REMEMBERING: Ann Reinking (Part II)

Reinking é a criadora de uma passo de dança chamado “Raising the Roof” – eu juro que não sei qual é e morro de curiosidade para saber (se alguém souber, por favor me conte!).

Ela fez absoluta questão de incluir este passo na coreografia do número musical “We’ve got Annie” (do delicioso filme "Annie" de 1982 – infelizmente uma nova versão foi feita há poucos anos e não chega aos pés deste – pequeno - sucesso do cinema dos anos 80. Na Broadway porém havia sido o que se chama de um sucessão!)

Reinking, bailarina de coreografias muito mais “exigentes”, bailarina suprema de Bob Fosse e de seu estilo, comentou o seguinte sobre esta:

“A expressão de puro contentamento” ("the expression of pure joy").

E eu lhe dou toda a razão…
Que coreografia feliz !
Bom fim-de-semana a todos !

Jewels of the New World... The Season is over... Some Thoughts by Ricardo Leitner

The last ballet season and the direction of Manuel Legris at the Vienna State Opera has brought us many delights…
Here some thoughts…
It may seem rather unusual for the Tertúlias’ readers that I’ll not point out some of the Ballets and “popular” dancers that, during the last months have been quite present at the Austrian “media” – if you choose to refer to what’s done in this country by this name - either in newspapers or on TV.



Unfortunately I don’t seem to share the tastes of Vienna’s broad audience – I still much prefer dancers that spend more time rehearsing than being at the jury of some strange TV programme or the ones that chose to "give" more on stage and, like this, winning the audience’s affections than the ones that this year were trying at all cost to be interviewed during the Viennese Opera Ball and were snubbed (or in fact ignored?) by the interviewer…

Some of the Highlights of the past season for me were definitely Serge Lifar’s 1943 Masterpiece “Suite en Blanc” and Boris Eifman’s “Anna Karenina”. Unfortunately I missed Vladirmir Shishov as Basil in “Don Quixote” (Don Q.). But I saw him as Florismund in “The sleeping Beauty”.
I have to point out Shane A.Wuerthner’s beautiful Performance in “Suite” (bellow in a picture from “Die Kronen Zeitung”)



and Dagmar Kronberger’s valuable, delicate insight of the role and I am not referring just to technique. Dagmar Kronberger’s Anna is a woman of flesh and blood. A beautiful vulnerable woman looking for happiness – even it means the pain of leaving back one’s own child. Just a mother can understand that. A great, sensitive performance by a beautiful dancer (Bellow on the right in a picture from “Die Kronenzeitung”).



Later in the season I had the chance and privilege to present Dagmar with a DVD of Vivien Leigh’s “Anna” – the british film that was once called “a beautiful disaster”! Not at all like Dagmar’s “Anna” here: a beautiful success!!!!

I was lucky enough to be able to attend to three performances of “Juwelen der neuen Welt II” (Jewels of the New World II, an allusion to Balanchine’s Ballet “Jewels” which include “Rubies”, “Emeralds” and “Diamonds”) which included choreographies by William Forsythe, John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp and Balanchine (Mr. B.).

As mentioned here, quite a while ago (precisely on March 20th) in a review called “Wiener Staatsoper: Balanchine and Robbins (and the Manuel Legris’ adorable arrogance)” I do really admire Manuel Legri’s arrogance in putting such ballets in the repertoire here, some of them that even the ABT wouldn’t dare to use – as they do really require a certain understanding (I am thinking especially about Mr.B.) that is very difficult to attain, especially if you were trained in the East! Bravo, Dancers of Wiener Staatsballet! Well done!





In the picture: Marie Claire D’Lyse, Shane A.Wuerthner, Flavia Soares, Vladimir Shishov, Ricardo Leitner, Dagmar Kronberger e Eno Peçi aqui em casa/here in my flat.




I would love talk in particular with you a bit about the last two performances of “Jewels” that I’ve seen this year: On April 16th and June 17th.
Gostaria de conversar com voces, particularmente sobre as duas últimas apresentacoes de «Jewels» que assisti neste anos (16 de Abril e 17 de Maio).


“The Vertiginous Thrill of exactitude” by William Forsythe is not one of my favourites but I must say that I enjoyed very much Irina Tsymbal’s and Nina Polakova’s performances on June 17th but sort of missed the presence of Denys Cherevychko… He had been brilliant on April 12’s Performance… He appointed a Principal yesterday! My Congratulations, Denys!


“Bach Suite III”: a very special Ballet from John Neumeier.
I still remember every single movement from Roman Lazik and Maria Yakovleva back in April. Pure poetry. A delight. Roman Lazik is blessed with a beautiful, sensitive stage presence that, combined with his clean technique and good-looks, turns him into a very special Dancer. One that irradiates intelligence. Miss Yakovleva is also very much of an actress-dancer and… I like that.
June’s performance was a good and an extremely correct one. Olga Esina is always a very self-confident dancer with great technique. Kirill Kourlaev is a very good, correct dancer even tough I think that his severe “Shelleyan- features” (Mary Shelley, English novelist, 1797-1851) and height are a bit of a disturbance, in my opinion.

Greig Matthews’ presence in “Bach Suite” was not a very big one but I am sure the the Ballet followers realize how hard this talented young man has been working. Every time that I see him again on stage he seems to be getting better and better – and he just turned 19!!!!!

Mihail Sosnovschi, was the second lead in April’s Performance – and a very, very gifted one. I love Sosnovschi’s “aura” on stage and the audiences seem to be carrying a “love affair” with him since a long time…

“Bach Suite III”: um Ballet muito especial de John Neumeier.



“Variations over a Haydn’s Theme” (Twyla Tharp) turned to be the biggest disappointment for me in all three Performances. A bore really. I guess that it has been misunderstood by everyone who’s been staging it – or rehearsing it, better said. The choreography itself is not one of Twyla’s Masterpieces (and I DO love Twyla’s work) but it has “humour”, a certain “freshness” in it (Think of all never-ending “exits” and how exaggerated they are… ) but no one here seemed to have remembered that while rehearsing it. Soomething tells me that Shane A.Wuerthner knows that). It is being danced “straight” and turns quite quickly into a big bore.
Such a shame to see such talent like Shane A. Wuerthner’s, Eno Peçi’s and Vladimir Shishov’s wasted like that. I guess the audience would have expected to see more of these three gifted, brilliant dancers during both last performances of this programme!

But even being a frequent Opera-goer it is quite difficult, after a whole year, to really evaluate all that one has seen during the past 10 months…
So many things are forgotten because they didn’t really leave a lasting impression in one’s mind. Sometimes not only because one hasn’t liked them or because they were not good – it all has also a lot to do with with your well-being and how open and relaxed you were during a certain performance, at that particular moment to really “absorb” what you were watching… Yes…

“Rubies”: Davide Dato and Natalie Kusch simply “brought the house down”. A delicious way to finish this function… Dato’s jumps and exactitude, his stage presence, his classic features, his very good physique don’t let the audience stop following him - even tough I don’t think that the white tights suit him as well as black ones – like the ones he was wearing in the “Junge Talente” Gala (My “critic” here from May 31st).

Anyways, Davide is a promising, bright, young new Star of the State Opera and we’ll surely hear a lot of him during the next years!





The Season came to an End – in a way, with aa sad note for Vienna’s audiences: two of the most gifted dancer’s of the company are leaving to San Francisco: Shane A.Wuerthner and the lovely Marie Claire D’Lyse. I may, also in name of your very many followers, wish you all the luck in the world for your future! God Bless and thanks for all the joy you’ve given us during the last years! And Thanks: it was really nice having you two over for dinner! The next prawns, please in San Francisco!

But to complete these thoughts about the Ballet and Vienna, here some news – and surely a very well-deserved one:

You remember the dancer I have been writing about, the Scottish dancer called Greig Matthews? Well, just after yesterday’s performance (A Nureyev Gala) he was appointed demi-soloist!!!! Haven’t I said so? He just called to tell me that! I am so glad for his promotion, really glad (and also very happy that he called me personally to tell me that! I felt like “part of the family”. I well imagine how proud his Mom might be!).





Congratulations, my dear Greig!
These news surely finished the Season in grand style!
You deserved that!
Let’s celebrate!!!!!

25 anos sem Fred Astaire (10.05.1899 – 22.06.1987)

Hoje há exatamente 25 anos o mundo despediu-se de um dos maiores talentos do século XX: Frederick Austerlitz...

Um menino que nasceu em Nebraska, filho de um imigrante austríaco e de uma senhora, já nascida nos U.S.A., de descendencia alemã.

Quem diria que este menininho nos encantaria no cinema a partir dos anos 30?



Encanto este que dura até hoje e que, no caso de seus admiradores, cresce a cada dia com o contínuo estudo de seus números musicais… sempre perecebendo-se algo a mais em sua dança, agilidade, precisão, coordenação, musicalidade, elegancia e… talento!



Lembro-me de como, há 25 anos atrás, muitos amigos me telefonaram… muitos deles bailarinos tristíssimos com esta perda. Em especial lembro-me de um telefonema de Tenerife dando-me literalmente os “pesames” pelo falecimento de Fred.

Não há palavras para descrever tal talento. Nao há palavras para definir a grandeza de sua contribuição ao mundo. E não refiro-me somente ao mundo das Artes.

Há porém uma palavra que neste momento me vem à cabeça: OBRIGADO.

Obrigado, dear Fred, por tudo o que voce nos deu!

Aqui uma cena que amo especialmente e uma com a qual o meu pai muito se divertia. Do esquecido "Let's Dance" com Betty Hutton, que não faz parte da lista de seus filmes "ilustres". Porém... vejam, comprovem e julguem voces mesmos!

Para mim um trabalho de pura, endiabrada genialidade! Viva!

Francesco Libetta, Camille Saint-Saëns e o Festival de La Roque d’Antherón

O fantástico pianista italiano que sempre muito me impressiona, foi muito bem descrito em algumas críticas como “um aristocrata poético dos teclados com perfil e porte de um príncipe da Renascença” ("poet-aristocrat of the keyboard with the profile and the carriage of a Renaissance prince" - M.Gurewitsch, Ney York Times) ou “elegancia e charme, com um que, um toque de frivoilidade aristocrática que não pensamos em voltar a ver” (". . .elegance and charm, (...), with a hint, a touch of aristocratic frivolity that we did not think we would ever witness again.") e (minha preferida) “… um sopro de conhecimento que se se extende muito além do mundo da música e do repertório do piano” (". . . a breadth of knowledge that extends far beyond the world of music and the piano repertoire.").



Ele chamou pela primeira vez a atenção dos “Connoiseurs” de música com sua apresentação ao vivo dos 53 estudos de Godowsky, que são por sua vez baseados nos 27 Estudos de Chopin! Obra de complexa dificuldade – não só técnica- como também emocionalmente…

Seu repertório inclui Mozart, o trabalho COMPLETO de Händel e Chopin, as 32 Sonatas para Piano de Beethoven assim como a maior parte do trabalho de Schubert, Schumann, Debussy e Ravel…


Eu o vi pela primeira vez no festival de La Roque d’Antherón na Franca. Este Festival, criado por Bruno Mansaingeon é, para mim, um dos mais sensíveis eventos, festivais de piano da Europa… talvez por sua extrema “democracia”, sua Arena.



Mesmo para quem não esteve lá: reparem no video na concentração do publico – devido talvez à proximidade do palco, a audiencia é envolvida pela atmosfera musical, emocional do momento... Quase que como num ritual. Como numa Cerimonia… mas não é isso realmente o que a Arte significa para quem a ama? De um filme de Jeanette MacDonald e Nelson Eddy como „Oh Marietta“ (que assisti ontem pela primeira vez) a um recital clássico, de uma noite na Ópera (que terei hoje à noite para mais uma vez assistir talentos amigos) à uma exposição…



Os horizontes deste magnífico talento parecem se ampliar de dia a dia… Ele não é só um Maestro (colaborando com o Balletto del Sud e regendo os grandes Ballets de Tchaikowsky) como também é compositor… Seus trabalhos já incluem tres Concertos para Piano, peças sinfonicas, música eletronica , Ballets e até música para filmes. Seu trabalho literário inclui Ensaios sobre estética e história como, por exemplo, música de compositores da Renascença, reconstruções de Madrigais, vida cultural no dinal do século XVIII…


Em 2009, sua primeira Ópera, “Ottocento” (sobre 800 vítimas de uma Guerra religiosa no Sul da Itália em 1840) teve sua Première em Roma. Ele foi apontado “o mais inspirado e criativo” dos artistas de sua geração!

O “corriere della Sera” escreveu uma vez: “…tal milagrosa virtuosidade e tanto delicado sentimento para a melodia que um não pode deixar de ponderar se outro artista de sua geração – ou na Itália ou em outro lugar – pode ser comparado a ele” (". . . such miraculous virtuosity and such a delicate feel for melody that one cannot help wondering whether any other artist of his generation - whether in Italy or elsewhere - can be compared to him.")

Para mim a Arte de Francesco Libetta representa uma incrível simbiose... do palco com o público, de suas mãos com o teclado, de sua habilidade com as dificuldades técnicas, do seu genio de intérprete com outro genio de composição, de sua alma com a música...
A mais perfeita harmonia!

Aqui um estudo de Camille Saint-Saëns. Onde esta "perfeita harmonia" à qual acima me referi está presente... quase que palpável! Divirtam-se com este grande músico!

REMEMBERING: Jean Charles Gil

Relembrando o magnífico bailarino Jean Charles Gil (Na realidade Juan Carlos Gil, bailarino nascido na Espanha em 1959).
Um dos meus grandes ídolos nos anos 80, ele debutou em N.Y. numa Gala do ABT no Lincoln Center em 1988..



Alguns anos antes eu tive a grande sorte de poder assistí-lo em «As Quatro Estações» (Vivaldi), coreografia de Roland Petit na Praça da São Marcos, ao ar livre ao lado de Dominique Kalfouni, e Denys Ganio! Uma noite inesquecível para mim já que foi a primeira vez que «entendi» Vivaldi… Lembro-me de um suave vento e de não saber se estava sonhando tudo aquilo ou nâo…
Como Jean Charles me impressionou… Ele já então era um bailarino com um „huge following“. Impressionante!



Ele ainda me impressiona todas as vezs que o reassisto num DVD desta obra, feito, para minha grande felicidade exatamente naquela noite em que a assisti… Que bailarino!



Linhas masculinas como nunca mais voltei a ve-las.
Linhas de uma impressionante máscula suavidade… como se uma fina camada de espuma envolvesse seu corpo.



Jean Charles fez uma grande decisão aos 17 anos de idade: unir-se ao Ballet National de Marseilles onde Roland Petit, encantado por seu talento, nomeou-o “Etoile” e criou especialmente para ele ballets como Les Amours de Franz, Les Hauts de Hurlevents (O Morro dos Ventos uivantes – uma obra divina !) e Rosa…
Em 1983 ele foi honrado pela Imprenssa ameriana com o título de melhor Bailarino do ano. Debutando só em 1988 nos U.S.A. ele teve, depois de uma longa Tournee pelo país, a distinguida honra de dançar em Giselle na celebração dos 100 anos do “Met” a pedido pessoal de Baryshnikov!!!!!



Sua carreira, a meu ver hoje extremamente “esquecida”, levou-o do Canada para dançar com Evelyn Hart ao Scala para dividir o palco com Carla Fracci… e a incríveis trabalhos coreográficos com Joseph Lazzini, Karole Armitage, Uwe Scholz e até William Forsythe.
Ele foi solista do San Francisco Ballet de1985 a 1988, onde dançou uma outra “linha” de trabalhos como por exemplo coreografias de Balanchine e Jerome Robbins.

Muitos não esquecerão sua colabroração com Noëllla Pontois… Eu os imagino juntos... Noëllla era uma linda bailarina...

Nureyev convidou-o como “guest star” para a Opera de Paris para dançar na sua produção de “Romeu e Julieta” – o que causou um certo “frisson” de inveja e muitas intrigas nos bailarinos da casa… Maurice Béjart lhe deu “O pássaro de Fogo” para as apresentações no Grand Palais por ocasião da celebração dos 200 anos da Revolução Francesa… a última vez em que o vi no palco!



Ele foi “Etoile” dos Ballets de Monte-Carlo de1991 a 1997 e por aí vai seu imenso “Curriculum Vitae”.

Depois de mais de 20 anos dançando ao redor do Globo, Gil comeæou sua carreira como coreografo em “Electre” para o Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.



Criou em 1999 o “Ballet des Jeunes d’Europe” e depois em 2003 o “BALLET D’EUROPE” . Esta companhia, onde ainda está, foi estabelecida em Allauch (perto de Marseilles).
Toda uma vida dedicada ao Ballet…



Como disse no início desta “Tertúlia”:
Relembrando o magnífico bailarino Jean Charles Gil .
Um dos meus grandes ídolos nos anos 80, ele debutou em N.Y. numa Gala do ABT no Lincoln Center em 1988..



Aqui um registro de uma noite histórica!!!!
Saudades de talentos assim… que parecem estar tão esquecidos hoje em dia pelo público…



... e aqui seu trabalho atual!

REMEMBERING: Ann Reinking (Part I)

Reinking, atriz, bailarina e coreografa, aqui numa cena que nao faz parte das mais famosas de “All that Jazz”, um relato quase auto-biográfico de Bob Fosse no qual a propria Ann Reinking tem um papel práticamente auto-biográfico como sua “amante”.



“Everything old is new again” foi um pequeno sucesso de Peter Allen que teve uma pequena carreira e que foi o primeiro marido de Liza Minelli (que contou que ela nao sabia que ele era gay humoradamente disse: "Let me put it this way: I'll never surprise anybody coming home again as long as I live."). Música divertidíssima, animadissíma que nos faz sorrir...

Amo este número… e como posso descreve-lo da forma mais adequada e simples?
Sim, por ser absolutamente simples e cheio de vida!
De fato ele "transborda" vida. Coisa boa!



Amo Reinking, brincando, bem-humorada, linda, simples…
com as pernas mais invejadas dos anos 70 e 80… que corpito!!!!
E quanto talento! Estas cenas fazem "bem" à minha alma...

Wiener Staatsballet 2012, May 31st: Young Talents

An unforgettable evening last may 31st. An evening filled with some sort of “frisson” in the air, a very normal thing in these galas which have been presented at our “Volksoper” – thanks to the enthusiasm, “nose”, talent, Marketing-power, knowledge of his “metier” and sensibility from Manuel Legris, Étoile from the Paris Opera, who in fact, is one of the greatest gifts that the Viennese cultural scene received during the last years.

Ten different pieces. Grand Pas from "Raymonda" (Anna Mendakiewicz as Raymonda… excellent in the very affected Hungarian “Variation de Raymonde”!), "La Sylphide" (a delicate, etereal Ioanna Avraam who already conquered a very big space in the hearts of the viennese audiences), "Jeunehomme" – an incredible choreography by Uwe Scholz which I did not know – with the marvelous Reina Sawai (and she IS a beutiful “queen” => Reina, in spanish ) and the strong partner – simply dressed to kill - Alexandru Tcacenco, "Mopey" – a piece that requires extreme talent and versatility, exactly what Andrey Kaydanovskiy has lots of to offer, Pas de Six from "La Vivandiére" in which not only Ioanna Avraam once more shined, but also Laura Nistor, a very special and gifted dancer, caught my eye, "Aunis"(that, in the choreopgraphy aspect – Jacques Garnier – «stole» the evening) with Marcin Dempe, Richard Szabó and Géraud Wielick and "Who cares?" – not exactly Mr.B. (Balanchine) «at his very best» but a happy divertissement… Unfortunately in this last piece, the orchestra, conducted by Elisabeth Attl, sounded extremely bad… in fact remembering an orchestra in a cruise ship for american tourists in the Caribbean… Gershwin wouldn’t have liked that… I may not know much about Donizetti but Gershwin lives deep in my heart!

Copyright: Wiener Staasoper

But the real Stars of the evening, for me, were

1) the enchanting, young italian (21 years old) Davide Dato. Rarely have I seen such jumps like his – this was so much more real on the stage from the Volksoper which is much smaller that the one at the Opera, where I have seen him many times. Blessed with classical beauty, stage presence, technical precision and lots of self-esteem Davide is turning out to be the new “darling” of the viennese audiences. A tittle that belonged up to now exclusively to Mihail Sosnovski…

Copyright: Wiener Staatsoper

2) The divine japanese Kiyoka Hashimoto that “brought down the house” in the Donizetti Pas de Deux (with Davide Dato, above) and in her very “energetic” interpretation from “My one and Only” (one of the parts from “Who cares?” from Mr B./Gershwin). No words. A marvellous dancer.

Copyright: Wiener Staatsoper

3) Ahhhhh… and the scottish Greig Matthews… first I thought that there would be no words to register what happened yesterday evening at the stage of the “Volksoper”. Then, peu a peu, I began to realize that I had witnessed a very, very special moment and also to articulate what I had seen, felt. As one of his colleagues (who doesn’t like to be mentioned at the Internet) very well put: “This guy’s gonna be a Star!”

Greig danced two pieces: Prince Florismund’s Solo then “The Sleeping Beauty» and the Pas de Deux « Delibes Suite » .

Florismund’s Solo… what shall I say? One of the most ingrateful variations for the “Danseur” (compared in terms of thanklessness to the entrance from Myrtha in the second act of “Giselle” or to all the masculine part from the Pas de Six from “La Vivandiére” bravely mastered yesterday evening by Dumitro Taran).

Technically very difficult, it does not have the “effect” on the audience like, for example, Donizetti Pas de Deux (choreography by Manuel Legris), which in itself is a big platorm for virtuosity demonstration. And intended to “milk applause”.

Altough Florismund’s Solo is located on a much higher level over the (not easy) circous virtuosity of the Ballet, it does not “bring down the house”. I think I was the only who shouted “Bravo” while Greig was bowing (In comparison, for example, the Donizetti Pas de Deux is so full of circus virtuosity that it always impresses an audience which does not understand much about Ballet!

His second interpretation was in “Delibes Suite”, from José Martinez, beside the beautiful Prisca Zeisel: strongly based in the Coda from “Coppelia”, I prefer to call it “Variations on Swanilda and Franz” (!) Once more Greig demonstrated a great maturity on stage – We should not forget that we are talking about a really YOUNG talent: Greig will celebrate his 19th Birthday on June 2nd!

I was extremely impressed with his Manége since I had never – yes, really never – seen something like this: the choreography requests that the dancer does not make the Manége with his back facing (to say so) the center of the (imaginary) circunfernce but the other way 'round. Technically an “horror”! I do not think that the audience realized how much technique is required to perform it well. Ballet audiences should also take classes... just to understand...

After the performance I wanted to thank Greig for his kindness in giving me the ticket to watch the performance and we went to a nice, cozy little Restaurant that I like very much: “La Bohéme” (where only Opera music is played and where you don’t have “Starters”, “Main Course” or “Dessert” but “Ouvertures”, “Intermezzo”, “First Acts” and “Finales”). There we talked a lot about family, schools, Vienna, N.Y., Ballet, friends… and I was amazed to find out that this gifted young Man started taking ballet classes with 15… just a little bit longer than three years ago! And here he is: performing Solos and full of modesty! It is so good to meet Talent like that!

Note:
A very special THANK YOU to Monsieur Legris for making all this possible in Vienna!