"Cyrano de Bergerac", National Theatre Brno, (NdB, Národní divadlo Brno), September 29th, 2024

Oct 1

Oct 1 "Cyrano de Bergerac", National Theatre Brno, (NdB, Národní divadlo Brno), September 29th, 2024

Cyrano de Bergerac – a Ballet: A beautiful concept that deals with the well-known archetype of the „ghost writer" but more than that, evokes a certain duality so well-represented in the literature, in the cinema and the Opera World when dealing with „Cyrano" and discussing (the real) Hector Savinien de Cyrano: Yes. Duality.

A dense „complot" that tells audiences, readers, and viewers, different stories, versions and interpretations of what is being seen and felt and what part of this „seeing and feeling" is real. This is the „gimmick" – as simple as that - and, on top of it all, exciting. It is the essence of the happiness (or may it be the tragedy?) of the ghostwriter. All this "served to us" with conflict, drama and a large portion of sentiment imbalance on the side. Think of that.

I enjoy evenings like this the most. The ones in which I go to the theatre not knowing what to expect and having no possibility of making any comparisons as I don’t know any new Ballet written for Edmond Rostand's „Cyrano de Bergerac" (Even though Filip Veverka wrote one for the „Tiroler Landestheater" in Innsbruck just two years ago) and it has been years since I had seen a video of Roland Petit's famous version (which started his collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent) with the Ballet de Marseille.

As previously mentioned, a beautiful concept that combines well-thought-of images (Great praise to Otto Bubeníček's stage Design and Nadina Cojocaru's Costume Design) with the most sensitive (and sensible) side of the characters.

However, as I have already written so many times in the past years, the problem normally does not lay only on the conception but on the execution – and here I don't mean the dancers or the musicians or the singers or all the other artistes involved in a huge production like that, I mean the choreographer.

I have seen many failed beautiful concepts because the choreographer was not capable of transferring the concept in his mind (be it literally, musically, visually, or whatever) to „dance" and its particular language. “Beautiful failures” because the choreographer could not write the choreography (and into choreography) that he had envisioned or seen in other art levels.

This was NOT the case with Jiří Bubeníček's work, which is filled with many beautiful and interesting moments.

A very „universal" work for its use of Dancing, Singing, and Acting simultaneously. I would even mention the word „Painting" - because some moments in Mr Otto Bubeníček's stages, „bathed" by the sensitive Light Design, resembled more of an evocation of Baroque paintings, even if the typical contrast between lightness and darkness was mostly missing.

This combined use of different Art forms can be interpreted both ways – it may lead us to think of the choreographer’s free-thinking attitude but also of a very „classic" and safe form of story-telling which will somehow appeal to all members of the audience who are either kinesthetic or visual or auditive.

Conclusion: at the same time that this „mélange" may give further opportunities for expression to the creator, it can also limit the temporal liberties and creativity one may need in the process of story-telling.

Even though there are dazzling, dynamic, nearly visceral moments, I must praise the existence of „different vocabularies"; either for particular characters or for whole groups. This is intelligent, as if there'd be a (physical) leitmotif (as in Wagner's music) connected to each group or character, determining their personalities, and framing their characters.

And, most of all, also making it easier for the audience to „recognize" them.

The fact is that the „presentation" of so many characters happens not only successively but quite quickly in the first act. This is not only a bit overstraining to the audience but also excessively demanding for the choreographer. However, this issue was brilliantly solved.

The scene opened with a stylised variation of historical Dance – even if the arm positioning was too high for that - with more contemporary terminology. Catchy. The audience was immediately engulfed.

During the first act the very interesting use of the floor – very dynamic – in a very modern dance way brought extremely dynamic into a quite long scene at the Pâtisserie, which already indicated that the first part of the show was to run longer than necessary. Many scenes (cadets, bakery etc.) could be dramaturgically shortened - but the music length will not allow that.. Another sort of limitation to the dynamic of the story-telling.

Music. No question that the musical selection is more than beautiful: from Händel's famous „Lascia ch'io pianga „ from „Rinaldo" and the „Sarabande" from Suite #11 en ré mineur, Vivaldi's Mandolin Concerto and Bach's Goldberg Variations to the use of Jean Baptiste Lully's music, a contemporary of Hector Savinien de Cyrano, the „real" Cyrano who might have heard this very music.

Jakub Svojanovský carries the role of Montfleury, in reality, a fat, untalented actor whom Cyrano bans from the stage, in Bubeníček's new reading of the verses. He is turned into a sort of narrator. This critic regrets not speaking Czech, therefore unble to comment on Mr Svojanovský's performance.

Singer Romana Kružíková’s controlled and serene interpretation, stage persona, charismatic clear voice and most careful movement minimalization contrast to what is going on around her, to the action before she comes on stage, and what happens after she leaves. One has the feeling that times stand still when she is onstage. A sort of “Time window”. A beautiful effect.

The guitarist, superbly represented by Adam Trunečka, fills the stage with his solos, playing with sensibility. As with Miss Kružíková, one has the feeling that one could hear a pin drop while he is performing.

One has to say that the Company is in exquisite shape and that one can plainly „feel" the strong cooperation at all levels: it presents itself as a strong unit. One with a strong chain holding it together. I like that.

As we are used to, Arthur Abram's Le Bret, Cyrano’s friend and closest confidant, is, in every detail a 100% constructed, whole character. Mr Abram is a brilliant, expressive dancer, whose career I have been following for years.

But, as with the cadets, there is a point that I have to mention. It concerns Mr Bubeníček's vocabulary.

For years I have been mentioning what I call „Dance Language" and its own vocabulary.

In this critique, I also referred to it in connection to the use of different Art forms.

However, when I see two talented dancers (Le Bret and Cyrano), in a scene in which they are supposed to be discussing, trying to mimic this disagreement, instead of using dance to express it. Mouths opening and closing as if they were speaking a dialogue in a silent movie. Unsuitable and out of context.

This “dialogue” and some other scenes don’t fit such a carefully built production.

On top of it all, this is neither mimic nor pantomime. And much less dance. It is also none of the different performing Art forms mentioned before. This is the point that mostly disturbs the „average everyday ballet goer" in me, even more than the first part of the show running too long.

This conceptional misunderstanding also applies to the cadets and different scenes until the middle of the first part and at the beginning of the second.

Some may say this happened because it is a ballet based on a literary work. I say no.

To answer it very briefly, I conclude: Just to give an example; think of MacMillan's „Romeo and Juliet", Neumeier's „La Dame aux Camélias" or Wheeldon's „Alice in Wonderland".

All three ballets are based on literary works.

None of them includes „silent film playacting". No need for that. The “feelings are communicated via dance. That's a fact.

Adéla Kulíšek brings joy and brilliance to what could be a dull role. Her Duenna is not only a „maid". She is painfully connected with her mistress. Being somehow reminiscent of Juliet's nurse she is not what I'd call a character role. She is much more than that.

Lisa and Raguenau, the baker's pair, very well-interpreted with lots of temperament by Izabela Gracíková and Jacopo Iadimarco. Quick and powerful. Their parts are so filled with information and dramaturgical details that the characters get to be a bit difficult to understand.

Manuel Romero, delightful as the Vicomte de Valvert, the insolent young nobleman, shows humour in the right sense of the word. He can be „a figure of fun" however he plays comedy in the right sense of the word. He is not laughing at himself. but playing straight comedy.

Ilia Mironov, a powerful dancer with incredible stage presence and experience. His Count de Guiche is precise, not only in his interpretation but technically. He fills the stage and projects his persona to the last row of the auditorium.

Roxane is played by Anna Yeh. Pure, stylish precision: clean and meticulous batteries, faultless point work, long and harmonical lines, precise pirouettes. But what would that all mean without her singular interpretation? That is the point: she combines all the attributes mentioned above, with depth, with a profound understanding of the character she is playing. She never „wastes" a movement or a moment. Every single one is thought of and has a reason to exist. This is a dancer.

João Gomes is growing fast. Extremely strong in the „jump department", dramatic presence, quick, strong and flit-footed. I won't have to go very much into technique details. There's no need. He has got it all under control. A serious dancer, whom you simply need to look at, to know that he has incredible discipline. And stamina. However, what I want to mention, is the „soul" that he was able to give to his Christian de Neuivillete. The slightest details were there and they made sense. All elements were connected: A very sensitive creation. I am personally looking forward to seeing more of this gifted dancer.

I thought that Shoma Ogasawara, whom I had last seen in Vienna with Momona Sakakibara in the „Tchaikovsky pas de deux", could not surprise me more. He did it again. I saw another „persona" on stage and this only proves his versatility and his strength as a dancer. One thing is dancing a role, the other is carrying a whole exhaustive evening, never leaving the character for a short second. Impressive. Also with him, there is no need to mention any technical issues. I only want to report that the public gave him such an ovation and it expressed respect and admiration – the same ovation was dedicated to the piece itself – even with its few flaws.

Surely another success for the long list of hits that Mário Radačovský, Artistic Director of the Ballet NdB, has been giving his faithful audiences. Congratulations!

Ricardo Leitner

a t t i t u d e

Vienna, September 30th, 2024