"Onegin"
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Marianela Nuñez, Thiago Soares, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Valentino Zucchetti
Artists of the Royal Ballet
26 January, 2013
by Judith Cruickshank
copyright 2013 by Judith Cruickshank
Twelve thirty on a cold January morning is not perhaps the ideal time to plunge into two and a half hours of high romantic passion and despair, but that is what the exigencies of scheduling at Covent Garden decreed for Marianela Nuñez’s debut as the heroine of John Cranko’s ‘Onegin’. And it is a tribute to Nunez and her Onegin, Thiago Soares, (in real life, her husband) that at the final curtain several members of the audience sprang spontaneously to their feet to applaud the couple.
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Marianela Nuñez, Thiago Soares, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Valentino Zucchetti
Artists of the Royal Ballet
26 January, 2013
by Judith Cruickshank
copyright 2013 by Judith Cruickshank
Twelve thirty on a cold January morning is not perhaps the ideal time to plunge into two and a half hours of high romantic passion and despair, but that is what the exigencies of scheduling at Covent Garden decreed for Marianela Nuñez’s debut as the heroine of John Cranko’s ‘Onegin’. And it is a tribute to Nunez and her Onegin, Thiago Soares, (in real life, her husband) that at the final curtain several members of the audience sprang spontaneously to their feet to applaud the couple.
The start of the performance was rather downbeat, not helped by some lackluster dancing – and some very noisy shoes – from the group of girlfriends. But things improved with the arrival of Valentino Zucchetti as Lensky and the temperature increased notably when Soares’s entered, looking handsome enough to make any woman’s heart beat faster.
He has always been a good Onegin; he’s now at the point where he can be ranked alongside the very best: that extremely small group who convince you that the ballet is rightly called ‘Onegin’ rather than ‘Tatiana’. Soares starts with the advantage of being tall and dark, with Latin good looks and an expressive and easily read face. But whereas previously it could appear as if acting and dancing were separate, they are now combined in a complete reading of the part.
One clue to this transformation could be that he has recently danced the role in his native Rio de Janeiro, where the company is directed by no less a dancer than Marcia Haydée, the original Tatiana. The other could lie with his partner, Nuñez, a dancer who is prepared to invest the sum of her considerable intelligence and formidable technique in a role, never giving less than her all.
She has had to wait a long time for her Tatiana and it was a genuinely impressive debut with the promise of much more to come. Nuñez has now reached the point where you can take technique for granted. You may notice the smoothness of her tiny bourees, or the beauty of her line as she is flung round her partner’s shoulders. But what you see in a role like Tatiana is the idea and the emotion she wishes to express through her dancing and Tatiana is a role she has clearly though much about.
One thing I particularly admired was the quite different style she adopted in her two big duets. In the first, it’s a romantic girl’s dream. The idealized hero has stepped out of the pages of her book to sweep her off her feet. In the last act it is gut-wrenching pain. Only her iron sense of duty prevents her from giving in to Onegin’s pleading. And the ease and flow shown in the performance of both these tricky duets is a tribute to Soares’s strength and skill as a partner and Nuñez’s trust in him.
Of the other characters I especially admired Zucchetti in both the party scene and even more in his account of the solo before the duel, which he danced beautifully and with real conviction, without ever going over the top. I was less impressed by Meaghan Grace Hinks as Olga. There was too great a gap between the coy Miss of the first scene and the vulgar flirt at the party.
Ryochi Hirano made a brave attempt at Prince Gremin, but he’s really too young for the role – nor is it only a matter of grey hair and a moustache – and despite his excellent partnering, his duet with Nuñez lacked the depth and complexity of emotion it can show.
The ensemble improved greatly as the ballet went on and I was especially happy to see that both the dancers of the little vignettes and the elderly guests at the birthday party had toned down their performances, thus making them more effective in conveying the informal atmosphere of a country party where all the neighbours have to be invited. Nor were the dancers at the formal St Petersburg ball quite so frozen faced as is sometimes the case. Some people at that gathering must surely be having a good time!
Both Zucchetti and Hirano were replacements for dancers with injuries. On the opening night of this run Johan Kobborg was unable to appear so Jason Reilly from the Stuttfgart Ballet stepped in for him. And though one wouldn’t have known it during the performance, both Nuñez and Soares are recovering from injuries which have kept them off stage for some time. Halfway through the season with three mixed bills, including new creations, plus several full evening works to come, it must be worrying for the company’s management. Let’s wish for a quick recovery for all concerned.
He has always been a good Onegin; he’s now at the point where he can be ranked alongside the very best: that extremely small group who convince you that the ballet is rightly called ‘Onegin’ rather than ‘Tatiana’. Soares starts with the advantage of being tall and dark, with Latin good looks and an expressive and easily read face. But whereas previously it could appear as if acting and dancing were separate, they are now combined in a complete reading of the part.
One clue to this transformation could be that he has recently danced the role in his native Rio de Janeiro, where the company is directed by no less a dancer than Marcia Haydée, the original Tatiana. The other could lie with his partner, Nuñez, a dancer who is prepared to invest the sum of her considerable intelligence and formidable technique in a role, never giving less than her all.
She has had to wait a long time for her Tatiana and it was a genuinely impressive debut with the promise of much more to come. Nuñez has now reached the point where you can take technique for granted. You may notice the smoothness of her tiny bourees, or the beauty of her line as she is flung round her partner’s shoulders. But what you see in a role like Tatiana is the idea and the emotion she wishes to express through her dancing and Tatiana is a role she has clearly though much about.
One thing I particularly admired was the quite different style she adopted in her two big duets. In the first, it’s a romantic girl’s dream. The idealized hero has stepped out of the pages of her book to sweep her off her feet. In the last act it is gut-wrenching pain. Only her iron sense of duty prevents her from giving in to Onegin’s pleading. And the ease and flow shown in the performance of both these tricky duets is a tribute to Soares’s strength and skill as a partner and Nuñez’s trust in him.
Of the other characters I especially admired Zucchetti in both the party scene and even more in his account of the solo before the duel, which he danced beautifully and with real conviction, without ever going over the top. I was less impressed by Meaghan Grace Hinks as Olga. There was too great a gap between the coy Miss of the first scene and the vulgar flirt at the party.
Ryochi Hirano made a brave attempt at Prince Gremin, but he’s really too young for the role – nor is it only a matter of grey hair and a moustache – and despite his excellent partnering, his duet with Nuñez lacked the depth and complexity of emotion it can show.
The ensemble improved greatly as the ballet went on and I was especially happy to see that both the dancers of the little vignettes and the elderly guests at the birthday party had toned down their performances, thus making them more effective in conveying the informal atmosphere of a country party where all the neighbours have to be invited. Nor were the dancers at the formal St Petersburg ball quite so frozen faced as is sometimes the case. Some people at that gathering must surely be having a good time!
Both Zucchetti and Hirano were replacements for dancers with injuries. On the opening night of this run Johan Kobborg was unable to appear so Jason Reilly from the Stuttfgart Ballet stepped in for him. And though one wouldn’t have known it during the performance, both Nuñez and Soares are recovering from injuries which have kept them off stage for some time. Halfway through the season with three mixed bills, including new creations, plus several full evening works to come, it must be worrying for the company’s management. Let’s wish for a quick recovery for all concerned.