Joseph

And who's version of Corsaire? Or rather who is staging it?

Lopukhov Writings on Ballet and Music

Is this book available somewhere?!

Hi Bookishmaud,

Where did you obtain copies of all the Mariinsky contructions? Sleeping Beauty, etc? Would love to get them somehow!

Just wondering, why in most versions of Sleeping Beauty, in the Rose Adagio, the fourth suitor tends to get most of the attention from her (he tends to partner her more than the rest.) I did this part once and was always curious why he was the more lucky of the four? Of course musically, she ends with him so he can finish everything. But perhaps the other guys deserve equal attention? haha

I could look it up I guess, but wondering if anyone knows here...

Great Expectations

does she still live in Munich?

Thanks! I actually have the ballet DVD. I would love to somehow obtain a copy of the documentary style DVD.

I SPELLED HIS NAME WRONG, sorry!!! MacMillan!

Thanks RG!

Anyone know if it is around, or available? Probably not. Apparently it is a documentary of the choreographer's process of creating "Mayerling." It won a Prix Italia in 1978. But, I am sure it is only archived at the Royal, or???

Would be interesting to see!

(Got this info from "Different Drummer" by Jann Perry) Almost finished!

Anyone know when this DVD is scheduled to be released?

What book are we talking about?

Interesting, I had no idea about this!

I recently purchased this DVD and was pleased at the quality of the performance. The music is Tchaikovskyesque. The dancers are good, the production first class and the photography excellent. I recommend it to all ballet fans. DG 00440 073 4416

What DVD is this? The school in Spain?

About Lydia Lypkova (spelling is wrong I think, am writing very fast)

Is it a good read?

As far as I’m aware he wasn’t a Nazi, but was accused of collaboration and dismissed from his post immediately after the war, a few years later he was reinstated. Lifar argues that he got cosy with the Nazis in order to ensure the survival of the Paris Opera during the austerity of the occupation and I’m inclined to believe that to be the truth.

Actually it seems to be a somewhat controversial subject among dance critics, even now (in general, there are a lot of debates about the behavior of many writers and artists in France during WWII...)

Lifar fans say that his purpose was to protect the POB, while others say that he was indeed an eager collaborationist (doing far more than what was required) and was interested only in his own interests.

I came across the following book "La vie musicale sous l'occupation"

http://books.google.fr/books?id=qcBpfEu74c8C

which seems to be well documented and is very severe for Lifar (seen as fiercely ambitious and self-serving, mutiplying his salary by more than 8 between 1940 and 1943), it includes (p. 120) an excerpt of a somewhat nauseating letter by Lifar written in 1940 in which he mentions having been antisemitic since his youth, insisting about his own "pure aryan blood"...

Is there an English version?!?!?!

I know you're looking for a book, but I thought you may find this link somehow helpful...

http://www.dancebooks.co.uk/titles/5494.asp

Thanks! Yeah, this looks interesting as well!

I am just wondering if anyone knows of a biography of him? I have been reading another book and did not know he was a supposed member of the Nazi party. Would be interested to read more about him and his directorship of the Paris Opera House.

The autobiography may not be as good though as it is written by himself, or?

Thanks!

Isn't Massent's ballet "Cigale" about a grasshopper or something like that?

When I click it does not work - anyone else having this problem?!

Over with Prologues and stuffed swans...(can't stand that). That's what Google is for, if anybody wants to see what the performance will be about. The Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami started their production with a weird Prologue, showing a caravan of mourners following a coffin being carried away. Among the mourners are Siegfried and his shaky mom, so one assume that the ballet starts by telling us that this is the kid's turn to be in command from then on after his father's death. Didn't like it either. Let Mr T's beautiful music do the magic.

See I actually like this idea of the mourners etc. I guess it just depends on how the choreographer or person setting the ballet wants the story to be told. And to what kind of audience it is for.

I like it - but I would rather more attention be spent on the character of "Rothbart." Explain who he is and how he comes into the picture and why he has captured Odette... But the music may not be long enough for all of this rushed explanation.

I'd also like to see or learn more about "The Magic Mirror..."

Very interesting article by Gerald Dowler in the November 2008 issue of Dancing Times regarding the increasing "sameness" of repertory among the major international ballet companies (and even some of the not-so-major ones). (He says everything in two pages that I've tried to articulate on this board and failed to do!)

Dowler posits that, by trending toward the same repertory, these companies are losing their distinctive stylistic approaches as they ignore the legacy works that are/were peculiar to their original artistic successes. In other words, the move away from a "local" repertory toward a perceived international repertory standard has the (unintended?) effect of diminishing the distinctive company styles that go hand-in-glove with the original, "local" repertories. (He levels particular fire in the direction of Copenhagen [no Bournonville this season] and London [only one Ashton/only two MacMillans].)

My own feeling is that the trend toward a global mean is here to stay. But be careful what you wish for -- once certain works (and their corresponding styles) are gone, they're gone for good. (Cue ominous horror movie music . . . )

How can we access the article??

Is there a biography on him?

Does anyone know where she is going?