New York City Ballet: Some Thoughts on Tchaikovsky’s Ballets

New York City Ballet
Koch Theater
Winter 2009–2010

What with Nutcracker season and all, Tchaikovsky was much on my mind; additionally, I had been dipping into Solomon Volkov’s fine Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky, and I got to thinking how privileged the NYCB audience was over the last winter. We had the opportunity to see and hear all three Tchaikovsky (or Tschaikovsky, their preferred spelling) ballets over the course of a little over three months.

At the performance of Nutcracker that I saw, on December 4, 2009, in the newly renovated theater, everything sounded clear and looked sharp and beautiful. My new seat in Fourth Ring sides had arm rests (very nice!) and, without 40 years of people’s butts pushing down the plush, it was so puffy my feet didn’t touch the floor. For some reason, at this performance, despite the familiarity of the score, I was struck by the music’s strangeness—strange not as odd but in a way that channels mystery and the wondrous—particularly in Act I. Kurt Nikkannen, in the violin solo, captured this sense beautifully. Sara Mearns as Dewdrop, along with the Flowers, were full of luminous energy; Maria Kowroski as Sugarplum, partnered by Charles Askegard, occasionally seemed to be channeling not mystery but her inner Rockette; but the edge she brought to the choreography was not unwelcome.

I regret that I was able to catch only one performance of The Sleeping Beauty, the matinée on January 30, 2010, with Ashley Bouder and Andrew Veyette as Aurora and Prince Désiré. The last time I saw this production, a few years ago, it left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. The odd thing is that, although I still have some of the same issues (the fast tempi at the start can make it seem like we are off to the races, there isn’t much poetry, and I still find the postponement of the awakening a little jarring), this time I left feeling that none of that mattered and—I didn’t want the ballet to end. It was one of the most enjoyable and truly joyous Beautys I’ve seen.

Some standouts (too many to note):
Sara Mearns as Lilac. When she executes the renversés in Act I she kicks her leg up on one count, then slowly turns her body and lowers the leg all while still on pointe, with an expansive use of her arms and upper back; and she does all those pirouettes to tendu on a dime. Pretty impressive, and very beautiful (ok, here’s some poetry).
Erica Pereira as the Fairy of Eloquence;
Tyler Angle, Robert Fairchild, Jonathan Stafford, and Amar Ramasar as Aurora’s attentive suitors;
Merrill Ashley as Carabosse;
Bouder’s thoughtful Aurora; her Rose Adagio was a little tense but still pretty great; the final pas de deux with Veyette was regal, musical, well-shaped, and matched the grandeur of that music;
Teresa Reichlin and Abi Stafford as Diamond and Ruby in the Wedding divertissement;
Tiler Peck and Daniel Ulbricht as Florine and Bluebird—top-notch dancing; truly wonderful to see;
Tchaikovsky’s Apotheosis—I don’t know why other productions cut this glorious music.

The score was conducted by Fayçal Karoui. I was glad to see the house was very full.

Again, there was a very full house for the Swan Lake I saw on February 12, with Sara Mearns, gorgeous and soulful, and Jared Angle, handsome and stalwart as Siegfried. While this is not the most traditional of Swan Lakes, it is certainly not the least; and after repeated viewings, while I continue to prefer the condensed one-act version, the production can hold its own.

Bonus 1: Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 (February 19; and had to see it again immediately, February 20, evening), with Teresa Reichlin, Stephen Hanna, and Kathryn Morgan; Elaine Chelton at the piano. The ballet was danced and the music played with attack and passion; Reichlin was both Terpsichore and Athena here.

Bonus 2: Maria Kowroski in the "Diamonds" section of Jewels (selections from Symphony No. 3 in D Major), with Charles Askegard, gave performances (February 26; February 28) that were the most assured, commanding, and elegant as I have seen her give in this; she was stunning.