Laurent

1 minute ago, aurora said:

It was modified because people wanted a "happier" ending.

I don't have such information.

I don't see many parallels between Swan Lake and the story of Romeo and Juliette, the story that established itself, and lived for centuries its own life, totally independent of ballet. The death of Romeo and Juliette is certainly not the case of Good triumphing over Evil, it is a very tragic culmination of the whole piece. In Swan Lake, the death of Odette, I don't see it as the culmination, dramatically or choreographically, it is rushed, and no canonical choreography is attached to it. The execution of the 4th Scene from the very beginning caused problems to its creators, this is a likely reason why that scene has been constantly modified and varied in subsequent versions.

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I do think Scarlett and Macfarlane have taken a late 19th-century fantasy about the middle ages and transformed it into a 21st-century fantasy about the late 19th, and that has consequences for the whole tone and resonance of the ballet. As I wrote above, I tried to absorb the production on its own terms and found much to admire in the performances I saw...but my "inner" Swan Lake is a different one.

You summed up my own feelings about the new Royal Ballet Swan Lake very well in the last paragraph of your post. Concerning your thoughts about the endings, my views differ. I don't consider the triumph of Good over Evil to be "wrong at its root" and I think Meinertz meant something entirely different when talking about what Hübbe was doing with Bournonville. For me the whole question of Swan Lake's ending is secondary, perhaps, because I saw so many of them, with endings of every kind, and the ending is usually the last things that concerns me. Of much greater concern to me is, for example, to see a well trained ballerina who knows next to nothing about what she is really enacting on the stage, or ten minutes after the "noble death" of her Odette, uploading to the Instagram selfies that will be attracting lots of smilies and silly messages. Banality is the 21-th century equivalent of Hell, whether you are a theist or atheist, and is the greatest threat to a ballet artist today, a very real threat and danger.

Ilya Kuznetsov had a significant personal interest in having the status quo preserved: he had his own network of ballet schools in Petersbourg whose graduates were "promised" to be accepted by the Vaganova Academy by some kind of informal agreement with Asylmuratova, with tacit approval by the (non-ballet) rector of the Vaganova Academy and his associates. In that brief note that you quoted, by the way, there is nothing about the "state of Asylmuratova", it contains only the news of her resignation and the quote from Ilya Kuznetsov. If one replaces the Past Tense "was" by the Conditional "would" (the important distinction lost in translation), then the quote is totally factual. It would be, indeed, impossible, for Asylmuratova to continue to have such behind the scenes, informal agreements, like the one with Kuznetsov.

5 hours ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

For decades generations of ballet goers-(mainly in Russia)- have grown up looking at a happy Odete being changed into human form for the Soviet finale.

The 'happy ending' was introduced by Asaf Messerer and Evgeniya Dolinskaïa in their 1937 production of Swan lake at Bolchoï. If you know what has been happening in Soviet Union in 1937, you should not be surprised that this was then the only possible ending. Sergeev simply inserted that ending into his Kirov production, most likely he was forced to do that. We know that Grigorovich's version of 1969 had the tragic ending, but he was forced by the party authorities to revert to what was euphemistically called the "optimistic" ending.

5 hours ago, Buddy said:

You were a step ahead of me on this one, Drew. I recall the condition that Altnai Asilmuratova was in when she 'left' the Vaganova. 

What condition was she in? 

On ‎6‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 12:19 PM, Drew said:

Perhaps more than in other stagings Scarlett brings out how Rothbart (demon Rothbart) controls the swans and of the three Odette-Odile's I saw (Lamb, Nunez, and Osipova) only the last, Osipova, really went for the boneless swan arm effects which made me wonder if Scarlett perhaps wanted that on mute.

If Scarlet indeed wanted those ugly, broken, clumsy arms that Marianela Núñez showed us in her Odette, then I see no hope for him as a producer of great Classics. I can't help but quote here what Alexander Meinertz said in his recent article:

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I’ve said it’s almost better for his (i.e,, Borurnonville's) ballets not to be performed than for the current productions setting the new standard. Although it’s from 2009, I saw Hübbe’s “Napoli” for the first time last week. I was obviously shocked, but someone remarked, “Ah, yes, you’re seeing it with fresh eyes so you need the defibrillator, but you see, we’re used to it now”. This is very, very significant – and dangerous. It was a frightening realization of how quickly it goes.”

Could it be that Scarlett is one of those who believe the ugly deformations to be the "standard" now ? I am among those who "need a defibrillator" when watching it.

"Boneless" sounds to me as a derogatory term and it went into the history of ballet as a derogatory term when it was first employed (désossée) by Julien-Louis Geoffroy to condemn the novel way of dancing introduced by Geneviève Gosselin, a notable precursor of Marie Taglioni.

An aside note: camera close-ups were a real disservice to Núñez and Muntagirov, in my opinion, and especially so in the White Adagio.

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 3:13 AM, miliosr said:

• Are the current Bournonville productions faithful to his original intentions?

They are not. This is true of many modern productions of classics, however, so, not being faithful to the original intentions, may not be the best criterion to judge those productions. Hübbe's approach to Bournonville seems to be wrong at its root, Alexander Meinertz in his article, and Anne in her long post above, articulate what is wrong with it very well. I consider their voices to be important and very timely.

Ratmansky was mentioned by Meinertz in the context of searching desperately for somebody who could save Bournonville from the likes of Hübbe, not as a ready proposal. Perhaps the Danes need somebody like Yuri Burlaka whose productions of Imperial Russian classics (reconstructions and stylizations) have so much appeal.

On ‎6‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 12:19 PM, Drew said:

There is finally I think a real question, quite separate even from the issue of choreographic text--as to whether placing the story of Swan Lake in a more recent and in some sense more familiar historical setting, and trying to give political and psychological motives to the characters that might make sense in a historical novel but have less place in a fairy tale is really the ideal approach to Tchaikovsky's (and Petipa's and Ivanov's) Swan Lake.

What you are saying seems so obvious and yet so many choreographers in recent times fall into the same trap trying to transform a fairy-tale into some kind of a historical novel. With Swan Lake this doesn't seem to work, or the men who attempted this are not well equipped to make it happen. Concerning your question why the first White Scene's choreography is 'sacrosanct', while the Second one's isn't: Swan Lake without the White Adagio, without Pas de Quatre, without Odette's variation, loses all of its appeal to the public. I saw a great deal of Scarlett, mostly high velocity sequences of tedious, acrobatic lifts, wearing out the dancers to the point of collapse, thus I have some doubts about his ability to suddenly become a 'partner' worthy of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov.

Tereshkina observed every single accent, this alone is a rarity today; her exaggerated, ostentatious, manner, however, made her less appealing in my eyes than, for example, Khoreva, who was dancing one of the variations (said to be from the late 19th century ballet Gretna-Green (!?!) but, in reality, being the Dulcinea variation of Dudinskaya).

4 hours ago, Buddy said:

A room full of students bowing down to Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Canbelto. 

Added: My opinions of this man are not of my own making.

That's the whole problem: your opinions are not of your own making. The photograph was most likely intended by a journalist to look provocative yet any ballet lover should immediately recognize that it comes from a rehearsal of the Valse of Snowflakes from the Nutcracker, a ballet danced by the Vaganova Academy every year.

11 hours ago, CharlieH said:

The Ekaterinburg Fille was most definitely a reconstruction by Sergei Vikharev - the last of his great reconstructions using the Harvard Stepanov notes.

Here’s an amateaur film of the pdd...but Bogdan’s professional film shows off the designs more beautifully. In the meantime, enjoy this! 

 

Vikharev's Fille mal gardée is not a reconstruction in the proper sense of the word, and Vikharev himself was admitting this in 2015. Let's begin from the video clip you posted: it doesn't represent a reconstructed Petipa-Ivanov choreography, it is  the final Pas de deux by Gorsky from the Moscow production of la Fille mal gardée, with later, Soviet times, extensions. Vikharev borrowed fragments from a number of disparate sources; he interpolated a pas de deux from Bournonville's Kermessen i Brügge into the Field scene; the resulting choreographic text was diverse and nonhomogenous. Was this the reason to make it even more of a mélange of all sorts of things by designing decorations and costumes inspired by van Gogh, and by inserting into the ballet the class from Bournonville's Konservatoriet, I don't know. The final result, however, is a production that by no means is a reconstruction of the Petipa-Ivanov's, or any other version, of la Fille mal gardée and, apparently, wasn't meant to be.

17 hours ago, Buddy said:

I never want to get into it, but more question marks remain over this man's head than I can express., But I'd be delighted to be proven wrong.

One judges a man by his deeds, not by his image in the (social) media.

14 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Speaking of the distinguished Ekaterinburg Ballet panelist, Bogdan Korolek...

Here is a link to two extraordinary clips that he posted on his Vimeo site of Vikharev’s reconstruction of Petipa's Fille Mal Gardee (Waltz and Galop):

These were professionally filmed, allowing us to appreciate the gorgeous designs of Vikharev’s Fille in all of its glory. Gnossie and others are correct; what a delight! This production MUST tour to NY and London!

This is the "Naiad and Fisherman", a reconstruction (?) by Yuri Burlaka, not Vikharev's "La fille mal gardée" which, by the way, is not a reconstruction but a conglomerate of a lot of things.

I don't remember the date of the planned premiere, if I remember correctly, it is planned for the Fall. This will not be a "reconstruction" in any sense of the word. Even the score will be new. A lot more interesting and relevant was a recent staging of le grand pas des étoiles from this ballet by Danil Salimbaev, presented twice at the Cheboksary Ballet Festival this year.

Anastasia Nuykina is yet another star of the graduating class at the Vaganova Academy, at a similar level as Maria Khoreva. The difference is: she doesn't post a photo on Instagram every five minutes, as a result she is known only to the pedagogues and ballet professionals. Maria Bulanova's main strength is rotation. She spent only three years at the Academy.  A year ago it was Maria Petukhova who was the leader, ahead of Khoreva, alas, her physical development didn't help her. This is a very strong year, there are several other excellent-to-very good girls and an unusual number of really good boys. A promising 6-grader, Anastasia Smirnova, will be highlighted tomorrow in a difficult pas de deux, in the third graduation concert; for a 6-th grader she is already fantastic. Most impressive is, however, the overall level of competence, it reminds the best times at École de danse a couple of decades ago, when the likes of Christiane Vaussard were alive (literally nothing of the former glory remains today in Paris, ballet is dying there).

On ‎6‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:50 AM, doug said:

Sorry not to have been on for a week. I guess I must stand corrected regarding my assumption that Marie Petipa performed the role of Medora because indeed the Yearbooks do not list her performing Medora in the years listed by Laurent, or thereafter, from what I can see. I wonder why the numerous studio photographs of Marie Petipa as Medora with Sergei Legat as Conrad in the grotto scene of the ballet. (I used the term second cast meaning secondary to Legnani/Gerdt based on the photos of Marie Petipa and Sergei Legat that are similar to the studio photos of Legnani and Gerdt in Corsaire.) Any ideas or avenues for research?

Can I ask you which photographs did you see? The ones that are preserved at the Theatrical Museum in Petersburg? Those are all staged, they show Médora, Conrad and Birbanto in the dramatic pantomime scene thought to preserve the original Petersburg staging of Le Corsaire by Jules Perrot. It is entirely possible that Marie Petipa used such a pantomime excerpt for one of her concert numbers.

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For what it's worth, Marie Petipa is listed in the Yearbooks for 1900-1901 as dancing the title role in Paquita once that season.  She was photographed with Sergei Legat as Lucien in numerous scenes from the second scene of Paquita.

More precisely, from the second act of Paquita. On the 4 February of 1901, Marie Petipa, in her bénéfice on the occasion of 25 years of her service at the Imperial Theatres, danced the second act of Paquita; as you know, it is pantomime plus a stylized Spanish dance. This was the only time she danced Paquita that season. She never danced the whole ballet.

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If anyone has citations to confirm the history and chronology of the Lilac variation (when it was or wasn't danced and which version/variation), I am interested.

 

The most up to date study of the history of Sleeping Beauty at Mariinsky was published in Vestnik of the Vaganova Academy, 2017, N°2 (49) , pp. 31-60. Several pages are devoted to what we know about the Lilac fairy variation.

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Not as disgraceful or ridiculous as a non-Vaganova dancer heading the Vaganova Academy.

Disgraceful? Ridiculous? Two hours ago the best perhaps in recent memory graduation concert has ended. As a spectacle it was an equivalent of three shows at l'Opéra, Royal Ballet, or at any American company, with the exception of New York City Ballet. 

After returning from Moscow and answering a colleague asking about my impressions regarding the current state of Bolchoï, I found myself saying: don't be surprised if Shrainer is a better dancer than Smirnova, more naturally gifted, more harmonious, possessing a natural feeling for movement, something that Smirnova lacks, and this is, after all, among the most important qualities for a dancer. In her Coppélia two days ago, Shrainer demonstrated that she was making a real progress with her technique. We will see whether she is able to repeat her Friday success in the broadcast today. And, last but not least, she isn't plagued by those broken, angular lines that Smirnova has never been able to eradicate, in spite of all her efforts, and her pedagogues at the Vaganova Academy and later at Bolchoï.

Pagliero and Heymann are consummate artists. I don't know what has happened in Moscow, the rake of the stage or something else ? Don't make sweeping judgements based on a gala performance of some showcase piece. Ballet is not about it. In fact, Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, hated the circus tricks introduced by Italian touring ballerinas that contaminated and deformed ballet, which are today mistaken by many so called ballet fans to be the ballet itself. Ballet is not about the number of entrechats six or fouettés. Otherwise Anna Pavlova and Galina Ulanova would not be ballet artists according to your criteria. It is about the harmony of body movement and the beauty of lines, it is about movement filled with meaning. I saw Pagliero and Heymann on many occasions, Heymann, actually, has no counterparts in Russia, in terms of finesse of his dancing.

There are as many talented children in France or in America who dream of becoming ballet artists as in Russia. The real problem is with the coterie of ballet troupe directors and unscrupulous newspaper critics praising mediocrity, and preventing the public from seeing that the king has no clothes, like the recent two weeks of mediocrity on display in San Francisco. I had hard time finding a single critic saying that only one out of 12 works presented was actually good, a few were bearable, and the rest — from bad to dismally bad (sorry, Mr Pita and Mr Dawson). Nothing of the kind, the whole venue got mostly good press, as if San Francisco for two weeks became the capital of the world ballet. This is what is killing ballet in the West, what deforms the dancers, makes them incompetent in classics. There is every sign that ballet is dying in the West, and the only kind of "ballet" left will be those ugly, futile contortions performed by muscular athletes and praised by rotten critics.

I saw Tchapkina today as "Prayer" in Coppélia and I didn't see anything criminal, actually I quite liked her. She is very distinctive. Shrainer's Swanilda was, by the way, excellent, and Shrainer — radiant, light, artistic. Swanilda and Sylphide are her best parts so far, she is developing into a lovely artiste. There was a prolonged ovation in the third act after she completed a series of variations. Nonsense about the death of Bolchoï makes me laugh. It's the exact opposite. I experienced four days of joy, night after night, observing happy dancers who are still able to dance what is, actually, ballet. Maybe the last place on the planet where you can witness it. So refreshing, compared to every company in the West I know.

3 hours ago, Inge said:

Balanchine's Coppélia children's corps is wonderful. Harlequinade's excessive use of children is a little tiresome whether it's Balanchine or Ratmansky. 

Marius Petipa was a master of arranging children's ensembles. Use of children in ballet is ”excessive" only when they are poorly prepared, which happens, unfortunately, today in nearly all productions except those staged with students of the very best ballet schools. Second, participants of the 19-th century reconstructions often have a dim idea, and even less feeling, what they are actually enacting and how should they move around the stage. These is a mobile phone generation.

12 hours ago, CharlieH said:

For whom is the conference?

For ballet scholars, with accreditation for journalists. If you open the link in your post, it says in big lettering "international research conference". The word 'research' is repeated three times in the opening paragraphs.

It is important to understand that Legnani was dancing Raymonda in 1898 while Preobrajenska was rehearsing it in 1903, she was thus to dance a new production; in all such cases altering and adapting the text for a new soloist was a standard practice.

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If I can have a cocktail while  discussing Stepanov reconstructions with any of these authorities, all the better.

The conference is not meant to be for a general audience. The venue rotates daily but on a any given day is at a single place.