esperanto

Nanarina, Doesn't Summers seem more conniving than Penny? As I recall she wasn't so innocent-looking as Penny.

Another very goood version is the Australian Ballet with Justine Summers, Steven Heathcote,

Hamorah, I agree with you 100 percent about the Dowell/Penny Manon. And how about Monica Mason?

Nureyev's final version for POB could almost be subtitled "Abderakhman" it has so much new dancing and 'funky-modern' solos for that character. I happen to love it because it is so Nureyev...totally what RN was all about! Besides, RN was smart enough to maintain most of the existing Kirov-Mariinsky portions -- building & adding to them, in his fashion. It is THE longest production of Raymonda, beside the La Scala...most complete use of the music, I mean. The old Kirov production has Abderakhman from the very beginning. He's constantly on. In this production he looks and acts like in the movie Thief of Bagdad. Anyone agree or think otherwise? Yes, he is in a lot in the Kirov version. It is fun to compare and contrast. I think I like his dancing best in the Bolshoi version. yes, i agree with you.

Nureyev's final version for POB could almost be subtitled "Abderakhman" it has so much new dancing and 'funky-modern' solos for that character. I happen to love it because it is so Nureyev...totally what RN was all about! Besides, RN was smart enough to maintain most of the existing Kirov-Mariinsky portions -- building & adding to them, in his fashion. It is THE longest production of Raymonda, beside the La Scala...most complete use of the music, I mean. The old Kirov production has Abderakhman from the very beginning. He's constantly on. In this production he looks and acts like in the movie Thief of Bagdad. Anyone agree or think otherwise?

to Makarovafan: You're right about Gediminas Taranda in Raymonda. He is the best of all the Abdulrahkmans in any of the productions. and he was also terrific in Golden Age, sent chills down one's back.

Hobson's Choice is a WONDERFUL ballet. I think it's about Bently's best work.

If Rothbart can change into an owl (?) and then human form at the Grand Ball, why not a cat as well?

4MRDNCR: you wrote: I also don't particularly like a SB with lots of small children dancing in it--I pay to see professionals, not recitals so what's about all the children in the Russian ballet companies: Raymonda, corsaire, Pharoah's Daughter, etc?

thanks so much for that clip of Alonso. She's terrific in this, indeed in most dances.

[The only comment I heard as I left the theater was a rather resigned sounding "well, it's a farce" from an older women I infer was a subscriber. I can read that everyone commenting on this website (so far) loves the ballet and I did too, but I am very curious if the ballet has gotten a more resounding reception at other performances--and whether it really will be a hit. Please report. Dear Drew from what I heard from England Bright Stream received rave reviews, both from critics and from audience. I envy all of you who saw this in NY.

Hi "OLDDUDE" Myrtha in the Dutch production is a terrifying Queen of the Willis. Just before watching this performance I saw a Youtube clip of Monica Mason reahersing Giselle. She stressed that sthe dancer should always be giving the impression of watching, listening and hearing. This the Dutch dancer did.

bart, glad you liked the Beecham story

. That is a great video of Barenboim's eyes coming out of their sockets at the very end of Tristan und Isolde when the audience starts to applaud before the final note. I once read that Sir Thomas Beecham turned to the audience when they applauded after the first movement of a Beethovan symphony and scathingly said: for an encore we shall play the Second Movement!

i remember reading that Giselle is laid to rest on flowers and sinks back into her grave. I saw Bruhn dance , don't remember who was the Giselle, but when she flung the flowers behind her, Bruhn leaped and caught them "on the fly". Only time I've ever seen that. all other performances the flowers fall on to the stage and Albrecht picks them up.

it seems that each type of artistic performance has its own etiquette. In Ballet there's constant acknowledgment of audience applause after something's been done. In Opera the singers just stand in their place without going down to the footlights to bow to audience. At concerts it's considered bad form to applause between movements.

James wraps the enchanted scarf around the sylphide. But just as her wings drop off Peter Pan flies on and asks all the spectators to clap if they believe in Sylphides. and then she'll recover!

i don't see what's funny about this.

I like your triplets, Imspear. Very clever.

Thanks, Mme. Hermine. Have you ever seen it? Sounds great.

How about Albrecht abdicates and marries Giselle. Bathilde dies and SHE becomes a wili. Or: albrecht (or Hilarion) acidentally cuts himself on the sword and dies of blood poisoning. By the way, I heard of a sequel to Giselle called Giselle's Revenge. It uses the same music and has her enticing albrecht in to her grave, then shutting it and dancing on top. Has anyone else heard of it or seen it?

The Golden Idol in Bayadere is seen by a Hollywood executive, borrows Jean de Brienne's sword and models for a new statuette to honor best movie actor of the year.

There was an old Soviet ballet film of Swan Lake with Ulanova, I believe, in which there was a very happy ending. The swans turned into maidens at sunrise and Odette and Siegfried wnet off into the horizon.