Article Contributed on: 3/13/2009 11:28:46 AM
I certainly will admit that it has been a long time since I have heard and seen the Colorado Ballet. However, I did attend the Wednesday night performance of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream. I must say that I do not recall the Colorado Ballet doing so incredibly well. Wednesday's performance of this classic was light and airy. The dancers were remarkable and so was the orchestra.
Since I just mentioned the orchestra, I will begin with them. I certainly have no business conducting anything but I would truly dread conducting a ballet. Why? Because the conductor of a ballet must honor what the composer wrote, as well as be very sensitive to what the dance troupe can do. In other words, his tempos must be sympathetic and empathetic to the dancers. Too slow, and they fall on their face, too fast, and they still fall on their face. Maestro Adam Flatt is certainly a fine ballet conductor (among conducting other things). The Colorado Ballet Orchestra is absolutely superb. They were in tune, their attacks and releases were very precise, and they played with unbelievable energy. Another nice touch was the inclusion of the Colorado Children's Choir, which choreographer Wheeldon called for, as well as two soloists, the incomparable MeeAe Cecilia Nam and gifted Leslie Remmert Soich. Here are two wonderful musicians - you can understand the words that they sing (what a concept) and they have superb voices. Dr. Nam is Head of Vocal Studies at Metro State and Ms. Soich is on the faculty at UCD.
The Mendelssohn score to Midsummer Night's Dream is deservedly one of his most famous compositions. (He wrote the Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream when he was 17 years old. In this day and age, most people think of Mozart as the supreme prodigy. But Mendelssohn was just as supreme as Mozart. He was a virtuoso pianist, a virtuoso violinist, a virtuoso conductor, a virtuoso composer, and he was extremely gifted in drawing and painting).
Mendelssohn actually wrote the incidental music to Midsummer Night's Dream several years after his Overture, shortly before his death. The production that the Colorado Ballet performed on Wednesday night was choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, and (I think many in Denver have forgotten this) was originally written on commission by Martin Fredman, previously the Artistic Director of the Colorado Ballet. There have been many who have choreographed the music written by Mendelssohn; among those were George Balanchine, Ib Anderson and David Nixon. Christopher Wheeldon began with Balanchine's version of Mendelssohn's score, including the additions that Balanchine made because the original score simply wasn't long enough for a full-length ballet. I hasten to add that Balanchine was certainly faithful to Mendelssohn's incidental music, but added other works of Mendelssohn's in order to increase the length. Wheeldon also added themes of the Ruy Blas Overture at the opening. I have not seen the score, but I am sure that I heard themes from the overture, "Calm Seas and Prosperous Voyage," "The Fair Melusina," and a portion from one of Mendelssohn's string symphonies, which I think was Symphony Nr. 11.
It has been a long time since I have seen a ballet (yes, I know that is a terrible thing to admit), but it is also a long time since I have seen such a well balanced company. They all had great ability and they all had great strength. In most ballet productions that involve young children, one often has the idea that they are on stage to attract applause via cuteness. Well, they were cute, but unlike other youngsters that I have seen in performances in other cities, these young dancers showed ability. The rest of the cast was so strong that it is genuinely difficult to pick out the shining stars. Of course Maria Mosina and Igor Vassine were superb. But so were Sean Omandam, Sayaka Karasugi, Shunsuke Amma, Caitlin Valentine, and Christopher Ellis. I hope that everyone who reads this will not take offense to my not mentioning others by name, but if I did that, I would have to list the entire corps. The corps is comprised of some very gifted performers, and every single one of them belongs in front of the audience.
The set design was excellent as well. The use of scrim was very well done, and reminded me of opera sets that I have seen by the late Mario Cristini. The stage direction was excellent as well.
I know that in the past Colorado Ballet has had some immense struggles. However, they seem to be headed in the right direction now. There is no doubt in my mind, as evidenced by Wednesday's performance that under the leadership of Gil Boggs, Jack Lemmon, Sandra Brown, Lorita Travaglia, and last and certainly not least, Adam Flatt, that the Colorado Ballet will succeed beyond the public's wildest expectations (I almost said dreams). And one other thing: to the parents of the youngest dancers: keep your children in dance. Your money for lessons is obviously being well spent. The Arts needs your support as well as the support of young dancers. And contrary to the old cliché, it is certainly possible to make a living in the Arts. We need the Arts more than ever now. Aside from the Denver School of the Arts and the soon to open Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, there is no true instruction in the arts for the children in our schools.