Hello!
Ig just recommended me a video of Stanton's Welch's Raymonda for Huston ballet. And it looked very pretty ( it was the one with Tyler Donatelli) so I watched some more! There's a video showing and speaking of what they did with the curtains, beey interesting! The set and costumes looks sumptuous and very luxurious. It looks very pretty... but that is only one part of the equation. And I don't know much about the dancing and story part.
Have you heard of this version of Raymonda? If yes what do you think of it?
there's a video of act 1, saying it's a secret meeting of Raymonda and Jean. So I can guess some of the story changes... But ultimately I don't know.
It looks very very pretty, so as a vain magpie attracted by what's shiny : I am interested in it.
I do like rewriting of classical ballets, like the one the dutch National did for Raymonda. It was a minor change they did, but it was enough to take away a big chunk of the racism and stereotypes of the original.
I haven't watched Rojo's Raymonda and I struggle with her, but if I separate the ballet from her, it looks very interesting and I would like to see it. (I hope it's respectful and not insensitive, considering where/when it takes place.).
Have you seen Rojo's Raymonda btw? It's produced in San Francisco now too I believe!
@dors-ee - You have no idea how happy this question makes me! Raymond's definitely been in the air and I've been watching various versions online since Khiteeva's debut in the Spring. I JUMPED at the opportunity to hear Glazunov's score played live and to see Raymonda as a full-length, aespecially as I live within driving distance of Houston. I attended the 6/6 performance with Danbi Kim and Chun Wai Chan. I was very curious about the revised libretto. Would it work? Would it give birth to a version of Raymonda that audiences would flock to again and again? I think the answer is yes, with some caveats.
I left the performance with a lot of thoughts and feelings, so many that I wanted to write a review. However, I was on vacation with the family and didn't take notes. By the time I could jot something down, my memory was too fuzzy. My overall impression is that the libretto change mostly works and definitely creates a story more palatable for American audiences. (Honestly, the original libretto is a bit of a dud, so I'm very open to changes.) Welch's version gains a lighter tone, but loses a bit its solemnity and Hungarian flair. That becomes a bit of a liability in Act 3, during the Grand Pas, because the music seems to come of out nowhere. Danbi Kim impressed. Chun Wai Chan seemed to have an off night. The men at Houston Ballet definitely impressed overall. As I was formulating my thoughts on this version, I came across this reddit review that hit the nail on the head, so I'm not going to write my full impressions here. I also added to that discussion.
Now that I have this version under my belt, I would really like to see the ENB/SFB version where the story is set during the Crimean War. I also want to see the DNB version, which seems most aligned with the original. Hoping that Raymonda appears more frequently stateside and we get a version that sticks around!
