Beyond Bach

Beyond Bach is too beautiful to describe. A cathedral-like setting with a huge window looking out into a surreal bright blue sky that fades and becomes bright again. The dancers periodically appear from all over the stage, through doorways, behind columns, and the prettiest picture of all, down a spiral staircase so that the first one sees of the girls are their bare backs. I love one of the quotes given by Stephen Baynes in the programme

“When the curtain raises it should be like opening the door to a place which has remained untouched for centuries.”

First cast were wonderful all round. Marianela Nunez has come a long way since I first saw her as a snippy Swanhilda. She's obviously grown since adding Kitri and Olga to her repertoire and in this role she displayed a gentleness that I’ve never seen before in her. Is it the first time Nunez has been the lead in first cast because it’s something she fully deserves. Darcey looked completely at home, a picture of serenity, and both dancers were beautifully partnered by Cope and Urlezaga.

There is no discernible plot – the ballet is choreographed to the composition of the music. It’s detailed with quiet entrances, beautiful lifts and dancers effortlessly changing from one partner to another - all very pleasing to the eye. Air on a G string was my highlight and was enchanting to listen to and watch. The choreography is seemingly very spare, like the costumes. One quibble I have is the lack of uniformity in the corps, which destroyed the mood for me in some places.

The Leaves are Fading

Set to pieces by Dvorak, is centred on 4 pas de deux and is about ‘changing love’. I thought it was superb throughout, the standout unsurprisingly being Alina Cojocaru. She attacked her solo with verve and was so fast, but at the same time so expressive and supple and absolutely breathtaking. Her entire body seamlessly made one beautiful shape into another. Her arms were making tiny subtle motions right to the very last lift. She was partnered so well by Kobborg in the second pas de deux but Alina pretty much obliterated any dancer on stage beside her.

Also very impressive were Leanne Benjamin and Nathan Coppen in the first pdd, Tamara Rojo and Martin Harvey I liked especially in the third, and Mara Galeazzi and Johan Persson in the fourth.

Marguerite and Armand

I have to confess that until today I had seen nothing of Marguerite and Armand – not Fonteyn and Nureyev (live nor on video) and I’m probably the only person here who didn’t see it’s last run in the Ashton mixed bill. The compressed, fast-paced format I found a little unsettling. I wasn’t very moved by the ballet apart from the crescendos in the Liszt music, and there were long stretches of choreography that I didn’t find at all compelling. Still Sylvie Guillem was lovely and looked so young from my seat. Her broken walk on pointe is an image that I won’t easily forget. I thought Le Riche’s dancing was tremendous and through him I could easily imagine Nureyev in the role. Looking forward to seeing Cope and Murru in this as well. And a final note, the programme interestingly states that Ashton hadn’t meant it for just Fonteyn and Nureyev – that Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable were understudies.

As a triple bill I’m not sure it works too well. Beyond Bach and Leaves are stand out ballets on their own but I think it’s a mistake to put them back to back. They're too similar in mood, both very languid and dreamy. And though I appreciate the ‘remembrance of things past’ thread and the exceptional music that runs through them, I wouldn’t have minded something more contrasting like The Dream/Song of the Earth mixed bill we saw last year.

So what did everyone else think?

I thought Leaves looked under-rehearsed. Seems to be a current RB problem for first nights of works which are either new or new to the company. The principal dancers are fine ones, but for me the dramatic shifts which are so necessary here were clouded. Gone were the subtle intensive shifts in harmony betweeen the couples. A tad too much sunshine methought, where more 'In the Night' could add much needed flavouring in order that the air might rise as it should. I found myself missing Kirkland and Baryishnikov in this regard. But, then, with this ballet, I find I usually do. I'm confident that the Company will grow into this piece given half a chance. Having found the steps they will free themselves to let the characters fly.

Agree - Very refeshing to catch the Baynes after an all too steady diet of far too many Pages.

Sylvia, thank you so much for your thoughts, I'm looking forward to see it myself.
A question -in the margin- eh...we all know you have seen all Onegins ! ....so please try to add your thoughts to the mini-poll thread : "What makes you go time and time again to the same piece ?". I'm anxious to hear you

I saw the first two ballets at a dress rehearsal - and will see the full programme during the week, after which I hope to write about it properly.

In the meantime, may I agree enthusiastically with Sylvia about 'Beyond Bach'. It is simply exquisite - an affecting and deeply meant homage to classical ballet. In Australia critics have described Baynes's work in terms of its spirituality. Now I know what they mean - Baynes is not 'spiritual' in a religious sense, but he has a deep personal faith in classicism coupled with the theatrical imagination to express it.

If possible try and see 'Beyond Bach' at ground level - even if it means standing at the back of the stalls circle. The designs by Andrew Carter really do evoke a 'magic' or 'sacred' space. The set is huge - going right to the back of the Covent Garden stage. The Australian Ballet used to remove the firewall at the back of its theatre in Melbourne to give the required sense of depth.

Finally, I think Sylvia's instincts are right about back-to-back programming of Beyond Bach and The Leaves are Fading. The contrast is not strong enough.

>It is simply exquisite
>- an affecting and deeply
>meant homage to classical ballet.
>In Australia critics have described
>Baynes's work in terms of
>its spirituality. Now I know
>what they mean - Baynes
>is not 'spiritual' in a
>religious sense, but he has
>a deep personal faith in
>classicism coupled with the theatrical
>imagination to express it.

I hadn't thought of it that way but I wholly agree. I love the word Baynes uses in the Independent article - 'Reverence', which is right away apparent from the opening moments with Cope and the woman (so sorry, her name escapes me now).

>If possible try and see 'Beyond
>Bach' at ground level -
>even if it means standing
>at the back of the
>stalls circle. The designs by
>Andrew Carter really do evoke
>a 'magic' or 'sacred' space.

I saw both the rehearsal and performance from the front of the amphitheatre and I think it's easy to appreciate 'Beyond Bach' from that level. But I also think 'Leaves' is better seen close up. The casting sheet doesn't say which dancers are in each pdd and I had the darndest time trying to figure out who was dancing with who in the rehearsal - amazing what a difference a couple rows makes.

could anyone tell me a link to this poll please?

I certainly agree with the opinions already voiced that the evening became a bit "samey" - too much of "languid" was exactly the word that came unbidden to my mind. Two consecutive pieces of little plot and leisurely dancing made it difficult to appreciate the nuances of M&A. Or maybe I was just tired!

I was impressed by Bussell's arabesques in BB - if you're with someone who is new to ballet and they ask why one dancer is considered to be "better" than another, point out Bussell's arabesque on pointe at the front of the stage in front of other artists - her's is complete still, complete graceful and seemingly effortless - thus conveying the emotion of the ballet perfectly, where others may wobble or take longer to achieve peace in the position.
A few people said Bussell looked to be "getting back into it" in the Nutcracker. I'd say she was fully back now.

I found Cojocaru the only dancer to really knock me out last night - despite one horrendous pirouette - she positively sparkles with life and seems to have the rare ability to convey that effervescence to every member of the audience even if they are sitting far away - again, if you're with a ballet newbie and they're, naturally, casting around for something concrete to latch onto and understand - they will snap forward with eye wide open and "get" Alina immediately. Priceless.

I didn't catch her famous Giselle last year but have tickets this year - I wonder how someone so full of life can play a dead person?

Marguerite and Armand was interesting - I might have enjoyed it more if I wasn't feeling so languid/sleepy by then. I look forward to seeing this again on Friday. Certainly, Guillem got the loudest cheers and I'm sure people wouldn't cheer just because it's her.

I struggled from the amphitheatre to detect who was dancing what which pdd in the 'Leaves': am I right in thinking that this is Martin Harvey's first main auditorium partnering? I thought he did very well, as did they all. I agree about under rehearsal - I think I spotted Nathan Coppen turning the wrong way and only just managing to catch Leanne Benjamin at one point.

'Marguerite and Armand' was danced beautifully, of course, but I am not convinved of its merits as a work: the main weakness for me was the pdd after Marguerite has decided to leave Armand. Does she tell him or not? I assume not, but I couldn't tell from the way it was danced, and it seemed to me to lack the deep sense of tragedy which that should have caused. (It's not a scene that occurs in the opera). But overall, a very interesting and successful evening.

Perhaps first nights at Covent Garden are to be avoided these days. The company’s nervousness and general air of uncertainty rendered the production of Don Q on the first night of the season a rather tense and dull affair which failed to communicate much sense of fun. Some similar cloud seemed to hang over the first mixed bill of the season. The company turned in dutiful performances in the two new works they were showing, but seemed lacking in sparkle and fizz. It was a curiously anonymous showing, lacking in personality – there was little that said ‘Royal Ballet’ about it, they could have been any ballet company, anywhere. Perhaps they just need more time to get these works under their skin.

There was a full house though, keen to see Guillem in her first appearance here this season in the evening’s closing work. The evening also offered the chance to see Darcey Bussell in a new role. This was in the opening work, Beyond Bach, by Stephen Baynes (1995) which Ross Stretton has brought from the Australian Ballet. This is a handsomely designed production in a great cathedral-like space with huge pillars and candelabra, using up the full extent of the Covent Garden stage. Two lead couples (Bussell with Cope: Nunez with Urlezaga) are supported by twelve couples (sadly uncredited in the cast sheet although there were some very familiar and senior faces among them) in a cool, restrained, plotless work which uses classical steps to echo the formality of Bach’s musical structures. Intermittently dancers in formal Eighteenth century costume process across the back of the stage (where incidentally, they cannot be seen by most of the audience sitting along the sides of the theatre – such are the perils of staging a work created elsewhere for Covent Garden’s very limited sight lines).

Sadly, for fans of Darcey, the role did not seem to offer her much to get her teeth into, and she remained a muted presence. Cope had a short solo in which he made some impact, but most of the dancing was joyless. There were some attractive sections were the two lead women were each partnered by two men, but the choreography, although it looked carefully crafted, wasn’t involving. Perhaps I’m being harsh here, but my mind is still full of Hampson’s Double Concerto after seeing it a couple of weeks ago – a complex and intricate work fully inhabited by the company it was made for. By comparison, the Royal looked like they were trying on someone else’s clothes without enthusiasm. Let’s hope this is just a case of first night nerves dulling the impact of the work, because we will be seeing a lot of it. It is scheduled for another ten performances. The work received a polite rather than ecstatic response from the audience.

The second work was The Leaves are Fading, made by Antony Tudor in 1975. Last season saw a couple of Tudor revivals for the Royal, such as Shadowplay, which didn’t quite seem to come off. The Leaves are Fading is an interesting acquisition, and it ought to fit in with the Royal’s particular skills in portraying finely shaded and differentiated states of emotions. On this showing, they haven’t got there yet, but they are on the way. There are four pas de deux which may or may not be one woman’s memories of various encounters, with a supporting cast. Irritatingly, the cast list gives a general list of names but doesn’t indicate who partners whom. I think we had Galeazzi with Persson, followed by Benjamin and Coppen. The third couple were Rojo and Harvey, and the last couple Cojocaru and Kobborg. Although the dancing of Cojocaru and Kobborg was delightful, I enjoyed the second couple most –they exuded a sense of connection and commitment which was rather lacking in a generally careful and cautious rather than rhapsodic performance. This may be a problem of distance - I suspect this work reads better close up from the stalls and stalls circle than it does upstairs.

No problem with the ability of the final work to carry, however. Guillem and Le Riche continue to work on deepening an refining their roles as Marguerite and Armand. On seeing this again, I’m more struck than ever by Ashton’s ability to cut to the essence and discard anything unnecessary. All you need to know about Armand’s farther is conveyed by David Drew’s self important walk and the way he stands and holds his stick and gazes imperiously at Guillem in the garden scene. Ashton’s use of the music, and how it naturally seems to contain Marguerite’s consumptive cough and a brooding sense of dread, is remarkable. And as for Guillem and Le Riche they brought a red blooded passion and ecstasy to an otherwise rather pale evening, and received a suitably passionate response from the audience.

My feeling on Saturday was of a pleasant but unexciting evening.
Alina shone brightly but I was disappointed with Baynes - sort of feel I've seen it all before with MacMillan's Concerto and many a Balanchine piece. Had hoped for more from Leaves but agree that it was subdued - probably due to lack of rehersal time.

Im afraid "they would cheer just cause she's Guillem". On Saturday night cliques had a field day with Darcey and Sylvie. Die hard fans will cheer their favourite just because they turn up on stage. That's not to say they did not perform well.

Without the X-factor of Fonteyn and Nureyev I think M & A is best left in the archive and our memories. I also wonder why Ashton never had any other cast perform M & A if Gable and Seymour learned the roles. Perhaps he felt F & N made it their own in a special way - I think they did.

Having said that, any Ashton is welcome!

How long was the performance(back to practicalities, not that I expect trains to be running...)

The subdued reviews of Beyond Bach put a big frown on my face. I thought the chroegraphy was uncluttered and melded with the music so beautifully, but that's just my opinion. I'm looking forward to the second cast tomorrow.

Anneliese

I'm interested to read your opinion re. Bach/Mozart and ballet. Like you, I wasn't over impressed by the Bintley piece to Mozart (I think it must be Galanteries that you are thinking of). He used a fairly lightweight piece of Mozart as I remember it (18th century occasional music). I've also seen BRB do Powder, which is set to the clarinet concerto - it simply seems to devalue the music, especially the slow movement where the choreography is unbelievably fussy. I remember also reading Mary Clarke's comments in Dancing Times - she didn't think much of it either.

Somehow I could imagine Bach faring better, but need to see this proved. The counterpoint in the music is often so dense that to add another layer and make it seem convincing is very difficult. On the other hand, there are many movements in Handel's Concerti Grossi that I feel have great potential for choreography (I have read that Cranko used this music once, but have never heard of this ballet being performed).

Benjamin/Coppen
Rojo/Urlezaga
Tapper/Gartside
Galeazzi/Persson

From the photographs in the programme, I'd guess that Cervera and Chloe Davies are also going to do one of these at a later performance - very well earned in his case, after all those Don Qs and Onegins. It was nice to see Samantha Raine in this, as well.

I do think it's a shame that the supporting dancers in Beyond Bach don't get their names in the programme - they do far more than for instance, Admirers of Marguerite, who are carefully listed. That's at least the third time this season I've seen Muriel Valtat and she hasn't been identified once. On the other hand there's now a page in the programme with photographs of all the principals (and Guillem), not just those who are appearing that evening.

Last night the first interval lasted for 40 minutes - no explanation given - so the final curtain was a bit late.

And I thought Sylvie and Jonathan were fabulous in M&A - beautiful and very passionate dancing! I've been going on in emails on how I finally 'get' it. It's like a whole other ballet up close.

The weakest ballet was the Bach - I did not much care for the intervention of "sheep may safely graze" into the middle of Suite no 3. The whole ballet was lifeless and tedious.

It would have helped by replacing the Bach with a high energy ballet - preferable a Balanchine or similiar black and white ballet. This would have complemented the other two ballets much better

BTW, the cast sheet had a footnote that Josh Tuifua was injured and replaced by Stepanek. Oh, I thought, he must have a decent role in something, but no, he was only one of Marguerite's admirers. What on earth is the point of bothering to point that out when nobody knew that he'd be appearing anyway!

More comments possibly when I don't have a train to catch.