Nonsense and drama in (almost) perfect balance: La Bayadère with the Mariinsky
La Bayadère
Mariinsky Ballet
Royal Opera House
Balcony standing D31, £15
11 August 2017
ROH page
I've been trying to decide why I find La Bayadère a complete delight but other similarly silly 19th-century ballets irritating. Minkus's score, never less than charming, takes some credit. But of course it's also Petipa's scenario and choreography, each delightfully balanced for all their genre trappings: the precise and successful rhythm between soloists and corps, between pas d'action and divertissements, between genuine (surprising) dramatic poignancy and deliriously entertaining downright nonsense.
I have cherished La Bayadère since first seeing it danced by The Royal Ballet in 2013. The Mariinsky's sadly lacks the RB's final apotheosis act, a heady mix of nonsense, drama and tunes (the scene was apparently excised from the Mariinsky's production by the Soviets – is there no end to the brutality?). But in exchange we get loads more very high-quality nonsense in the Act II wedding scene, and an extended and superbly creepy Kingdom of the Shades scene, all danced wth the authority that, I guess, really only the Mariinsky can provide.
The lovers I saw were young and highly assured as soloists and very slightly less assured as partners (I might well be being over-fussy). Vladimir Shklyarov deftly depicted Solor's absolute uselessness as a hero in a satisfyingly heroic manner. Anastasia Matvienko made an austere and deeply sorrowful Nikiya. Elena Yevseyeva as Gamzatti was pristine but also surprisingly Nikiya-like in her coolness – perhaps I've just got used to the glorious vamping the RB lavishes on this role.
The corps were on fine form throughout, from the giddy joys of Acts I and II – my highlights have to be the scrabbly near-naked fakirs, the dead parrot-wielding women and the weird sexy drum dance – to the mesmerising stillness of the Kingdom of the Shades. Special credit as well to the supremely well-drilled corps of girls from The Royal Ballet School.
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