"Onegin": Revival, Vienna State Ballet, January 23rd, 2023 (Wiener Staatsballett)

There are easier tasks than sitting down and putting on paper your thoughts, criticisms, and ideas about a certain performance.

Not long ago I received an insulting Mail from a friend of a Russian Ballerina, whom I had criticized for her kind of robot-like performance which was just based on „technique" (I would rather call them either „abilities" or „Circus acts"), calling me names and saying that „It's easy to criticize if you have no idea of what a dancer's life is all about" - Just to clarify this matter, I would like to tell her that, yes, I had to do my daily pliés, come rain or come shine, every day for more than two decades, so I can say that I understand a little of what it feels like to dance…

Some people may judge us (critics) „heartless" or incompetent (as the Lady I have mentioned above), without knowing how difficult it is to criticize someone who works so hard, some people who you respect as Artists and all the work – in different levels – that has been done. It is not an easy exercise in Diplomacy and Politeness. How to say it to someone you respect and cherish as a professional?

There are moments however, in which you cannot hide certain things and have to decide on how you are going to publish „unpleasantness packed in the cellophane of good manners" (or not).

This is not the case today.

After a long, long time, we had the privilege of watching a wonderful performance, from beginning to end. „Onegin", a ballet not liked by many, mostly because of the liberties that John Cranko took with the original plot in verse by Puschkin, changing the story line.

Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Yesterday's performance was a special one. Not only because of the very well-coached Principals but because it was apparently carefully rehearsed and very well cast (!?!) – one can see this plainly during the Corps de Ballet scenes in which the whole ensemble is not only led by more experienced dancers but consists mainly of Dancers who have been „enriching" our stages for many years. The ones who command very well the classical side of the Repertoire of the Vienna State Ballet due to experience and proper upbringing as Dancers. Talented professionals such as Eszter Ledán, Alaia Rogers-Maman, Céline Janou Weder, Marie Breuilles, Sveva Gargiulo, Gala Jovanovic, Fiona McGee, Chiara Uderzo, Laura Nistor, Géraud Wielick, Trevor Hayden to mention just a few of the ones who are, on the contrary of the Soloists, on stage at every performance, carrying the company. It is time to honour them.

A special pleasure to have Zsolt Török, a dancer one can always „rely on", back on stage at the 1st scene of the Third act, after a long pause of nearly 10 months due to an injury.

But why has this performance brought such joy to the audience? To answer it shortly: Because most of the elements, on and out of the stage, simply „fit" harmonically.

There was a certain „atmosphere" and tension in the air and one could distinctly feel that „another" kind of public was present. Not only one who dresses more properly for a special occasion but one that is more experienced with the „classical repertoire" of the company. Also a question of experience and proper upbringing as a spectator.

Robert Reimer's work on the conductor's stand was exquisite. It brought not only the right inflection to this Tchaikowsky's selection, as I call it. Seldom have I experienced at the Vienna State Opera such an ovation to a Conductor as he entered the orchestra pit for the second and third acts.

As the proverb, saying in German goes: „Gute Dinge brauchen Weile" („Good things take time"). That could not be more true. I witnessed yesterday just that while watching some members of the cast, repeating their roles, most closely.

The precise „vivacity", that so aggravated me on Dec. 23rd, 2021 (Note: https://www.attitude-devant.com/blog/2021/12/27/onegin-revisited-vienna-state-ballet-dec-23rd-2021) was subdued, more restrained, brought down until reaching a more understated accent.

Iliana Chivarova played a believable, tangible Madame Larina, the girls' mother. Interestingly, such a young Dancer can play this elderly character role in such a natural manner. There were no affected clichés as seen before by some of her predecessors, just the down-to-earth character of a woman belonging to the Country's Nobility.

Arne Vandervelde's Lenski should be taken under the magnifying glass. By the time of his entrance with the usual „Temps levé, Cabriole & Temps levé, Cabriole" in different directions (that reveal so much of his character; his indecisions, his changes of mood, his immaturity) it was clear that this was going to be a performance of a No-Nonsense Lenski. And during the course of the evening, I could ascertain this more and more. His Lenski was mature, grown-up, sometimes even remembering Onegin's own blasé attitude, and had nothing of a very common „boyishness " used in this role. But Isn't exactly this uncontrolled immature jealousy, this childish foolishness, and, in fact, the boyishness that brings him to lose control and slap Onegin just to challenge him to a duel? Think of that.

Even though technically (physically) on top form and showing precision, good jumps, confident pirouettes, and tours en l'air as well as beautiful movements' finalizations (although lacking „projection" to fill the auditorium up to the last row in the galleries), his interpretation (which requires also „technique" but in another sense of the word for acting or style or little things can be also described as technique) prevents the public of giving his Lenski the deserved credibility and dimension. Too somber.

To mention the proverb „Good things take time", it was good to see how Aleksandra Liashenko „found" her Olga. It took a while and, surely, lots of reflection. What a difference and progress to the stereotyped presentation that I have, for the first time and hopefully the last, refused to comment. I could not write a critique about an Olga that „wasn't". This wasn’t about technique at all, it was about the subtleties of the character - the “girl” who loves the boyish Lenski… It is such a shame that she is forced to grow up, so brutally, because of his death.

Her Olga now is definitely more „low-profile" and one could see and feel this already in the opening scene, while she is seen sewing with her mother and her „wet nurse". More natural. More filled with loveliness - isn’t it funny how a few movements can already tell us so much?

The costumes’ line suits Miss Liashenko beautifully. They caress her figure more.

During the „Jealousy scene" in the second Act, she „lost" her (Olga) for a short while but recovered quickly from this lapse to „finish" her portrayal legitimately after Lenski's death.

Igor Milos' Gremin is much a harder role than normally considered by Everyone. Not only the tempo of the pas de Deux with Tatjana in the third act is decisive but the fact that it is a very „atypical" work by Cranko. Why atypical? Because Cranko, exactly contrary to Nureyev (as a choreographer), used lots of not-so-challenging and quite simple steps and figures but with great effect (Think of the diagonal in Act 1, in which the boys are holding the girls while they're crossing the stage on a very quick tempo while doing grand jetés... nothing so simple as that but yet, how impressive!). This is here, strangely, not the case. Mr. Milos masters the part perfectly. One of the hardest execution pieces of the whole Ballet, it is sometimes overseen (why played by a supporting character?), it is quite strenuous for the male dancer. It is slow, very slow, due to a more serious, introspective mood of a marriage in which there was not much room for talk and mutual understanding, but was filled with obligation, and commanding. Think of who taught Tatiana to „command" as she does at the very end when she orders Onegin out of her room. Who taught this to the silly countryside Nobility girl who nearly destroyed her reputation by sending letters of love to a man? Something unheard of to a man. Who? Gremin.

Hyo-Jung Kang, whom I severely criticized last time as Tatjana, has further intelligently developed her „vision" of a role which she has danced many times for years and years. That is a beautiful sign. To "undergo" a change,e even if it is difficult, is to keep moving on. Not only physically but mentally, spiritually, and intellectually. I like that.

Especially when people have the humbleness of not thinking that they are perfect just because they have been dancing a role for a long time. This is wisdom.

Deleting some „bad habits", which I will not describe now (but which are in my critique from December 2021), turned her Tatjana into a much more enjoyable, tangible soul, that one can identify with. Her delicacy and vulnerability are underlined by this much more pure portrayal.

Her final scene is cleverly and very subtly changed. From its essence till the little details: This time, instead of crying incessantly – like most exaggerated Tatjanas, even in Stuttgart, now – she is so overwhelmed by emotion that she loses her breath and, this time right on place, gasps for air before suffocating. That is what I believe to be a human reaction. And that has been achieved by pure observation, thoughts, and analysis of this so beautiful role.

A little more contrast is still required between „silly girlish" Tatjana from the first and second acts and the wife of a Prince that entertains Saint Peterburg's society in the third. I see that a certain, learned arrogance, coldness, and aloofness (which, as mentioned before, she has learned from her Husband), instead of an endearing sweetness (which is apparently Miss Kang's natural quality), is missing, not yet there where it should be. But that is a detail. A little one. Exactly the same as not having been on top form on a few pirouettes on point, a point of critique by a few people who don't see a meter in front of their noses as if they'd live in a complete intellectual fog, judging Ballet only by its physical achievement.

Who cares about that if the whole performance is electrifyingly convincing? (Hers was!) I surely don't.

Miss Kang gave us moments to remember while she carefully told us this story. I love when stories are well told. Beautiful.

Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet - exclusively for a t t i t u d e

The long-awaited début of the Season. Brendan Saye's. Perhaps that was also part of the tension „in the air" last night. Mr. Saye came to Vienna after many years with the National Ballet of Canada.

From the minute Mr. Saye entered the stage, one could see that he „had" the role. Having seen his story-telling capacities in Balanchine's „Apollo", I was more than curious about the nuances he would bring to this fascinating character, Onegin. But to quire honest I had not awaited such a powerful and precise display of Pouvoir up to the last detail.

All the required qualities of a Danseur Noble are there: Presence, Lines, Looks, Magnetism, Control, Technique (to which acting and style belong to), care about Details, and most of all, always being „in character", never leaving the role for a single second – even when he is faced with difficult partnering, something that he is extremely good at. He is a partner, a prolongation of the dancer he is dancing with – something that is not so obvious anymore. We all know dancers who can turn 12 pirouettes, do manéges, and endless tours en l'air but when it comes to partnering, they neglect their partners and seem more preoccupied with looking good instead of caring about them. Even here in Vienna.

Mr. Saye left some incredibly strong images in our minds. His final exit in total desperation, the „disguise" while playing cards in complete aloofness while at the same time aware of everything that is going around him, his entrance from the back of the stage after he has just killed Lenski. first trying coldly to appear more than sure of himself just to break down to pieces. Seldom have I seen this scene played with such care to detail. The contradictions of a character, that is sometimes so superficially played, are completely underlined from A to Z and brought to life in his „reading of the role".

But that is Brendan Saye, an artist who knows how to use his attributes to create precisely desired effects and impressions upon the audience. It will take longer for a less knowledgeable public to begin to truly appreciate Mr. Saye's unique qualities but at last, after Roman Lazik, also Danseur Noble, has retired, we have another Onegin at the Vienna State Opera.

Just three words to finish my comments today: A triumphal Début.

And filled with confidence, as if he had danced this role for years. An evening to be highly recommended.

Ricardo Leitner

Vienna, January 24th, 2023