY BALLETS ** Petrushka, Firebird, Rite of Spring Conducted by Valery Gergiev Wednesday, June 18 Cimarosa/Miller, Stravinsky/Miller CLEOPATRA/OEDIPUS REX** Conducted by Valery Gergiev Thursday, June 19 MELBOURNE SYMPHONY Sibelius Violin Concerto Lentz Guyuhmgan Strauss Tod und Verklärung Friday, June 20 Musorgsky/Kramer/Tsypin BORIS GODUNOV ** Conducted by Valery Gergiev Smolny Cloister MELBOURNE SYMPHONY Kancheli Fingerprints Mahler Symphony No. 4 Soloist: Anna Netrebko Saturday, June 21 ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE Salonen Worldpremiere Shostakovitch Piano Concerto No. 1 Stravinsky Rite of Springs Soloist: Alexander Toradze Conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen Petipa/Tchaikovsky SWAN LAKE * Sunday, June 22 14.00 BAMBERGER SYMPHONIKER Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra Strauss Horn Concerto Strauss Till Eulenspiegel Soloist: Marie Luise Neunecker Conducted by Jonathan Nott BALLET GALA * In honor of Olga Moiseeva 55 Years - A life with the Mariinsky Zakharova, Makhalina, Mezanskaia, Nioradze Monday, June 23 ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE Wagner Siegfried Idyll Pfitzner Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No. 9 Soloist: Rainer Kuechel Conducted by Valery Gergiev Tuesday, June 24 IVANGOROD FORTRESS 13:00: A CAPELLA CONCERT Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre Russian Church Music 18:00: CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE, CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA OF THE ESTONIAN STATE OPERA, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Conducted by Valery Gergiev 22:00: PRINCE IGOR (staged performance)** MARIINSKY THEATRE BALLET GALA STARS OF THE PARIS OPERA BALLET Wednesday, June 25 NARVI 13:00: A CAPELLA CONCERT Chorus of the Estonian State Opera 21:00: OPERA GALA MARIINSKY THEATRE Simonov/Slonimsky Libretto and design by Mikhail Chemiakin 18:00 PRINCESS PIRLIPAT (Worthiness Punished)* Simonov/ Tchaikovsky Design by Mikhail Chemiakin 22:00 THE NUTCRACKER * Thursday, June 26 ORCHESTRA and CHORUS OF THE MARIINSKY Berlioz La Damnation de Faust Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda Friday, June 27 STRAVINSKY BALLETS* Firebird, Les Noces, Rite of Spring Conducted by Valery Gergiev Saturday, June 28 VIENNA PHILHARMONIC (matinee) Conducted by Valery Gergiev MARIINSKY 'WHITE NIGHTS' BALL Sunday, June 29 15:00: Small Philharmonic Hall VIENNA STREICHSOLISTEN Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins and strngs, and basso continuo Staar Metamorphosis of a Labyrinth (world premiere) Mozart J. Strauss Soloists: Manfred Honeck, Sergei Levitin (Bach) Renee Staar (Staar) WHITE NIGHTS' PREMIERE TchaikovskyPountney THE ENCHANTRESS** Vaneev, Sergeeva, Savova, Chernomortsev Conducted by Valery Gergiev Monday, June 30 Puccini/Le Moli IL TRITTICO TABARRO, SUOR ANGELICA, GIANNI SCHICCHI Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda Tuesday, July 1 MOSCOW SOLOISTS Conducted by Yuri Bashmet Wednesday, July 2 FILARMONICA DELLA SCALA Conducted by Riccardo Muti July 9 - 13 HAMBURG BALLET, John Neumeier July 16 - 28 THE ROYAL BALLET, Covent Garden Swan Lake, Mayerling and Triple Bill July 30 - August 4 NEW YORK CITY BALLET * = Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov Ballet) ** = Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov Opera) Unless otherwise stated, all performances start at 19:00 in the Mariinsky Theatre Programme correct at time of printing but may be subject to change

The second leg of the Kirov's tour to China will begin in Hong Kong in late Nov. Giselle - 28, 29, 30 Nov. Jewels - 1 Dec. mat. and evening After Hong Kong, the Kirov will give 2 performances in Macau. Details will be announced shortly.

NO7, I do envy you seeing the three different casts, and I am so happy to read your vivid descriptions of the performances. I long to see Vishneva's Nikiya (which you praised in particular) again. I am glad to read that this production of La Bayadere will be shown again in the Mariinsky Festival next year, though only once. Re the "Danse des fleurs de lotus", it must have been a treat for you and the Parisian audiences to see the Vaganova students in it.

Lolly, I'll try to find out details for you about this ball. I think that tickets can be booked, but they may be very expensive. I would suggest that you contact in the meantime the corporate events department at the Mariinsky Theatre - katiasir@mariinsky.ru Jeannie should be in St. Petersburg now. Perhaps she has more details. Jeannie has told me that she will attend this spectacular ball on 31 May.

NO7, how clever of you to pick a hotel so near the Theatre du Chatelet! Last time I saw Sylvie Guillem's Giselle with the Finnish National Ballet there, and I remember several hotels very near the Chatelet. The length of this Kirov Bayadere was about 3 hours 30 minutes at the New York performance which I saw. I hope that you'll still see the final performance tonight with Sofia Gumerova and Igor Kolb. Viviane, for your info. the Vaganova students didn't dance in New York, unlike in Paris this time.

To celebrate Natalia Dudinskaya's 90th birthday, the Kirov is organising a Gala as well as several performances in November. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/massmedia/press/dudinskaya

NO7, I am glad to hear that you like this first cast of La Bayadere in Paris. In New York in July I also felt that Vishneva and Fadeyev were sublime in this glorious re-constructed production of La Bayadere.

I forgot to mention in my earlier posting that the National Ballet of China has an excellent production of La Sylphide staged for them several years ago by Frank Anderson. I saw it twice when they toured Hong Kong in 2000. I remember that the Chinese company was meant to tour America with this production last year, but the tour was cancelled after the Sept. 11 tragedy.

I've always wanted to see the Kirov in La Sylphide, which they only dance in St. Petersburg but seldom on overseas tours. This season at the Maryinsky Anton Korsakov has danced La Sylphide with Elena Sheshina, as well as a guest dancer from Japan. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/20021027-2

Frankly I've been disappointed by Stephen Jefferies' directorship of the 40-strong Hong Kong Ballet since 1996. In view of his Royal Ballet background, I am dismayed by how little he has made use of it to benefit the Hong Kong company as well as audiences. In recent years he has only introduced one Ashton ballet - La Fille Mal Gardee - into the company's repertory, which was quite decently danced by the two casts that I saw. In the first year of his directorship, one of the first programmes that he planned was an Ashton programme which consisted of "Les Patineurs" and "The Two Pigeons", the first of which had already been acquired by Jefferies' predecessor as director. It is annoying that both master works had not been revived since 1996. The new ballets introduced by Jefferies have been by and large story ballets with a Chinese theme, which are undistinguished in terms of choreography, e.g. Matthew Hart's "Mu Lan", Domy Reiter-Soffer's "White Snake". The programming under previous directors was far more interesting - e.g. Balanchine masterpieces such as "Who Cares", "Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux", and "Allegro Brillante" which have unfortunately been ditched by Jefferies; or even some pure dance works by Choo-San Goh. Jefferies hasn't presented a mixed bill programme for at least two seasons. In comparison the diverse programmes offered by other Asian companies such as the Singapore Dance Theatre and the National Ballet of China are far more satisfying. (The National Ballet of China in "La Sylphide", which they danced on tour in 2000, is one of the few highlights in the Hong Kong ballet scene recently.) I also don't comprehend why Jefferies has not brought more guest artists from the Royal Ballet. Tetsuya Kumakawa was the only Royal Ballet dancer (he had already left the Royal by the time he came) who has been invited to guest in Hong Kong. On the plus side, the technical standard of the dancers has risen since Jefferies took over, though the acting ability of the company in general leaves a lot to be desired. Jefferies' own productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker were respectable, but his Sleeping Beauty was atrocious, revising Petipa's text unnecessarily in many places especially in the Prologue. I will never forget Jefferies putting two dancers in one of the fairies' solos in the Prologue. Jefferies also acquired a production of La Bayadere from a South African company, in which one of the three shades solos was excised.

The voting section for members of the public is now in English, as well as in French. http://www.mddf.com/poll/polls/en_GB/

Mel, Veronika Part was born in St. Petersburg, according to her bio in the Kirov/Mariinsky website. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/ballet/soloist/part

Veronika Part is of course Russian, she has joined the ABT this season and danced with them during their Japanese tour. Her memorable roles in the Kirov included the Lilac Fairy, and the second ballerina role in Emeralds.

I've just been informed of some changes relating to Diana Vishneva's performances in Paris, since NO7's update last week. Diana Vishneva will dance with Andrian Fadeyev in "La Bayadere" on 28 Oct. instead of with Igor Kolb. And in "Nutcracker" Vishneva will also be partnered by Fadeyev on 22 Oct.

The special events organised by the Mariinsky Theatre to celebrate the city's 300th anniversary next year include - 31 Dec. 2002 - New Year's Eve Concert and Ball, in the Mariinsky Theatre. 21 Feb. to 2 March - Mariinsky International Ballet Festival (details in another thread). 5 May to 5 Aug. - Stars of the White Nights Festival (It's the longest White Nights Festival ever.) Kirov Ballet and Opera as well as overseas companies will participate. Details not yet announced. 31 May - Concert and Ball in Tsarskoe Selo. ----- St. Petersburg Times reported that words will be added to the city's anthem - a movement from the ballet "The Bronze Horseman" - to celebrate the tri-centenary. http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/812/top/t_7659.htm

Asylmuratova is now the head of the Vaganova Academy. Ruzimatov hasn't retired, and is still dancing with the Kirov. (I saw him dance in a gala in St. Petersburg last year.) He was guesting in Japan earlier this year.

Thanks Jeannie. I heard that the Nijinsky Prix ceremony on 14 December will be broadcast live on the French TV channel Mezzo.

Terry, there's a review of this gala which was part of Hamburg Ballet's "Ballet Days" in the Oct. issue of the British magazine "Dance Expression". I am delighted that the Hamburg Ballet will tour Hong Kong next March with "Nijinsky", "Lady of the Camellias", and "St. Matthew Passion" as part of its Asian tour.