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The Radio 3 Boards > The Music Boards > The Opera House > Song of the Earth
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Author Topic: Song of the Earth  (Read 334 times)
BobbyZ
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« on: 19:21:33, 03-06-2007 »
In my ignorance, I was unaware that Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde had been choreographed. I see that it is to be Darcy Bussell's farewell performance live on BBC2 next Friday. It doesn't strike me as an obvious candidate for choreography, does anyone know how well it works ? What about the singers, are they hidden in the pit or off stage somewhere ? I shall tune in anyway.
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #1 on: 21:50:02, 03-06-2007 »
I've not seen it choreographed either. I don't know how much of it we'll actually get to see on Friday, as the BBC are showing 'highlights' from Darcey's last performance in between lots of chat and archive footage. I'm a bit miffed as I didn't get a ticket way back at the start of the year (unaware, as I think most of us were) that Darcey was going to call it a day. Tickets right up in the Amphitheatre are currently going for silly prices on eBay - better to watch what I can at home!
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #2 on: 22:01:11, 03-06-2007 »
No "ignorance" at all, Bobby - the idea of "choreographing" The Song Of The Earth strikes me as utterly appalling, and I'm sure very few people would ever have believed it would work in this format.  All it needs is Catherine Jenkins and Russell Watson as the pair of soloists to "complete" the "concept".   However, ballet artistes display some of the most questionable taste imaginable when it comes to plundering the musical repertoire for background tracks,  so I'm not really surprised.  Sad

When works like this are done as the backing for ballets, then usually the vocal soloists are tucked into the orchestra pit, yes.  I remember someone did a ballet version of R Strauss's "Four Last Songs" back when I worked at the Coli, and Bronwen Mills was positioned in the pit each night for the shows.
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harpy128
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« Reply #3 on: 22:51:47, 03-06-2007 »
I saw it on Saturday afternoon (with Leanne Benjamin, not Bussell). I quite liked the MacMillan choreography, which was largely abstract and didn't strike me as sacrilegious (sp?), not that I'm that well up on the Mahler. The singers sang from either side of the stage.

I don't like to write what I thought about the singing on a public-ish forum. Might be different singers on Friday.
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Peter Grimes
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« Reply #4 on: 13:00:11, 04-06-2007 »
Darcey Bussell will be appearing in a diva show with Catherine Jenkins later this year.
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Peter Grimes
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« Reply #5 on: 13:06:48, 04-06-2007 »
Of course I meant Katherine Jenkins. She and Bussell kick off in Manchester this November.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2007/05/farewell_darcey_bussell.html

I can't wait!
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harpy128
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« Reply #6 on: 13:13:25, 04-06-2007 »
 Lips sealed <- apparently this means "lips sealed"
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #7 on: 14:41:45, 04-06-2007 »
I love the Mahler, and I love ballet, but not together! I think I probably went to the first night of this ballet in the 1960s, but I've never liked it - and I used to feel so sorry for the singers slaving away and getting none of the glory because people were there for the ballet.
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