A última composição do fabuloso George Gershwin não poderia ter sido mais inspirada…
Our love is here to stay…
Ele deixou-a interminada quando partiu tão jovem deste mundo mas seu grande amigo e colaborador Oscar Levant terminou-a.
Um “hino” ao amor que consolidou-se nas últimas semanas dentro de mim.
Finalmente compreendi este texto ao mesmo tempo simples e extremamente rico!
Aqui Gene e minha querida, amada Leslie Caron num dos momentos de maior simplicidade do cinema musical… Fabulosos…
Its very clear, our love is here to stay
Not for a year, but forever and a day
The radio and the telephone,
And the movies that we know
May just be passing fancies
And in time may go
But, oh my dear
Our love is here to stay
Together we're going a long long way
In time the Rockies may crumble
Gibraltar may tumble
They're only made of clay
But our love is here to stay
...e para quem ainda tiver interesse: Bobby Short - inigualável!
Many people, who know me well, are aware that MacMillan’s Mayerling is not „my cup of tea“.
In fact I have a huge problem with its language, which I do not consider as a ballet one. Let me try to explain this: the story-telling line is extremely confusing, so filled-up with characters (25 “main characters”) that it is impossible to understand the whole work unless you have a full command of this mad chapter in Austrian history or keep reading the programme during intermissions. This is neither ballet language nor dance material - this is the kind of of stuff that cinema and theatre are made of – and as the educated lady sitting next to me put it quite wisely: “I am all confused”.
Please note that this commentary has absolute nothing to do with the choreography itself, which has Kenneth MacMillan’s distinct signature. Many moments are overwhelming like the humiliating pas de deux of the wedding night,like Mizzi Caspar’s variation with the four Officials, like Bratfisch’s attempts to entertain both Rudolph and Mary and like the last pas de deux before Rudolph kills Mary: that anguish, madness and despair “in the air” are sometimes too much to bear.
Some points in the narrative are just too “cliché like” and the strong action in the backside of the inn during the first scene of the second act distracts the attention of the audience. But is a narrative, conception problem which has absolute nothing to do with the dance itself.
Yesterday’s performance offered us once more many memorable moments. It is quite impossible to mention and comment every single member of the cast and I will try to be brief.
I cannot start this without mentioning the ones that are seldom mentioned: the magnificent, steadfast members of the corps de Ballet. Dancers that have joined the company already some years ago like Céline Janou Weder, Igor Milos, Jaimy van Overeem and Franziska Wallner-Hollinek but also some that have not been in the company for long like Suzan Oppermann, Alaia Rogers, Géraud Wielick, Tristan Ridel and Zsolt Török, just to name a few. By the way: such a joy to be able to witness once more lovely, gifted Gloria Maass again on stage as Baroness Helene Vetsera.
Tonoli/Lasik. Copyright Wiener Staatsoper.
Nina Tonoli, in the small role of Louise, Stephanie’s sister, gave us rich moments filled with those enchanting lines (lovely arms!) and strong precision that she possesses. A funny coincidence: such a coincidence to have a Belgian princess played by such a charming Belgian Dancer.
Stephanie, a character not much mentioned in history due to its pathetic “short passage” through the Austrian court, was beautifully performed by Natascha Mair. Miss Mair keeps surprising me anew. Her development as a dancer and an artist has been obvious to everyone during the last two seasons – and so quick. As a young dancer Miss Mair has a rare quality among her generation: she is also an actress. Her technique is clean, well formed, strong. The paleness that she brought to this role is heart-breaking. The final Scene of the first act, the wedding Night, was a real display for her vulnerability and frailty in this role. One of the highlights of the evening!
Davide Dato’s Bratfisch is a joy. Mr. Dato, one the best dancers from the company, has turned into a public’s darling and has an immense following. A star with a low-profile, he combines a marvelous technique (his jumps are more and more amazing with the pass of time, in perfect unison with his en dehors, very well accentuated and that also when he is “en l’air”), interpretation gifts with the eagerness of a hard worker.
A man of discipline.
I admire that.
Papava/Lasik. Copyright Wiener Staastsoper.
Marie Larisch, one of the most dishonorable characters in Austrian history (which in fact was sent away from the court after the Mayerling scandal) was bravely played by Ketevan Papava. One of the most expressive dancers in the company and, I think, the most versatile one (I remember her in this same Ballet playing the emotional complicated role of Elizabeth), a dancer with imagination and visions. Intelligent. Unfortunately Miss Papava has to wear that terrible red wig for the role, that makes her look more like “Orphan Annie” than a woman of extreme beauty like Marie Larisch was (and just like Miss Papava also is!).
The four officials were dynamically played by Alexis Forabosco, Marcin Dempc, Mayasu kimoto and Alexandru Tcacenco, all four of them dancers that fall in that beautiful category called steadfastness: loyal and constant.
Liudmila Konovalova, giving her debút in the role of Mizzi Caspar, danced the most interesting dance part of the evening.
Mizzi Caspar & the officials - Rehearsal Wiener Staatsoper - 2016
Also one that combines extreme technical efforts with lots of trust on her partners – such strong, steady partners like, for example Mr. Forabosco, a very masculine dancer, as one of the officials, proved once more to be. Miss Konovalova, also a dancer in constant technical and artistry development, showed us once more why she earns the denomination of being captivating – a rare quality with audiences – while she is endearing. After a long, hard season (that even included a performance in a London Gala with Matt Golding), she is in top form and in full command of her gifted body and talents.
I keep thinking that Miss Konovalova is the only dancer I know that I can imagine as Myrtha and as Giselle as well…
Fabulous performance!
Mr. Lasik, as usual a very predictable dancer, ran the gamut of emotion from A to B (like Dorothy Parker once said about Katherine Hepburn).
Technically very good (but a bit too thin at the moment) he looked uncomfortable and tired in the role of Rudolph.
Tsymbal/Lasik.Copyright Wiener Staatsoper.
Miss Tsymbal’s Mary Vetsera was a again surprise for me. Even more subtle than in the past. Her looks (which reminded me incredibly of Gelsey Kirkland in her prime), with slightly lighter hair, were so charming, captivating – you could not take the eyes of her every time she went on stage. Technically, her clever use of the floor must be mentioned. Her feet and legs seem to be caressing the stage floor very carefully, in order to give her the energy to rise to the air: light, nearly fairy-like.
She offered us a very emotional performance and her last scene (which I have mentioned at the beginning of this critic) moved us nearly to tears. This hard piece of choreography, MacMillan’s at his very best, is the perfect frame for lovely Miss Tsymbal.
She is the company's best Mary Vetsera. It is her role. No question about that.
A very pleasant evening. Even though, as have said before, “Mayerling” is not “my cup of tea”!
Talvez meu maior privilégio em assistir um grande talento tenha sido a sortuda possibilidade de presenciar um dos últimos espetáculos de Birgit Nilsson em 1981…
ela se retirou das cenas em 1982…
Isto, apesar de ter feito um come-back em 1992, aos 74 anos, cantando (imaginem) Brünnhilde no „Covent Garden“ - as „boas línguas” contam que Birgit até morrer poderia ter cantado nos palcos, tamanho seu dote vocal e talento, quase até sua morte, com 87 anos, em 2005.
Incrível de se acreditar.
Ela, parecia, nao querer mais mostrar seu rosto envelhecido ao mundo, apesar da voz...
Fantástica.
Uma mulher de extremo humor, ela era dona de sarcasmo e conhecia um segredo incrível, um dos mais difíceis… ela sabia rir de si mesma, Vale a pena pesquisar esta personalidade fascinante.
Sua auto-biografia é uma delícia de se ler. Ri muito... sim, ri muito COM este soprano lírico trágico!
Uma mulher de grande personalidade, que deixou no seu testamento o pedido para que sua morte fosse comunicada à imprensa sómente duas semanas depois de seu enterro – que aconteceu no seio e na paz da família.
Aqui sua “Liebestod”, o final de “Tristan und Isolde” de Wagner, com seu imcomparável ultimo "sussurro" (sua última nota) quando nos conta de “Unbewusst, höchste LUST” ("inconscientemente, o maior PRAZER") se referindo à sua, bem próxima, morte…
Nunca voltei ouvir esta última nota desta forma… nunca havia ouvido-a assim antes... um sussurro repleto de vulnerabilidade (depois de 5 horas cantando, note-se) e magnífico em sua expressao.
Obrigado, Birgit! Sim!
Esta postagem vai para a minha amiga Adélia de presente, pois sei que a prezará!
Independente de suas (inquestionáveis) qualidades artísticas, temos que considerar Florence Forster Jenkins uma pessoa afortunada: uma que realizou seus sonhos na vida… e como!
Considerada nos seus “dias de glória” uma das piores cantoras que este mundo já presenciou, ela disse: “Some people say I cannot sing, but no one can say I did not sing!” (Algumas pessoas dizem que não posso cantar, mas ninguém pode dizer que não cantei!”).
Sua falta de ritmo, altura e tom (como imortalizadas em suas gravações) assim como sua terrível pronúncia (em qualquer língua) tornaram-se legendárias. Ridicularizada por todos, ela era objeto de gargalhadas durante seus “Concertos” porém esta mulher alegre e incansável, negou-se a deixar-se desiludir…
Sua vida foi analizada na peça “Glorious” (Erroneamente interpretada por Marília Pera em tons de “comédia”. Lembro.me de ter saído na metade do espetáculo), no filme frances inspirado em sua vida “Marguerite” e brevemente no cinema, com ninguém menos do que Meryl Streep dando vida a esta lutadora que tornou-se “culto” ainda durante sua vida: não podemos esquecer que “grandes” nomes da época como Noël Coward e Cole Porter assistiam seus recitais, normalmente feitos em hotéis como o Ritz para um publico seleto. Para evitar “jornalistas” e bisbilhoteiros Florence vendia pessoalmente as entradas, que eram disputadíssimas. Os artigos, que depois apareciam em jornais e revistas, eram escritos ou por ela mesma ou por amigos (Nota ironica da redação: Atenção para esta “auto-promoção”; já existente em épocas anteriores ao “Facebook” onde muitos parecem promover-se incansávelmente).
Não vou estender-me sobre dados biográficos da “diva do grito” (como também foi chamada) pois para isto a internet oferece muitas possibilidades mas não podemos deixar de acentuar um valor único que Florence teve. Ela até hoje é, indisputávelmente, a pior intérprete que Mozart, Strauss, Verdi & co. já tiveram em toda a história. Ela possuía uma forte segurança sobre seu “talento” e seu repertório era o que poderíamos chamar de dificílimo.
Gravou discos (nove árias ao total em 78rpm): seus amigos e seguidores tentaram convence-la de não gravá-los (pois achariam que ao “se ouvir” reconheceria sua total falta de talento) mas ela não deu nenhuma importancia a esses conselhos.
Acreditava piamente que suas gravações preservariam seu talento para futuras gerações, que seriam seu, por assim dizer, "legado" para o mundo das Artes.
E, aqui pergunto, estava errada?
Abaixo coloco um link de uma de suas preferidas árias: a da “Rainha da Noite” de “A flauta mágica” de Mozart (que deve se virar dentro do túmulo ouvindo-a… Sinto, um exemplo mal escolhido: não se sabe até hoje onde Mozart foi enterrado, já que foi tratado como um indigente): Ouvimos Florence até hoje! (E sabemos até onde está enterrada)
Aos 76 anos Florence “aceitou” apresentar-se para um público maior do que nos recitais do “Ritz” e estrelar um concerto no aclamado “Carnegie Hall” (só nos USA uma coisa assim é possível, não é verdade?). Como os ingressos se esgotaram em poucas horas, mais de duas mil pessoas tentaram fútilmente conseguir entradas na última hora…
Quem assistiu garante que foi uma apresentação inesquecível.
E interminável.
Entre uma ária e outra intervalos enormes eram necessários para Florence poder mudar seu elaboradíssimo figurino. Sua roupa com asas — ela a chamava de “Angel of inspiration” — tornou-se um clássico.
Conta-se que Tallulah Bankhead riu tanto durante a apresentação que teve que ser retirada do teatro
(Nota: Florence sempre disse que as risadas dadas durante suas apresentações eram dadas por pessoas que haviam sido pagas por “suas invejosas rivais”).
Um mês depois do concerto, Florence morreu. Há quem atribua a morte à depressão por, enfim, dar-se conta da reação do público em relação à sua “arte”.
É difícil de acreditar.
Em 32 anos de carreira, Florence, certamente, conheceu todo tipo de reação. Não seriam algumas gargalhadas mais escancaradas que a fariam desistir. Florence era uma estrela e sabia como tornar sua platéia feliz.
The long awaited première. Perhaps the highest point of this Season in Vienna:
Manuel Legris' "Le Corsaire".
In contrary to a lady sitting next to me that has started making her notes at the middle of the third act, I have to go back a little in time in order to write not only about the dancers and the choreography but also about the production, the intellectual process and its “coming into life”.
As I have often commented, I like to arrive earlier at premières, as if "soaking" more of the atmosphere would underline more and more the excitement of a discovery, of witnessing something new. Premières are very special evenings, with lots of expectation in the air.
As a kind of “hobby” I like to analyze faces of certain members of the audience before, during and after the show... huge transformations can take place and be seen - depending on the grade of interested that a performance "exhales" and on the individual interest of many.
Extremely interesting.
The audience was full - full and filled with many "names" of the international dance panorama – especially from the Paris Opera - as well as ballet critics.
Some few weeks ago during an official "talk" at the Opera, Monsieur Legris told me personally:
"We are on the right way" - how right he was!
The challenge that Manuel Legris took is a fascinating one. A very honest one. Chapeau.
"Le Corsaire" was not in the repertoire of the Paris Opera, so in this case, as Monsieur Legris put it well, there were no possibilities of influences, just his plain understanding about the work and its complicated, very peculiar dynamic. Also his understanding about the characters should not be forgotten. The characters that we have witnessed yesterday on stage were far away of being just statues in a wax museum but characters with an own drive.
On the top of it all, I have to draw your attention to the point that, “Le Corsaire” is in itself an enormous challenge.
Its story telling-line is a very old-fashioned one, quite difficult to adapt to our present times. Also its constant use of pantomime presents another challenge – not only to dancers but also to the audiences (which are not used anymore to this kind of language). It is, as a full-evening ballet, a very complex piece of work and this regardless of the fact that the main line of the story is difficult to understand, even remember... I have rarely found someone who could "tell the story" of "Le Corsaire" without consulting either the libretto or some other sources of literature about it (or even without contradicting oneself).
Special mention should be made about Albert Mirzoyan, as assistant choreographer. As Mr. Legris put into words: “We are a good combination, the French and the Russian souls”. Mr. Mirzoyan is that kind of gentle character that exhales knowledge about ballet, art, history and is always in full-command of what he is doing. And this "at ease".
Such a blessing for our State Opera and for Mr. Legris to have such a gifted person, such an erudite, among his few co-workers. His work is not only of extreme importance for us but also to the Ballet world. As we have witnessed yesterday.
Lots of praise no Mr. Igor Zapravdin, responsible for the musical arrangements and his brilliant use of music from “L’Écumeur de mer” (also Adam) for the Odalisques and Slave Dances. Merely this distinctiveness turns this production into a “unique” one – without the confusing use of music from up to 11 different composers (like in many other productions), concentrating on Adam’s work – which in the case of “Le Corsaire” is not so brilliant as his “Giselle” but surely much more consistent when treated not so eclectically.
Luisa Spinatelli’s décor and costumes are a beautiful work of art and delicacy – with the only exception of the girl’s flowery headdresses during “Le jardin animé” that, from a certain distance, give more the impression of being hair-curlers than roses – a fact that was confirmed to me by an Stylist friend - especially on blonde dancers like Eszter Ledán or Suzan Oppermann.
Valery Ovsianikov’s conduction was at few times quite irregular. The tempo was either too fast (as during some fouettès that tossed Maria Jakovleva completely out of music) or too a bit too slowly (during a part of Miss Konovalova’s variation in the third act). But still, a brilliant Ballet conductor.
The following performances should be highlighted:
The Waltz on the third act was brilliantly performed by Oxana Kiyanenko, Eszter Ledán, Anita Manolova and Laura Nistor. An interesting, very lively piece of choreography that was beautifully executed by the four of them.
The three Odalisks danced by Natascha Mair, Nina Tonoli and Prisca Zeisel were a simple masterpiece of precision and joy. Three very gifted dancers, splendidly “on style” (as they have proved many times before) in perfect “unison” with each other. Not only a question of talent but also of emotional intelligence. Three dancers that really made their “homework”, thinking about the characters, adjusting to each other, talking about what they were doing. I like that. Congratulations to these exceptional talents.
Firenze/Dato. Copyright: Ashley taylor (Wiener Staatsoper)
Davide Dato and Alice Firenze were at their element as Birbanto and Zulméa: motion and fire. Every time they came on stage you had that certain (very well known) feeling of a “show-stopper”. And stop the show they really did.
Sosnovschi. Copyright: Ashley Taylor (Wiener Staatsoper)
Mihail Sosnovschi’s Seyd Pasha (another innovation by Mr. Legris that instead of having a laughable character as the Pascha decided for the more logical choice of a good looking man) left no impression. This non-dancing role is not quite adequate for Mr.Sosnovschi. His pantomime is too subtle, too understated, too “small” for that huge stage. He seemed bored. And this is quite unusual with Mr. Sosnovschi.
Kourlaev. Copyright: Ashley Taylor (Wiener Staatsoper)
On the other hand Lanquedem, as danced by Kirill Kourlaev, is a character to remember: Mr. Kourlaev’s total command of the stage, his beautiful technique (and of a very good pantomime) just made us sit back, relax and “put our feet up” to enjoy a performance without any fears that the dancer might not “make it”. A pleasure for everyone present. Vitality at its best. A danseur.
Gabdullin/Yakovleva. Copyright: Ashley Taylor (Wiener Staatsoper)
Unfortunately there was no chemistry between Robert Gabdullin and Maria Yakovleva.
I simply could not “buy it”, not believe the love story that was supposed to go on between the two of them onstage.
Mr. Gabdullin, an extremely gifted dancer with a very clean technique and beautiful lines, gave us a beautiful, daring and corageous Conrad. In every sense.
His special temperament and dramatization of the character were well idealized.
But there was no response from Médora, who seemed to be dancing alone and for herself: sometimes even giving the impression of walking “through”, allowing once in a while Conrad to touch her, support her.
I am looking forward to Mr. Gabdulli’s future.
Miss Yakovleva was correct as Médora, even without any sign of even trying to perform some pantomime BUT unfortunately with a strong tendency to the inelegance of over-extensions.
Even so a good part of the audience seemed to have liked her.
Konovalova. Copyright: Ashley Taylor (Wiener Staatsoper)
The real star of the evening, along with the choreography and production, was Liudmilla Konovalova as Gulnare. Very thin and looking better than ever, Miss Konovalova’s performance was one of pure joy. After having gone through two “turbulences” on the first act (because of bad partnering by the boys) she emerged as the Queen of the night. Complete in command of her technique she enjoyed the role the Gulnare with all its nuances. Such performances are rare. Performances that fill the audience with joy because of their sensibility, delicacy and strength at the same time and musicality (even adjusting without any effort to the wrong tempo, as mentioned above, given by the conductor).
No coincidence, that, during the bows, all of a sudden Miss Konovalova was center stage: the deserving queen of the evening! Bravo!
Mr. Legris work and legacy to the Ballet world, already immense, increased enormously after last night’s world Première. I wonder how long it will still take until this work is “framed” in its definite version.
At the moment it is already a brilliant piece of work - with quite intricate parts in, if I may say so, very good Nureyev tradition. Yes.
Legris/Mirzoyan and the whole ensemble. Copyright: Ashley Taylor (Wiener Staatsoper)
As Mr. Dominique Meyer mentioned during his speech in the after-Première Party: "this is an Opera House but the Ballet is now as important as the Opera..."
To be very honest, which Opera Director would/could not be happy about the financial aspect that is brought to the State Opera with the high occupancy, high percentage of seats sold for the ballet performances since the beginning of the "Legris Era"? Economically speaking this is a wonder - if you think about the sales' problems in the MET...
At this point, and to finish this long review, I would like to quote Dame Margot Fonteyn, a person whose thoughts about art I much admire:
"The first night is the worst possible time to make a hard and fast criticism: the baby never looks its best on the day it is born".
Thinking about that I would still like to add:
If this baby is already looking like this on its first night, so good, it is surely going to be a beauty, a star of first magnitude.
Como ando „resgatando“ vários videos do passado (passando-os para DVDs, digitalizando-os e colocando-os no youtube para, por assim dizer, eternizá-los e mante-los para a „posteridade“, uma tarefa apaixonante)
nada mais adequado do que a obra de arte que é a dicção de Julie Andrews – sim , esta belíssima dicção, que conseguiu manter apesar dos muito anos nos E.U.A., este poema fonético,
este ingles belíssimo e puro (ainda mais agradável e até mais claro e límpido do que o “King’s English") adicionado ao seu fino trato, à sua inigualável classe, à sua imagem de “English rose”…
Sim, são esses curtos momentos que transformam-se em puras obras de arte! Como os amo!
Aqui Julie recebendo um “Life Achievement Award” da BAFTA (British Academy for Film and Television Arts) em 1989 de ninguém menos do que Princess Anne!
Sim, e como esta tão bem coloca em palvras: não há melhor palavra para descrever esta ocasião do que
SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!
Bravo, Juls!
Para começar o fim-de-semana de forma leve, o que melhor do que uma pequena reverencia, homenagem ao filme musical?
Como a capa do (meu) livro mostra; all singing, all dancing...
Neste caso, aqui vai, um pedacinho da cerimonia do Oscar de 1989 – um dos videos que reencontrei por acaso aqui em casa (e transformei em DVD para “a posteridade”) e que andam me divertindo MUITO!
O foco, neste caso em particular, São está nas cenas dos filmes musicais e sim no corte desta “collage”: Magnífico trabalho, quase artesanal, que consegue em curto tempo nos prender a atenção, levar por um mundo de Technicolor, Cinemascope & Stereophonic Sound e motivar a ver outros filmes do genero…
Só assistindo à uma homenagem deste genero nos damos conta das centenas de talentos que povoavam o cinema, nas telas e atrás delas, nos anos 30,40, 50... que maravilha!
Sim, quero um fim-de-semana musicado (nada melhor do que uns filmes leves e descomplicados para acompanhar o belo resfriado pelo qual passo…), quero dois dias de Fred, Ginger e Judy...
Comentário: como o “Oscar” mudou nestes últimos 27 anos, não acham?
