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Post by tonyloco on Jan 10, 2018 2:04:17 GMT
I thoroughly enjoyed the opening night of the ENB short season at the Coliseum with Song of the Earth preceding La Sylphide.
Song of the Earth was given a very strong musical performance with tenor Samuel Sakker and contralto Rhonda Browne doing sterling work riding Mahler's large orchestra successfully. Ms Browne was particular fine with a performance that found much light and shade in the taxing music. Tamara Rojo gave an accomplished and moving performance as The Woman and was ably supported by Josef Caley as The Man and Ferrando Carratala Coloma as The Messenger of Death. Senri Kou was delightful in the third song, being upside down most stylishly for much of the time.
Although La Sylphide was very entertaining, I felt that Jurgita Dronina was just a bit light-weight dramatically in the title role. The Sylphide is after all a cheeky little minx who steals James away from his bride on their wedding day and entices him to follow her out into the woods. But the two main men, Isaac Hernandez as James and Daniel Kraus as Gurn were both terrific and showed splendid elan and elevation in their strong Bournonville choreography. I prefer Madge to be danced by a man, but Jane Haworth gave a strong interpretation of the role.
The company was on cracking form in both ballets and the Scottich campery in La Sylphide was carried off with great gusto.
I am beginning to think the Coliseum is jinxed. As with the opening night of the ENO Aida recently, the stalls were full but there were swathes of empty seats at the back of the Upper Circle and no doubt the balcony was equally poorly attended, and I understand the ENB has a loyal following – it certainly gets great reviews. Does London just not want a second big house for opera and ballet alongside the Royal Opera House, even at much more affordable prices?
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Post by tmesis on Jan 10, 2018 8:52:02 GMT
Interesting review tonyloco. I'm going to see the Saturday matinee, which has a different cast to you, and I am much looking forward to it. I've seen Song of the Earth umpteen times at ROH and will be interested how ENB have a different 'take' on it. Rojo has rejuvenated ENB and I'm now keen to see all of their stuff. |
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Post by bellboard27 on Jan 10, 2018 10:19:47 GMT
I was there last night and I think what tonyloco has said is spot on about the performances. I was down in the stalls, so did not see how full the upper levels were. I do wonder about the ENB's programming for January. To have two double bills, but the second half of the two bills being the same ballet risks people who might want to see both Song of the Earth and Le Jeune Homme et la Mort not bothering. I suspect there is a limit to what they can put on at the same time, but it will be interesting to see how the approach goes. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 10, 2018 18:16:17 GMT
This production is in the TheatreBoard Ratings trial. If you’ve seen it please rate it.
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 11, 2018 0:30:12 GMT
This production is in the TheatreBoard Ratings trial. If you’ve seen it please rate it. I have just rated this four stars. Actually, I would like to make it four-and-a-half stars because although it was extremely enjoyable, I think it was just not quite at the five star level but I am finding it hard to say precisely why. |
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Post by tmesis on Jan 13, 2018 19:13:21 GMT
A very satisfying performance at today's matinee. I was very impressed by Song of the Earth. The Royal Ballet have been dancing this forever but, I think this was ENB's first attempt, and very accomplished it was too. It is one of Macmillan's greatest ballets and I think I enjoyed it more at The Coliseum than at ROH - hard to put my finger on why but it seems to fit the 'oblong' stage better than at The Garden. I thought La Sylphide was pure pleasure from beginning to end. As tonyloco has mentioned it is a delicious campfest, particularly act one, and it was danced extremely well - the corps de ballet seem better drilled at the moment than the norm at Covent Garden. Another area where ENB show up RB was in the quality of the orchestral playing. The ROH orchestra often play at the highest international level for operas but most of the time for ballets they really can't be arsed. These days I go to almost as many ballets as operas and I would say the orchestra on average plays at 60% of their potential for ballets. |
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 13, 2018 20:40:51 GMT
A very satisfying performance at today's matinee. I was very impressed by Song of the Earth. The Royal Ballet have been dancing this forever but, I think this was ENB's first attempt, and very accomplished it was too. It is one of Macmillan's greatest ballets and I think I enjoyed it more at The Coliseum than at ROH - hard to put my finger on why but it seems to fit the 'oblong' stage better than at The Garden. I thought La Sylphide was pure pleasure from beginning to end. As tonyloco has mentioned it is a delicious campfest, particularly act one, and it was danced extremely well - the corps de ballet seem better drilled at the moment than the norm at Covent Garden. Another area where ENB show up RB was in the quality of the orchestral playing. The ROH orchestra often play at the highest international level for operas but most of the time for ballets they really can't be arsed. These days I go to almost as many ballets as operas and I would say the orchestra on average plays at 60% of their potential for ballets. I'm really pleased that you enjoyed today's ENB matinee. I was in the front row of the upper circle last Tuesday and the orchestra sounded quite superb, not only for the Mahler but for the Lovenskiold as well. You are right about the ROH orchestra, but twas ever thus. Going back many years into the 1960s, it was sometimes painful to hear them scrape their way through Giselle after Solti had been flogging them the night before in Wagner or whatever. Scores like Giselle and Sleeping Beauty can be very exposed for the strings and I believe the orchestra used to think of ballet nights as rest nights. In fact, I can still remember one occasion when I and some pals were chatting to John Lanchbery in the Nag's Head before a ballet performance that was beginning with Stravinsky's 'Apollo' and he said: "I guess I had better go because I need to look over the score of 'Apollo'" I can only say from the rather pathetic sounds that emerged from the pit that he should have started looking over the score a great deal earlier! |
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 13, 2018 20:54:52 GMT
PS I know that Stravinsky's 'Apollo' is scored for a smallish chamber orchestra of 34 strings, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't all play in tune!
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Post by tmesis on Jan 13, 2018 21:02:12 GMT
Yes tonyloco I agree it was ever thus but I remember in the Haitink regime he would occasionally conduct a ballet, something like Daphnis, and then the orchestra were superb. Shame Pappano doesn't do this. I think occasionally they had Rozhdestvensky conduct some of the Tchaikovsky ballets to excellent effect. |
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Post by musicallady on Jan 13, 2018 23:20:37 GMT
A very satisfying performance at today's matinee. I was very impressed by Song of the Earth. The Royal Ballet have been dancing this forever but, I think this was ENB's first attempt, and very accomplished it was too. It is one of Macmillan's greatest ballets and I think I enjoyed it more at The Coliseum than at ROH - hard to put my finger on why but it seems to fit the 'oblong' stage better than at The Garden. I thought La Sylphide was pure pleasure from beginning to end. As tonyloco has mentioned it is a delicious campfest, particularly act one, and it was danced extremely well - the corps de ballet seem better drilled at the moment than the norm at Covent Garden. Another area where ENB show up RB was in the quality of the orchestral playing. The ROH orchestra often play at the highest international level for operas but most of the time for ballets they really can't be arsed. These days I go to almost as many ballets as operas and I would say the orchestra on average plays at 60% of their potential for ballets. Orchestra conducted by my brother. One day I will get to see him in London. |
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Post by tmesis on Jan 13, 2018 23:33:37 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jan 19, 2018 10:58:54 GMT
Just a note to say I went back to catch Le Jeune Homme et la Mort this week. I thought this piece, only 20 minutes long, was simply stunning. Ivan Vasiliev as the young man gave a wonderful virtuoso performance with Tamara Rojo whose ever changing styles of dance cruelly taunted him until he hangs himself. I wondered if it was worth heading back just for this - well I was so pleased I did!
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