Mashinka

21 hours ago, Drew said:

I find the decision not to include any of nineteenth-century repertory for an entire season very disappointing.

So do I.  An incomprehensible decision.

Criticizing the war lands you in jail for 15 years in Russia, somewhere in the region of 300,000 mostly young people have fled Russia since the war began and not just draft dodgers.  I personally know a dancer who for many years was posting anti Putin views on social media, before the war he had ambitions to go into opposition politics.  He has now moved to Germany.

Many dancers have family commitments that mean they can't even consider leaving, others are enthusiastic supporters of the war and Putin's regime.

Poor Smirnova,  in February she danced in London in one of Ivan Putrov's Ukrainian fundraisers.  She deserves credit for her beliefs and certainly should never have been denied a US entry visa. 

Interesting article about Carey Mulligan in the film

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68216440

The film's title defeated an ITN newsreader who pronounced it as May Estro.  Such bloopers are becoming increasingly common in Britain.

I saw this film with a couple of friends and we loved it.  It is very much about his private life, but there is a great deal of his music all the way through.  Bernstein did a lot of work for BBC TV, not just conducting but interviews and lectures too.  I must have seen some way back in the 60's but so great was Bernstein's personality and enthusiasm that I still remember them vividly.  Superb acting, I hope some sort of award might be in the offing.

I imagine they had little choice if they want their careers to flourish.

I wish the Royal Ballet would bring it back, but the management and Kobborg apparently fell out big time.  In the meantime what do we get?  More bloody Manons.

I believe Prisca Zeisel is an Austrian national, her behaviour is disgraceful.

Regarding Cyprus, I remember hiring a car from a firm that turned out to be Russian run and later stayed at a hotel with a number of Russian staff.  

Out of interest have similar statements come out of the Maryinsky?

You mention munitions.  Yesterday I was told that the company is being asked to donate (I doubt voluntarily) to a bomb to be inscribed 'from the Bolshoi'.  I found that hard to believe, after reading the above post I no longer doubt it.

I was planning to watch it on TV, but with no coronets, ermine or bling, there doesn't seem much point.

Kate is too old to wear a weath of flowers, but it would be nice if she cut her hair or piled it up for the occason.

Monarchs have held the title defender of the faith since the pope bestowed it on Henry VIII.  However a few years later Henry ditched the faith when he turned the country protestant and looted all the religious institutions.  So D of F is actually totally meaningless.

Much of the scaling down is to do with security concerns.  Unfortunately London is a hot spot for terrorism and the police don't have the resources to deal with the kind of celebrations that took place in 1953.  The cost is estimated at a mere 100 million pounds, a piddling amount compared to the welfare state, but the net income from tourism etc. will cover that cost.

The practice started during lockdown and the Rome Opera weren't handing out cast sheets either in 2021, but their is no excuse now.

This article doesn't specifically relate to dance, but the balletic image made me feel physically sick

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65347833

It all seems greatly removed from Britten's Gloriana created for the last coronation.

As a working class woman I can never buy into the belief that opera and ballet are elitist.

To the best of my knowledge Kaufmann still has voice issues.  Bryn Terfel  will sing at a special coronation concert, location not yet given but mainly pop music.  Arranging a gala for a Sunday at ROH would be relatively simple.  Any singer between engagements would enjoy the prestige of appearing on such an occasion.  Making it a gala at enhanced prices would pay artists fees. 

btw, I'd rather hear Klaus Florian Vogt than Kaufmann any day and it would be a wonderful opportunity for rising star Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha  to claim the international mega stardom she deserves.

This time last year  I complained about the RB's failure to celebrate the jubilee.  A year on we are on the eve of a  coronation, the first in seventy years, and what is the ROH's response - zilch.

I've been told there was a week of special performances in 1953, Ashton created Homage to the Queen and Callas sang.

Alex Beard has to go.

Delighted about the change.  No one empties the ROH faster than Crystal Pite.  The tickets for her last outing were sold at a lower price level than usual but even then they sold so badly thy were reduced to papering the house.

3 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

The rights belong to his second wife and widow, Lise Lander

I believe Lise was his fifth wife.

I saw Etudes danced by the Maryinsky in London and the corps couldn't mange the timing at all especially the diagonal jetes.  The soloists were okay though, but nothing special.

My first Etudes was ABT with Toni Lander and I last saw it a year ago in Budapest.  

I've seen Etudes danced by a number of companies for getting on for sixty years.  The only company defeated by the choreography was the Maryinsky.

Just tours to China then.

Vaziev rolled up om a UK news programme a couple of weeks ago bleating about how his company can't tour anymore.  he seemed to believe the west has cancelled Tchaikovsky.  Utter rot of course.  What western company would ditch their two favourite cash cows?