GeorgeB fan Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 When I first join this message board, I said the ballet I was most looking forward to seeing this season was Liebeslieder Walzer, because the first time I saw this ballet I was unimpress. Leigh Witchel wrote me a nice message welcoming me to the board and said she hope I will see Walzer with "new eyes". Well Leigh I saw Walzer last night (4/29) with "new eyes" and what my eyes behold was one of the most romantic and beautiful ballets I've ever seen! From the moment the curtain came up I was transported to another world. A world of refinement, elegence, beauty and most importantly romance. The beautiful set by David Mitchell, the sumptuous costumes by Karinska, the amazing lighting by Ronald Bates and Mark Stanley, Brahms' extraordinary music perform and sung to near perfection by Richard Moredock, Susan Walters (piano), Nancy Allen Lundy, Jennifer Roderer, Bruce Sledge and Jan Opalach (singers) all combine to create an atmosphere where love flourish supreme. As for the dancing of Darci Kislter & Philip Neal, Krya Nichols & Jock Soto, Miranda Weese & Jared Angle and Wendy Whelan & Nikolaj Hubbe - I can't possibly single anyone of them out for praise! My powers with the english language is not large enough to completely convey the feelings I felt watching them dance. Enchanting, elegant, graceful, alluring, majestic - these words simply don't come nearly close to describing the feelings inside me. As for George Balanchine, if there was any questions if he's a artistic genius who stands along side Picasso, Matisse, Stravinsky, Joyce and Louis Armstrong this ballet puts all those questions to rest. It amazed me watching Balanchine taking the dance of waltzing and gave it so many different variations of creativity and inventiveness. Every time I suspected he couldn't possibly top himself, he would wonderfully prove me wrong. Superb, simply superb. In Anne Belle's documentary Dancing for Mr. B: Six Balanchine Ballerinas I remember Maria Tallchief saying that George Balanchine is a poet and he taught them (his dancers) how to react and to become this poetry. I first couldn't quite understand that statement, but after seeing Liebeslieder Walzer, I fully understand. For Balanchine is the poet laureate of 20th century ballet. Link to comment
carbro Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 I, too, had trouble "seeing" Liebeslieder the first time I saw it, and I'd been watching ballet and NYCB for a good many years at that time -- it had been out of rep for ages. Mr. Witchel () is an extremely keen observer (he is also a choreographer), so I have no doubt his remarks were helpful. A documentary ("Balanchine Lives," perhaps?) shows PNB AD/NYCB alumna Francia Russell dubbing Liebeslieder Balanchine's greatest ballet -- or at least the one she could never tire of -- for its abundant invention and poetry. Link to comment
Helene Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 A documentary ("Balanchine Lives," perhaps?) shows PNB AD/NYCB alumna Francia Russell dubbing Liebeslieder Balanchine's greatest ballet -- or at least the one she could never tire of -- for its abundant invention and poetry. In a post-performance Q&A after PNB's current season Balanchine program, both Russell and Stowell said that Liebeslieder is their favorite ballet. Alas, it will not be staged in Seattle during their final season. (And Symphony in C has been replaced in next season's Balanchine Program by Ballet Imperial. ) Link to comment
GeorgeB fan Posted April 30, 2004 Author Share Posted April 30, 2004 Leigh Witchel is a man!! I am soooo sorry! My mistake! Thanks for the correction. Link to comment
Hal Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 I still don't get it. I never liked Liebs and last night performance hasn't changed my mind. I find it boring. :sleeping: Not crazy about the music or the singers for that matter. I have to admit I was drugged last night (from a dental operation earlier in the day) but I was just thrilled with the rest of the program. Maybe I was between pills. On the other hand the rest of last night program had me smilling and cheering for a magnifiscent performance. The corps was even wonderful. Kyra Nichols didn't seem to be showing her age. And Walpugishnacht is just so wonderful. I love the flowing hair and the way the choreography displays the music. And there is nothing better than Symphony in C! Ringer was charming in the first movement and Martins seemed to enjoy himself. Kowroski was to die for in the second movement. Every time I see her I love her more. Her develope (if that is the right term - where she unfolds her leg) makes me want to swoon it is so beautiful. And then when you thought you were in heaven here comes little Ashley Bouder to assure you that you really are in heaven. She was all brightness, light and energy and paired wonderfully with Millipied. She had this wonderful smile - she seemed to be having even more fun than we were. Her big grin reminded me of Darci when she first came up. There wasn't a role she danced when she didn't have this wonderful big grin to just captivate everyone. I (and others I spoke with) would have preferred a repeat of Symphony in C to Liebs......... Link to comment
nysusan Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 I don't get it either. Maybe it's wrong to say that "I don't get it", just that I can't sit through it. Every one of those waltzes was beautiful, and beautifully danced. I loved the intimacy of the first part, like you were a fly on the wall witnessing a private moment between this group of friends in old Vienna. BUT - by halfway through the first part I was engaged in a battle to keep my eyes open, and I was not alone. Bizet was the perfect wake-up call. Having seen this on Tuesday it was interesting to me to contrast Korowski's 2nd movement with Whelan's. I adore them both, but they are such different dancers. Korowski was much more expansive & expressive, while Whelan realy seemed to carve out the movement with exquisite phrasing. "Charming" describes Ringer's first movement perfectly, and Bouder & Milliped once sailed through that killer 3rd movement. She takes that breakneck speed and still makes it look like she has all the time in the world, the clarity of her dancing is beautiful. The one thing that disturbed me was that during the coda, when the corps make that horseshoe and all 4 ballerinas were front & center, they seemed out of sync. Since no one else has mentioned it on the board, maybe it's just me, but I could swear that Ringer was behind the other 3 and I found it to be very distracting. I liked Walpurgisnacht even better this time. It may be "minor Balanchine" but it's better than just about any new work I've seen recently! Link to comment
Figurante Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I have been lucky enough to see this ballet on many an occasion. I had a hard time at first. People in the audience mumbling how boring an hour and a half of waltz music is doesn't help my thought process. The second and third time I saw it, however, it definitely grew on me. I am so thankful to have seen it this past season with a cast of my all time favorite dancers. Jenny Ringer, Darci, Kyra and Rutherford, with Angle, Hubbe, Neal, and one other that is escaping my mind. In any rate, I absolutely ADORE the sets and costumes, and there is definitely something to be said when seeing it performed by such a cast as I just named. Link to comment
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