esperanto

Precisely. This is the reason for the otherwise unexplainable fact that Mr B never did a sequel to any of the existing R&Js. however Raymonda has an aunt! (why not a mother? how are we supposed to guess?)

One of the Temple stones or pillars falls on Solor and it's curtain call for him. another possibility, he's arrested for drug use

Midsummer Night's Dream: the magic potion doesn't wear off and Bottom's head stays put. Titania is stuck with him. Oberon runs off with either Puck or the little Indian boy. The couples decide they;ll do well as Menage a quatre.

How can she marry Paris? he's been killed before Romeo does his bit with Juliet. Very much necrophilia as he doesn't knowshe's really still alive.

The Bolshoi restored production with either Alexandrova or Osipova is excellent

I too recall this wonderful bouree by Fonteyn. I;ve never seen it duplicated. Although Lupe Serrano as Myrthe also seemed to float across the "huge Met stage". Perhaps tthis is also how the dancers in Patrtisans in Moiseyev seem to be on wheels, until their cloaks are discarded and it's revealed that they're on toes, men as well.

I think that the best Myrtha I've ever seen was Lupe Serrano dancing with the ABT. She was absolutely astonishing. Does any one recall her performances in that role?

Lopatkina is very graceful and glides so beautifully. Alexandrova is very imperious during her variation, even when taking her bow. although she does smile for a moment. I love Alexandrova, have done so ever seen seeing her as the slave in Pharoah's Daughter. Where is her Raymonda available? I ust admit I miss the loud slap. Perhaps I got used to it after having seen Balanchine's Grand Pas de Dix from Raymonda.

This is a wonderful reconstruction...or restoration of Raymonda. After having seen this production and reading the synopsis of Raymonda all the other productions suddenly make sense. This clears up exactly what's going on. Now go back to the Bolshoi one. Now you'll understand who and what the White Lady is. she's not the vigin Mary as one might think in the Bolshoi. Bessmertnova kneels and prays to her so what is one to think? The POB makes it a bit clearer, but the La Scala beats them all.

This is a wonderful reconstruction...or restoration of Raymonda. After having seen this production and reading the synopsis of Raymonda all the other productions suddenly make sense. This clears up exactly what's going on. Now go back to the Bolshoi one. Now you'll understand who and what the White Lady is. she's not the vigin Mary as one might think in the Bolshoi. Bessmertnova kneels and prays to her so what is one to think? The POB makes it a bit clearer, but the La Scala beats them all.

Mel, today most productions have Hilarion grabbing the sword before Giselle can plunge it into her heart . Therefore no suicide. In which case there's no real need for Giselle's grave to be in "unhallowed" ground . Just something left over from original ?

any anyone seen the Charles Jude version? It's more MGM musical films of WWII. Gene Kelly's On the Town comes to mind. It's still Coppelia and yet not.

The Roland Petit version doesn't have Act III either. It's a very interesting version. Petit does some wonderful dancing in it, especially with the doll.

I have mixed feelings about Ek's Giselle. But I know how I feel about his Sleeping Beauty...Horrible! only the name and music are the same.

What about Giselle's death? Originally she was supposed to have plunged the sword into her heart...which is why she is buried by herself in the woods. although, even so, how come her grave has a cross on it? Wouldn't it have been unmarked? Most productions today seem to have Albrecht grabbing the sword before Giselle can commit suicide. Does she die of madness - or of heart failure - or perhaps a combination of both.?

I've also wondered about her. Sometimes she seems nice and sometimes she's an aristocrate who think nothing of giving away a "bauble" and yet takes no heed of what she's being told about Giselle - her heart problem and he mother's request that Giselle not dance. She's used to getting her way. and by the way, has anyone ever wondered about the fact that though Giselle & Albrecht seem to know each other a long time she introduces him to her friends for what looks like the first time.

Re previous remarks about Bright Stream I found the following and thought it would be of interest: “It’s good to see it once; it’s better—and funnier—to see it twice.” —The New York Times A laugh-out-loud comical ballet in two act s BART: His Little Humpbacked Horse is uneven. There is a lot of , simplified and explicit mime. It takes time to understand what is going on. There seems to be an extra horse among the horses. The best part is the ending with Leonind Serafanov starting his final dance, only to stop and winking to the audience, starting over again - with some spectacular dancing. It's a fun and surprising ending to the opera, amounting to their curtain call. --------------------------

.Solar, you wrote: Of all the ballets that Lacotte could have restored, its beyond me why he chose this one. Why not "La Esmerelda"? Why not "Le Corsaire"? The Bolshoi has a restored, or reconstructed Esmerelda. And I there's a Corsaire done by Ratmansky. I too wish other companies would restore old ballets. Lacotte's Pharoah's Daughter is excellent I thought. I don't understand why people have criticized him for it. As for the POB Sylphide even though the new production has a lot of good dancing and "magic" give me the Bournonville version any time.

I find Ratmansky to be uneven. I think his best is Bright Stream; it was a hit when the Bolshoi presented it in London. It's full of good dancing and lots of humor. some of it is out-right funny. His Bolt is a very strange ballet. One has to see it more than once to understand what's going on, especially the last act which doesn't really seem to make much sense. His Flames of Paris has wonderful dancing. It's vigerous and must take a lot out of the dancers. But actually the old F.o.P. as seen in Stars of the Russian Ballet is a better story, (in my humble opinion.) The scenes in the court of Louis XVI are much better in the old version. In Ratmansky's Louis has some silly steps it seems to me. In the film I mentioned before you could see the history of what went on in the Court, including the "abdication" of the King,. all in all lots of it reminded me of character dances rather than a coherent story ballet. I also saw his Lost Illusions. I was very disappointed with it. the pictures I had seen posted before it was shown on Mezzo looked like a Bournonville ballet. But the music!! It didn't at all fit the ballet. They just didn't go together. By the way, others I've spoken with have said the same. I'd still go to see a Ratmansky ballet. Hope I haven't stepped on anyone's toes.

Giselle's mother is warning her not to dance as she has a weak heart and will die and become a Willy.

The Royal Ballet also does a mime scene by Berthe. (didn't know that's her name). Alexander Grant once explained the whole scene to a group of us. . It's even more complete than in the Cuban Ballet co. they show the veils of the Willis, the Queen commanding them to arise from their graves and making them dance, then enticing young men to dance until their deaths. It's quite gripping.

I guess I must be one of the few who couldn't stand Alice. Not just the music. Alice doesn't look at all like alice. and as she might ask , what's the use of an Alice without Alice? At first I couldn't even decide who was Alice. I could get only half way through when i turned it off. And I love the story of Alice in Wonderland.

I saw Onegin with Marcia Haydee and Richard Cragun when they brought it for the first time to NY. The audience went wild. It was wonderful. The first act dancing amazed everyone. when the "peasant" dancers all cam on it reminded me of the Moiseyev. I also saw the Canadian version (on tape or dvd). I would have liked the music to be the same as that of the opera but it was not to be.

I love Lacotte's reconstructions. His Pharoah's Daughter is fabulous. But why, oh why is he so criticised for it and other reconstructions? We need more of these. Can any one please explain?

My first Carabosse was Alexander Grant so I'm used to the idea of a man's doing the role. Having said that, I admit that once i got used to a female as in POB and Dutch Ballet Co's I could see her as a beautiful over-looked and outraged fairy. (although in the original story she was old and had been away "from circulation" so long that everyone forgot about her.) Monica Mason really sent chills down my spine. Elizabeth McGorian's Carabosse was an excellent portrayal. Yuri Vetrov in the Bolshoi;'s old production reminds me of Bette Davis. But I prefer her- oops, him - to the new one . I saw a very old kirov production in which the Prince does fight his way with a sword to the Castle.