More feathered migrants
Those big white birds, and a few blacks ones, are back. Amal Choucri Catta turns ornithologist
Swan Lake; Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre; Cairo Opera Orchestra, cond. Alexei Lyudmilin, choreography Yuri Grigorovich. Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, 18, 19 & 20 October, 8pm
Yuri Grigorovich is no newcomer to Cairo having already presented three ballets on two different occasions including one of his loveliest creations, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, a ballet in the good-old Russian tradition. And now Grigorovich is back, this time for three performances of Swan Lake presented by the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre.
The Bashkir Russian season, which began on 18 October and ends today included three ballet and two opera performances, closing with a gala concert similar to that presented last March at Milan's National Theatre in celebration of Rudolf Nureyev's 65th anniversary, commemorating, at the same time, the 10th anniversary of his death.
The Grigorovich choreography presented by the Bashkir Company is different to that earlier presented by the Bolshoi. The latter was in four acts, with a much larger cast and quite different choreography for the five dances -- the Hungarian, Spanish, Russian, Italian and Polish dances of the original third act. Eleven years ago Grigorovich even included a French dance. Now we have yet another production of the ballet, introducing Russian conductor Alexei Lyudmilin at the head of Cairo's Opera Orchestra. Passionate fortissimi by trumpets and cymbals resounded chaotically through the hall before the dwindling decibels turned into the softest of pianissimi. Tchaikovsky, it seemed, would again be the star of the show.
Swan Lake, originally in four acts and based on a libretto by Beghitchev and Heltzer, famously flopped when first presented in 1877. It was only when Petipa recreated the entire ballet, presenting it to the public in 1895, two years after Tchaikovsky's death, that it achieved success. The ballet has been repeatedly altered: the four acts have turned into two and the choreography has been subject to several changes, mainly with regard to the end: certain earlier versions united the lovers in death while later versions unite them in life.
For the Bashkir production the numbers of performers were reduced: the swan's corps de ballet comprised 18 dancers and the many guests at the castle were mostly invisible. Nevertheless, the famous pas-de-quatre was beautifully executed by an excellent quartet and the solo dances were ravishing. Odette and Odile were wonderfully performed by Gulsina Mavlyukasova and Zaintdinov was an extraordinary Rotbart.
Opening night found the audience chatting, mobiles ringing and children rushing around. Everything calmed down, though, as the curtain rose on a threadbare backdrop. Brownish curtains plunged the scene into melancholy, with two crystal chandeliers demurely lighting what was supposed to be a hall in the prince's palace. The ballerinas' costumes were of the same brownish hue as the curtains, while the queen mother's grandiose costume was a specimen of remarkable haute-couture. One might have expected brighter colours from Bashkir. There was, though, nothing flashy, nothing ostentatious about the troupe, which was also the case with the sets. Yet the entire show dazzled. The pas-de-deux were radiant and the solos brilliant with the exception of a few weak passages.
Prince Siegfried's pas-de-deux with Odette were far better than his solo dances. He was her perfect partner, though he was no perfect partner for Odile. Helpless, scared, frail, tender and unhappy, Odette needed someone to lean on. Her gestures were affectionate, sensitive: she was the vulnerable, innocent victim of the evil sorcerer. Odile -- haughty, exalted -- did not need anyone: her gestures were bold, impudent, reckless. She enjoyed seeing Siegfried intimidated and when he swore eternal love she could not help but feel triumphant. The prima ballerina interpreting Odette- Odile was one of the show's highlights.
The last dance, with swans crying and bewailing their hopeless destiny on the lake, was also subjected to changes: four black swans, sisters to the evil Odile, were mingling among the white ones, trying to stop Odette from getting to her prince, and the prince from getting to her, while Rotbart was fighting Siegfried "to the death". In the end victory went to the swans and the prince, while Rotbart fell to his death and the house came down in an avalanche of applause. The Bashkir Ballet Company had succeeded in winning the audience's admiration: they had a full house for each of their three performances.
