Helena

This is an interesting question, and forgive me if I am somewhat incoherent,

Britten's War Requiem is prefaced with the words of the WW1 poet Wilfrd Owen - "All a poet can do today is warn". The tragedy, of course, is that the perpetrators of war do not listen to the warnings...

The arts can warn, they can interpret, they can certainly provide a catharsis. The arts are universal and do not (except in rare cases which are probably not great art) take sides.

I watched TV all yesterday, but I am not going to watch any more. I am very frightened for my younger son who works in London's financial centre and has many connections with America and the WTC - he could easily have been there, though he was not, but other people's sons were.

Tonight I had already planned to go to a performance of Mahler's 2nd Symphony - that is, if the conductor, Gerald Schwarz from Seattle - has arrived. I can't think of many things I would rather hear (only the War Requiem). It contains the words, if I translate from the German, "Mankind lies in greatest need, mankind lies in greatest pain". Well, that's true.

I have often looked round at both artists and audience in concerts and ballets and thought "This is the ultimate good" - this gathering of people dedicated to making or experiencing beauty.

It is in the arts that we see humanity's greatness; otherwise, when "the world turns on its dark side" (a quotation from Michael Tippett's Child of our Time) we might despair.

[ 09-12-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

Melissa, I'm so glad you think that the videos have shown you something of the magic - and I agree with your comments about virtuosity being too important today, as well, though I can't comment on Darci Kistler because I've never seen her, even on video, as far as I know!

I could not agree more that videos are inadequate - better than nothing, but cannot convey the electric atmosphere of a really good performance. I saw Fonteyn live many times from 1951 onwards, though mostly in the 1960s, and I have seen the videos. Absolutely no comparison, particularly in Marguerite and Armand. I have never experienced audience atmosphere like that at the early Fonteyn/Nureyev performances. Exciting stage presence - yes! And doubly exciting when Nureyev was there.

I think mine are all Ashton, and all include music and design in their perfection - how could they not? La Fille Mal Gardee, Monotones and Symphonic Variations. Most Petipa ballets have perfect bits - I agree about the Bayadere Shades scene - but I couldn't think of a completely perfect Petipa ballet. They have mostly been too messed about, anyway.

Oh, and possibly Petrushka?

[ 09-05-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

It all depends what you mean by technique. I f you are talking about immaculate placing and line,and exquisite taste, you will appreciate Fonteyn. If (as is increasingly the case) you think technique means ultra-high extensions, hundreds of fouettes and huge leaps, you won't.

My mother had a lot of books,dating from the thirties and forties, about the early days of British ballet and ballet in general, so I fell in love with photographs. I can't remember ever not knowing about Pavlova, Nijinsky, Karsavina, Diaghilev, Fonteyn. I went to my first ballet when I was five. When I was 9 I started serious ballet lessons, as opposed to just "dancing" lessons. I was hooked almost from birth!

Giannina - I didn't think of Putrov looking too young, though I didn't think that he had the measure of the role yet.

I suppose, as a fanatical Fonteyn and Nureyev watcher I found the combination of somewhat sophisticated older woman and ardent young Russian quite familiar! I have no idea how old Valtat is, but not very old, I would think.

Giannina - I'm so glad you enjoyed the Mixed Bill performance. I went to the last matinee and evening, and saw two casts. I agree absolutely with you about Wildor who really can dance Ashton, and also about The Dream and Monotones, both wonderful ballets. A pity you didn't see Muriel Valtat in Month - she isn't a principal, and only did one performance, I think, but was much nearer than Guillem, I felt, to Ashton's intentions.

I'm glad that there's someone else who cries at ballet! Though I have to admit I used to cry much more - is it me or is it ballet that has changed? I'll never know....

For most of my adult life I've been involved in singing, though now I listen to other people do it rather than do it myself - voices don't improve with age and I thought I'd better go before I was pushed! I sang first in a choir attached to a cathedral, so I'm familiar with the Palestrina/Tallis/Byrd repertoire mentioned by Doug, and then in a choir attached to a symphony orchestra. I claim to have sung almost every work in the

choral repertoire except Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, which I managed to miss. I am very interested in the music of Benjamin Britten, and also anything by Bach. I really loved singing in different languages - Russian, Czech and Hebrew among them in addition to the standard English, German and Latin.

I'm also very keen on poetry, both reading it and writing it, though I have never been satisfied with anything I've written. I would love to be more creative - especially I'd love to be paint, draw and design for the theatre, for which I have no talent whatsoever, but I enjoy looking at the work of people who can do it.

I was in London in the 1960s, so to choose that would probably be cheating, though I'd be very happy to see it all over again. The amazing thing is that although we knew it was astonishing, we took it for granted in a way - we thought that that was what ballet was, genius all over the place, an endless stream of brilliant dancers and brilliant new ballets.

Now, my choice would depend on whether I'm going back to become a person of the time, or whether I'm going as myself with my present knowledge and experience.

If I'm going to become a person of the time, I think I would choose the Diaghilev Ballets Russes, Paris 1909 onwards - because, even though as Alexandra so rightly says, not all of the ballets from that era stand up to scrutiny, I think at the time the explosion of colour, music and originality would have been very startling and exciting. Imagine being at the "scandalous" opening nights of L'Apres Midi d'un Faune and Sacre du Printemps, and seeing the Russian splendour of Firebird and Petrouchka for the first time. And think of the dancers...

If I were to go back in time as myself, as I am now, I think my choice would be London in the 1930s - not because I think it's the greatest ballet decade, but because for me it would be the most interesting. I'd love to see the very beginnings of English ballet, how it grew, what people like Ashton, Fonteyn, de Valois and Lambert were like then.

It's meant to be French countryside, isn't it? Not that that destroys your argument, and I admit I always think of it as English myself - it certainly is in spirit.

The thought of Sylvie in Fille is worrying!

I think the Russians would love it - how could they fail to? How they would respond to the subtleties is another matter, but this is a problem when any company dances another country's choreography.

[ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

The solo for Fonteyn's 60th birthday was called Salut d'Amour, the title of the Elgar piece Ashton used. He did something very similar for the Queen's 60th birthday about 15 years ago - well, not similar, I suppose, but also using a piece by Elgar and using its title Nursery Suite for the ballet. It was on the theme of two young girls, the Queen and her sister, danced by two RBS children - dressed to look like familiar childhood photos, with the right hairstyles and everything - and the way their lives diverged because one had to take on the responsibilities of monarchy, while the younger one had relative freedom. I didn't see either of these pieces myself - I only wish I had - but my mother saw Nursery Suite on television and found it absolutely wonderful and moving. I believe it had the Royal Family (well, most of them) in tears. Ashton was incredibly clever at this sort of evocative piece.

I love virtually all of Ashton's ballets - I like their subtlety and musicality. If I have to pick favourites, I'd go for Symphonic Variations, for pure beauty, Fille for pure happiness, Monotones (the third cast member was Robert Mead, felursus), Month in the Country, and Marguerite and Armand - all with the original sets and costumes, and preferably original casts as well, except for Fille, where I actually preferred Christopher Gable to Blair as Colas, and Ann Jenner to Nerina as Lise. (Incidentally, felursus, there was a Tarantella in this year's Royal Ballet School performance choreographed by Ann Jenner, which certainly brought back happy memories of her enchanting performances of Ashton's Neapolitan Dance.)

Original casts - ah, we have a problem. In so many ballets, Ashton needs Fonteyn. I think, from what I've seen, that ballets made for her lose a bit (a lot?) in the translation to other dancers; but this will only be a problem to my generation and the previous one, who actually saw Fonteyn in Ondine, Marguerite etc. When I saw the recent BRB revivals of Dante Sonata and Scenes de Ballet, I was quite happy with the casting, because I didn't ever see Fonteyn in them.

Of the current dancers - and I haven't seen all of them - I think that Sarah Wildor is the most obviously Ashtonian. It's a matter of musicality and an understanding that ballet is more than just clever feet. I have great hopes for Alina Cojocaru, too, for the same reasons. I'm hoping to see both of them as Titania in August.

Of the current men that Ive seen, I don't think that I've felt that there is anyone who is particularly right for Ashton, so there's probably a niche for you, James! Are there any Ashton parts that you particularly covet?

I love virtually all of Ashton's ballets - I like their subtlety and musicality. If I have to pick favourites, I'd go for Symphonic Variations, for pure beauty, Fille for pure happiness, Monotones (the third cast member was Robert Mead, felursus), Month in the Country, and Marguerite and Armand - all with the original sets and costumes, and preferably original casts as well, except for Fille, where I actually preferred Christopher Gable to Blair as Colas, and Ann Jenner to Nerina as Lise. (Incidentally, felursus, there was a Tarantella in this year's Royal Ballet School performance choreographed by Ann Jenner, which certainly brought back happy memories of her enchanting performances of Ashton's Neapolitan Dance.)

Original casts - ah, we have a problem. In so many ballets, Ashton needs Fonteyn. I think, from what I've seen, that ballets made for her lose a bit (a lot?) in the translation to other dancers; but this will only be a problem to my generation and the previous one, who actually saw Fonteyn in Ondine, Marguerite etc. When I saw the recent BRB revivals of Dante Sonata and Scenes de Ballet, I was quite happy with the casting, because I didn't ever see Fonteyn in them.

Of the current dancers - and I haven't seen all of them - I think that Sarah Wildor is the most obviously Ashtonian. It's a matter of musicality and an understanding that ballet is more than just clever feet. I have great hopes for Alina Cojocaru, too, for the same reasons. I'm hoping to see both of them as Titania in August.

Of the current men that Ive seen, I don't think that I've felt that there is anyone who is particularly right for Ashton, so there's probably a niche for you, James! Are there any Ashton parts that you particularly covet?

Colwill, I had exactly this experience at the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg, so at least the Kirov are probably used to it! The couple involved were Russian, and luckily I was with people whose Russian was better than mine. The trouble-makers got a lecture in the interval, and meekly behaved for the rest of the performance.

What a lovely topic! I'm so glad you want to dance Ashton. I'll post something on this when I'm a bit cooler and my brain is working better!

What a lovely topic! I'm so glad you want to dance Ashton. I'll post something on this when I'm a bit cooler and my brain is working better!

The reason that swans belong to the Crown in England is not very romantic. The "upper classes" used to eat them, and the tradition of ownership is kept alive, though they are not eaten any more, so far as I know.

[ 06-30-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

I am so glad you enjoyed Wildor's performance, Alexandra. For me, as well, she is a true Ashton dancer, and the one who most reassures me that we in Britain have not quite lost the Ashton touch! I have enjoyed reading all the reviews and opinions. What a wonderful thing the Web is!

The only dancer I can remember seeing fall was Nureyev, when he was young - I think it was in one of the very early performances of the Bayadere Shades scene, but I have an idea it happened more than once. He took such risks, something was bound to go wrong occasionally. It was just another thing to gasp at!

I think that Marguerite and Armand is a ballet that cannot, and should not, be taken out of context. It was made for particular dancers in a particular place at a particular time - a "piece d'occasion", almost. I saw it seven times in London in the 1960s,and, believe me, it worked then.

Rather tremblingly, I went to see Guillem and Le Riche do it in London a while ago. I felt that it did not work at all, and I wished I hadn't seen it. I realised then that the ballet had been as much about Fonteyn and Nureyev as it was about Marguerite and Armand. Without their special chemistry, and all kinds of other resonances about them, I found it almost meaningless.

I think comparisons might possibly be made, on a different level, with Spectre de la Rose. With Nijinsky and Karsavina it was apparently sensational - I have never seen a performance of it, even with good casts, that rose above the trivial.

I understand absolutely why Dowell wanted to revive Marguerite and Armand - his memories of it must be even rosier than mine, since he was one of the original "young admirers" in the first scene, and I'm sure he wanted to re-live that experience in some way. Nevertheless, I feel that the revival was a mistake. Those who didn't see the original cast, or who have only seen the video, which is inadequate (too late, and lacking in spontaneity, as any film must be), must wonder what all the fuss was about. If you had been there, you would know!

[ 06-06-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

Thank you, Amy and Jonny. It all sounds very interesting. I remember quite a few of the dancers from last year, so I'll enjoy seeing how they have progressed. Probably won't get to the Linbury, though, unfortunately - I'd like to, but it's quite a long journey for me.

Any updates will be much appreciated!

There are some copies of the programme available - I've just ordered one by phone from the Royal Opera House shop. £10 plus p&p. It will make up a bit for missing the gala.

[ 05-29-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

Thanks, James - that's certainly helpful. It all sounds like unfamiliar territory for me, so it will be educational as well as enjoyable!

Ann - I did wonder which site to post on - I read them all - but chose this one because I knew that some RBS students read it, and last year there was a lot of information about the RBS performance.

I'm hoping to go to the Royal Ballet School's Covent Garden performance again this year, since I enjoyed it so much last year. I'd love to know what the programme is going to be, if anyone can tell me.