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Natalia Osipova in Strapless © ROH 2016. Photo by Bill Cooper |
Reviewed by Robert Hugill on Feb 16 2016
Star rating:
Triple bill of ballets by Christopher Wheeldon
The Royal Ballet’s new triple bill of works by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, which we saw on its third outing on Tuesday 16 February 2016, includes one brand-new work and two further works which are new to the UK. Wheeldon’s Strapless is a new ballet to a specially commissioned score from Mark-Anthony Turnage with designs by Bob Crowley, it was teamed with the Royal Ballet’s new productions of Wheeldon’s After the Rain to music by Arvo Part (Tabula Rasa, and Spiegel im Spiegel) with costumes by Holly Hynes and lighting by 59 Productions, and Within the Golden Hour to music by Ezio Bosso, with costumes by Lynette Mauro based on the original designs by Martin Pakledinaz and lighting by 59 Productions.
After the Rain featured Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares, Strapless featured Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson and Federico Bonelli, Within the Golden Hour featured Sarah Lamb, Stephen McRae, Lauren Cuthertson, Matthew Golding, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, and Vadim Muntagirov. Koen Kessels conducted the orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
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Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares in After the Rain © ROH 2016. Photo by Bill Cooper |
Strapless is based on the events surrounding John Singer Sargent’s painting of Madame X, the infamous portrait of Amélie Gautreau where one strap of her gown was off her shoulder, as if more was to come. The resulting scandal broke Amélie Gautreau’s reputation (she had been something of a society It Girl) and led to Sargent’s leaving Paris. Wheeldon’s ballet was based on Deborah Davis’s novel about the events. The key personel were Amélie Gautreau (Natalia Osipova) and her lover Dr Samuel-Jean Pozzi (Federico Bonelli), John Singer Sargent (Edward Watson) and his lover Albert de Belleroche (Matthew Ball), plus Mme Pozzi (Kristen McNally) and .M Gautreau (Jonathan Howells). Wheeldon chose to tell the story in non linear fashion, intercutting the narrative of the painting being showed and finally unveiled, with the events leading up to the creation of the painting. It culminated in the unveiling with Amélie Gautreau being stripped of her finery. There was a final epilogue set in the modern day when Amélie Gautreau sees how famous the picture has become..
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Edward Watson, Matthew Ball and Natalia Osipova in Strapless © ROH 2016. Photo by Bill Cooper |
The problem with historically based operas is that there are so many cast members with relationships to sort out (Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling has the same problem). Wheeldon did a wonderful job of letting us know who was whom, but we did not really care for them all and I did wonder whether a more abstract treatment might have worked. Osipova was brilliant as Amélie Gautreau, looking remarkably like the portrait and making Wheeldon’s neat and edgy choreography feel as if Amélie Gautreau had come alive. Edward Watson was the other lynchpin, creating a really passionate image of John Singer Sargent. There was a steamy love scene for Osipova and Bonelli, with Bonelli dressed in the familiar red robe from Sargent’s portrait of Pozzi. And there was a fascinating scene where Sargent paints Amélie Gautreau but is inspired by his lover Albert de Belleroche (Matthew Ball), again getting quite steamy. Definitely a piece to see again.
Finally came Within the Golden Hour to music by Ezio Bosso, with Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Lauren Cuthbertson, Matthew Golding, Beatriz Stix-Brunell and Vadim Muntagirov. The music featured multiple movements by Bosso a contemporary Italian composer whose career has spanned pop and classical. Like the Arvo Part, the music was written for relatively small forces with Wheeldon using this as a structure on which to base his busy and, in this case, entertaining choreography. I have to confess that on this hearing, I did not find Bosso’s music anywhere like as rewarding as Part’s. Wheeldon’s choreography was far more playful than the first ballet, using the multiple movements to create a series of different tableau with various combinations of personnel. The results were attractive and intriguing and it may a joyful end to the evening.
Elsewhere on this blog:
- Notable first: ENO first Norma - opera review
- Pinks and Blues: Debut disc from pianist Christina McMaster - CD review
- Eclectic cross-arts: Bastard Assignments in Brixton - concert review
- Music and poetry: Rosa Feola & Iain Burnside in Respighi, Martucci, Ponchielli, Liszt - CD review
- Eclectic mix: Andrew Keeping's Classic guitar - CD review
- Visceral & involving: Bach's St. John Passion - concert review
- Telling a story through programming: My encounter with Ian Page of Classical Opera - interview
- Le choeur chant du coeur: Tenebrae & Nigel Short in French choral music - concert review
- Clarity, tone and words: Ben Johnson in English song - CD review
- Impressive debut: Suzi Rigby and ORA Singers - concert review
- Bach with finesse: Peter Hill in Bach's French suites - CD review
- Home
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