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"Sleeping Beauty"- "Giselle"


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" THE SLEEPING BEAUTY" ( Olesia Novikova - Igor Kolb )

It is the most big celebration for all the real ballet lovers everytime when the "Sleeping Beauty" by K.Sergheev is represented in Mariinsky Theatre,especially after the boring and useless new version by S. Vikharev in 2000. That is why the Theatre was full.

We were so glad to see one more time the beautiful scenes and costumes by S.Virsaladze and the incomparable choreography by Sergeev ( 1952 ) that seems to resist the time and to be the most nice and interesting even now.

But...it seems we were really disappointed by the corps de ballet and many soloists !

The most of the ballet troupe, was in tour that is why ( maybe ) the performance was not really good.

PROLOGUE:

The Corps de Ballet was everytime doubtful and " dirty" maybe because there were many new young dancers we have seen for the first time in this performance, that seems don't know exactly the choreography. We think it is really shameful for this wonderful theatre !

From the all Fairies ( K.Ostreikovskaia, T.Tkacenko, E.Vassiukovich, Y.Selina, Y. Serebrikova ), only Ostreikovskaia and Tkacenko were quite steady and " in style", all the others danced very weak.

T. Amosova ( The Lilac Fairy ), who comes back to the stage after a long absence, is not in a real good form yet.

I. Baimuradov like " Carabosse" was disgusting. His interpretation and his manner were so "cheap" to lapse everytime into vulgarity.

ACT FIRST:

The famous and beautiful walts of this act was simply massacred by the corps de ballet :

all the dancers moved with different times ( and sometimes with different steps ), nobody was follow the lines and the most of them didn't know where to go.

We have seen also about only a half of the children of the Vaganova Ballet Academy.They were in holidays.

After this disgusting sight we hoped to see something better with Olesia Novikova like "Aurora" for the first time, but..... since from her first "entree" we could imagine the rest.

It is really very strange why a so capable dancer like Novikova can't dance with the right style ! She looked everytime not sure of herself and her mouvements were nervous and abrupted. On the "adagio" with the four Knights, her "piroettes" were so dangerous we think she'll fall down ( but she was not, fortunately).

Of course we understand that all the dancers are frightened and nervous when they dance something for the first time, but when it seems they don't understand nothing about the manner and the style of what they dance, like Novikova in this case, we think it is unpardonable.

ACT TWO:

In this act also seemed that the Corps de Ballet was not the Mariinsky but a little and bad provincial company.

From the artists of the " hunt" to the girls of the corps in the "vision" nobody was taking part emotionally to the performance, nobody was " in role" so all danced feeble and without interest.

Igor Kolb was a good prince with a convincing technique and nice manner even if he looked a little bit tired. We have seen him in better performances.

Novikova was little better than in the first act especially in her variation.

ACT THREE:

Is useless to refer again about the terrible Corps de Ballet we have seen in this performance. Even T.Amosova has done early her "entree" so she didn't know what to do on the stage for a cut of time !!!

All the interpreters of the different "tales" were quite good.

K.Ostreikovskaia and D. Simeonov in the pas de deux of the "Blue Bird" danced well but without particular brilliance. He, especially, was not enough soft and light like "bird".

The " pas de deux" of Aurora and Desirè, was good and, fortunately, without terrible surprises.

But why the Sergheev's version, one of the most beautiful in the world, is danced when the troupe is on tour so it is in this terrible conditions?

Many of us think that it is a purposed action of the ballet direction to boycott it. So only in this case the impossible Vikharev's version looks better.

But...what can we say? We hope,in this case, they will understand their fault as soon as possible before it will be not late !

" GISELLE" ( Diana Vishneva - Andrian Fadeyev )

A " holy event" , Diana Vishneva and Manuel Legris in "Giselle" !!!

What a unpleasent surprise when we came to the theatre and we saw that the prince Albert was Andrian Fadeyev we have seen a lot of times !!

In any case the main interest for all of us was Vishneva that celebreted her ten season on the Mariinsky Theatre so all the " elite" of St. Petersburg was there also.

ACT FIRST:

After the terrible " Sleeping Beauty" , it seems like the Corps de Ballet was formed by different people. They were wonderful like everytime they did ! Maybe because they came back from the tour we finally saw a beautiful performance.

Vishneva is, without any doubt, one of the most nice and interesting ballerinas of the ballet world now. She can be technical and emotional in the same time and every her performance is a real masterpiece.

Of couse the role of "Giselle" is not the most suitable for her "hot" temperament but in any case she tried as greatest as she can, to seem an innocent village-girl.

In a few moments she is convincing but frequently, especially in this act, she looks like a mature woman with a big life experience that is trifleing with Prince's feelings and doesn't believe any more any " love story".

Can you imagine any "flower" or prophecy ?

So obviously we think: " Why she went mad ? She herself wants a little love affair !

In the variation she was feeble and insecure.Very strange for her wonderful technique.

Andrian Fadeyev has improve his "Albert" but he is not, in any case ,enough expressive and interesting.He is very handsome but he looks everytime like a "victim" of the fiery Vishneva and not like a real " Don Juan".

V.Martiniuk and V. Shklerov were not bad in the "pas de deux" of the first act ( even if he fall down on the end of his variation).

ACT TWO:

Here the Corps de Ballet was really amazing like in the best traditions of the Mariinsky Ballet. The most beautiful Corps we have seen !!!

Vishneva seemed more involved and passionate in this act. Her beautiful jumps and romantic poses were really very impressive. She was a real convincing "Giselle", full of love and tenderness.

Fadeyev danced with awesome technique his variation and he tried to be more emotional. In this act he was better.

V.Tereshkina like "Mirtha" was beautiful ! Her high jumps and definite arm poses (and also her "angry" face) were really unforgettable.

I.Popov was not really impressive like "Hans" ( or "Hilarion"). He is not nice and quite convincing, in the first act also. Besides It seemed he was thinking only about his "cabrioles" and not to be a good actor !

Very well K.Ostreikovskaia and E.Osmolkina like "Monna" and "Ziulma".

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Thank you so much for the detailed review! I agree with you that Vishneva

is relatively unsuited to "Giselle" (ie. too earthy and fiery her temperament), but nevertheless she does very well in the role. Her Act 2 is much stronger than

her Act 1. I'm sorry the home team mated the poodle in "Sleeping Beauty."

One or two good soloists does not a SB performance make: Everyone must be

more than "on," especially in this ballet.

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Ballet lovers, I was out for a long time, just returning to DC now & saw your wonderful review. THANK YOU SO MUCH! What a fabulous, detailed report! A real 'scoop', which 'jives' with what I've read on the Russian sites about the lifeless resurretion of the K. Sergeyev 'Beauty' last month (& now). Don't forget that many corps members and soloists have performed only in the 1999 Vikharev 'new-old' reconstruction. It takes a while to switch productions and understand the nuances. Too bad about the highly-touted Olesya Nobikova debut; she's very talented but more the gutsy 'Kitri'-type, than a dreamy Aurora...so I can almost imagine how it went for her. It's hard to go against one's nature.

I've also read absolutely glowing reviews about Vishneva's big night. Sorry to hear about Fadeev's rustiness....a bit like his 'Etudes' last summer, when I couldn't believe that this was the same Fadeev of old. I hope that he can solve/improve his situation soon because he is a very pure, noble dancer...a true 'Kirovian Prince'!

Keep the reports coming!

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Ballet Lovers - Were you able to attend Vishneva's 'Choreographic Evening' last Friday, at the Conservatory? Robbins' 'In the Night,' Forsythe's 'Steptext,' Bejart's 'Bakhti' & Belsky's 'Carmen & Jose' were performed, among other ballets closely associated with Vishneva. Maya Dumchenko was said to have been heavenly -- almost upstaging the lady-of-honor! -- in the Robbins.

Also...Did you attend the most recent 'Bayadere' at the Mariinsky? My sister-in-law tells me that, during Act I, Leonid Sarafanov tripped over the fire-circle in the middle of the stage, while lifting Daria Pavlenko & trying to steady himself!!! She fell into the 'fire'...but luckily it was not a real flame. [Pavlenko apparently was well enough to continue the performance but was unsteady for th rest of the night. ] Sarafanov is a spectacular soloist but truly needs help 'bulking up' to become a steady lifter of ballerinas.

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I take issue even with calling Sarafanov a "spectacular soloist." A big jump and strong pirouettes mean nothing without rhythm, phrasing, modulation, musicality, epaulement, all of which, IMHO, he is severely remiss in.

It's not necessarily bulking up that he needs; he simply does not at this point have an aptitude for the mechanics of partnering. His particular musculature may not have the right type of responsiveness. There are men as skinny as he who are first rate partners.

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Well, Thalictum, I was trying to be nice. :) No...seriously, I think that Leonid Sarafanov is very musical, in addition to being a virtuoso technician. Even in the Kennedy Center 'UN-Spectacular' Corsaire, his solo was spot on....ditto in the telecast of the Wales Millenium Centre Opening one month earlier (also with Somova)....I just reviewed the film and his solo work was breathtaking. I also just reviewed films of his competitions as a student (Nureyev Prix 2000 and Moscow IBC 2001); the 17-yr-old Sarafanov was spot-on, musically, in Balanchine's 'Tarantella'! Time & again, the 'kid' shows his greatness as a soloist, while wreaking havoc when he has a ballerina in his arms!

Here's my theory: Sarafanov is a soloist with demi-caractere technique, graced with a Nordic Prince's (non-jesterlike) face....so what is a ballet director to do? Relegate him to doing Jester for the rest of his life or use his princely face in princely roles? The Kirov has opted for the princely route when, in fact, Sarafanov is more the virtuoso jester type.

I'll repeat the above paragraph as the start of a Sarafanov thread. I'd hate for it to be buried here....

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I don't notice any deep musicality in him. I certainly saw no understanding of Stravinsky in his Rubies. I think he has been drilled to be spot-on in classical solos, but he is very mechanical, again IMHO. That is why he has so much trouble adjusting to tempi that are erratic -- not easy for most dancers, of course.

I'd like to see those tapes.

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Mireille, I don't know of a website with the Conservatory's schedule. The St. Petersburg Times on-line newspaper used to have it but has become out-of-date since this past December.

At least here's the official name of the theater, its address (across street from the Kirov-Mariinsky), and phone number:

Rimsky-Korsakov Theater of Opera and Ballet Conservatory

3 Teatralnaya Pl.

Phone, from outside the country: 011-7-812-312-25-19.

Here's a useful English-language website with lots of St. P. theater links:

http://www.whererussia.com/spb/entertainment?id=69

Good luck & bon voyage!

- Natalia

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