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Post by tmesis on Jan 19, 2020 20:59:51 GMT
Eugene Onegin is one of my all time favourite operas and it's such a shame that currently The Garden has such a p*ss-poor production in its repertoire.
I first went to see this ballet version by John Cranko when the RB acquired it in 2001 and was blown away by it then as I was last night. I've managed to catch it every time they've revived it since, which I'm pleased to say they do every three to four years. It really is one of the most perfect ballets ever created. There's absolutely no padding and the exposition of the plot is exemplary. Also what a great choreographer Cranko was and it's obvious how much he influenced Macmillan.
I was initially disappointed that the wonderful Vadim Muntagirov withdrew from the title part - I still think he would be a stunning Onegin - but his replacement, Reece Clarke was wonderful, fully encompassing the emotional arc from aloofness to bitter regret. It really was a wonderful cast with Matthew Ball as Lensky and Francesca Hayward as Olga. But, like the opera, it's Tatiana that really dominates things and Natalia Osipova was sensational last night. I've sometimes found her a little cold in other parts but she fully and movingly traveled the time span from impressionable young girl to self-assured princess.
I'm looking forward to seeing it again later in the run with Federico Bonelli and Yasmine Naghdi.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 19, 2020 21:19:47 GMT
I was there last night too. My first time seeing the ballet, though I've seen half a dozen productions of the opera over the last 15 years. The one thing I found disappointing about the ballet in comparison to the opera was the music. The ballet's music was pleasant but it never moved me & in the final pas de deux especially I was wishing for more from the music to match the situation & choreography. On my way home afterwards the music I had stuck in my head was from the opera!
I thought the cast were all excellent. Clarke was so good it was very hard to believe that he was making his debut. Him being so handsome certainly doesn't hurt either - I could quite understand Tatiana falling for him almost immediately! Osipova isn't a dancer I instinctively particularly like but I thought she was very good as Tatiana. Hayward & Ball were both wonderful.
I saw Muntagirov in Sleeping Beauty last week & stage doored afterwards & asked him about not doing Onegin. He said he didn't feel he was ready yet but hoped to do it in the future so hopefully we'll get to see him do it eventually. I do regret not having seen him do Lensky though (ballet not having been on my theatregoing remit 5 years ago).
I'm seeing all the other three casts. My only fear after last night is whether the others will be as good!
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Post by tmesis on Jan 20, 2020 17:22:44 GMT
I do think Dawnstar that's a bit of a problem with all these ballets that have a concocted score culled from other pieces. Apparently Cranko wanted to use some of the music from the opera but the General-Intendant at Stuttgart Ballet wouldn't let him, considering the original score to be sacrosanct. I actually think the score is very effective and more organic than some that weren't originally conceived for dance. Kurt-Heinz Stolze mainly arranged piano pieces from The Seasons with a bit of Francesca da Rimini thrown in. I personally would have struck in a few bits from his Manfred Symphony to give it a bit of heft at times.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 20, 2020 17:34:53 GMT
I do think Dawnstar that's a bit of a problem with all these ballets that have a concocted score culled from other pieces. I love the similarly composite score for Manon though. I saw it 8 times last year, between ENB & the RB, & even with the casts I didn't find as moving the glorious music for the final pdd had me crying every time.
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