SF Ballet 2016: Program 7

[pherank]

Continuum
Composer: György Ligeti
Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon

In the Countenance of Kings
Composer: Sufjan Stevens
Choreographer: Justin Peck

Theme and Variations
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: George Balanchine

Apr 7 -Apr 17

SFB just released a promo video for Justin Peck's In the Countenance of Kings -

Dores Andre, Frances Chung (and her dog Iggy), Gennadi Nedvigin and Joseph Walsh lead Corps members through a section of In the Countenance of Kings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMTv_Y0Zrl4

I'm happy to see that SFB keeps creating these video shorts - they seem to be coming more and more rapidly.

[sandik]

Oh, that does look wonderful -- let us know what it's like when it gets there!

[Jayne]

wow, that video was great! Should be some happy SFB audiences.

[choriamb]

...and this video marks the first time a non-balletomane (i.e., not me) has posted a ballet-related post on my company's chat system and gushed about the artistry. (After which I saw him and another non-balletomane co-worker at PNB's show containing a Peck work tonight.)

Marketing ain't all evil, folks.

[pherank]

...and this video marks the first time a non-balletomane (i.e., not me) has posted a ballet-related post on my company's chat system and gushed about the artistry. (After which I saw him and another non-balletomane co-worker at PNB's show containing a Peck work tonight.)

Marketing ain't all evil, folks.

The video is proving to be a hit, indeed.

A few more Peck moves with Frances Chung and Gennadi Nedvigin:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDkSG-ip4TW/?taken-by=franadian

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDkRXFxJ4SQ/?taken-by=franadian

[choriamb]

The hashtag for those instagram photos is #theBQE...which I'm guessing means that the music is the work that Stevens wrote a few years about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway(!)

Noted without comment: last sentence, third paragraph at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_BQE_%28soundtrack%29 . (If only Peck will adhere faithfully to the libretto, miliosr and I may almost--but not quite--find consolation for the loss of Schlagobers.)

[miliosr]

(If only Peck will adhere faithfully to the libretto, miliosr and I may almost--but not quite--find consolation for the loss of Schlagobers,)

It's never too soon to start working on a sequel -- Chartreuse takes the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Williamsburg (sort of like The Wiz in reverse.)

[choriamb]

It's never too soon to start working on a sequel -- Chartreuse takes the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to Williamsburg (sort of like The Wiz in reverse.)

[sf_herminator]

Casting is up for the first three performances this week:

Program 7 - Thursday, April 07, 2016 - 7:30pm—Opening Night

CONTINUUM^©

Composer: György Ligeti

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

Piano: Mungunchimeg Buriad, Natal'ya Feygina

Vanessa Zahorian, Luke Ingham

Frances Chung*, Joseph Walsh*

Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets*

Dores André, Steven Morse*

IN THE COUNTENANCE OF KINGS

World Premiere

Composer: Sufjan Stevens

Choreography: Justin Peck

Conductor: Martin West

Quantus: Dores André*

Electress: Frances Chung*

Botanica: Jennifer Stahl*

The Protagonist: Joseph Walsh*

The Foil: Gennadi Nedvigin*

The Hero: Luke Ingham*

The School of Thought: Sean Orza*, Max Cauthorn*, Steven Morse*, Wei Wang*, Jillian Harvey*, Isabella DeVivo, Jahna Frantziskonis*, Lauren Parrott*, Emma Rubinowitz*, Grace Shibley*, Ami Yuki*, Skyla Schreter*

THEME AND VARIATIONS

Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Conductor: Martin West

Maria Kochetkova, Gennadi Nedvigin

Program 7 - Saturday, April 09, 2016 - 2pm

CONTINUUM^©

Composer: György Ligeti

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

Piano: Mungunchimeg Buriad, Natal'ya Feygina

Vanessa Zahorian, Luke Ingham

Koto Ishihara*, Esteban Hernandez*

Sasha De Sola*, Carlos Quenedit*

Lauren Strongin*, Myles Thatcher*

IN THE COUNTENANCE OF KINGS

Composer: Sufjan Stevens

Choreography: Justin Peck

Conductor: Martin West

Quantus: Isabella DeVivo

Electress: Norika Matsuyama*

Botanica: Lauren Strongin*

The Protagonist: Francisco Mungamba*

The Foil: Daniel Deivison-Oliveira*

The Hero: Henry Sidford*

The School of Thought: Sean Orza, Max Cauthorn, Steven Morse, Wei Wang,

Jillian Harvey, Julia Rowe*, Jahna Frantziskonis, Lauren Parrott,

Emma Rubinowitz, Grace Shibley, Ami Yuki, Skyla Schreter

THEME AND VARIATIONS

Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Conductor: Martin West

Frances Chung, Vitor Luiz

Program 7 - Saturday, April 09, 2016 - 8pm

CONTINUUM^©

Composer: György Ligeti

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

Piano: Mungunchimeg Buriad, Natal'ya Feygina

Vanessa Zahorian, Luke Ingham

Frances Chung, Joseph Walsh

Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets

Dores André, Steven Morse

IN THE COUNTENANCE OF KINGS

Composer: Sufjan Stevens

Choreography: Justin Peck

Conductor: Martin West

Quantus: Dores André

Electress: Frances Chung

Botanica: Jennifer Stahl

The Protagonist: Joseph Walsh

The Foil: Gennadi Nedvigin

The Hero: Luke Ingham

The School of Thought: Sean Orza, Max Cauthorn, Steven Morse, Wei Wang,

Jillian Harvey, Isabella DeVivo, Jahna Frantziskonis, Lauren Parrott,

Emma Rubinowitz, Grace Shibley, Ami Yuki, Skyla Schreter

THEME AND VARIATIONS

Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Conductor: Martin West

Maria Kochetkova, Gennadi Nedvigin

In the event of injury or illness, casting is subject to change.

*Premiere in ballet

- See more at: https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/casting#sthash.8cu2Gl7e.dpuf

[pherank]

"If the legendary chefs acquired their reputation by using every bit of the animal in their recipes, then Justin Peck may well be the Escoffier or Brillat-Savarin of choreographers. He uses every part of the human body, even in repose and he uses every note of a musical score. Nothing is ignored or wasted.
That’s one reason why Peck’s “In The Countenance of Kings,” unveiled Thursday evening, April 7, at the War Memorial Opera House by the San Francisco Ballet is the most exhilarating company commission in years."
— Allan Ulrich

http://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Peck-s-In-the-Countenance-of-Kings-reigns-7236862.php

Here is Masha's commentary on dancing Balanchine's Theme and Variations

[sf_herminator]

Just looked at the casting (https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/casting). It appears that the order of Program 7 has been changed. On opening night (which was spectacular, by the way), the order was Continuum, In the Countenance of Kings, and Theme and Variations. The order now is Theme and Variations, Continuum, and In the Countenance of Kings.

[SFCleo]

Just looked at the casting (https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/casting). It appears that the order of Program 7 has been changed. On opening night (which was spectacular, by the way), the order was Continuum, In the Countenance of Kings, and Theme and Variations. The order now is Theme and Variations, Continuum, and In the Countenance of Kings.

That may be because many in the audience left after the Peck. If the Peck is last people are sure to stay!

[pherank]

That may be because many in the audience left after the Peck. If the Peck is last people are sure to stay!

Well that's lame. But I guess it shows that the P.R. around the Peck ballet worked in so far as it brought in people who wouldn't normally go to the ballet. But walking out before T&V is quite lame.

[pherank]

As it happens, I have an extra ticket for Program 7, Wednesday April 13, 7:30pm - a nice seat: Orchestra D 10 (4th row). If anyone is interested, I will accept PayPal payment, and can send a printable PDF of the ticket in return. Send me a message if you are interested.

Ticket is $64.

[dirac]

Just looked at the casting (https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/casting). It appears that the order of Program 7 has been changed. On opening night (which was spectacular, by the way), the order was Continuum, In the Countenance of Kings, and Theme and Variations. The order now is Theme and Variations, Continuum, and In the Countenance of Kings.

I ended up running late to the performance and thought, "Well, no biggie, I'll just miss Continuum and I'm not crying about that," only to learn when I got to the theater that I had missed T&V instead. Argh. Grrr.

[Terez]

Dirac, I chuckled (and vicariously winced) at your comment. I must say, having seen Continuum once (this past Saturday), I don't feel the need to see it again. I enjoyed T&V a lot more than I'd expected I would. And, even though I'm supposed to be ooh-ing and aah-ing about "Countenance of Kings," I have to say, I found it all a bit exhausting by the end. What Allan U. likes so much, referenced in the above quote, I found not so much to my taste. Why is it so genius to use every single note of music, every last bit of the body? I would have liked... not sure what. Some breathing space. The music just felt like overmuch (or, it felt like the aural equivalent of an urban expressway, which was the composer's point). I am such a fan of classical and more traditionally orchestrated music, and the relentlessness of the horns at some point rubbed me the wrong way. And when they turned on the backdrop Broadway-style stage lights facing out into the audience, it felt like a sensory assault. Paradoxically, Allan U. didn't seem all that wowed about Possokhov's "Swimmer," and I must say, THAT has been the one that energized me and shook me out of my ballet comfort zone in a positive way.

I certainly don't want to say I didn't enjoy "Countenance" - I just sometimes resist a product that's received tons of hype, if only b/c I want to make up my own mind about what the night's most compelling performance should be. I see it is set in Program 1 for 2017, so I'm sure I'll be seeing it again, and will likely enjoy it more. And in the meantime, what a surprise to have enjoyed the T&V as much as I did. Far and away the most enjoyable orchestra/music performance of the night for me. Boy, does the SFB orchestra sound good.