Holiday Wishes and New Year 2014

Warmest wishes for the holiday season 

and the new year to friends and readers everywhere

Brevima Dies 2013

Brevima Dies

hibernal solstice

21 December 2013

1711 UTC

1211 EST

Swan Lake — new season

Swan Lake  

chor. Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov (1877, 1895)

recension James Kudelka (1999)

National Ballet of Canada

9 - 17 November 2013

performance 9 November 2013 (evening)

with McGee Maddox (Prince Siegfried), Xiao Nan Yu (Odette / Odile), Étienne Lavigne (Rothbart)

To my surprise the casting worked well. Xiao Nan Yu was an emotive and lovely Odette and an arresting Odile. McGee Maddox, a strapping boy, made for a sensitive certainly strong prince with his own ideas. He looked good and distinctive in the role. In this version of the storied ballet James Kudelka likes to scatter the swans around when he can and makes Rothbart a central figure. 

Toronto mayoralty

                                           His Worship Rob Ford, 64th Mayor of Toronto

                                              "What to do with a drunken mayor?"

                                                (The Economist, 9 November 2013)

                                                                He is a thug!

City Council, in a motion that passed 37-5, asked the recalcitrant mayor to take a leave of absence. They are powerless! Councillors also voted in favour of a request to the integrity commissioner to study the mayor's conduct, and to recommend possible penalties and sanctions. The province, which has powers, is meanwhile doing nothing. Organizers of the impending Santa Claus parade asked the mayor not to march. Pride need not worry about that presence, thankfully.
[13 November 2013]

Finally Premier Kathleen Wynne, hitherto virtually silent, has cautiously indicated that the province might act to correct the chaotic situation at Toronto City Council. As reported by ctv news:

Wynne said that if Toronto City Council were to indicate that it lacked the ability to function because of the ongoing scandal, the province would respond to a request to provide “new tools, depending on what that request may be. ... Events continue to move quickly and the things that we are hearing and seeing about Mayor Rob Ford are truly disturbing,” Wynne said. Wynne didn’t specify what exactly the province could do if Council asked it to step in. She did say if any action were to happen, “because of the extraordinary and unique nature of any intervention from the province, I would consult with the other party leaders to see if the Legislature could move unanimously if required.” 
[14 November 2013]

While Council can't remove the mayor from office, it can move to reduce and severely restrict many of his civic functions. There are signs that may happen swiftly. On 15 November 2013 Council moved to reassign the mayor's right to designate and participate in committees, to hire and assign employees, and even to act in emergencies. The actions would devolve on the office of the deputy mayor. It is proposed as well to cut back on the budget of the mayor's office.

While Council can not touch what may be viewed as the mayor's statutory role under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 (S.O. 2006, c. 11), the mayor is scarcely visible in wording of the legislation. In an annex, it states:

The purpose of this Act is to create a framework of
broad powers for the City which balances the interests of
the Province and the City and which recognizes that the
City must be able to do the following things in order to
provide good government: 
      1. Determine what is in the public interest for the City. 
      2. Respond to the needs of the City. 
      3. Determine the appropriate structure for governing the City.  

The role of the mayor is seen more clearly in wording of the Municipal Act, 2001 (S.O. 2001, c. 25) — while the mayor's role is largely that of representation and to some extent leadership, the head of council has actually no more powers than any other councillors.

Mayor of Toronto lost most of his remaining powers to appoint and to set agendas. His office budget was cut back. Most functions have been transferred to the Deputy Mayor who has agreed to accept them. [18 November 2013]

                                        L'Actualité [16 novembre 2013]

The dilemma of Toronto’s mayor makes me reflect on the utter permissiveness of Canadian democracy at times. I know how a Putin-style régime would deal with the situation. In the US there would be a recall. In France a juge d’instruction would be on the case. Toronto citizens who continue to support Rob Ford are as problematical as he is. 

6 January 2014

Remembrance

I have been reading Ann Jones' remarkable They Were Soldiers (Chicago, 2013) — moving but unsentimental, no-nonsense reporting on the human cost of war in Afghanistan (and elsewhere in the world to-day) — not just the mounting numbers of casualties, but the meaning of death, injury, suicide, and lifelong trauma for the mostly youthful military and their families.

I purchased it as an e-book to read on my iPad.

Jan Vermeer van Delft (1632-1675)

       

                                          The National Gallery, London

                                                      26 June - 8 September 2013

                                                      cinema tour, 3 November 2013

For the first time the National Gallery’s two paintings by Jan Vermeer, A Young Woman standing at a Virginal and A Young Woman seated at a Virginal are brought together with Vermeer’s Guitar Player, which is currently on exceptional loan from the Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood House.

Music was one of the most popular themes in Dutch painting, and carried many diverse associations. In portraits, a musical instrument or songbook might suggest the education or social position of the sitter; in scenes of everyday life, it might act as a metaphor for harmony, or a symbol of transience. 

The exhibition displays 17th-century virginals,  guitars and lutes alongside the paintings to offer unique insights into the painters’ choice of instruments, and the difference between the real instruments and the way in which the painters chose to represent them. [National Gallery]

Interviewed experts can be tiresome, but mainly the film focusses on the pictures themselves in this remarkable exhibition.

male dance

                                        Dylan Tedaldi

                                        National Ballet of Canada

I run a pictorial web site at Tumblr focussed on danseurs. Where possible I indicate their current company affiliation. By now there are more than 2000 posts with about 550 followers. The site gets daily additions from numerous on-line sources. URL of the site is: 

http://acta-emeritus.blogspot.com

                                        Vladimir Shklyarov

                                        Mariinsky Ballet

Spartacus

Spartacus
Спартак
chor. Yuri Grigorovich  (1968)

Bolshoi Ballet
Балетная Труппа Большого Театра
with Mikhail Lobukhin (Spartacus), Svetlana Zakharova (Aegina), and Vlad Lantratov (Crassus)

The ballet is a grandiose spectacle worthy of its historical subject — the remarkable but ultimately doomed revolt of slaves in Rome, 73-71 BCE, led by Thracian Spartacus. A notable Bolshoi landmark created in a time of Soviet turmoil, it remains a signature piece for the company, with principal roles invariably attributed to outstanding talent.

Vlad Lantratov was an astonishing Crassus and Mikhail Lobukhin a robust and suitably arousing Spartacus, both virtuoso artists, in this blockbuster piece dominated by male dance.

simulcast from Moscow
20 October 2013

Don Quixote

Don Quixote
chor. Marius Petipa (1869, 1871), Aleksandr Gorsky (1900)
recension: Carlos Acosta  (2013)

Royal Ballet
with Marianela Muñoz (Kitri) and Carlos Acosta (Basilio)

The new version of Don Quixote took some liberties with the music and staging, but the scenes were lively and well arranged without offending tradition, totally enhanced by superb and confident principals.

cinema rebroadcast
16 October 2013

Swan Lake in 3D

Swan Lake  Лебединое озеро

chor. Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov (1895)

recension Konstantin Sergeyev (1950)

Mariinsky Ballet

Балетная Труппа Марийнскова Театра

with Ekaterina Kondaurova (Odette - Odile), Timur Askerov (Prince Siegfried), and Xander Parish (prince's friend)

rebroadcast in 3D at Cineplex, 18 September 2013

Ekaterina Kondaurova was a marvel as Odette - Odile, remarkably expressing contrasting qualities of the principal character. Timur Askerov danced effectively, though an aristocratically restrained prince. Xander Parish was a delight to watch in this model performance.

TIFF Bell Lightbox

TIFF Bell Lightbox (downtown Toronto) is a cinema complex well worth visiting for out-of-the-way and culturally interesting productions. I just saw Museum Hours  — not much of a film, but a nice tour of Vienna's great Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Museum Hours (Austria/USA, 2013)

dir. Jem Cohen

rating: ✶✶

Photography

Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto  (2005)

I have started to post some of my best photos, whether from prints, slides, or digital, to two sites. The most select are going to  http://www.behance.net/lewis927  which is related to Adobe Critical Cloud and Photoshop.  More extensive, with numerous personal photos added, is  http://photo.net/photos/bel_ami . I deleted my file at flickr.com when a new format there invaded my computer to pull out photos I had not chosen, to my dismay! Purely family photos, not necessarily by me, are at  http://lewis27.ca/family2 .

I welcome feedback always.

bel.ami@lewis27.ca

Lily Pond, Oklahoma City  (2004)

Prince George of Cambridge

Birth of a Prince

On Parliament Hill, Ottawa, the Peace Tower was illuminated to mark the birth of HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, on 22 July 2013. At noon on the 23rd a royal salute of 21 guns was fired by the 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. In London 41 and 62 gun royal salutes were fired while bells pealed at Westminster Abbey.

Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

To mark the 150th anniversary of the great artist's birth, there is currently an exhibition of his work in two museums and the university's great hall in Oslo. I greatly enjoyed a cinema tour that gave me considerable insight into his troubled but courageous life, the range of his work, and his distinct, still powerful expressionist style.

Lac-Mégantic

Disaster at Lac-Mégantic, QC

The runaway train that devastated the town of Lac-Mégantic in the Eastern Townships of Quebec in the early hours of 6 July 2013 consisted of 5 locomotives, a buffer car, and 72 tank cars carrying 113,000 L each of crude oil. It was operated by a single engineer who parked it for the night in nearby Nantes, on the main line of the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, then left it unattended! Federal regulations currently permit that.

Centre of town was devastated by massive explosions and fire— a large number of houses, businesses, and anyone caught in or around them were wiped out in an instant. Few injured arrived at hospital — the people were dead.

As of now 42 bodies have been recovered, with only 22 identified. Missing in all are 47 persons.

21 July 2013

summer solstice 2013

Stonehenge

summer solstice

21 June 2013 at 0504 UT, 0104 EDT

first moonrise after summer solstice

National Ballet of Canada / mixed programme

National Ballet of Canada

mixed programme

22 June 2013

The evening was a packed climax to the company's ambitious season with four varied works. No. 24, chor. Guillaume Côté (2010), was an intense powerful duo danced by Aleksandar Antonijević and Greta Hodgkinson. Pur ti miro, chor. Jorma Elo (2010), was a less than successful hybrid. The Man in Black, chor. James Kudelka (2010), skilfully recreated feelings of the North American West. Theme and Variations, chor. George Balanchine  (1947), with Guillaume Côté and Heather Ogden, was a beautiful reaffirmation of grand Russian style.

Pur ti miro

chor. Jorma Elo  (2010)

pur ti miro = I adore you

I was puzzled by the comings and goings of dancers in situations that are explosive and spastic, yet occasionally pretty. The piece is neither neo-classic nor really modern, and left me uncomfortable.

The Man in Black

chor. James Kudelka  (2010)

music of Johnny Cash

with Piotr Stanczyk, McGee Maddox, Jonathan Renna, and Stephanie Hutchison

This is country music and dance of the North American West. The sentiments are simple and basic, and familiar. I got to appreciate McGee Maddox who seemed in his element.

No. 24

chor. Guillaume Côté  (2010)

Niccolò Paganini , Caprice No. 24 in A minor  (from 24 Caprices, ca 1805-1807)

with Aleksandar Antonijević and Greta Hodgkinson

The movement is as complicated and difficult as the capriccio itself. The dancers are intense and focused in their constant interaction. The piece is short and powerful, and was the standout of the evening. Aleksandar Antonijević looked wonderful, superb partner for an emotive Greta Hodgkinson.

Theme and Variations

chor. George Balanchine  (1947)

with Guillaume Côté and Heather Ogden

It is a beautiful reaffirmation of the grand Russian style, and great way to end an ambitious season. The principals moved with ease and charm through virtuoso choreography that celebrated imperial grandeur and beauty.

Mark Morris — L'Allegro

L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato

chor. Mark Morris (1988)

Mark Morris Dance Group

with Tafelmusik and Chamber Choir

at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto

presented by Luminato Festival

21 June 2013

The cast of 24 moves lightly through many variations and constant entrances and exits, forming dynamic patterns to reflect exactly the flow of George Frideric Handel's music, with clever use of lighting, scrims, and colour. Handel's 1740 piece, not quite an oratorio, is an impressive pastoral ode after poems of John Milton, with orchestra, choir, and four soloists. The dance, though at times repetitious, is interesting, playful, and fun. The audience gave a standing ovation.

Carmen

Carmen

chor. Davide Bombano  (2006, 2009)

National Ballet of Canada

with Greta Hodgkinson (Carmen), Piotr Stanczyk (Don José), Jiří Jelinek (Escamillo)

on 8 June 2013 (evening)

Carmen is a standing colourful favourite of opera, perhaps less so as ballet, though still familiar. This version is much darker and almost mythic, entirely premised on passions and sex, ultimately in tragedy. A band of thieves provides at times some intense movement on stage while occasionally projections on screen distract. When Escamillo as minotaur appears he is accompanied by a surprise, and certainly amusing drag chorus of four tall guys wielding huge fans. The piece overall is highly dramatic and powerful, and to-night performed exceptionally well.

Boris Eifman's Rodin

Rodin

Роден

chor. Boris Eifman  (2011)

Eifman Ballet of St Petersburg

Труппа театра балета Бориса Эйфмана

Toronto, 23 - 25 May 2013

Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

The highly emotive work, with a large cast, focuses on the creative and amorous lives of sculptors Auguste Rodin and the much younger Camille Claudel. It is complicated by the presence of a loving and jealous wife, and Claudel's descent into madness. 

Choreographer Eifman brilliantly captures the intensity of their creative work as they transform stone into powerful contemporary statuary. Individual tableaux are amazing. There is wonderful movement of a corps of workers in the foundry and in other scenes. I enjoyed the can-can episode in a Paris nightclub, and something more rural with happy peasants and the trampling of grapes — but their relevance to the main story is somewhat puzzling. 

Quality of dance throughout the evening was outstanding — I attended on the 24th. It was overall a powerful and at times fascinating performance, but Eifman's choreography with many flashbacks sometimes left me confused.

Bolshoi's "Romeo & Juliet"

Romeo & Juliet

chor. Yuri Grigorovich  (2010)

Bolshoi Ballet

with Anna Nikulina (Juliet), Aleksandr Volchkov (Romeo), Mikhail Lobukhin (Tybald)

The performance was powerful and emotive, with astonishing moments from a choreographic version that focuses on character and inner meaning. Mikhail Lobukhin was a virtuoso Tybalt, but I was underwhelmed by the two lovers.

simulcast from Moscow, 12 May 2013

last of the season