For the 2017/2018 season, the Royal Opera House presented a magnificent program of operas and ballets, some of which were also broadcast live in Italy; for next June 12, the last available date, it's the turn of Swan Lake. The show can be seen from a mobile phone, tablet, computer, Smart TV, or by connecting to the site www.roh.org.uk where there are several links of the live online also on Youtube.
It is a new way of spreading great theatrical and musical performances, which for some years have already conquered a vast audience that previously remained excluded. It is a model that especially interests the young target, more accustomed to the Internet, streaming and platforms such as Netflix: it is therefore a new opportunity to broaden one's cultural horizons without leaving home.
The previous experiences of greatest interest occurred with the Coriolanus (2014), in which Tom Hiddleston starred, with the'Hamlet (2015), in which Benedict Cumberbatch starred, and with the Richard III (2016), with Ralph Fiennes; great actors for theatrical dramas with innovative implications. Thanks to these trailblazing examples, several genres are now broadcast live with the live show, including operas and ballets.
Of the Royal Opera House program this year were particularly successful The The Magic Flute, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, The Nutcracker and Tosca; on June 12 Liam Scarlett's new production of Swan Lake will take place, with choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Costume and set design is by John MacFarlane and the dual role of Odette and Odile has been assigned to Marianela Nuñez, joined by Vadim Muntagirov as Prince Siegfried. Originally, Odette was also to be played by Lauren Cuthbertson (exceptional Alice in the Wheeldon ballet), but due to injury the Royal Ballet star was replaced by Nuñez and Akane Takada.
The story is universally known: during a hunting trip, Prince Siegfried comes across a girl, Odette, forced by a magician's curse to turn into a swan during the day and back to human at night. The two fall in love, but their love is thwarted by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart, who tricks the prince into declaring his undying love for what he believes to be his beloved, when in reality she is the wizard's daughter, Odile. Due to her pain, Odette dies and the prince follows her in the same fate, in despair. Each version has its own differences and peculiarities, both in the choreography and in the plot. In most endings, Odette dies, sometimes with Siegfried, sometimes not; still, in some more optimistic ballets, the two protagonists survive and manage to defeat Von Rothbart.
As for the actual ballet, just think of the most frequent variations of the Spanish Dance or Odile's coda after the Pas de deux with the prince: also for this reason Swan Lake remains one of the most watched masterpieces of classical ballet, where all the new representations contain novelties that are worth seeing again. Liam Scarlett's production brings an important feature to the stage: giving more prominence to the characters.
Most of the versions of the story, in fact, can be traced back to the fairy tale schemes identified by Propp and the characters never deviate from their script, they do not show introspection and, apart from the protagonist couple, the secondary roles are often cut and filed. Not in all ballets, for example, is the kidnapping of Odette by the magician Von Rothbart shown on stage as one of the expanded roles: previously, she almost always appeared in the third act, taking her daughter Odile to the royal ball, and the the queen mother welcomed him inexplicably warmly.
Why?
Scarlett presents him from the first act as a treacherous and manipulative adviser, who influences the actions of those around him; perhaps, the exact reason for Odette's abduction will also be explained, since she is usually taken for granted. In the exceptional performance at the American Ballet Theater a few years ago the magician was clearly in love with the girl and tried to kill Siegfried, holding him responsible for her death, but most of the time this detail is omitted. On the other hand, who reading a story does not appreciate a deepening of the characters? Why should it be any different in a visual show?
For some time now, the role of the villain has been given prominence, a figure re-evaluated and also made the protagonist, and it will be interesting to observe the new aspects conceived by Scarlett for Von Rothbart, where it will also be possible to have the possibility of greater introspection of the protagonists to make them less fairytale-like and more close to the public. The ending has not yet been revealed and this too could be a good reason to attend the show: a happy ending is not very much in line with Tchaikovsky's will, but that doesn't mean we can't find a surprise in this new production.
Lucrezia Fogagnolo – Master MaSvic – Ca' Foscari University of Venice
