atm711

A query for Ed Waffle---I heard today that an opera singer named Fedora Barbieri died today---she was in her 80's. It was said that she was famous for her performance as Azucena. In the 1940's I saw an Italian movie of "Il Trovatore" and in it there was a mezzo named Barbieri who sang and beautifully acted Azucena. Is this the same Barbieri who later performed at the Met? Have you seen the film I mentioned?

I always assumed the height was 3'6". Kay Ambrose in her 'Ballet Student's Primer' also lists this height---unless with all the tall dancers now, this, too, has changed.

Colum McCann's 'Dancer' can only be described as a 'tour de force', which is a term most reviewers used. The book is separated into four 'books'--the first one deals with his years in Ufa, the most poignant part of the book for me. Book three went on too long, I felt, about the underbelly of his life. But through it all, there is the gorgeous prose of Colum McCann. Read it!

You are so right Giannina!. I gave this tape to two little tykes in my family---a boy of 6 and a girl of 2 and they LOVED it. They were relieved when the duck emerged whole. I think one of the reasons they like it so much is that the cast is young.

Let's see:

Miss Havisham: Frederick Ashton (played seriously, of course, no hi-jinks--can't you just visualize him in that white gown?)

Estella: Gelsey Kirkland

Pocket: Frederick Franklin

Pip: Ethan Stiefel

Alexandra--when I read the above announcement I thought you were joking--and it was too early to be April 1. But I read it in the 'Times' this morning so it is true!

GWTW--don't worry about not understanding it---just watch! Malakhov did drop a 'pearl of wisdom' when he said something to the effect that dancers should dance, not talk.

I can't forget Whelan's Odette. A couple of years ago I saw Ananiashvilli's Odette/Odile in the afternoon--and Whelan's Odette in the evening. I have the highest regard for Ananiashvilli's 'Swan', so I was surprised at how very good Whelan's 'Odette' was in comparison. Her second act Coda with the echappees and passes is the most brilliant I have seen---her attack was reminiscent of Danilova, and I have often wondered if she received any coaching from her.

I received very positive feedback from people who are not ballet-goers. They want to see these fellows LIVE!---and I know they will, this Spring.

Fendrock writes:

"...many find the dances of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier to be the dullest part of the Nutcracker"

Ouch! That one hurt. The PDD is the only part of the 'Nutcracker' I can watch.

I never met Massine---but does being a super in 'Petrouchka' when he was performing count?? My fondest memories of him are in 'The Three-Cornered Hat'---no one can do a farruca like Massine! His Spanish dancing was exceptional (I don't know if the purists would agree). If you are lucky, you can still see it. He made a film about 1940 for Warner Bros called 'Capriccio Espanol' with the wonderful Rimsky-Korsakov score, and in it, he does some wonderful Spanish dancing. Forget him in the silly part he had in 'The Red Shoes'--this man was beautiful, elegant and very sexy on the stage.

That was David Lichine who choreographed 'The Fair At Sorochinsk', and Anton Dolin wore black boots fashioned into pointe shoes, similar to what Mel described.

I have a video of DBT which I rarely watch because it always leaves me emotionally drained---especially the PDD by Farrell and D'Amboise near the end of the work. I have always looked upon the work as the passing of one's youth and creativity--and the older I grow and the more friends I loose, the more poignant it becomes. Balanchine with a touch of Tudor?

In the aforementioned article by Adam Pinsker he writes the following:

"In the final duet, when the leader moves into the darkness and toward the sea after bidding farewell to his companion, she is left standing with her back to the audience in an attitude of grief. When I recovered f rom this deeply moving ending the first time I saw the ballet, I realised this recalls the ending of Tudor's 'Lilac Garden'. when the lovere is left alone center stage with his back to the audience. The whole ballet is reminiscent of Tudor in a number of ways. The series of duet conversations recalls 'The Leaves are Fading', Tudor's penultimate ballet. The use of gesture, seamlessly wedded to classical technique, is Tudor's signature, and here at the conclusion of the ballet Balanchine has once again recalled his colleague, whom he has always admired."

BW--there is an excellent article in the Fall, 2002 issue of 'Ballet Review' about DBT---offering many different interpretations---especially about those quills.

The following is a quote from 'The New Yorker' (David Denby) about the film 'The Hours' with Streep, Moore and Kidman:

"The twin themes of 'The Hours' are the variety of human bonds, especially the bond of love, and the gift that the dying make to the living. The miracle is that such sombre notions fit together as surely and lightly as the dancers in a Balanchine ballet."

There isn't much I can add to the above comments---it was too pondereous. Ms. Jordan had the perfect audience for her film---but I believe she lost them. After a while, even 'Agon' seemed boring (!!!). Unfortunately for Ms. Jordan, the program started on a high note with a delightful Canadian short 'Pretty Big Dig'. In this short film (under 4 minutes) three tractors waltzed in perfect unison, as gracefully as any pas de trois you have seen.

ah Katharine---since you can't understand or appreciate Balanchine---how could you possibly see any merit in Hans van Manen?

"High Art" is that art which is ackknowledged by the leisure class. :D "

I voted seldom--but are probably closer to never. My non-ballet-going is mainly to see plays and opera.

One other thought on stylistic differences in 'Fancy Free'. The behavior of the women, especially the second and third are much more sexually overt in the later productions. The forties and the nineties have definitely clashed in this regard.

On another thread, Leigh spoke of "Agon" as being a time capsule of the 1950's. I can't quite see that YET--but I will keep it in mind with further viewings. However, if ever a ballet was a time capsule of its time--it has always been the original cast of "Fancy Free" (the other two are Muriel Bentley and Shirley Eckl). I have never been satisfied with any of the later casts I have seen---not through any fault of the dancers. What is always missing for me are the intangibles--the aura and the feeling of New York City during the war years. On another note, I did see Marie-Jeanne in "Ballet Imperial" and was decidely disappointed. Her performance was marred for me because of the way she looked!--The costume was unflattering--she looked too broad in the waist and her feet looked like Size tens--although her footwork was very sharp and neat. I did come to admire her in 'LeBaiser de la Fee"--where she portrayed the Bride--she seemed like a Romantic dancer in this part and would have fit neatly into 'Giselle' I have often wondered if this "Balanchine Dancer" had missed her calling and should have danced a more varied repertoire.

Well, it's not as lofty as inspiration from an ancient dance.....I like Mel's musings--but I need to see an example of a Sarabande. The Oxford dictionary is a help-----"originally a distinctly improper and lascivious dance..." sounds like 'Agon'.

Robert Garis in his book "Following Balanchine" seems to think the PDD was inspired by LeClercq's physical therapy. ?????

Drew, you are so right about Babilee....I saw him when he guest-starred with Ballet Theatre (I don't remember the year) and he performed the 'Bluebird PDD' and 'Le Juene Homme'. I was most anxious to see him, having read about him in Richard Buckles magazine "Ballet". (The photos of him and Leslie Caron in "Oedipus and the Sphinx" are still lodged in my head). He was the Nureyev/Baryshnikov of his day (he resembled them in his build). He was admired for his elevation and batterie---so you can only imagine his 'Bluebird'! I saw Baryshnikov also in 'LeJuene Homme'--but felt at the time it did not have the same dramatic impact of Babilee's.

I saw them all---and voted for Hugh Laing. He was not like any of those listed. He is irreplaceable. If you're wishing for technique--you won't find too much of it. He was not about technique. When he was on the stage, all eyes were on him. I saw him in all of his Tudor roles, but my one regret is having missed the one time he danced 'Giselle' with Toumanova.