Swan Lake

Just for the record that Swan Lake by the Perm Tchaikovsky State Ballet was stunning - but what do I know?  Its too late for any Chicago readers to go to it but they are off next week to Berkeley, CA for a week so if any of you are there in Northern California check it out.  The orchestra can play - there is no doubt about that but there weren't enough strings.  There never are these days.  Its always the first thing to go.  But there was great distinction in the winds and brass and the concert master with his big solos is a star.  Well we know that the Russians can play the fiddle.  And Perm is the third most important opera and ballet city in Russia after Moscow and St Petersburg so this is no surprise I suppose.  But a pleasure none the less.

Other news is that it is darned cold here in Chicago and we had another (last blast?) dose of snow to aggravate us at the end of this long winter.

Comments

[Henry Holland]

I went to the Royal Opera House production of this glorious ballet last June and what a night in the theatre it was! Tchaikovsky's music is just incredible and it was played (and conducted) so well, plenty of strings to be had on Bow Street! :-)

Thanks for the info in your previous post about the Perm Ballet, they tour the West Coast occasionally, I'll have to check them out.