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Mariinsky's Raymonda To the KC in Feb 2016

abatt

By abatt
in Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet

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Natalia

Natalia

Posted
Posted

The two performances of RAYMONDA at Mariinski are coming up, this Thursday & Friday. Then the sets & costumes are packed up and casting for the Kennedy Center run will likely be determined...including all-important featured roles like Henriette/Clemence/Bernard/Beranger.

Reminder of Thurs, Dec 10 leading cast:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2015/12/10/1_1900/

Fri, Dec 11 leading cast (which now shows Askerov as Jean, in place of the originally-announced, now indisposed Schklyarov, as we know from recent news in Japan):

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2015/12/11/1_1900/

Yet...Shirinkina & Schklyarov are announced for ROMEO & JULIET on Sunday, Feb 21, two days before the RAYMONDA tour...so maybe they'll be joining their touring colleagues later on in the week? (Schklyarov was announced for the BAM concerts during that perid.)

We also can surmise that the following won't be on the tour because they've been announced as dancing back home during the tour dates:

Feb 26 - Renata Shakirova & Philip Styopin in ROMEO & JULIET

Feb 28 - Elena Evseyeva & Alexander Sergeyev in Chemyakin NUTCRACKER

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naomikage

naomikage

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Sorry I have not updated the Japan tour thread. The Mariinsky tour closed here successfully.

We can't tell exactly how serious Shklyarov's injury was but he was trying to appear on 11/30 R&J two days after his injury and they almost announced that he will be dancing. So I suppose his injury was not that serious. According to his instagram he didn't have an MRI screening in Japan (only X-ray) so not thoroughly sure but we can hope he will be back in February, it is 3 months ahead.

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Natalia

Natalia

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I'll be there too. So far only at the opening night (23rd) but I'll likely add performances after casting is announced. The only scenario that would keep me away would be a steady rotation of Somova and Matvienko. I could do Kolegova once. Tereshkina, Skorik, Shirinkina & Kondaurova any & all times!

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MadameP

MadameP

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Posted

I'll be there too. So far only at the opening night (23rd) but I'll likely add performances after casting is announced. The only scenario that would keep me away would be a steady rotation of Somova and Matvienko. I could do Kolegova once. Tereshkina, Skorik, Shirinkina & Kondaurova any & all times!

Somova won an award for her Raymonda - Tanz magazine's "Hope" award - so it was recognised for its excellence. Technically and artistically it is superb. I have seen most of those Raymondas on the Mariinsky stage, and she was by far the best.

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Natalia

Natalia

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Posted
Somova won an award for her Raymonda - Tanz magazine's "Hope" award - so it was recognised for its excellence. Technically and artistically it is superb. I have seen most of those Raymondas on the Mariinsky stage, and she was by far the best.

Well, I suppose that the jury felt HOPE...nowhere to go but up! Also, it's no compliment for a 30-something veteran to be given a "Hope" prize!

I just saw "her" in the Oct 30 Gala des Etoiles at La Scala ( Oct 30, 2015) attempting to dance G-P Classique with brave Sarafanov. Her old habits of leading with her chin (hunched shoulders and forward-tilted neck), non turn-out, open-fingered hands, warping/tilting the torso to hold balances in the adagio, and horrendous port de bras in the famous solo diagonal...I've seen the Trocks do this better.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wTq2oiQEbto

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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Posted

Amy,

Most artists whether opera or ballet have fans and detractors. Maria Callas, who is considered to be one of the greatest opera singers of all time due to what she did with the voice on a dramatic level, has always had many detractors who thought she was horrible, and there are recordings of her that do not flatter her at all and would not be the best for an introduction to her artistry. Same with Dame Joan Sutherland who is always criticized for mushy diction and inability to act but her amazing technique will probably never be seen ever again. I could go down a long, long list of famous opera singers of the past and recent times who have both pros and cons and fans and destractors. Nobody's opinion is THE TRUTH.....the truth is almost always somewhere in the middle.

It is the same with ballet. There are always flaws that go along with great talent, and it depends on the audience member (what things we consider extremely important) to decide if the glass is half full or half empty when seeing an artist perform. I have never understood the love people have for Birgit Nilsson (I know this is sacrilege).....she is probably considered THE Wagnerian soprano of the 20th century (and I LOVE Wagner's Ring Cycle and Tristan und Isolde....an opera where nothing happens for hours), but I have tried for over 20 years to "get" Nilsson on recordings and just can't (I hear you had to have seen her live). I just hear sharp, unpleasant singing. Nothing beautiful and hardly any acting (in my opinion).

I have read anti-Somova comments ad infinitum on this forum, and I do think people are entitled to their opinion, but I feel she has been bashed mercilessly (my opinion). I have viewed her entire Raymonda and her acting is amazing and she is very delicate and does all the steps well. To me she has a soft, airy quality that is rare. I personally can tolerate spread fingers at times. In contrast, I have viewed Kondaurova's Raymonda in its entirety who comes off as a Lopatkina Wannabe on the one hand (trying to be ultra "deep" at times) and way too strong (almost Bolshoi-like) on the other hand (not feminine enough for the early acts. Not to mention Kondaurova seemed prone to little mess ups every time I have seen her live in person in recent times,. Anyway I understand that there are going to be people who hate Somova and love Kondaurova. That goes with the territory.

I viewed Skorik in a recent Paquita and she has improved technically and no longer makes mistakes (she and Kondaurova seem to have switched places from the recent times I have seen them at least in the "mistakes" department). However, Skorik's face looks like a student concentrating on every step she takes, not at all like a finished artist, in my personal opinion. Even the title of "Principal" hasn't changed things for me, although I will admit she has improved technically. I saw her live in Sylvia this past summer and same problem. She seemed to be concentrating on steps and not enjoying or living the part.

So I have to honestly say I am hoping for no Skorik and no Kondaurova in DC. But who knows? Maybe if they come and do the tour they will surprise me. I doubt it, but we'll see. I saw Shirinkina in person in the role, and she did a great job, but I have to honestly say it felt like seeing Raymonda Junior, but her arms are very lovely in almost everything she does. However, I don't feel she has the gravitas for the final variation. I will be in DC for the entire run of Raymondas and have tickets to every performance. I am actually a fan of the company as a whole (corps) and this may be my only chance in life to see 7 Mariinsky Raymondas in a row, and since I promised my partner to take a break from Russia for a while (even before my mugging there) I am pigging out on Raymondas since I do not have a White Nights trip to look forward to this summer. They never do that many Raymondas in a row at the Mariinsky Theatre. They might do 2 or 3 and then again months later.

Anyway, NOBODY has The Truth......just enjoy who you enjoy.

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Drew

Drew

Posted
Posted
Somova won an award for her Raymonda - Tanz magazine's "Hope" award - so it was recognised for its excellence. Technically and artistically it is superb. I have seen most of those Raymondas on the Mariinsky stage, and she was by far the best.

Well, I suppose that the jury felt HOPE...nowhere to go but up! Also, it's no compliment for a 30-something veteran to be given a "Hope" prize!

Regarding the prize...the Mariinsky website describes the Hope prize as a prize for a debut--not a prize for a young dancer--and Somova was making her debut in Raymonda. The language of the magazine itself seems unquivocal in its praise for the performance--"das sensationelle debut" is what Tanz called it, not, say, promising. http://www.kultiversum.de/Tanz-Aktuell/die-hoffnungstraeger-alina-somova.html

Doesn't mean anyone has to like her dancing of course --or that Tanz is gospel!

For myself, I am trying to be rather zen about Raymonda casting--except that I do very much hope to see Lopatkina ...

Edited to add: Raymonda is a grand company ballet. Beyond the ballerinas, I am also very much hoping to see Batoeva and Shapran in key solo roles! Ivannikova maybe too. (She is not on track for 'stardom' or anything, but I have enjoyed her dancing in the past...)

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Kaysta

Kaysta

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If you have a chance, watch the DVD with Kolpatkova, one of my favorite DVD's of any genre. The Mariinsky version is more subtle than the Bolshoi's.

Thanks, I just ordered it from Amazon. It'll be good to see it on video before I see it in person, so I have some idea of what to expect.

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Natalia

Natalia

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Oh my lord, what's happened to Somova? This is the fourth performance I have seen of her from this year where she was presenting all these bad habits - she had two nightmare Aurora performances earlier in the year and her Raymonda début was nothing short of awful. There was a time when she was good, but that time seems to have passed and her dancing really does seem to have deteriorated... I've never considered her a great ballerina, but this is very unfortunate.

ITA, Amy. At the end of the day, it's all a matter of personal taste & preferences. However, photos & films don't lie..."the proof is in the pudding," as they say. If a ballerina falters in her one solo variation of G-P Classique, then how can she make it through the six (6) solo variations of RAYMONDA? The sad thing is that the best RAYMONDA that I've seen live is Olesya Novikova at La Scala, even though she remains a First Soloist on the Mariinsky roster, yet I hold no hope of her inclusion in the DC tour (recently had 3rd child with her husband Sarafanov).

As for versions of RAYMONDA, I love the Vikharev recon of the Petipa original at La Scala...but the Mariinsky is much closer to the original than is the Bolshoi-Grigorovich edition. At least we can see in the Soviet-KSergeyev version a complete Valse Fantastique (AI, sc2) with a full corps in various layers (including a male corps, demisoloist ladies in tutus, other ladies in longer skirts), then three "Dream solo variations" closer to the 1898 Petipa originals than in the Bolshoi version. To me, that Dream Scene (in AI, sc2) is the crown jewel of this ballet, even though all three acts contain magnificent classical highlights.

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Drew

Drew

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I had watched the Grand Pas Classique video when Natalia first posted and had a similar reaction to Helene. Wasn't crazy about the adagio in particular, but Somova certainly didn't seem to be stumbling through her variations and coda. I found her more charming in Little Humpbacked horse, and if she does dance Raymonda in D.C. am hopeful some of that charm may come through.

Sarafanov--I wish HE were coming with the Mariinsky!! Coda in particular I loved. (Who knew I'd become such a fan? The first time I saw him I was bored silly and not shy about saying so on the internet. For my own ballet going, I have tried to draw a moral from that story. Though I have to admit there are dancers I have never much liked no matter how often I saw them.)

I know he is with the Mikhailovsky now...too bad for the Mariinsky.

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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You have every right to your opinion (everyone does), but I find it shocking how anyone can dislike Novikova in anything. I do not find her bland or boring or unmusical in any way. In my personal opinion there is no La Scala ballerina who would satisfy me in place of Novikova. The only thing I like about the La Scala Raymonda are the sets and Novikova. Vikharev probably chose her perosnally, because his Mariinsky coach page says he's been working with Novikova. He probably works hard to get the La Scala dancers to work with more fluid upper bodies, because to me they look so stiff and after heavy doses of Mariinsky dancers I just don't like stiff upper bodied like I see in the La Scala Raymonda. Despite the sets being fabulous and Novikova being fabulous I never watch that dvd, b/c I prefer to watch my many Mariinsky Raymonda videos that I have.

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Helene

Helene

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Posted

I found her more charming in Little Humpbacked horse, and if she does dance Raymonda in D.C. am hopeful some of that charm may come through.

I wish I had been able to see Somova's LHH at the Met, but I had to leave mid-week after the first two performances :( I've always thought of Somova as a lyric neoclassical ballerina, but of the big classical roles, I think she's most suited temperamentally to "Raymonda." She has a softness and charm that would be especially appropriate in the first two acts.

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Drew

Drew

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I agree that Raymonda seems a potentially good temperamental fit for Somova. I would be happy to see her.

But...casting zen as I say. (Well, not as regards Lopatkina dancing opening night...I would have to be the Buddha reincarnate to pull that off.)

For all those who love the 'Vaganova' upper body in Petipa, a short video I enjoy a lot -- Lezhnina in Pacquita. For all those who don't, at any rate it will give you a very good idea of what I would be sad to see lost to ballet tradition. In fact, my problem with the Mariinsky is not that they still dance like this, but they don't--at least not as much as they used to:

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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Posted

Drew, thanks for the video. Yes, once you "get" the Vaganova style (and some do not like it) and, if by chance, you fall in love with that particular style, no other type of dancer fulfills you. At least that is what I find personally.

I saw Oksana Marchuk, a corps dancer, dance that very variation in DC last winter and loved her in it.

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