Tchaikovsky : Swan Lake
Mariinsky Ballet
Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra
Valery Gergiev
Let's dispose of the technical matters first. This was, apparently, the first ever live transmission of a ballet in 3D. I admit when I first heard about the project, I assumed it would be filmed from the brand-new Mariinsky II theatre, to show off all its shiny new bells and whistles. However, the company was also marking the 275th anniversary of the creation of the Imperial Ballet School - the effective start of Russian classical ballet - so the performance came from Mariinsky I. It might have been better had it come from the new house, because the main thing that struck me was that the whole proceedings were woefully underlit. They would have been underlit for 2D, but somebody forgot the colour-dimming effects of 3D glasses, which just compounded the problem. If this type of project is repeated, I sincerely hope the matter of (much) enhanced lighting will be properly addressed.
That said, I'm not at all convinced of the benefits of 3D in this context. If it's not to be used for special effects (things flying out of the screen at the audience), its main function is to improve depth of field, and it can achieve this quite spectacularly in the cinema. On stage, the depth of field is automatically limited by the back-drop which, especially with ultra-traditional productions like this one, nothing can make pass for anything other than a painted flat surface. Yes, the image was crystal clear (well, lighting aside, that is), but I've seen as good in 2D, so this seems like probably a lot of money spent to not much effect.
The Mariinsky clings resolutely to the Konstantin Sergeyev version of "Swan Lake", famous (or should that be infamous?) for its "happy end", and anchored in the repertory for over 60 years now. Of course, the Mariinsky Swans are legendary, and it was easy to see why, with their airy grace and smooth synchronisation. Acts 2 and 4 were very near picture-perfect, especially with the stirring playing of the Mariinsky orchestra under Valery Gergiev for support. That was what carried the performance through the mostly well-danced but theatrically bland 1st and 3rd acts, which really should encourage the company to refresh its production. I said 'mostly well-danced' - the character dances of Act 3 were less than pristine, and lacked verve, which undermined the building drama of that act to a surprising degree.
The Mariinsky filmed this same production some five or six years ago, with Uliana Lopatkina in the principal role. Tonight, it was Ekaterina Kondaurova, and on the whole I prefer her to Lopatkina; she's more human. Here too was the elegance and grace you expect of a Mariinsky ballerina, and she carried off the Black Swan very nicely, without over-exaggerating the differences to the point you wonder if the Prince is completely blind. However, she lacked that edge of desperation in the last act, and I can't help but wonder if it's knowing that everything's going to work out in the end that prevents her from projecting that. Similarly, Timur Askerov's Prince Siegfried is hardly the usual thoughtful misfit, but a more cookie-cutter fairy-tale prince, perhaps because he ends up being heroic in the end and getting the girl. He's a good-looking, long-limbed lad, and not an unattractive dancer, but lacks presence as a partner, and I was not at all happy with the final lift of the Black Swan pas de deux.
I can accept that certain traditions need to be maintained, and the company is certainly worth seeing for its Swans alone, never mind anyone else, but it might be time to consider renewing their production of "Swan Lake". It's quite possible to do so without losing the essentials - look at the number of different versions floating around the world as it is, most of which keep the Petipa/Ivanov choreography at the base. Fortunately, Gergiev and the orchestra kept things vibrantly alive on the musical side.
[Next: 24th June]
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