'Robert Le Diable' (1830) - Alicia Alonso and Jorge Esquivel

[52Denis]

le diable is Robert ? ,

[nickwallacesmith]

hi 52Denis - yep, well one devil! cheers

[sgettkant]

Historical note on this performance: this has nothing to do with a true reconstruction of the opera´s famous act 3 "Ballet of the nuns". The role of Robert was sung by Nourrit, who hardly danced while busy with singing his part. The musical sections are rearranged and mixed up with parts of the act 2 ballet of the same opera and the new orchestration is not Meyerbeer´s. The original staging should show just the nun´s trying to seduce Robert with Drinks, Game and finally - Taglionis part - Love.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi sgettkant - thanks for taking the time to expand on what i know about this ballet - very kind of you and much appreciated, best, nick

[opensecret51]

Thank you Nick for this pearl ..I adore Alicia Alonso she  is a GREAT balerina and this is a precious performance !!!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi opensecret51 - i was a bit smug about finding it and then being able to upload it - but my modesty has kicked in and i'm now just happy people are enjoying it, cheers, nick

[MakingJoy]

Thanks for sharing this Nick! Truly a rare jewel in the history of classical ballet! Her technique shines even in today's standards and watch how her upper body floats and moves above her legs. Her pointe shoes look painful-they really were back then. Her acting, superb! And look! She's more devil than he is, the little minx! And at 60! LOL!!! I bow to her. I saw her perform often in NYC and she remains a consumate inspiration in Total Ballet Performance at it's best.

[MakingJoy]

Thanks for sharing this Nich! Truly a rare jewel in the history of classical ballet! Her technique shines even in today's standards and watch how her upper body floats and moves above her legs. Her pointe shoes look painful-they really were back then. Her acting, superb! And look! She's more devil than he is, the little minx! And at 60! LOL!!! I bow to her. I saw her perform often in NYC and she remains a consumate inspiration in Total Ballet Performance at it's best.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi MakingJoy - glad you like it - i loved finding it - it doesn' seem to be about on you tube. love your word 'minx' - captures much of her expression here exactly! and she understands so well the romantic ballet 'atmosphere' - and the porte de bras as you say is still great. cheers

[kimmois1]

Oh God, this gives ballet a bad name. I'm sorry to trash a legend but Alonso in her late late late late stage was embarassing, the applause are those for the dancing dog, not because how well it danced but the fact it does at all., Karsavina's edict "leave the stage before the stage leaves you" comes to mind. She'd have been well well well into her 60s here. Not great.

[GariGold]

@kimmois1 Her lines are perfect and she is pulled up exquisitely. Perhaps you are judging her dance quality by the fact that she is recreating female in romantic ballet of the 1830's which is mostly highly educated guessing but probably accurate. I admit, there are a few odd moments where her gaze to her partner are off but that is attributable to the fact that she is functionally blind at this point in her career. I, for one, would love to hear a critique rather than just bashing.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi GariGold - not unlike fonteyn in the latter stages of her career, alonso works pretty well within the limits of what she can achieve - such that the performance does not seem really lacking. and like fonteyn again, well pulled up and beautiful line, as you say. as we all know as dancers get older they can bring more to the role, here an understanding of the expression and feel of ballet in the romantic era - without moving into parody.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi kimmois1 - i agree with you to the extent that fonteyn, at the very end of her career, was not good to watch. as we know now, and sadly, she had financial reasons for needing to go on and on. a london critic said that the only reason to see her would be if you'd never seen her before and wanted to experience this legend on stage - must say i'd go to see Markova in her decline had i the chance. it's a hard call as ever if we've never sen someone on stage we can see their past on video, cheers

[hikari6986]

@kimmois1 Um i have to remind you she was almost blind in that time (if not totally blind already), what she did is something not all ballerinas could do at that age! She is truly a wonder woman!

[GariGold]

What year was this? What a tremendous recreation, Alonso was superb! The curtain calls were wonderful. Alonso certainly knew her curtain calls, I saw her in NY at the then, State theater, in Carmen- she was sixty something and commanded in excess of 50 curtain calls. Each one unique and done in character.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi GariGold - i'm guessing alonso was in her fifties when this was filmed - so some time in the mid 1970s? it appeared in a documentary on the romantic era of ballet which came out later - in 1985. yes the curtain calls are a seperate perfomance in themselves - and great in period style! and yes you are right, the recreation is great - i wonder how the original was or how different this is from it. cheers!