No one was debating the greatness of NYCB tonight at Lincoln Center. It was another extraspecialtacular evening that concluded with a brilliant Symphony in C –– the C standing for Cyclone Speed, baby.
You have four more chances to see Symphony in C before the fall season closes:
October 6 Saturday night
October 10 Wednesday
October 11 Thursday
October 13 Saturday matinee
Also, remember that there is a Martha Swope photo exhibit at the library at Lincoln Center. Enter at the doors on Amsterdam Avenue for easy access to the exhibit room. Library hours are here.
6 responses to “No debate tonight”
Haglund, didn’t know where to put this, but here’s another review by ballet newbie me. Mariinsky Ballet & Orchestra, “Swan Lake”, Friday 10/5 and Saturday 10/6 (e), Segerstrom Center, Costa Mesa, CA.
What a difference a day and different cast makes! On Friday, Yekaterina Kondaurova simply WAS Odette/Odile. Every movement was of a piece, the music flowed through her, her arms completely expressive and the footwork impeccable. My friends I went with who are huge ballet fans raved about her.
Yevgeny Ivanchenko wasn’t in the same class, he partnered well and was fine in his solos but was a bit bland. Sorry, I don’t have my programs at hand, but the Jester was terrific, as was the Rothbart. The orchestra, a few brass problems aside sounded wonderful (nothing like Russian woodwind playing), the tempos were judicious.
Sadly, I wasn’t impressed with the corps de ballet work. There were continual co-ordination problems and in the Act IV scenes a few outright flubs. Touring, eh?
Saturday was an altogether better performance but what a bunch of pigs I was surrounded with in the audience. This Russian family of mama and her 3 tween girls in the row in front of me chatted, texted and DID THEIR HAIR UP throughout the whole thing. At one point I hissed at the one girl “Turn off your damn cell phone!” and of course, I was the bad guy for daring to mention their poor manners.
Oxsana Skorik could only pale in comparison to Kondaurova but I felt like her approach was all wrong: very aggressive from the start, her initial steps pounded out instead of floated. It worked for the Black Swan scenes, but as my one friend said “You’ve still got the image of Kondaurova in your head!”. So true….
Vladimir Shklyarov was wonderful as the Prince on Saturday. He looks like he’s about 16, but every move was well thought out, he’s technically solid, had greater lift and height than Mr. Ivanchenko and….well, I want to gay marry him! 🙂
The Jester on Saturday was a bit of a disappointment, maybe an off night for the gentleman? Rothbart, and the other main roles were better Saturday, as was the orchestral playing. The corps de ballet was more unified than on Friday as well.
I’ve been very lucky to see the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky do Tchaikovsky’s glorious ballet within about 4 months of each other and despite a very poor Bolshoi production and better Odettes/Odiles & the Prince from the Mariinsky, I prefered the Bolshoi performances.
My ballet going friends think I’m crazy! 🙂
Haglund, didn’t know where to put this, but here’s another review by ballet newbie me. Mariinsky Ballet & Orchestra, “Swan Lake”, Friday 10/5 and Saturday 10/6 (e), Segerstrom Center, Costa Mesa, CA.
What a difference a day and different cast makes! On Friday, Yekaterina Kondaurova simply WAS Odette/Odile. Every movement was of a piece, the music flowed through her, her arms completely expressive and the footwork impeccable. My friends I went with who are huge ballet fans raved about her.
Yevgeny Ivanchenko wasn’t in the same class, he partnered well and was fine in his solos but was a bit bland. Sorry, I don’t have my programs at hand, but the Jester was terrific, as was the Rothbart. The orchestra, a few brass problems aside sounded wonderful (nothing like Russian woodwind playing), the tempos were judicious.
Sadly, I wasn’t impressed with the corps de ballet work. There were continual co-ordination problems and in the Act IV scenes a few outright flubs. Touring, eh?
Saturday was an altogether better performance but what a bunch of pigs I was surrounded with in the audience. This Russian family of mama and her 3 tween girls in the row in front of me chatted, texted and DID THEIR HAIR UP throughout the whole thing. At one point I hissed at the one girl “Turn off your damn cell phone!” and of course, I was the bad guy for daring to mention their poor manners.
Oxsana Skorik could only pale in comparison to Kondaurova but I felt like her approach was all wrong: very aggressive from the start, her initial steps pounded out instead of floated. It worked for the Black Swan scenes, but as my one friend said “You’ve still got the image of Kondaurova in your head!”. So true….
Vladimir Shklyarov was wonderful as the Prince on Saturday. He looks like he’s about 16, but every move was well thought out, he’s technically solid, had greater lift and height than Mr. Ivanchenko and….well, I want to gay marry him! 🙂
The Jester on Saturday was a bit of a disappointment, maybe an off night for the gentleman? Rothbart, and the other main roles were better Saturday, as was the orchestral playing. The corps de ballet was more unified than on Friday as well.
I’ve been very lucky to see the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky do Tchaikovsky’s glorious ballet within about 4 months of each other and despite a very poor Bolshoi production and better Odettes/Odiles & the Prince from the Mariinsky, I prefered the Bolshoi performances.
My ballet going friends think I’m crazy! 🙂
Hi Henry! I’m so glad to hear that you saw two such different performances and came away liking something from each.
While I have not seen Skorik in a live performance, I imagine that comparing Kondaurova to Skorik might be a little like comparing a delicious, carefully seasoned, and long-simmered soup to an instant throw-it-in-the-microwave-for-a-minute-on-high soup. Both qualify as edible but only one is really enjoyable.
You may be right when you point to “touring” as the issue with the corps. The Mariinsky is simultaneously touring and in season in St. Petersburg. The corps you saw may have included a number of the Reserve Troupe and Extras and perhaps junior corps members. I understand that American Keenan Kampa was among the corps dancers and performed as one of the four big swans. She is a new member of the company.
Henry, I hope you’re hooked on ballet now. Really hooked.
Here’s a link to photographer Gene Schiavone’s FB page where he has posted a number of quite wonderful photos of the Mariinsky’s performances last week:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gene-Schiavone/139401237973?ref=ts
Hi Henry! I’m so glad to hear that you saw two such different performances and came away liking something from each.
While I have not seen Skorik in a live performance, I imagine that comparing Kondaurova to Skorik might be a little like comparing a delicious, carefully seasoned, and long-simmered soup to an instant throw-it-in-the-microwave-for-a-minute-on-high soup. Both qualify as edible but only one is really enjoyable.
You may be right when you point to “touring” as the issue with the corps. The Mariinsky is simultaneously touring and in season in St. Petersburg. The corps you saw may have included a number of the Reserve Troupe and Extras and perhaps junior corps members. I understand that American Keenan Kampa was among the corps dancers and performed as one of the four big swans. She is a new member of the company.
Henry, I hope you’re hooked on ballet now. Really hooked.
Here’s a link to photographer Gene Schiavone’s FB page where he has posted a number of quite wonderful photos of the Mariinsky’s performances last week:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gene-Schiavone/139401237973?ref=ts
Didn’t know that about the corps de ballet, thank you for the information.
Yes, I’m hooked on ballet. Damn it, another expensive hobby to add to opera and the symphony! Next up: National Ballet of Canada doing Wheeldon/Tablot’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” at the Dot in a few weeks.
Thank you for the link to Mr. Schiavone’s work, his work was used in the program that was handed out.
Didn’t know that about the corps de ballet, thank you for the information.
Yes, I’m hooked on ballet. Damn it, another expensive hobby to add to opera and the symphony! Next up: National Ballet of Canada doing Wheeldon/Tablot’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” at the Dot in a few weeks.
Thank you for the link to Mr. Schiavone’s work, his work was used in the program that was handed out.