Mashinka

Shklyarov is a charming young man, he and Osmolkina kindly posed for photos for me backstage in Baden Baden a few years ago. I'm off to County Mayo where my maternal grandparents originally hailed from.

Am I right in thinking she will be replaced by Skorik?

I happen to think Gergiev got the job on merit, whatever you happen to think of him he is highly regarded as a conductor in international music circles and his priority has always been opera. Perhaps he leaves the ballet to fend for itself, but his choice of Fateev has been disastrous. Vikharev or Tsiskaridze would make a better job of things but I've come to the conclusion that anyone could. Although I have tickets to see the Kirov in London, I am going to Ireland for five days in the middle of the run, something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. The cast changes have already begun and the fans are starting to off load their tickets as a consequence. I'm also told that ticket sales this year are unusually slow. So the Kirov has a nice corps, so what? a lot of other companies do too. It's the downward spiral in the quality of the soloists that actually matters.

An evening of silent ballets? The orchestra's union isn't going to like that.

I think he meant he saw the art for free in the churches, but that isn't the case everywhere in Italy as I certainly paid to see the church mosaics in Ravenna earlier this year.

His Hans Sachs was one of the greatest performances I've ever seen, I actually had difficulty stifling my sobs in the scene where he unites the young lovers and faces up to his own loneliness. That performance is available on DVD, buy it, and if you are not a Wagner fan, Mr Finley will convert you. I would also recommend his CD of songs by Ravel, for me his voice isn't just about musicianship, but about the depth of emotion and sincerity he brings to everything he does.

Not a dancer, but in the UK Lillian Bayliss deserves a mention, a fierce champion of arts for the masses, she was very much the enabler of what Ninette de Valois went on to do.

At one time Charing Cross Road was packed with bookshops and a few still remain on the eastern side, Beaumont's shop was on the other side of the road. A large stretch of the road was demolished though and is now incorporated into part of Chinatown. I think the shop was in that area. Of course Foyles still remains on the western side but further up past Cambridge Circus,

Today Rinaldo is a counter tenor of course. With regard to the comment about current productions, perhaps you might like to look at what lovely Almirena looks like in this year's Glyndebourne production. http://glyndebourne.com/production/rinaldo-2014?gclid=CjkKEQjw4_ubBRCArMWr6avk_J8BEiQAIj43tbjXX2dAEQ5bOG3fSH6rKnJmWhhepvHRUM7BaPXUAl3w_wcB

One of the critics defends his stance: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/22/not-sexist-opera-critics-glyndebourne-fat-ladies He does not exaggerate the response to the reviews; as I was going out the door the other morning I heard the announcer say they were about to open the phone lines on the subject - unheard of on the philistine LBC radio station. Opera has managed to become a hot news story even in a week when the news is dominated by the local and EU elections.

Here we go again....... http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/20/opera-figures-angry-at-description-of-soprano-stars-weight Although I made my views clear in earlier posts that a singers weight doesn't bother me (though of course I'm aware there are health issues) perhaps the role of Octavian does require a certain body type. The picture doesn't really give an idea of this singer's figure in actual costume, in other pictures she does appear on the chubby side, and, more concerning in a 'trouser role' rather short. Tara Erraught is not in the Jane Eaglen/Jesse Norman mould and is in my view a highly attractive young woman http://www.taraerraught.com/index.php her curves in an evening dress are pretty good I would say. The press is making a lot of the story, but could it be just a case of mis-casting? I haven't heard her sing although I have a ticket for 3rd July but I imagine a storm of controversy at the outset of her career could actually be good publicity.

Not certain, but it could be Yvonne Cartier, the time line would be about right..

Just read the news in the Guardian. Such a unique talent in a small child: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/11/shirley-temple-dies-85-child-sttar

The most remarkable thing about Acosta is that he is near the end of his career, but I would still rather see him than anyone else in the RB as Albrecht. I've always admired his blend of toughness and sensitivity in the romantic roles and I'm so very happy this Giselle gets to be preserved on DVD.

Some I think but perhaps not all. It is common practice to film more than one performance in case a corps de ballet member or someone takes a tumble, you get the best of both nights after an editing.

The cameras were in on Wednesday which means there will definitely be a DVD. I'm looking forward to the discussions here after the broadcast. Osipova gave a very different performance compared to the one I saw her give with the Bolshoi a coule of years ago, but perhaps the spontaneous nature of her dancing means you will see something different again from what I saw on Wednesday. I'll just say she did something very unusual in the first act hops-on-pointe solo.

I would like to see RDB and NYCB visit London next year. I would like the Paris Opera to create an English version of their website I would like the director of ENB to realize that in Elena Glurdjidze she has one of the greatest dancers in the world and to start casting her accordingly.

Dmitrichenko receives six years. He is to appeal.

Dmitrichenko has been found guilty. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25197504 Having read Putin's Russia (author since murdered) I am aware that verdicts are frequently awarded via bribery. There was no jury in this case.

20 years ago it was customary for the happy couple to receive a generous supply of vodka to mark the occasion from the state. Perhaps this still happens. In the UK people are becoming increasingly averse to marrying at all.

He has enemies in Russia that are media savvy, he seemed to have been well liked when he taught in Paris.

Ksenia Ovsyanick had to replace Daria Klimentova at very short notice and if she was less than perfect it was hardly surprising. On the plus side she looked very good alongside Muntagirov and they made a promising pairing physically. When she feels more secure in the role and loses her nerves, she should be good. I like her very much by the way and was very pleased to have the unexpected chance to see her as Medora as she is a young dancer with a very bright future ahead if all goes well.

In London flower throwing is fairly common, usually small bunches thrown towards the principals at the end, but there are also major flower throws where a massive amount of flowers are thrown from the balconies, often to mark special occasions such as retirements and the debut in a role of a particular dancer, and sometimes at the end of the season. I have never heard that any company arranges this, though of course for the big flower throws the theatre has to be alerted in order to facilitate storage of the flower boxes during the day. The flowers are paid for by the fans in general, often through a collection, though sometimes they are bought at the expense of one individual. The example you give of a dancer not having flowers thrown towards him my be either because he was the only dancer not performing a role for the first time or simply as the result of poor aim. As you cite people running to the front at the end it may be the latter as at ROH the practised throwers make certain they are sitting in the front stalls and their flowers seldom go astray.

For those that have not got a copy I sincerely beg you to buy the Giselle DVD, Nerina is a revelation in the role. I'm always hearing that modern technique is superior to that of dancers in the past, but when I watch Nerina dance it re-enforces my argument that that absolutely is not the case.

Actually I thought the Jewels audience strange too, when the curtain opened for Diamonds they applauded either the set or costumes, or perhaps, (and this is becoming common in London), the tutus. Having seen both performances I feel that the Bolshoi is in the same position as the Royal Ballet, that there is only one good cast within the company, so they are distributed on different nights. Very disappointed that there was only one cast for Diamonds though.