balletmagic

starring Alina Somova and Evgeny Ivanchenko transcended sketchy sets and bordering on gaudy peasant costumes to become one of ballet most memorable nights. While the first act was well acted and beautifully danced, it was the Willis act that hold me transfixed, lifting my spirits and brining to a new level of art appreciation. As if an old etching depicting Romantic ballerina of the 19th century came to life on stage of The Kennedy Center and mind you, this was not a mere stylization of the revered Romantic ballet, but a living breathing scene of extraordinary beauty and stylistic purity.

I can’t even attempt to describe Samovar’s light as breath sautés and breath extending to the tips of her fingers, melting quality of her landings, the softest possible plie and the quintessential Giselle 2nd arabesque extending into space and time. No words can describe the magic of this exceptional performance…

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A Tale of Two Giselles

Friday, February 11, 2011

Friday night starring Alina Somova and Evgeny Ivanchenko transcended sketchy sets and bordering on gaudy peasant costumes to become one of ballet most memorable nights. While the first act was well acted and beautifully danced, it was the Willis act that hold me transfixed, lifting my spirits and brining to a new level of art appreciation. As if an old etching depicting Romantic ballerina of the 19th century came to life on stage of The Kennedy Center and mind you, this was not a mere stylization of the revered Romantic ballet, but a living breathing scene of extraordinary beauty and stylistic purity.

I can’t even attempt to describe Samovar’s light as breath sautés and breath extending to the tips of her fingers, melting quality of her landings, the softest possible plie and the quintessential Giselle 2nd arabesque extending into space and time. No words can describe the magic of this exceptional performance, that could be experienced only in the setting of life theatre.

Photo courtesy of Mariinsky Theatre

Evgeny Ivanchenko, always a solid partner, shared rather than shadowed Alina’s interpretation. More a dreamy youth from Les Sylphides than Count Albrecht, he too rose to the occasion in the 2nd act to enhance the partnership which was both sensitive and organic. Both Ivanchenko and Somova were technically flawless throughout. Mariinsky legendary corps de ballet was remarkably uniform and subtle, while Myrtha, Alexandra Iosifidi and the two lead Willis, Daria Vasnetsova and Oxana Skorik put in both polished and sensitive performance. Hans, acted by Konstantin Zverev stood in stark contrast with weak-willed and not very aristocratic Albrecht-Ivanchenko of the first act.

Several standing ovations from a sold-out crowd ended the night to remember.

A Tale of Two Giselles

Saturday afternoon, February 12, 2011

Where this performance featuring Victoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov lacked in magic of the previous evening, it more than made up with brilliance of all major performers – starting with the leads and finishing with picture perfect lines of Mariinsky’s Willis. Perhaps the supporting cast in the Duke’s hunting party could express more participation. Not inclined to look for spots in the Sun, however, I am quite convinced that Kirov-Mariinsky, the company that gave the world Anna Pavlova, Vatslav Nijinsky, Olga Spesivtseva, Galina Ulanova, Uliana Lopatkina, not to mention the best known ballets that currently grace world’s finest stages, remains guiding light for what constitutes classical ballet.

Victoria Tereshkina was very convincing in the role of peasant girl, perhaps with a streak of chance noble blood in her veins. Vladimir Shklyarov brought all the ardor of his Romeo while still maintaining aristocratic demeanor. They both were so engaged in their respective roles, that their partnership, though well rehearsed remained somewhat studied. The highly charged Mad Scene which culminates the first act was performed marvelously and not by the leads alone, but everyone involved in it.

Victoria favored less in the 2nd act, perhaps because of the statuesque Myrtha-Kondaurova who arrested the attention of the audience with her sailing pas de bourree and majestic 1st arabesques. Ekaterina looked incredibly beautiful that night! Seeing the two Giselles on subsequent days provided opportunity for comparison. While the palm in the act of Willis unmistakably belongs to a more Romantic Somova, Victoria had an edge in most dramatic scenes of the 1st act. I also thought that Valeria Martinyuk (according to the program), partnered both performances by Alexei Timofeyev pocessed more of stage presence than Elizaveta Cheprasova of the night before. “Duel of the Hanses” ended in solid tie as both Konstantin Zverev and Yuri Smekalov stood as living proof to Mariinsky’s excellence in mime and drama.

Mariinsky “Giselle” @ the Ken-Cen

Feb 8 – 13, 2011

Giselle

Choreography: Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot
Arrangement and addition choreography by Marius Petipa
Music: Adolphe Adam

PRINCIPAL CASTING

Tue., Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Giselle: Diana Vishneva
Alberth: Andrian Fadeyev
Hanz: Yuri Smekalov
Mirtha: Ekaterina Kondaurova

Wed., Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Giselle: Alina Somova (cast change on 1/12)
Alberth: Evgeny Ivanchenko (cast change on 1/12)
Hanz: Konstantin Zverev
Mirtha: Alexandra Iosifidi

Thu., Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Giselle: Viktoria Tereshkina (cast change on 1/12)
Alberth: Vladimir Shklyarov (cast change on 1/12)
Hanz: Yuri Smekalov
Mirtha: Ekaterina Kondaurova

Fri., Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Giselle: Alina Somova (cast change on 1/12)
Alberth: Evgeny Ivanchenko (cast change on 1/12)
Hanz: Konstantin Zverev
Mirtha: Alexandra Iosifidi

Sat., Feb. 12 at 1:30 p.m.
Giselle: Viktoria Tereshkina (cast change on 1/12)
Alberth: Vladimir Shklyarov (cast change on 1/12)
Hanz: Yuri Smekalov
Mirtha: Anastasia Petushkova

Sat., Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Giselle: Uliana Lopatkina
Alberth: Daniil Korsuntsev
Hanz: Konstantin Zverev
Mirtha: Ekaterina Kondaurova

Sun., Feb. 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Giselle: Diana Vishneva
Alberth: Andrian Fadeyev
Hanz: Yuri Smekalov
Mirtha: Alexandra Iosifidi

Giselle Imortal

It was violet eyed Italian beauty Carlotta Grisi, who appeared on stage of Theatre de l’Academie Royale in Paris as world’s first Giselle and by doing so, herself reached the stage of immortality. Without Carlotta the work might had not materialized, for it was she, or better put, her charismatic personality and remarkable artistry that inspired Théophile Gautier and Jules Perrot to create Giselle immortal. Carlotta was the Muse and the two cultural giants were passionately in love with her.

World’s first Albrecht? It was Lucien Petipa. Yes, older brother of that Petipa whose name we came to associate with classical ballet.

FACT SHEET

Choreography: Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot
Music: Adolphe Adam
Libretto: Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier
World Premiere: Theatre de l’Academie Royale de Musique, Paris. June 28. 1841
Premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia on February 5th, 1884. Revival by Marius Petipa

Original Cast:
Carlotta Grisi (Giselle)
Lucien Petipa (Albrecht)
Adele Dumilatre (Myrtha)

Mariinsky “Giselle”: Olga Spessivtseva

Even from the lineup of great Giselles, one solitary figure clearly stands out. Olga Spessivtseva’s early life ( she was born on July 18, 1895 ) falls between two Russian revolutions. Abrupt cataclysmic changes and collapse of the old world displaced millions of people and destroyed millions of lives. Olga was not a Scarlet O’Hara to walk against the wind, rather her tragic life is a reflection on turbulent times. Almost all of her roles carried within a premonition of the future, the inevitability of death and destruction of beauty. Theme of Beauty ruthlessly trampled upon and reacquired only in the afterlife, sounded particularly pure and clear in her rendering of Giselle.

“Having slowly risen from the grave, she timidly approached the mistress of the willis. then begins to rotate on one leg, extending the other in a flowing arabesque. It was like a dream, so powerful in its expression that it seemed to lie outside the realm of possible”, – wrote Spessivtseva’s contemporary Bogdanov-Berezovsky

“She performed the end of the first act sans pantomime, but with dancing steps alone, and in the theater everyone was weeping. After the first act the audience jumped to its feet and staged for Olga an unprecedented ovation. Yet the next morning she came to me sad and defeated: “I shouldn’t dance Giselle anymore, I come to resemble her too much”, – from the letter of contemporary to Olga’s sister Zinaida

And so she did. Olga loses her sanity and spends years in sanatorium, not recognizing anyone. At the twilight of her life she miraculously recovers and even recalls the steps from the ballet. Rare black and white photos and videos of the period keep memory alive of this extraordinary beautiful ballerina and perhaps the greatest Giselle ever.

Mariinsky “Giselle”: Nijinsky

And then there is Vaslav Nijinsky. Alas, the importance of his portrayal of Albrecht had been sadly obscured by the scandal concerning Nijinsky’s costume, scandal which led to his dismissal from the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in 1911. And yet through the volumes of literature presenting you with sordid details of the incident, an inquisitive reader can still discern what is really important and that is the grandeur of his portrayal: in the beginning Nijinsky’s Albrecht comes out as a darling of fortune with an attitude of entitlement of one born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But a chance encounter with true beauty changes his life forever. He cannot, would not let it go and follows Giselle, who embodies it, to the other side.

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Mariinsky Legends

Anna Pavlova, Vakhtang Chabukiani, Alla Sizova, Irina Kolpakova, Marina Semyonova, N. Dudinskaya & K. Sergeev

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Mariinsky “Giselle”: The New Generation

Beauteous Irina Golub, dramatic Evgenia Obraztsova, refined Olesya Novikova and enchanting Alina Somova

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Mariinsky “Giselle” in art & photos

As seen through the lens of master of light MARK OLICH

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