This is the second visit to the Everyman in a couple of months from Alexej Ignatow’s Russian State Ballet and Opera House. After the excellent La Traviata in September the company is back with three of the world’s favourite ballets – Swan Lake, Don Quixote and The Nutcracker.
This is the first time I have seen this production of The Nutcracker and jolly good it was too. It was performed by the State Ballet and Opera Company of Astrakahn under the artistic direction of former Bolshoi star Konstantin Uralsky.
Nutcracker contains more well-known tunes per square yard than probably any other ballet and I suppose there is always the danger that familiarity breeds, if not contempt, then a hope that something new will be brought to the proceedings. There is not a vast amount of scope for originality in classical ballet – it is a medium for the virtuoso performer, not the creative genius, but this production manages to create something that borders on magical and, in places, almost surreal – I loved the mice doing battle with the toy soldiers.
Visually The Nutcracker was beautiful, all rich textures and sumptuous reds, greens and ultramarine blues. The second act ballroom scene was spectacular with the biggest chandelier you’ve ever seen. This ballet also gives incredible scope for costume design with all the different toy-based characters and this production did not disappoint. Visually it was stunning and a feast for the eyes.
There were some excellent performances too. Alexander Zverev was convincing and commanding as magician Drosselmeyer and the pas de deux with Nutcracker and Marie, beautifully danced last night by the well matched Arthur Almukhametov and Karina Mannapova, was the high spot of the first half. But it is the beginning of the second act when the ballet really comes into its own with everyone getting to do their party pieces. I really enjoyed Genaldi Mimrik and Vselovod Tabachuk’s Chinese Dance but each of the turns was good and the large company of thirty-odd dancers all shone under the baton of conductor Sergey Grinev. As Christmas is already in full swing, this will fit in nicely. Thoroughly enjoyable.
I must confess to never having seen Don Quixote, not being able to whistle any of the tunes and never having heard of its composer Ludwig Minkus. So, last night was a bit of an eye-opener, and a very pleasant one at that. Although there are no well-known, catchy tunes this is a very nice piece with some sublime moments.
We all know the story of Don Quixote and his trusty side-kick Sancho Panza as they roam Spain searching for giants, but settling on windmills at which to tilt. As you can imagine, being Spain, there are lots of swirling toreador capes, castanets and swishing fans. There are also a lot of wigs and false whiskers. There are probably more character parts in this ballet than any other and that makes the piece a lot more fun, almost like a pantomime. In fact the backcloths, especially the one for the prologue, were beautifully painted in that very bold pantomime style. Visually, as with The Nutcracker, Don Quixote was a treat.
Surprisingly, Don Quixote himself plays very little part in the ballet. He stands around looking a bit confused, rather like a latter-day Nik Turner from Hawkwind (but that’s probably before your time) and it is left to Sancho Panza to supply most of the comic relief, although Alexander Zverev cut a fine figure as the foppish Gamache. Gleb Antipin, as Sancho, must suffer back pains for a week after each performance as he spend the whole show bent double with a large, protruding behind. Although he didn’t have a lot to do Alexei Ozimovskii had just the right distant air as the day-dreaming Don Quixote but it was the soloists that really excelled last night.
The part of Basil is possibly one of the most challenging in a dancer’s repertoire and one which Rudolf Nureyev made his own. Anton Piastsekhin was dancing it last night and was outstanding with lots of high leaps and one-arm lifts of his partner Anastasia Turchina who gave a virtuoso performance as the much courted Kitri.
The thirty-piece orchestra was again under the baton of Sergey Grinev and gave a spirited and flamboyant performance. I am glad I have made the acquaintance of Don Quixote and the introduction could not have been better than from the Russian State Ballet and Opera House who seem to go from strength to strength with every tour. ★★★★☆ Michael Hasted 13th November 2015
