dirac

Thanks for posting, sidwich. It occurs to me that changing tastes in pop music may also have contributed to the trend - perhaps less pressure on musical theatre composers to come up with hits, which were hard to come by in any case. (We may have lost something along with that, however - there's a certain discipline that comes from having to respond to the demands of the marketplace. If I had to choose between an evening of Rodgers and Hart and an evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein I would probably elect for the former on most occasions.)

Yes, articles of this type cannot help making being gay sound like being an ex-con, or something, as if Radetsky is indeed working with these disreputable types, but he himself has never been to jail. (Yes, I know he doesn’t mean it that way.) Thanks for posting, CeC. You are quite right about the non-presence of gay women in the discussion (of course, that's also reflected in their mostly under-the-radar society at large, I think).

Thank you for that vivid description. Schwarzkopf-like, I guess. Her most indefatigable champion among critics was B. H. Haggin, who adored her.

It's a wonderful book, a labor of love in every way. I can understand Money's wishes, however - it is a large, heavy book even by coffee table standards. But the photographs are really stunning and I wouldn't be without them. She was a remarkable camera subject.

If acknowledgment of a common problem means 'dismissal,' then that's what it was, I suppose. Indeed.

Mel, this is indeed shocking and disappointing. I don't know of any BTers who would say "Things are tough all over," or that the prejudices we're discussing are of no consequence. (I'm not addressing the term "complicity," but only because I'm being nice, not because I don't have a lot to say about it.) Forgive me for repeating myself in saying as I did earlier that these articles serve a useful purpose and a good one. I personally don't care for the Seinfeldian Not That There's Anything Wrong With That subtext that tends to appear no matter how tactful the author strives to be (and Radetsky tries hard), but it's a minor point. Over and out.

Yes, Kistrup says 'the case is strong' but doesn't mention anything apart from the short story. (I also tend to a certain automatic suspicion of these Blame Mom for All scenarios -- they are often somewhat unjust on a second look.) I'm sure Meinertz knows what he's doing, of course. Kistrup seems to suggest that much of his independence derived from the alleged incest, so it looks like that will be a central issue.

Although a few posters have indeed mentioned more positive experiences, I don’t think anyone who as posted so far has suggested that these views don’t exist or are not deplorable, and I doubt anyone will. Perhaps we may also note for the record that many people of both sexes have suffered during adolescence and later for being ‘different’ in one way or another, and no one’s personal experience of same is being dismissed or derided. These might seem to be points that would go without saying, but better safe than sorry. Welcome to the board, LittleTomato. We hope to hear from you again, on this or other subjects!

Thanks to those who mentioned Balanchine's Tchaikovsky pdd. That's a marvelous one, too. I did think of the Agon pdd, but I'm not sure if I don't admire it more than I really love it. I think you're right. That's a fun one, too.

I, too, have a few unkind words. As always, these articles excite mixed feelings. They serve a certain purpose and a good cause. On the other hand, I don’t feel too sorry for these guys, you know. It is unfortunate that they don’t receive the godlike worship our society generally accords straight men who excel in endeavors involving outstanding athleticism, that instead they are treated like inferiors, outsiders, like....women and gay guys. I wish that such prejudices didn’t exist, and yet I also think, “Well, isn’t that just TOO BAD, bwah-hah-hah.” As it is, male dancers are getting more attention for their multiple pirouettes than ever before, judging by the screaming they receive from audiences these days. So maybe it’s time to look on the bright side and move on.

The "Rubies" pdd is truly unique. And there's the "walking pas de deux" in "Emeralds," which has an otherworldly quality unlike any other I can think of offhand.

Just noting for the record the article was posted in our own Links five days ago.....

I'm sorry, I was a bit pressed for time yesterday and I wanted to get the topic started before I forgot about it - My two favorites off the top of my head are Giselle Act II and the “Diamonds” pdd, which is like a story in itself and so gorgeous, especially in the Farrell-Martins video (although I liked Julie Diana in it when she was with San Francisco Ballet and Uliana Lopatkina, too, when she was here on a visit). My favorite bonbon pas de deux is “Le Corsaire” in the filmed version with Fonteyn and Nureyev. The two of them are such a classic contrast in style, and nobody can perform the ending with the boffo flourish that Nureyev gives it; he makes his ballerina a goddess, and no other dancer looks so at home in harem pants. Interesting point, ngitanjali. How do others feel? Are there pdd you think are dependent on who's dancing them, or are some dancer-proof? Thanks, everyone. Keep talking!

bart forwarded this Palm Beach Post for the Links today. I thought his gloss on the article was most interesting and worth adding to this thread. Thanks, bart. bart writes: I wonder why this information didn't make it online? Curious.

Oh, that's why there were no reports. Shows you how out of it I am.

printscess' thread on favorite variations made me want to solicit similar thoughts on pas de deux. Do you have a favorite or favorites, and why do you like them? Do you have a Most Heartily Disliked Pas de Deux (and perhaps we can have a special subcategory for Most Superfluous Pas de Deux)? Opinions, please.....

Thank you, I’d be curious to know exactly what he said. That would make sense. Traditionally Broadway songwriters didn’t do their own, partly owing to the exigencies of getting a show on its feet – often there wasn’t enough time. (I do remember reading that Kurt Weill was surprised to note this when he arrived here, and he did his own. Bernstein worked on his, too.) The most famous arranger and orchestrator was probably Robert Russell Bennett, who worked with everybody who was anybody, and with some composers he did more, with others less. Jerome Kern, for example, had very clear ideas about what he wanted. Gershwin relied on help when he began composing for orchestra, but he was studying orchestration and realized it was something he was going to have to master if he wanted to be taken seriously. I’m sure other posters would have more to add about this issue. I think you could say it’s true, but I would suggest it’s less true of Sondheim and other songwriters of the post Rodgers and Hammerstein era than it is of those from an earlier time. It’s not crucial to appreciation of ‘Little Girl Blue,’ and ‘My Romance,’ to know they were written for a Billy Rose extravaganza called ‘Jumbo,’ which involved Jimmy Durante and and an elephant, among many other features of interest, or that ‘There’s a Small Hotel’ was dropped from that show and popped up in ‘On Your Toes’ later on. But there are songs from ‘Follies’ to take only one example, that don’t make as much sense out of context as they do within the show. sidwich? Anthony? (and anyone else out there)? Thoughts?

Sondheim does not do his own orchestrations as a rule. (Jonathan Tunick did the orchestrations for the original 'Company' and they are excellent as is his work in general.)

.The movie has a very genuine feel – it’s not like those glossy pre-formulated “The Making of ________________” that you get nowadays – it’s a real documentary. You see singers looking and sounding tired, trying to get it right for the forever and perfect take after hours on their feet. It’s about an hour long. Sondheim and Prince are there, of course, and Thomas Z. Shepard and Harold Hastings. And it’s the seventies, so take in the clothes, the false eyelashes, the cigarettes. It all looks much more fun.

Thank you for reporting, Arizona Native. I enjoyed reading this. Has anyone else seen the production?

Thank you cubanmiamiboy, I enjoyed reading that (and the other reviews in this thread, of course).

No, it can't hurt, although I remember how well that campaign on behalf of Tobi Tobias worked out. Sigh. Still, they would know people care.

Yes, I’d have thought Baryshnikov was about an inch shorter. I don't think someone who is 5'9" has to worry about an improper diet. Five-nine doesn't seem short to me, either, but we are living in an era of height inflation – people on average are taller.

Thanks, everyone. I've enjoyed reading these reviews.

Thank you, GoCoyote!, you put the central issues very well. Even if you did not agree with Segal on all occasions, he was highly qualified and his position was of considerable symbolic value. It meant that the only paper in town with more than local significance and reach considered dance to be important enough to deserve a chief critic. In turn, that critic had access to a large general audience, which is still untrue of many writers online, who tend to be preaching to the choir, not in itself a bad thing, of course.