Oberon's Grove

Priceless

I'd never really thought of Audrey Tautou as sexy until I saw the 2006 film PRICELESS (HORS DE PRIX). She was the impish and quirky Amelie of course, and very moving as the determined Mathilde in
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT.  But sexy? Glamorous? Seductive? In PRICELESS she is all those things: a total delight. We'd seen a preview of the film on another DVD and at first glance I could not believe this provocative femme fatale in the form-clinging dresses was our beloved Amelie. But it's her all right, adding another diamond to her cinematic crown.

On the French Riviera, Tautou as the gold-digging Irene mistakes a bartender for a billionaire. The low-key hotel employee Jean, brilliantly played by Gad Elmaleh (above) falls instantly for the beautiful young woman who has taken an unexpected interest in him. But soon finds that the only way to her heart is via his credit card.

When Irene figures out the truth, she walks out of his life. But Jean is so smitten he doesn't want to give up and so pursues Irene along the French coast. Circumstances keep throwing them together with often hilarious results.

At last, taking a leaf from Irene's own playbook, Jean hooks up with a patroness of his own: the world-weary and absurdly wealthy widow Madeline (a jewel of a performance from Marie-Christine Adam).  Meanwhile Irene has a new 'protector'. How does it all play out?  Watch and see.

Watching Tautou, Elmaleh and Adam in this film is a real pleasure and it's quite a delicious experience to see La Tautou's surprisingly sexy physique is a series of revealing haute couture creations.

JEWELS @ San Francisco Ballet

Erik Tomasson's photographs from the San Francisco Ballet's recent performances of George Balanchine's JEWELS. Above, Sofiane Sylve and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba in DIAMONDS. Read about the production here.

Sofiane Sylve also danced in RUBIES (above).

Hansuke Yamamoto, Dana Genshaft and Frances Chung in the pas de trois from EMERALDS.

Damian Smith and Yuan Tuan Tan in EMERALDS.

Maria Kochetkova and Nicolas Blanc in EMERALDS.

Vanessa Zahorian and Pascal Molat in RUBIES.

Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan in DIAMONDS.

All photographs are copyright Erik Tomasson/San Francisco Ballet.

All-Balanchine Opening Night @ NYCB

Tuesday April 28, 2009 - What better way to welcome New York City Ballet's Spring Season than with a quartet of Balanchine masterpieces spanning a great range of musical and visual styles and danced by the inimitable NYCB dancers? 

In CONCERTO BAROCCO Wendy Whelan (above photo by David Michalek) danced one of her (many) signature roles with a sublime sense of letting the music shine thru in all its clarity and beauty. For all the many times I have seen her in this ballet, she always makes it seem fresh and wondrous. This music is really in her blood. When Albert Evans steps in from the wing and begins wafting Wendy into the airy lifts, you realize (again) what a genius Balanchine had for showing us the music. New to the ballet was Ellen Bar; her dancing was larger in scale than we sometimes see in this role and along with Wendy and Albert she made musicality the basis of her performance. Ellen and Wendy are physically contrasted giving their duets an interesting dynamic.

The inter-weaving patterns of the corps provide the framework for the ballet's structure; I did think that Faycal Karoui's tempi at times were just a shade too fast tonight but the dancers managed quite well. Kurt Nikkanen and Lydia Hong were the excellent violin soloists. BAROCCO was the perfect way to start the season. 

The Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux was danced tonight by Ana Sophia Scheller (Kolnik headshot, above) and Gonzalo Garcia. These two very attractive dancers seemed to be enjoying their virtuoso moments but it was actually in the adagio that I found them most appealing. I love Scheller's polished sense of classicism, and her the quiet dazzle of her fouette combination. The only distraction was that the fish dives seemed on the brink of going awry. 

Janie Taylor and Sebastien Marcovici in LA VALSE above, in Paul Kolnik's photo. Set to Ravel's evocative, sensuous score this ballet was for me the chief thrill of the evening. It's music that Maestro Karoui really seems to relish. The Karinska costumes never fail to delight the eye, and lighting - especially the funereal gleam when the Death figure approaches the Girl among the frozen dancers - gives LA VALSE its sense of impending doom.

This ballet provides some fine opportunities for individual soloists and corps dancers to shine, and in the opening passage the three tall, elegant beauties Saskia Beskow, Dena Abergel and Gwyneth Muller immediately create the mysterious atmosphere of the haunted ballroom where Death is lurking. Gloves are key in LA VALSE and the gestures of the three girls take on a spooky feeling as their white-gloved arms move thru the port de bras.

Three young couples then enter the ballroom; here the boys in their white gloves sometimes seem like apprentice undertakers. The youthful, impetuous Lauren King is brilliantly paired with Antonio Carmena - his dancing so impressive - and then the radiant Kathryn Morgan wafts into view squired by the intense, impassioned Sean Suozzi. Their expansive style and flowing movement across the dance floor gave their duet a feeling of romantc urgency. Rebecca Krohn and Tyler Angle are another perfect match-up in their sustained duet which evolves into a solo for Rebecca - a woman on the brink, seeemingly - and then Tyler dances with Dena, Gwyneth and Saskia as the mystery of the ballroom deepens. All the girls here have their hair down adding to the atmosphere of sexual abandon.

And then Janie Taylor appears in virginal white with her ardent lover Sebastien Marcovici. The girl seems anxious for experience, the boy seems brooding and protective. Sebastien's white-gloved hands look enormous, glowing in the shadowy ballroom. Death appears, an uncharacteristically cold and sinister Philip Neal. The Girl is seduced by jewels and flowers and begins a nightmarish dance with Death.

LA VALSE could have been created for Janie Taylor, so ideally does she portray the Girl who herself almost seems predatory until she becomes the prey. (Above: Janie in a Paul Kolnik photo) As a dancer Janie's passionate, almost reckless style belies her cool surface - the perfect duality for this role. She and Philip created a remarkable atmosphere of desire supplanted by terror as the Girl realizes too late what she's gotten herself into. Philip's strength and security as a partner allowed them to take things to the edge as he ruthlessly mainpulated Janie, her voluptuous blonde hair adding an intriguing visual element to her helplessness. Sebastien awakens too late from his dream and finds his beloved dead. She is borne aloft as the dancers continue to swirl madly around the ballroom, Sebastien is a state of wild despair as the curtain falls. Janie, Sebastien and Philip rightfully won an enthusiastic ovation and an extra curtain call for this very potent, memorable performance.   

Where would Balanchine be without Stravinsky? And vice-versa? Above, Picasso's sketch of the composer. In tonight's SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS a youthful cast gave this masterpice a 'now generation' look.

The ever-breathtaking vision of the white-clad corps girls in a diagonal - hair down - as the curtain rises on this ballet is yet another indelible Balanchinian image. Mumurs of delighted awe swept thru the House as Daniel Ulbricht tucked into his first high-bounce - the first of many - and then he was joined by an ebullient Sterling Hyltin. Savannah Lowery and Adrian Danchig-Waring danced powerfully and looked great. The five demi-soliste couples included some of my favorite City Ballet personalities and it was great seeing them again after the two-month hiatus but - as always - hard to decide who to watch at any given moment.

The adagio of SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS always strikes me as ironic and rather whimisical in atmosphere; I like to see it danced with a lightness of touch and that's exactly what Abi Stafford and Jared Angle brought to it today. I really enjoy watching them together, the partnering seamless and their interpretation laced with subtle nuances of physical and facial expression which seem to read right off the musical score.

Balanchine builds the final movement to its inevitable ritualistic conclusion and one feels again that his ballets can be seen time after time and always reveal something new and unexpectedly captivating. It was great to watch the young cast of SYMPHONY step out for their bows to the genuine enthusiasm of the crowd. In a way this concluding ballet tonight provided a look at the future of the Company with a set of principals and soloists just now coming into their own. I like the look of things at NYCB very much.

Great seeing everyone at intermission - thank you, Deborah, for the gift from London! - and to see a big contingent of SAB folks and off-duty dancers among the crowd. We were seated behind the illustrious Suki Schorer, and seeing her added a final bit of magic to the evening.

LIFECASTING

Watch Kristin Sloan's fantastic video of NYC Ballet soloist Robert Fairchild talking about and dancing in Douglas Lee's LIFECASTING here. Above, Paul Kolnik's photo of Robert and Ashley Bouder in the ballet.

During the Winter season it took me four performances to fully appreciate this work:

"Seeing Douglas Lee's LIFECASTING for the fourth time tonight, I realized there is still much to discover in this unusual work that I did not appreciate at its premiere. It's been an object lesson for me in not dismissing new works on a single viewing because it is actually both starkly beautiful and chock full extraordinary dancing; unlike some ballets which simply wash over you with their flowing music and lovely images, LIFECASTING requires your complete commitment.

Tonight I tried watching the dancers who have what might be called supporting roles in this ballet; although they do not have 'up-front' opportunities like the principals they have a mood to sustain and passages which demand great control and concentration.

Meanwhile there is the elasticity and power of Adrian Danchig-Waring to savor, and the steely purity of Ashley Bouder's spikey balances - she also brings an interesting under-current of sensuousness to her role. LIFECASTING has really opened my eyes to the limitless future possibilities for Robert Fairchild - another dimension beyond that of romantic cavalier - and Maria Kowroski, Amar Ramasar and Craig Hall look sensational, dancing with passion while maintaining coolly glamourous facades. Near the end, a sinuous solo for Kaitlyn Gilliland that I had somehow failed to previously notice since I'd been concentrating on her partnered passages. I love the ballet's sudden ending and blackout; and I look forward to more performances in the Spring."

Kristin and Robbie have really sharpened my anticipation with this video clip.

Encore: Met RHEINGOLD

Monday April 27, 2009 - I enjoyed RHEINGOLD so thoroughly on Thursday but as magnificent as John Keenan's conducting was that night, I sort of felt it would be appropriate to say goodbye to this RING with a performance where James Levine was on the podium; it's always sort of been his RING. Though WALKURE was the opera I'd most liked to have seen again, I felt no desire to hear either of the Brunnhildes on offer. So when Dmitry decided to go to this RHEINGOLD I asked him to get me a ticket, too. Counting the dress rehearsal, this was my fourth RHEINGOLD this year. The major attraction of the evening was in having a new Wotan, Albert Dohmen.

The air was oppressively hot and dry up in standing room, and throughout the performance there were distractions as people wanted to go out to the bathroom and then re-enter; the usher had to explain in very loud whispers that if you go out you can't come back in.

I suppose it should not surprise me, but really: don't people realize (or take the time to find out) that RHEINGOLD is a one-act opera lasting almost 3 hours? This isn't the fucking cinema, kids. You don't just wander out and back in during the dull moments. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting popcorn.

But, on to the performance:

Anyone who gets an opportunity to sing Wotan in this production automatically gets compared to James Morris, and not just to current-form Morris but to memories of his performances over the years. Albert Dohmen (above) was more than just a viable alternative: he has house-filling power and he spans the full range of the role without strain on top or grumbling at the the lower end. The voice falls pleasingly on the ear, reminding me tonally a bit of Theo Adam and in terms of attack and vocal 'presence' of George London. I'd very much like to hear Dohmen in WALKURE and SIEGFRIED - both of which are to be aired over Sirius - and in other rep as well; I would imagine he'd be a very fine Dutchman. He certainly impressed tonight.

Wendy Bryn Harmer (above) again gave a notable performance in terms of both vocal power and richness of sound (plus a sense of urgent desperation as Freia's fate is bandied about); she seems more than ready for larger assignments both vocally and in terms of presence. Again enjoying a great success were the giants, Rene Pape (Fasolt) and Sir John Tomlinson (Fafner). Richard Paul Fink was a magnificent Alberich tonight and Yvonne Naef again was a passionate, vocally distinctive Fricka. Kim Begley (Loge), Dennis Peterson (Mime), Wendy White (Erda), Garrett Sorenson (Froh) and especially Charles Taylor (Donner) were thoroughly satisfying. Continuing to illuminate the music of the Rhinemaidens as the Cycles move forward are Lisette Oropesa, Kate Lindsey and Tamara Mumford.

Levine's pacing seemed right and the orchestra were playing quite well despite signs of fatigue here and there. The evening's most entrancing moment musically came as Ms. Naef questioned the efficacy of the gold in holding onto her husband's affections while David Chan wove that theme of longing and desire around her wine-coloured vocalizing.

So now it seems I really have come to the end of my RING experiences with the current production. It would be a pure and unlikely fluke were I to see any of the remaining performances.

The new RING will start in 2010-2011 with RHEINGOLD and WALKURE performances. Casting rumors at the moment go like this:

OPENING NIGHT: DAS RHEINGOLD [new production, opening night through Oct 8 and Mar. 21 - Apr 2] with Stephanie Blythe, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens (Alberich), Hans-Peter Koening (Fafner)

DIE WALKÜRE with Deborah Voigt, Eva Maria Westbroek*, Stephanie Blythe, Jonas Kaufmann/Simon O'Neill, Bryn Terfel, Hans-Peter Koenig, c. James Levine, dir. Robert Lepage

Then the following season:

SIEGFRIED, GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG [new productions] with Deborah Voigt/Katarina Dalayman, Stephanie Blythe, Ben Heppner/Stephen Gould, Gerhard Siegel, Bryn Terfel/Falk Struckmann, Eric Owens, Michael Volle* (Gunther), c. James Levine, dir Robert Lepage. Siegfried in the fall of 2011 and Götterdämmerung in January 2012. Complete cycles are scheduled for the springs of 2012 and 2013, the 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth.

Meanwhile, some of the names listed to participate have already been written off; opinions as to who will sing (and conduct) vary depending on who you talk to. It seems the price-tag for the new RING will be something in the neighborhood of $20 million.

At Last!

New York City Ballet's Spring season opens on Tuesday April 28th. Casting is here. It promises to be a really exciting season, especially because there are only a couple works in the repertory that don't interest me. So I will be going a lot. An all-Balancine opening night kicks off the season in high style, with Wendy Whelan and Albert Evans (above) scheduled for BAROCCO.

Be sure to check out Kristin Sloan's latest video productions on YouTube featuring - among others -  Maria Kowroski (above) and Rebecca Krohn (below) discussing ballets they are dancing in the coming weeks. 

The Spring Gala programme has been announced also:

Kyle Photographs the Royal Danish...and Lydia!

Kyle Froman's three-page series of photographs from the Royal Danish Ballet's production of SYMPHONY IN C may be viewed at Facebook. Visit Kyle's website here.

Here in NYC, Kyle has recently photographed City Ballet corps de ballet dancer Lydia Wellington in urban settings.

It will be odd to attend the opening night of NYC Ballet's Spring season on Tuesday and not see Kyle's smiling face among the dancers. But things seem to be going well for him in his new career.

Spin and Dye

This is my friend Jan sitting in his booth at the the 100th annual Connecticut Sheep Wool and Fiber Festival which was held on Saturday, April 25th. Jan spins and hand-dyes his own yarns, and he creates beautiful scarves and sweaters.

The Festival fell on a 90-degree day this year; the logo tee-shirts look cool, don't they?  

You can find Jan on Facebook.

Met SIEGFRIED Photos

Photographs from the Metropolitan Opera's production of SIEGFRIED. Above: James Morris as the Wanderer.

Robert Brubaker as Mime.

Wendy White as Erda.

Irene Theorin as Brunnhilde.

Two week-long RING Cycles begin on Monday April 27th.

Quick!

What opera is this?