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Royal Ballet

Memories Triple Bill: 'Beyond Bach', 'The Leaves are Fading', 'Marguerite & Armand'

February 2002
London, The Royal Opera House

by Jim Fowler


© Jeff Busby and AB

RB 'Beyond Bach' reviews

RB 'Leaves are Fading' reviews

RB 'M&A' reviews

Guillem in reviews

Benjamin in reviews

recent RB reviews




I am a self-confessed closet Angel Delight addict. I sometimes make up a whole packet (butterscotch flavor preferred) and eat it all by myself. I usually skip the instruction: "spoon it into dessert dishes", and spoon it straight down my throat from the mixing bowl. Sometimes I can't wait, and drink it down before it has set. Now, Angel Delight with Dream Topping on top is a pudding fit for a Sylphe. And that's no trifling matter.

With this in mind, I might have been expected to enjoy the 'Memories' triple bill - and indeed I did. In fact it was one of the most enjoyable multiple bills I have ever seen. Of course, unashamedly, I went to see Sylvie in 'Marguerite and Armand' (I was starting to panic that I haven't seen her for a while). One industrial definition of a 'grievance' is when reality fails to match expectation. From what I had read here and elsewhere, I was expecting to snooze off during the first two ballets until it was Sylvie's turn to come on. So, with expectations rock-bottom, I felt I had nothing to lose.



Beyond Bach
photo courtesy of Jeff Busby and The Australian Ballet


I see no reason why Bach's precisely measured counterpoint should not be suitable for dance. After all, Sylvie gave a beautiful rendering of Bach's music (chroeographed by Maurice Béjart) in La Luna. Within a few bars of Beyond Bach starting I suddenly felt a wave of relaxation descend all over me, washing away the stresses of the last few weeks. I thought the ballet was a brilliant interpretation of the music - and why hasn't anybody commented on the playing? I thought it was superb and would be happy to award the harpsichordist 'Man of the Match'. I really thought the dancers showed respect, if not awe, of the music, not trying to 'upstage' it as sometimes happens with Minkus's thumping scores. And on this occasion I disagree with Eugene - I thought the 'Sheep may safely graze' was sublime.

After the New World symphony, I suppose Antonin Dvorák is best known for his Slavonic dances, and it is perhaps suprising that we don't see more of his music used for dance. This piece was scored mainly (if not entirely) for strings and I thought it was delicately and subtlely chreographed. No fireworks, brisés or fouettées but a charming interpretation of the score in which you can relax and watch the dancing speak the music. Not only the principal melodies were danced, but it seemed even the sub-themes of the different sections of the orchestral range were catered for in the dance. Easy to fall into a dream-world of wispy skirts and pointe shoes. My lasting memory of these two ballets was what a wonderful dancer Leanne Benjamin has become.

Sylvie is Sylvie and always will be. I still get those mysterious tingles when I collect my cast sheet and see her name in print. And I was so glad to see her dancing with Jonathan Cope. But what about David Drew? Surely he now has earned the accolade "Master".



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