richard53dog

According to Wikipedia, Stanislava Belinskaya, the Clara of the premiere was a "real child" and a student of the Imperial Ballet School rather than a soloist. If this is correct then the adult Clara came from later "enhancements" of the work, of which there have been many.

I agree, I'd love to see a recreation of the original as far as possible. It seems like all kinds of bits and pieces have been added or subtracted over the years, adults dancing Clara, Dewdrops, Snow Queens etc. All these changes are results of different versions over the year and some have their place but it would be nice to see the piece in something like it's original form. I'd much rather see a recreation of the original than a second hand regurgatation of Balanchine, or Vainonen, or whoever else. Sort of crossing this back to the ABT thread, I'm hoping Ratmansky comes up with something that is his own rather than a rehashing of what some other 20th century choreographer has done. I think there is a place for this, really for instance, Balanchine's version is to a large degree his own, and for clarity his name is clearly shown as the creator. Taken on those times, I love his version and there is not a whole lot of baggage associated with it.

As an animal lover myself , I can sympathize with the points made by both SanderO and Bart. But let me add something that may add a tiny bit of positive input. Several years ago I was listening to a radio broadcast of Carmen from the MEt. The guest was the person responsible for supplying the animals needed for this very elaborate production. There were a number of horses and I don't remember what other types of animals used. The trainer described the "audition process" for the horses. The company allotted many more horses than were needed. The trainer would take the animals in stages through the staging moves . elimating the animals that showed distress, or even just a bit of hesitation, gradually working up the a simulated performance with full lights, large cast on stage, and players in the orchestra. Also some people sitting in the auditorium. Any animal that seemed at all hesitant at each stage was elimated. The trainer explained that there were two reasons for this, one was of course to make the animal dislay impressive to the audience and the other was to avoid stress to animals sensitive to those particular circumstances. Animals, like people, react to stress differently and have different triggers. A confident, comfortable performance by a horse tells us, as well as we can read such signals, that the horse doesn't really mind what they are doing. It's a job it can deal with. Perhaps it's a bit sad that the horse needs a job but most animals of this type "work" one way or another.

But the name change is significant. Phillip Morris tried to hide under the Kraft brand name for a while but found that not to be so effective. I'd bet quite of few people wouldn't make a connection between Altria and Phillip Morris. The name change has partially laudered the brand name. Still and all, if I were in arts adminstration, I'd probably take their donations. It's how the whole mechanism of arts support works here in the US and I don't see that changing much.

Yes, the programming is pretty imaginative. But 5 bills spread out over two seasons is still a tiny slate compared to programming before the dark season/Mortier mess/recession. With so few performances they are literally just hanging on. There are a number of problems, funding is probably foremost. Will they be able to drum up support on the level of just a few seasons ago? And even if they do, their performance opportunities are far more limited than they have been for years. I understand that their fall season was an easier sell than the winter/spring one but much of that lucrative fall time is no longer available to them as it has been grabbed by NYCB. I don't know how permanent the three season layout for NYCB is but it certainly cuts into what was prime time for NYCO in the weeks following Labor Day. And if it is permanent than I think NYCO needs to find a new venue. With limited performance opportunities it will be hard for NYCO to regain their previous level of financial health.

I can add my two cents here. These have been part of my reading this summer. I loved Pompei and Imperium and I started Conspirata over the weekend. They fall into the "historical novel" category but there is enough that is based on actual history to keep them honest. Agree lots of fun and great page turners!

Yes, I think the two additions had a lot of similarities. Both caught on and you almost always see both the au courrone as well as the fish dives in Western productions. And the Russians seem to feel the need to mostly ignore both.

This one is really hideous!!!!!!

The article I described really only mentioned the Fonteyn and the au couronne in the RA in a fleeting way. And I don't remember much about the source of the article , which is why I mentioned it sort of cautiously. All I've retained is the comment of "Fonteyn being the first one to make a crown in the Rose Adagio balances" or something like that. But I agree she would have learned it or coached it from someone and your suggestion of Volkova is likely. She may not have actually been the first ballerina to do it, there's really nothing new under the sun anyway. But it may be fairer to claim she made the combination widely known and fixed in Western ballet goers idea of what the RA should look like.

I've noticed too that a lot of versions done by Russian dancers don't do the au couronne either. What may explain that was something I read many, many years ago. This is sort of unsubstantiated, and I apologize for that, but the gist of the article was that Fonteyn more or less introduced the au couronne to the Rose Adagio when Sadler's Wells first staged Sleeping Beauty back in the 1930s. And that production introduced and defined the ballet for much of the West. On the other hand, the Russians had a performance tradition that went back to an earlier day and certainly wouldn't feel obliged to add something that originated elsewhere (although they freely added anachronistic details of their own from time to time) I'm not sure this explains this particular detail it does make for a showier touch.

I had real mixed feelings viewing this clip; some were issues with the version used and other with Valdes' uneven execution of them. Overall the tempo is very slow and this drains the scene of some of the energy it should have. I miss very much, like Sandik, the sequence where Aurora bourres with the port de bras (the lifts put in their place are sort of cheesey and NOT very classical) and I miss the other sequence where Aurora does a series of penchees along a diagonal line of kneeling pages. Some versions have Aurora putting her hand on the pages shoulder and others have her keeping her hand in place instead but I prefer either to how the sequence is done here with the princes. It's very true that Valdes has outstanding balances and I liked the second sequence with the promenades better than the first but at the end she leaves the world of viruosity and crossed the line into the are of showing off for showing off's sake. She simply omits the fourth promenade. With regards to consistency and sense of musicality and line she's weak, the sequence where she collects the last set of roses has her taking each rose the a prince , doing a developpe and continuing to the next prince , something very traditional to me. But the first two developpes have her raising her leg to about 90 degrees but the last two have showgirl type kicks up to about 165 degrees. Shouldn't they be consistent? And throughout, Valdes does not have a very striking sense of basic movement. She's a true virtuoso but not much of a classical ballerina. Virtuoso can also exist in more subtle forms such as infusing the steps with energy and radiance. Also real excitement can be created but taking all the sequence and connecting them into a seamless whole. A very different type of virtuosity is shown in the clip I'm posting, there are no long balances (although I've seen Fonteyn do some very impressive ones in this scene, most notably in her very last Aurora in NYC around 1973-74) but there is a tremendous energy and sweep, an exhilarating rush that build up to a terrific climax. And throughout her sense of line and musicality remains a touchpoint for me. Unfortunately the clip only has the second part of the scene starting with the bourres but I really prefer this version to Fonteyn's other filmed RAs. And notice how far the princes are from her in the final promenades, this is deliberate, Fonteyn wanted to increase the audience's perception of of the risks she took. Virtuosity can take many forms, indeed!

Leonid, I've never heard Bowen speak but I have heard de Valois. But I can hear clearly that early 20th century English (as spoken in GB) and I like the effect of it very much. It seems very elegant to me. Also American English spoken in this same period was considerably closer in effect to British spoken English back then. It was also much classier than it is today. Both version of spoken English have evolved into something much less clear and beautiful sounding. And they have gone in increasingly divergent directions. So much of the British English we hear here in the US is very edgy sounding and American English has become more and more slurred. Not exactly progress.

Sarah Billinghurst Artistic Manager (read "casting director" ) of the Met Opera is interviewed by Mariinsky Media in St Petersburg at the closing of the Stars of the White Nights Festival. She discusses her relationship and history with Valery Gergiev and when asked why she is in St Peterburg explains (@around 3min 21sec of the video) that she is in town to view Prince Igor. The MEt will stage it in three years with Gergiev conducting and she is discussing which version of the piece to use at the Met. A little background; Prince Igor contains astonishingly striking music with an amazing sequence of arias in the Polovetsian Camp concluding with the famous "Dances", but the piece is very problematic. Borodin had a wonderful fountain of melodies which illuminate the piece but had little concept of dramatic structure. And to further complicate matters he died before completing the opera (really, "lyric scenes" is a more apt description) . Rimsky and Glazunov completed the numbers Borodin didn't finish and also provided the orchestration. Others have continued to rearrange and revise the piece, Gergiev himself came up with his own version in 1998 which I saw on a MT tour to NYC shortly afterwards. Actually I've seen Prince Igor three times and each production had significantly different versions of the score. Going back to the interview and things balletic, Billinghurst mentions that she is looking for Gergiev's input and also mentions that the Polovetsian Dance sequence will be staged by Ratmansky (after Fokine?????). I'm already looking forward to this; in spite of the difficulties involved in staging the opera, the flow of the luminous score provides a very special experience.

I think this is a wonderful collection to show both the huge commitment in time James Levine made to the Metropolitan Opera as well as his enormous range in terms of styles and periods. What it leaves unsaid though is what I consider his greatest achievement to the Met , the great gift that he gave them, namely the orchestra that he built over the years. I was actually at his Met debut back in June of 1971 and the orchestra in those days was a pretty scrappy bunch compared to the smooth, accomplished bunch that plays today. Of course the orchestra plays better for some conductors than for others but overall the standard is significantly better than it was 40 years ago. Although Levine now appears to be possibly at the tail end of his Met career with health issues as well as energy issues impacting his current efforts but his achievements stand tall in spite of that. But other conductors can now come in and take advantage of his accomplishment which makes it a lasting gift that will extend beyond Levine's own personal career parameters. I have to ask if anyone in the entire history of the Met Opera has accomplished anything comparable. It's possible to make a case for this being the single greatest achievement in MEt history. Levine's participation in the upcoming Met season as well as the Boston Orchestra season hinges on his recovery from the treatment he has been receiving for his back injuries. My own hope is that he first and foremost takes care of himself; his accomplishments are significant and secure and I would hate to see him struggle and perform in a compromised condition. Perhaps it's time to take on more of an emeritus type of role and leave the heavy lifting to those with more energy and physical well being. But congratulations Jimmy on your fortieth anniversary with the MEt Opera!

Thanks, that makes it a bit clearer in my own mind. I guess I'm sort of "fixed" on the concept of retouching a photo = making the subject thinner, younger, smoother rather than being used for other more technical purposes such as redefining the proportions and clearing up problems. And so I was expecting a more glamorized effect when I clicked on the photo for the first time. And let me add thanks again for all the so, so interesting photos you post. I ALWAYS look forward to looking at them whenever I see a post from you with a photo attached. You really provide something that sets this board apart!

I agree I wasn't being particularly gallant. But when I first looked at the photo earlier today, my thought was that Lucia looked to be about 60 in the photo. I checked on her birth date and was surprised to find that she was only 53 in January of 1961. So it didn't seem that the retouching worked any miracles, certainly nothing like the often unbelievable results we see today of images photoshopped into looking almost like some kind of undead being.

Wow, my first thought ( ) was if this was retouched, what did the original look like? According to wikipedia, Chase had a birth date of 1907, which would make her 53-54 at the time this photo was taken and she looks like that age or maybe even a bit older here. Nothing at all like the "magic" done today where a 50 year old person can be "processed" until they appear no more than a very frozen looking 25. But then I looked a bit closer at the photo and noticed the rectangular fuzzy area around Chase's face, so I agree this photo was worked on. Poring over it, it's possible that the right side of her face had the line redone, perhaps to straighten it out . I don't recall if Chase smoked, perhaps if she did, that would have added some years to her looks.

Not something that can be said for many male opera stars (or female, for that matter). Of course, that might not be as true as it once was these days, when looks are just about everything. He was a very attractive man onstage (although I have to admit that at the time I heard him often, 1969-1973, I thought he was a bit old looking; this from the POV of a 20 year old ) and he would have fit in very well with today's emphasis on "lookism". I think the "legs" nickname was applied more to Corelli than Siepi, anyway, Corelli appeared more often in tights than siepi did.

Nureyev is 42 years old in this clip and had already entered his long decline . It's not very fair to compare this clip with Hallberg's dancing now. And you are right, all dancers have their own strengths and weaknesses anyway. Nureyev in his prime was far more of a virtuso than Hallberg ever will be but elegance and polish were never great strengths of his. But he had incredible electricity and magnetism.

The clip has an example of this. Shortly before the 1-minute mark, Giselle makes a curtsy to stage right (her mother) and then to stage left (Albrecht). The first is formal and gracious. The second begins in the same way, but Kent raises her eyes this time. We don't see Albrecht, but I assume they are making eye contact. She expresses her feelings for him, not in her face, but in the way she opens up her arms and holds the position longer, makes it more like a wide embrace. It's a marvelous touch. What a marvelous preparation for the small but very touching preparation for the quick, shy hand-kiss that follows before she resumes her dance. I saw Kent dance Giselle with ABT about 5 years ago. She was partnered by Julio Bocca (she was subbing for an injured Alessandra Ferri). I thought it a lovely performance, not the most impressive from a technical point of view, but filled with beautiful touches that added up to a moving characterization. And Bocca's support was tremendous, what a partner he was. At the very end she mimed to Albrecht to stop weeping, that everything was ok; it was a beautiful finish to a fine performance.

Ugh, I heard Gergiev conduct Salome at the Met back in 2004 with Mattila. The conducting was GRUESOME with no feel at all for Strauss. Actually all my non-Russian opera experiences with Gergiev have been negative; Verdi, Wagner sounded very out of sorts. Very different from the Russian rep, where he seems to have a terrific infinity.

I agree that this was not targeted towards the ballet fan but much more towards the viewer with very little or no experience watching ballet. Will it make any converts? Hard to tell but at least the exposure is huge on a show like SYTYCD.

The pictures are really mediocre, aren't they? But then I thought the review was pretty uninteresting, so maybe the photos and text are of a piece.

It's being choreographed by Ratmansky so it is unlikely to be a carbon copy of any previous version. I've haven't read anything yet as to what approach he'll take , if he'll use as earlier version as a starting point. Personally, I can't see the point of "recreating" anything by Fedorova's or any other mid 20th century versions that are several generations from the original. They are like games of "telephone", particularly if they blindly reproduce errors like the cut in the SPF's pdd . If historical emphasis is being sought, I would think the approach would be a recreation of the original via the Sergeyev notebooks. As other posters have pointed out on an earlier thread: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/30739-nutcracker/page__p__259589__hl__%2Bnutcracker+%2Bratmansky+%2Babt__fromsearch__1#entry259589 Ratmansky has already staged a Nutcracker for the RDB which wasn't universally liked. And Ratmansky's previous restagings have run the gamut from the historical recreations (Corsair) to "from scratch" new takes (Cinderella). And these two are very, very different in approach. I just hope he doesn't get bogged down by making something toooooo cutesy. "Family friendly" is fine but not toooo much "sugar". A really good sweet, after all, has a balance between the sugar and the other elements.

Ah, thanks, Mme. Hermine! Oh, what a nice piece of nostalgia. Seeing the reproduction of the mural brings back all kinds of memories of repeated visits to the old ONeals back in the 70s for a tasty dinner before the ballet or opera.