Renata

For some reason I am able to play DVDs in all formats on my computer. My basic DVD player makes the adjustment. I am very low-tech so I cannot advise you why this is so, but I just wanted to let you know that it is possible to get a DVD

player that is able to play UK and USA DVDs. If you want to purchase the Violette et Mr B DVD, it may be possible.

All the best.

Just wondering if anyone knows where Madame Legat is now.

Thanks.

Ciao.

She has been a pleasure to watch and is a very nice person too. She will be missed by many.

Hi

I wondered whether this DVD of Etudes is out now and whether anyone could direct me to where I can order it.

Thanks for any suggestions that you may have.

Renata

Although it will probably be days before power is restored and our friends in this devastating storm area can let us know how they are, we are thinking of you. Our hearts are with you.

Renata

Thanks for the link carbro. I enjoyed reading the blog.

Hi Petipa Fan

I was just joking when I said I was born in the dark ages. Some of you seem to think that I was serious. Margot Fonteyn was a Hurok artist before I ever attended a ballet. Although I met both Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, I do not have any exciting anecdotes to add since I worked mainly with solo musicians.

John Cranko once had me do some work for him...he was very pleasant and nice. He had such an understated manner that people in the office asked me who he was after he left my desk.

Thank you dirac and Farrell Fan for you kind comments about my post. Since I did do all of the travel arrangements for Hurok Concerts, I got to know many details of many artists' lives. But, I guess I prefer to remember the positive things that different people did and not to repeat the less positive. And, in addition to being great artists, like all people, many of them had some special qualities.

Jacqueline du Pre and I shared a birthday although (as I would remind her) hers was a few years ahead of mine. When she learned that we had the same birthday, we began a tradition....we exchanged birthday cards every year until the year she died. And, she always kept up with my news --such as when my first daughter was born--and offered encouragement, which must have been painful for her since she was so ill at the time.

Van Cliburn, is a very gentle, kind man. When I worked for the Hurok office, he would be accosted by fans wherever he went, yet he always had a minute to say hello. A few years ago, he was playing a concert in the city where I live. I went to the dress rehearsal with my two daughters who love classical music and were fairly serious musicians and afterwards, I stopped to say hello. His greeting to my kids was one they will never forget. He bent down, almost kneeling, (he is very tall) to hug them and to talk about the good old days when he and their mom worked at Hurok Concerts.

I could go on and on with these anecdotes, but I think that I would wear out my welcome on this thread. So, I do think that many great people have great human capacity and qualities of caring for others. On the other hand, that does not mean that all great people will have the qualities. It depends on the individual.

I read this thread with interest. My first real job was for the impresario Sol Hurok (in the dark ages before most of you were born). I was in charge of travel for all of the soloists that he managed. I can say that in some cases the artists were really egotistical and unduly difficult to work with. But some of the artists were wonderful thoughtful people. And, some were inbetween....difficult to work with but realizing this, they would thank me by praising my work to my boss, Sol Hurok. Among the artists who were always thoughtful, Marian Anderson comes to mind....at the time when I worked with her, she was only doing talks or speaking in “A Lincoln Portrait.” After she would do a tour, she would actually take the time to telephone me to explain how all of my arrangements had gone right and how things had worked perfectly. David Oistrakh was another wonderful person....he and his wife were “Mama and Papa Oistrakh” to me and I ate lunch with them at the Essex House buffet numerous times (yes, I did speak Russian). So, I guess the answer to the question this thread asks is “yes, no, and sometimes.”

Tetsuya Kumakawa did Rhapsody with Viviana Durante in New York in July 2004 at the Ashton Festival there. Will he be dancing with her on the DVD? They were fantastic together.

Orchestras can renew or not renew on the basis of many things. Sometimes they make mistakes. A number of years ago, the Philadelphia Orchestra had a young first violinist named Robert Chen. He quickly became active in playing chamber music in Philadephia and was teaching as well. Then all kinds of rumours started to circulate that he was not being renewed or he was being renewed but only for a year. Philadelphia's mistake. He left the orchestra to be co-concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony--a position he has held since 1999. So, it may simply be that this situation is one that we will never understand fully and that will have a good outcome for the people involved.

Most major orchestras have "blind" auditions for the first round. The musicians play behind a screen and cannot be seen. However, the second round is not a blind round and the musicians can been seen. Prior to blind auditions, there were very few woman in the top orchestras and many conductors did not believe they should be there (my daughter did a study of the effect of blind auditions on getting seats in orchestras and I have read some of her materials....they really did turn things around for women).

The court will have to make the decision in this case, and one never knows about these kinds of things. What makes a great musician is partially a subjective process.

Dear Ami,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I also appreciated the link to the ballet.co.uk page. For some reason my search on ballet.co.uk did not turn up anything.

Renata

I am also wondering whether any members attended any of the Royal Ballet School performances this week or the matinee at the Opera House yesterday. My DD has a number of friends in the upper school.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me find this dvd/video.

Ciao!

Renata

I understand that a new DVD of Harald Lander's Etudes has been made by the Paris Opera Ballet. Does anyone know if it is available and if so where I can order it. While I would prefer to order in North America, if you know of a place elsewhere, I would be most appreciative to learn of it.

Thanks!

Matthew Neenan of the Pennsylvania Ballet is an up and coming choreographer. I think that no one can figure out whose works will survive for a hundred years, but Neenan's works are certainly worth seeing.

Our good wishes and support to all in the UK.

We are thinking of you.

Renata

Marika Bessobrasova is 85 plus and still teaching at the Princess Grace School in Monaco.

Chiapuris

Thank you for your wonderful detailed coverage of the galas. It was exciting just to read along.

Chiapuris,

Thank you for the splendid review of the seniors. It made me feel as if I was watching along with you.

Renata

Congratulations to all of the junior winners and to all of the fine dancers who particpated in the junior division of this competition. And thank you ciapuris, Natalia and the others who helped us keep up with the results. It is exciting to wait for the senior results.

Solor,

Thanks for letting us know about the CD. I have been looking for that version of Black Swan.

Jane,

Thanks so much for the link. My DD's friend is one of the RBS students who is going on the tour so we were a bit curious how it was doing.

Renata

Thanks for the information. I expect to be in Europe this fall and I will save your list for when I plan the trip. Do you have any info on the RB tour to the Far East?