Friday February 16, 2007 - The evening ended on an odd note when, following a very long intermission, the orchestra musicians got up and walked out of the pit. Then came an announcement that Maestro Kaplow had taken ill and that Cameron Grant would perform the Bartok 3rd as a piano solo. EVENFALL without the orchestra was like a beautiful picture without a frame. However, Mr. Grant did a fine job and saved the performance, though I wonder why the concertmaster or someone on the musical staff could not have conducted. The dancers, led by the delectable Miranda Weese and a buoyant Seth Orza, adapted to the change fairly well. Among the corps there were some uneven transitions and an occasional lack of cohesion possibly relating to the missing orchestral voices. Some very notable corps appearances though, especially from Rachel Piskin, Likolani Brown, Ashley Laracey, Glenn Keenan, Vincent Paradiso, Giovanni Villalobos and William Lin-Yee. I must say that without the orchestra the impact of the ballet is considerably lessened. Miranda's very deep bow of gratitude to Mr. Grant when she brought him onstage was so gracious.
The programme began with RAYMONDA VARIATIONS with its luscious score. Yvonne Borree danced very well although her second solo did not end smoothly. Benjamin Millepied's partnering was more efficient than is sometime the case; he & Borree seemed well matched and pulled off the final dive to fine effect. Yvonne looked very pretty in blue. In the variations, four soloists were joined by Savannah Lowery. Ms. Lowery led off with the difficult hopping variation which has caused some ballerinas to collapse; Savannah brought it off with calm assurance. Then Abi Stafford, so light and breezy, her combinations precise and so attuned to the music. Sara Mearns was sumptuous, Rebecca Krohn very elegant and Teresa Reichlen willowy and secure. Lovely corps.
ANTIQUE EPIGRAPHS is a ballet I always enjoy with its luminous Debussy score and it is utterly unlike any other piece in the repertoire. The sisterhood of beauties led off with distinction by Ellen Bar, her dancing vividly dramatic. Krohn has an ideal role here, her solo commencing with a spacious jetee. Mearns slipped briefly but it didn't spoil the breadth and plushness of her interpretation, and Reichlen continues to explore different styles with great success. The four corps girls in this ballet contribute much to the atmosphere; tonight we had Gwyneth Muller (subbing for Amanda Hankes), Saskia Beskow, Savannah Lowery and Ellen Ostrom - a nicely contrasted and attractive group. The music was ravishingly played, notably the solo flute of Paul Dunkel.
The heart of the evening was a mesmerizing performance of AFTERNOON OF A FAUN by two of the Company's most charismatic dancers: Janie Taylor and Craig Hall. Taylor was ethereal, her dancing sublime in its uncanny mixture of coolness and fire. She is an extraordinary presence, and her hair is fascinating. It seems unbelievable to me that Craig Hall is still listed in Corps. He exudes a powerful allure, his partnering is immaculate and controlled. Janie and Craig seemed to hold the theatre in their thrall, as if we the viewers were eavesdropping on this intensely private encounter. The smoldering undercurrents and the narcissism of the piece have never been so poetically expressed. The dancers were received with cheers and called out three times before the curtain. An extraordinary performance.
I had brought my friend Rob with me, wanting him to discover EVENFALL but in the event it was an incomplete experience. FAUN, on the other hand, really worked its magic tonight. Susan was there also and I think she felt the same.
The Paul Kolnik photo from the current Playbill shows Janie Taylor with Sebastien Marcovici in FAUN.
Curtain calls from a distance: Taylor & Hall after FAUN, Miranda & Seth Orza after EVENFALL.
I'm looking forward to this program on Tuesday evening, particularly to the debuts of Fairchild and DeLuz in RAymonda, the performances of Janie and Craig in Faun and to the penultimate NYCB performance of Miranda (in Evenfall). What did you think of Gia Kourlas's interview with Miranda in TimeOutNewYork?
Bob
Posted by: Bob Arrigon | February 18, 2007 at 05:14 PM
I make a point of not reading Kourlas.
Posted by: philip | February 18, 2007 at 05:56 PM
You're a wise man!
Posted by: Bob Arrigon | February 18, 2007 at 07:17 PM
I'm looking forward to tonight too! I'll see you all there! I read the interview. It seems that she is leaving because of the work schedule, which I didn't entirely understand... maybe PNB performs fewer ballets for a longer run. The interview was very short. Beautiful picture of her though!
Posted by: tonya | February 20, 2007 at 03:02 PM