I watched these two magnificent dancers form the wing and outfront if I was injured. This was a match made in heaven. Mr. Balanchine would stand in the wing, head up and body relaxed knowing that this was danced exactly as it was meant to be. Peter was the perfect partner for Suzanne with his elegance, stature and incredible looks, as well as being a great partner. Suzanne is in a world of her own, untouched by any other dancer. She embodied everything Balanchine. Insane beauty, and a technique that was strong enough to let her dance anything Mr. Balanchine offered her, but with a fearlessness and abandon that kept you at the edge of your seat and left you enthralled and utterly exasperated by her dancing.There were so many moments of indescribable beauty in this (and every) piece they danced together that would just make you stand there not breathing from was happening before you to this magnificent music. Just artistic perfection. Nothing more...nothing less.
Susan Londoner Thank you so much Ms. Londoner for your beautiful comments. It is always such a unique treat when a golden age ballet insider takes the time to describe the very intimate world which you inhabited and share it so wonderfully with us. thank you so much. such beautiful writing too. i felt i was in the wings or in front with you. and you give such a tribute to farell and martins. kirkland describes weeping one time as she watched allegra kent in rehearsal. it was a pas de deux of superlative beauty, Kirkland said. Your comments about farrell and martins remind me of that. Just exquisite moments of dance caught in time and remaining in the mind's eye and then shared and given witness to so many of us who werent there...thank you so much
nice words ms freedman. I used to watch Suzanne and think of how she would dance with such abandon - I mean I watched her throw herself into 4 pirouettes one time, it didn't look like she planned it, she'd just do it and see what would happen. You watch Peter and he seems so solid and in control but I think that's more of an illusion. There's the one attitude where he almost loses her.....he'd better be there or else! Suzanne would just lose herself in the piece. Watching this is The standard for this piece. Everyone after has to measure themselves against it. And that's a very Large standard. It's funny to think that Balanchine was blessed to have them as dancers but you and i know that it was he that saw this in them and brought it out. He would find things in people they didn't know existed.
@@brendaannedufaur6244 Brenda I just saw your lovely commentary on my post. Thank you for your kind words. Everything I said was true. It was an honor and a privilege not only to dance for Mr. Balanchine, to be a part of this wonderful company at time when Mr. Balanchine was with us, and beside us, but also so inspiring to be witness to the extreme beauty, and magnificent dancing of Suzanne and Peter and all the amazing dancers, and ballets created by both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, at this special time in NYCB history. I think I can say on behalf of all of us fortunate enough to "Be There", we were so lucky. It was a difficult life, but so worth it. Mr. Balanchine gave us gifts that keep on giving. For us as dancers, and audiences, then, and now. A treasure trove of magnificence, artistry and beauty.
Dear Susan, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and memories about this Ballet and particularly Suzanne, you were certainly a great dancer yourself, the fact that Balanchine chose you to be in his company was proof.
This pas de deux is the Best one I've yet to see. Farrell dances as if she's on another planet, so distant yet so touching. Like a fragile bird but with power that she somehow hides. And Martins's partnering is sublime. He only gives her what she needs, not a touch more. He's completely necessary but yet he manages to keep all attention on her. This is truly a brilliant, magical performance.
Yes, I agree with you so very much: sublime, magical, otherworldly, elegant, poetic, evocative, brilliant. Suzanne Farrell is the music incarnate. Exquisite!
I took ballet from the time I was 4 until I was 15. I spent the better part of my childhood and teens watching Suzanne. I even taught my self to draw ballerinas by tracing her pictures in Dance Magazine. She was always my favorite. She is as fluid as water. Watching her and Peter in this with the beautiful music is hypnotic.
Balanchine's most beautiful work. Farrell is so lovely, there are no words for her. thank you for uploading. I am so touched by both Martins and Farrell dancing to this beautiful music.
These comments are making me laugh, the irony they accompany this piece.,,, From the sublime to the absurd. You guys, this is an iconic piece of great choreography and masterful dancing that has set american ballet style and standards since it was produced in 1967.
Incomparable. The absolute best. Stunning and so emotional. Really tugs at my heart. This is my favorite song in the entire world. Bravo and viva Balanchine!❤
it's very interesting to see the relationship between Suzanne and Peter - she only subtly acknowledges him and he more fully focuses his energy on her - he must or she'll be off and away from him, and he must not let her get away - this is completely different than anyone else that does this pas. Suzanne never let's you forget that she's dancing and not just displaying technique. (she always seems kind of possessed). Peter seems so manly and in control when in fact it's quite the opposite. Suzanne completely commands his attention.
What a fabulous partnership Farrell and Martins have! I've seen Peter Martins give lecture demos on partnering. It's amazing to watch him dance and put all his insight to work. So often he leads with one hand, offering support that seems invisible before his second hand comes in. He also stands at a slight distance from the ballerina, so you can really see her and she has room to move... and, of course, Farrell was such a daredevil with space. OMG, bliss.
Peter Martins was quite the handsome man, and Suzanne Farrell is one of the most beautiful women in the world. They danced so beautifully together, while they're dancing the almost dont look real. Perfect combination of technical and artistic perfection☆
Years ago Mr. Martins was a guest artist with the National Ballet of Canada dancing the part of the Prince in Swan Lake and even before he appeared all aglow on stage of the O'Keefe Center in Toronto, the dance critics were offering words of praise about him. I knew several of the dancers on stage, and was told Martins didn't have time even for one rehearsal and was completely unfamiliar with this particular version of Swan Lake. WHAT TO DO? Several of the female dancers accompanied Martins around the stage, acting as his loyal companions and discreetly prompted him to turn left or turn right, or go left upstage, etc. And he diligently obeyed and the audience was none the wiser. And the leading dance critic of the Toronto Star, William Littler, loved the evening, as well.
Thank you for giving out the information That this Is Tchaikovski Symphony no.3, in D Major. I miss when there Is not or incomplete info of the great composers who composed for ballet or their music, like Vivaldi was used for ballet as well.
It's too sad the way Martins treated Suzanne when he became the head of the NYCB. She could have made such a wonderful contribution to the dancers there.
He was never a sensitive dancer or man, for that matter. He had an inflated ego which manifested itself throughout his time with NYC Ballet, unfortunately. His looks and technique might have been great, but he was a small, mean man. In this pas, he partners Suzanne well, but there is little interaction between them. She dances by herself, in her own world and never loses her distance and control. Today, the only ballerina who can dance this at a high level is Sara Mearns partnered by Russell Janzen. And between the two there is a closeness which develops in the pas-de-deux. It is a different interpretation but beautiful. I never really liked Peter Martins as a dancer because of his ego.
While it has been said that Diamonds is an evocation of Tchaik's Sleeping Beauty, the second half of this pas de deux is Swan Lake to my ears and eyes. The music gets ominous and double reed heavy, and B gives Suzanne birdlike stalky steps. She is remote and resistant. It is a beautiful distillation of Odette/Siegfried.
Loretta applebee below should've read the cast lists in the house program more carefully before commenting and making such wrongful attributions. Of the 3 performances of Jewels given by the Bolshoi in Hong Kong, Nina Kaptsova danced in Diamonds only at the matinee on March 29. For "both nights" in question, the ballerina in Diamonds was Ekaterina Krysanova. Local dance critics were unanimous in their praise of Kaptsova, whereas Krysanova's performance was described as feeble and lacklustre. Btw, you probably don't know that Jewels was created for the New York City Ballet instead of any Russian company. It's not an original Tchaikovsky ballet, unlike Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty etc.!
Like your wry comment there, Maya. These are the most hilarious comments I've ever read given that 'Diamonds' is peerless, one of the most pristine, noble things there is. I'll be seeing NYCB's 'Jewels' in May this year, my 2nd time. I never saw Farrell and Martins live in this, but I saw them both in many things, I saw her 'Mozartiana', 'Liebeslieder', 'La Valse', many others. I came here for Farrell too, but was struck this time by how magnificent Peter is, he couldn't be more princely. There's something about the way this youTube has squashed them somewhat, though, makes their thighs both look heavier. But I never tire of this video and that incredible music. I'm introducing a friend to 'Jewels', now that's a nice way to get to know somebody, isn't it? As much as most of us don't love Martins's choreography much, it's really also a shame he didn't get to keep dancing another 6 or 7 years like Farrell did. Balanchine partnered Suzanne with him because of his height, and for a long time that was his main interest in him (and he's got enough ego to do it, you just don't 'see hers'.) She once wrote that she would have loved to have danced with Baryshnikov, but that he was too short. Lots of complaints about his partnership with McBride, but they are great in Tchai Pas de Deux, which you can see at the side. Patricia McBride is my favourite ballerina (also saw many times live), but then I see 'Diamonds', and I can't be sure... I think the youtubes also make Patty and Misha look chunky too; I didn't notice that in the first youtubes some 8 years or so ago.
+XXX xxx I loathe to agree with you. I had the unfortunate good luck to first see the Mariinsky dance the full-length “Jewels” in 2005. While they couldn’t match the NYCB’s speed and flexible pointe work, they were nevertheless a breathtaking revelation, especially the corps de ballet. At some expense to fleetness and daring, every detail was worked, every position completed, every moment danced to complete fullness. A transcendent and thoroughly satisfying evening of ballet theatre. THEN I got to see the NYCB less than a year later. I was so enthused after having seen the Mariinsky that I invited two friends along, absolutely certain that they would enjoy “Jewels” too. What a come down. Talk about coming down from a drug-induced high. The NYCB was so sloppy, so lacklustre, so uninterested in putting out any effort that I almost urged my friends to leave. I’m sorry now that I didn’t insist. Our reward for staying to the end was to watch an indifferent Wendy Whelan, whom I normally admire, and a visibly overweight Nilas Martins, struggle through the eight-minute gauntlet that is the “Diamonds” Grand Pas De Deux. An unqualified disappointment to be sure, and my friends came away that evening wondering what the fuss had been all about.
I had forgotten all out this thread, but an email came in a while ago, and it was a little more recent than I thought. I didn't get one for XXX xxx's reply, but I can refer to both. The May, 2014 performance at NYCB was a good bit better than I expected, except for 'emeralds' which was so overly 'too gentle' it was weak and flimsy, and that video had been no treat either, with Merill Ashley especially wrong, but I remember liking Karin Von Aroldingen for her noble carriage. the Rubies was good, but I don't remember it well, but the Diamonds was rather ravishing, with Maria Kowroski. I had seen an 'Emeralds' there in 2004, and this charming English dancer Robert Tewsley was there for awhile, and did it; he was special. I believe Sebastien Marcovicci was also good in that. I also saw just 'Rubies' at Mariinsky in 2007, which was very good except for rather tacky sets; I forget that voluptuous male Russian dancer Shklorov or something. Saw Ekaterina that day too. For sets, the POB DVD is the best, the most stylish and tasteful, but somehow this greatest company (for me they are, since I finally saw them in 'Giselle' in 2012, with Aurelie) made the mistake of casting Agnes Lestestu in Diamonds, and she seemed to be sleepwalking. Strange misfortune for what would otherwise be a great dvd. Oh yes, I hate to think of Nilas Martins in Diamonds, or really in most any of the (too) many things I saw him in in 2004. He was once even doing 'Apollo', wasn't he? Once Nikolaj Hubbe became the star there, Nilas looked ridiculous quite often, got in trouble, and wasn't even given a farewell performance. I thought Hubbe was as great as the male dancers of the Balanchine Golden Age, although I find RDB less intriguing than some (they were at Koch Theater in 2011, and I'd rather now see anything at the Met, because of acoustics.) Just to mention that 'too gentle' thing I said about the 2014 'Emeralds' I saw. There was a lot of this in Suzanne Farrell's own company, which I finally saw in 2011. This is probably verboten, but I thought the boys danced just like the girls, and especially in port de bras, which Gene Kelly used to say often happened with the boys directed by female ballet directors. I was fairly disappointed, and it seemed sort of sad that she hadn't been able to become part of NYCB due to the obvious conflicts. She's sort of a loner, which explains her uniqueness and the whiff of tragedy (that you never saw in McBride.)
Peter Martins is a Dane. and Balanchine thought he would make Suzanne Farrell look good as he is blond and she is dark haired. In this piece all he does is look good and be a pillar.
I watch this version on occasion and this time, after repeatedly viewing the versions posted of dancers with Het National Ballet, and dancers of the major Russian ballet companies, this performance strikes me as the darkest of them all. Farrell seems remote and reluctant in some moments, vigorous and quick in others-- as if she were a wild animal tranquilized and captured, with no energy to resist her captor but moments of adrenaline that demand she try to escape... and fail. In the end her Domineer wins, with a kiss on her hand as her for downcasts and her other hand falls limp. His partnering supports this in my view: neutral, distant, focused only on the object of not affection, but his prize. Compared to Zalensky and Chudin, Martins as a partner does not exude affection of noble graciousness to the ballerina-- his port de bras occurs as if indifferent to hers, and in some moments(@1:32) his arm just hangs by his side rather than matching her lines. This contributes to a sense of quiet impatience lacking empathy, bordering on disdain-- etched as well into his even, serious face. Very interesting to read this new interpretation into this dance of two, after having viewed several versions and this one repeatedly as, ya know, "closest to the original".
+Kerry Takashi Ah-- excuse me for missing your comment here until now. Thank you for the correction-- I didn't know it was made on her. Good to know, for reference. I wonder how she would coach it were she allowed to do so? Indeed, she dances with more understatement here than any version I've seen on YT. The irony is that while the Russian dancers do it very differently, not at all like this, "Diamonds" was fashioned with the chilled Imperial style of Russia, yes? Albeit, I wonder how much modern Russian dancers understand that, and if/how their understanding differs from that of the previous generation of Russian dancers who were closer to the trappings and decorum of imperial Russia. We need a historian! And commentary from Suzanne!!!
I believe Farrell had disagreements with her home company and that was why she left (or was forced to leave). If you want to know how she would coach, there are some clips of her own chamber company. They dance in pure Balanchine style. Also Balanchine repertoire is under strict control by the Balanchine Foundation. Most of the dancers on the board were dancers who danced in Farrell's shadow. This is strictly my own opinion, but I often wonder if their long held jealousy is allowing the style that Balanchine honed with Farrell to degrade. Maybe her legacy is being destroyed on purpose. Lucky we all have videos of her dancing.
+Kerry Takashi I see... I will look for those clips of her chamber company. However, I still don't understand what *exactly* is being "degraded" in the Russian iterations of the Diamonds PDD. What do you see that I am missing ?
@@kerrytakashi12 Ms Farrell is the original & will forever be the champion of this role . However , she originally danced this role with Jacques D ' Amboise before Martins joined the company .
i just watched the bolshoi did the jewels, and the diamond duet was bad bad bad...so bad i thought the girl was sick both nights, (nina kaptsova), it was in HOng Kong so maybe she got some bug?? and had to watch this for corrective reasons... I would have cried if the bolshoi pair was half this good, ironic that now the americans dance and play tchaikovsky better then the russians...
+loretta apple bee Not ironic at all. “Diamonds” was choreographed by the Russian-American choreographer, George Balanchine, who set it originally on the pair seen in this video. The full-length “Jewels”, set on the New York City Ballet, premiered in New York City in 1967. It would be more than forty years before ANY Russian company would get to perform it. What infuriates me more than anything is the attitude with which today’s Russian dancers dance “Diamonds.” They act like they invented it, which would account for their stylistically wrong-headed interpretations of “Diamonds.” It would also account for an inane retort made by that stupid bitch of a prima ballerina, Svetlana Zakharova. Refusing out of hand the coaching tips given to her by coaches sent by the Balanchine Trust during a rehearsal, she remarked, “This is Bolshoi Diamonds,” as opposed to “Balanchine’s Diamonds.” What arrogance and idiocy, and what a typically provincial declaration on her part. Zakharova’s conceit and gall is making my blood boil, even as I’m typing. Stupid, stupid woman.
She got Iksanov fired when she wasn't given the opening night in "Onegin", so of course she feels she can do things like ignoring Balanchine repetiteurs. Even musicians at the Bolshoi have spoken anonymously to the press saying what an obnoxious diva she is and pointing out her well-known closeness to Putin. She's the present-day version of Mathilde Kchessinska alright.
Balanchine actually didn't set DIAMONDS on Martins and Farrell - he set it on *D'Amboise* and Farrell. Peter Martins had not yet joined NYC Ballet when DIAMONDS was made.
Comparing their pdd with smirnova and chudin. and uliana and zelensky, that´s the best i´ve seen till now. It´s superb , breathless. They are perfect !!!
watch her musicality! very basic choreography to match an adagio, from the ROMANTIC era,.please forget the persona on/off stage of the dancers as well as choreographer and perhaps you will be able to transcend your reality, thanks to the great musical score of p.i. tschakosky!
She's very pretty but she certainly doesn't have a sensational presence like Makarova or Kirkland. I don't feel the inner emotion like Makarova or Kirkland could deliver. If I had the choice of the three to train with, I'd train with Kirkland. She has that ethereal presence with her grand punctuated gestures and bravura like no female dancer I've ever seen.
Farrell pretty much explains in her autobiography "Holding on to the Air" the creation of Balanchine's 'Jewels' and why Balanchine chosed her to be Diamond instead of Ruby. Farrell quotes on her book " He had already decided that I would be a Diamond---clear, cool, hard, and lasting, but also a mysterious prism that reflects the entire spectrum." She also explains Balanchine's beliefs on how a male dancer partners and dances with their ballerina. I can see this in Farrell and Martins dancing. Exactly what Balanchine wanted.
Farrell was a wonderful Balanchine dancer. Kirkland was just the greatest dancer of the 20th Century (IMO). I don't agree that they are in the same class, as great as Farrell was. Kirkland was like a sorceress who had too much power for a human body to sustain. It eventually ate her alive. When she was dancing well however, it was of another planet. I once said that if she were a singer she would have been a combination of Sutherland and Callas rolled into one. However, this IS a wonderful performance diamonds.
@@woolfromtheking I think there was a lot of projection going on between both of them. Kirkland was looking for a father figure and Balanchine was looking for someone to be another Farrell. It was inevitable that they would clash.
Beautiful. but i just watched María Khoreva, 19, a great rising Star, and Xander Parish. She Is light like a feather, great extensions, etc. I prefer their brilliant performance.💕🎈
I just saw Khoreva in Diamonds today (with Asterov) and, while she shows great potential and of course great facility, it comes nowhere close to the romantic abandon, musicality, spontaneity and daring of Suzanne Farrell. Khoreva can get there with time, but let’s be real.
Try watching it a few more times. To me, the underlying feeling is that she is remote, unattainable, adored. Like every muse. This moves me in a different way than other pas de deux.
With all of the external insanity afflicting us on a daily basis, this retreat into beauty and grace is a great comfort.
I watched these two magnificent dancers form the wing and outfront if I was injured. This was a match made in heaven. Mr. Balanchine would stand in the wing, head up and body relaxed knowing that this was danced exactly as it was meant to be. Peter was the perfect partner for Suzanne with his elegance, stature and incredible looks, as well as being a great partner. Suzanne is in a world of her own, untouched by any other dancer. She embodied everything Balanchine. Insane beauty, and a technique that was strong enough to let her dance anything Mr. Balanchine offered her, but with a fearlessness and abandon that kept you at the edge of your seat and left you enthralled and utterly exasperated by her dancing.There were so many moments of indescribable beauty in this (and every) piece they danced together that would just make you stand there not breathing from was happening before you to this magnificent music. Just artistic perfection. Nothing more...nothing less.
Susan Londoner Thank you so much Ms. Londoner for your beautiful comments. It is always such a unique treat when a golden age ballet insider takes the time to describe the very intimate world which you inhabited and share it so wonderfully with us. thank you so much. such beautiful writing too. i felt i was in the wings or in front with you. and you give such a tribute to farell and martins. kirkland describes weeping one time as she watched allegra kent in rehearsal. it was a pas de deux of superlative beauty, Kirkland said. Your comments about farrell and martins remind me of that. Just exquisite moments of dance caught in time and remaining in the mind's eye and then shared and given witness to so many of us who werent there...thank you so much
Yes!
nice words ms freedman. I used to watch Suzanne and think of how she would dance with such abandon - I mean I watched her throw herself into 4 pirouettes one time, it didn't look like she planned it, she'd just do it and see what would happen.
You watch Peter and he seems so solid and in control but I think that's more of an illusion. There's the one attitude where he almost loses her.....he'd better be there or else! Suzanne would just lose herself in the piece. Watching this is The standard for this piece. Everyone after has to measure themselves against it. And that's a very Large standard. It's funny to think that Balanchine was blessed to have them as dancers but you and i know that it was he that saw this in them and brought it out. He would find things in people they didn't know existed.
@@brendaannedufaur6244 Brenda I just saw your lovely commentary on my post. Thank you for your kind words. Everything I said was true. It was an honor and a privilege not only to dance for Mr. Balanchine, to be a part of this wonderful company at time when Mr. Balanchine was with us, and beside us, but also so inspiring to be witness to the extreme beauty, and magnificent dancing of Suzanne and Peter and all the amazing dancers, and ballets created by both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, at this special time in NYCB history. I think I can say on behalf of all of us fortunate enough to "Be There", we were so lucky. It was a difficult life, but so worth it. Mr. Balanchine gave us gifts that keep on giving. For us as dancers, and audiences, then, and now. A treasure trove of magnificence, artistry and beauty.
Dear Susan, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and memories about this Ballet and particularly Suzanne, you were certainly a great dancer yourself, the fact that Balanchine chose you to be in his company was proof.
In this world choked with ugliness ••• it refreshes my soul to see such beauty. Thank you.
This pas de deux is the Best one I've yet to see. Farrell dances as if she's on another planet, so distant yet so touching. Like a fragile bird but with power that she somehow hides. And Martins's partnering is sublime. He only gives her what she needs, not a touch more. He's completely necessary but yet he manages to keep all attention on her. This is truly a brilliant, magical performance.
Yes, I agree with you so very much: sublime, magical, otherworldly, elegant, poetic, evocative, brilliant. Suzanne Farrell is the music incarnate. Exquisite!
I took ballet from the time I was 4 until I was 15. I spent the better part of my childhood and teens watching Suzanne. I even taught my self to draw ballerinas by tracing her pictures in Dance Magazine. She was always my favorite. She is as fluid as water. Watching her and Peter in this with the beautiful music is hypnotic.
So lovely, they are a joy to watch. The line is exquisite. She moves with such beauty, serenity and understated passion. No wonder she was his muse.
Hauntingly beautiful and exquisitely precise!!!!!
Peter Martins and Suzanne Farrell are wonderful in this. Thank you for posting this. I love Diamonds!
one of the most beautiful things I've ever see. that simple. a diamond.
Balanchine's most beautiful work. Farrell is so lovely, there are no words for her. thank you for uploading. I am so touched by both Martins and Farrell dancing to this beautiful music.
Farrell has a way of sustaining each movement. It's so beautuful. There isn't that softness in ballet dancers I've seen who perform it today.
exactly...people think all balanchine is super angular and aggressive but it could also have a very gentle, delicate quality.
I saw Farrell many times. She danced like an unfurling ribbon of silk. Flawless.
These comments are making me laugh, the irony they accompany this piece.,,, From the sublime to the absurd. You guys, this is an iconic piece of great choreography and masterful dancing that has set american ballet style and standards since it was produced in 1967.
you said it. I waS there AND KNOW FIRST HAND HOW EXQUISITE THIS IS
@@pedinurse1 You said it too. I saw this with these dancers and it was phenomenal.
Incomparable. The absolute best. Stunning and so emotional. Really tugs at my heart. This is my favorite song in the entire world. Bravo and viva Balanchine!❤
at once enigmatic and crystalline... that sums up this work of art and Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins' pas de deux. Superb!
Nobody and nobody will ever be Suzanne in diamonds
This music, the choreography, the dancers the atmosphere.🔥🔥🔥👑👑👑
it's very interesting to see the relationship between Suzanne and Peter - she only subtly acknowledges him and he more fully focuses his energy on her - he must or she'll be off and away from him, and he must not let her get away - this is completely different than anyone else that does this pas. Suzanne never let's you forget that she's dancing and not just displaying technique. (she always seems kind of possessed). Peter seems so manly and in control when in fact it's quite the opposite. Suzanne completely commands his attention.
The elusive muse . . .
Polished, precise and exquisite. These two sublime artists connect us to another dimension, of everlasting serenity and beauty.
so much beauty in one performance
It makes your heart soar and it’s so absorbing that it seems to make time slow down.
Stupendous Suzanne!
What a fabulous partnership Farrell and Martins have! I've seen Peter Martins give lecture demos on partnering. It's amazing to watch him dance and put all his insight to work. So often he leads with one hand, offering support that seems invisible before his second hand comes in. He also stands at a slight distance from the ballerina, so you can really see her and she has room to move... and, of course, Farrell was such a daredevil with space. OMG, bliss.
Man I never get tired of watching this
Peter Martins was quite the handsome man, and Suzanne Farrell is one of the most beautiful women in the world. They danced so beautifully together, while they're dancing the almost dont look real. Perfect combination of technical and artistic perfection☆
Years ago Mr. Martins was a guest artist with the National Ballet of Canada dancing the part of the Prince in Swan Lake and even before he appeared all aglow on stage of the O'Keefe Center in Toronto, the dance critics were offering words of praise about him. I knew several of the dancers on stage, and was told Martins didn't have time even for one rehearsal and was completely unfamiliar with this particular version of Swan Lake. WHAT TO DO? Several of the female dancers accompanied Martins around the stage, acting as his loyal companions and discreetly prompted him to turn left or turn right, or go left upstage, etc. And he diligently obeyed and the audience was none the wiser. And the leading dance critic of the Toronto Star, William Littler, loved the evening, as well.
incredible, so flawless
Oh sie passen so gut zusammen.^^ Schöner können Menschen nicht sein. (Perfect couple, so beautiful)
Thank you for giving out the information That this Is Tchaikovski Symphony no.3, in D Major.
I miss when there Is not or incomplete info of the great composers who composed for ballet or their music, like Vivaldi was used for ballet as well.
Thank you for posting.
Stunning Prima Ballerina
so achingly lovely....
Incomparable
It's too sad the way Martins treated Suzanne when he became the head of the NYCB. She could have made such a wonderful contribution to the dancers there.
He was never a sensitive dancer or man, for that matter. He had an inflated ego which manifested itself throughout his time with NYC Ballet, unfortunately. His looks and technique might have been great, but he was a small, mean man. In this pas, he partners Suzanne well, but there is little interaction between them. She dances by herself, in her own world and never loses her distance and control. Today, the only ballerina who can dance this at a high level is Sara Mearns partnered by Russell Janzen. And between the two there is a closeness which develops in the pas-de-deux. It is a different interpretation but beautiful. I never really liked Peter Martins as a dancer because of his ego.
That was so chilly my feet are cold...
I love Suzanne Ferrell so much I have her point shoes with her signature!!
suzanne is one of the best prima ballerina ever to dance
this is so beautiful!
There are some charming comments on here.
Not that it bothers me, I just came here for Suzanne :)
While it has been said that Diamonds is an evocation of Tchaik's Sleeping Beauty, the second half of this pas de deux is Swan Lake to my ears and eyes. The music gets ominous and double reed heavy, and B gives Suzanne birdlike stalky steps. She is remote and resistant. It is a beautiful distillation of Odette/Siegfried.
Yes! Those images came to my mind.
Absolutely Swan Lake in the pas de deux! The undercurrent of grief and fear runs all through the music and the dance.
Loretta applebee below should've read the cast lists in the house program more carefully before commenting and making such wrongful attributions. Of the 3 performances of Jewels given by the Bolshoi in Hong Kong, Nina Kaptsova danced in Diamonds only at the matinee on March 29. For "both nights" in question, the ballerina in Diamonds was Ekaterina Krysanova. Local dance critics were unanimous in their praise of Kaptsova, whereas Krysanova's performance was described as feeble and lacklustre. Btw, you probably don't know that Jewels was created for the New York City Ballet instead of any Russian company. It's not an original Tchaikovsky ballet, unlike Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty etc.!
Farrell coached Sara Mearns in Diamonds in 2019.
I like Mearns but she needed coaching in this ballet. She was one of the dancers who insisted on turning this piece into Swan Lake lite.
I was lucky enough to see Mearns perform after being coached by Farrell. The Farrell effect was evident. Mearns was radiant, serene, magical.
Is the male dancer Peter Martins? Sure really loodje like him, but just to be sure ;)! Really love this video and balanchines work!
I recommend Suzanne Farrell's book 'Holding On To The Air.'
Like your wry comment there, Maya. These are the most hilarious comments I've ever read given that 'Diamonds' is peerless, one of the most pristine, noble things there is. I'll be seeing NYCB's 'Jewels' in May this year, my 2nd time. I never saw Farrell and Martins live in this, but I saw them both in many things, I saw her 'Mozartiana', 'Liebeslieder', 'La Valse', many others. I came here for Farrell too, but was struck this time by how magnificent Peter is, he couldn't be more princely. There's something about the way this youTube has squashed them somewhat, though, makes their thighs both look heavier. But I never tire of this video and that incredible music. I'm introducing a friend to 'Jewels', now that's a nice way to get to know somebody, isn't it? As much as most of us don't love Martins's choreography much, it's really also a shame he didn't get to keep dancing another 6 or 7 years like Farrell did. Balanchine partnered Suzanne with him because of his height, and for a long time that was his main interest in him (and he's got enough ego to do it, you just don't 'see hers'.) She once wrote that she would have loved to have danced with Baryshnikov, but that he was too short. Lots of complaints about his partnership with McBride, but they are great in Tchai Pas de Deux, which you can see at the side. Patricia McBride is my favourite ballerina (also saw many times live), but then I see 'Diamonds', and I can't be sure... I think the youtubes also make Patty and Misha look chunky too; I didn't notice that in the first youtubes some 8 years or so ago.
+XXX xxx I loathe to agree with you. I had the unfortunate good luck to first see the Mariinsky dance the full-length “Jewels” in 2005. While they couldn’t match the NYCB’s speed and flexible pointe work, they were nevertheless a breathtaking revelation, especially the corps de ballet. At some expense to fleetness and daring, every detail was worked, every position completed, every moment danced to complete fullness. A transcendent and thoroughly satisfying evening of ballet theatre.
THEN I got to see the NYCB less than a year later. I was so enthused after having seen the Mariinsky that I invited two friends along, absolutely certain that they would enjoy “Jewels” too. What a come down. Talk about coming down from a drug-induced high. The NYCB was so sloppy, so lacklustre, so uninterested in putting out any effort that I almost urged my friends to leave. I’m sorry now that I didn’t insist. Our reward for staying to the end was to watch an indifferent Wendy Whelan, whom I normally admire, and a visibly overweight Nilas Martins, struggle through the eight-minute gauntlet that is the “Diamonds” Grand Pas De Deux.
An unqualified disappointment to be sure, and my friends came away that evening wondering what the fuss had been all about.
I had forgotten all out this thread, but an email came in a while ago, and it was a little more recent than I thought. I didn't get one for XXX xxx's reply, but I can refer to both. The May, 2014 performance at NYCB was a good bit better than I expected, except for 'emeralds' which was so overly 'too gentle' it was weak and flimsy, and that video had been no treat either, with Merill Ashley especially wrong, but I remember liking Karin Von Aroldingen for her noble carriage. the Rubies was good, but I don't remember it well, but the Diamonds was rather ravishing, with Maria Kowroski. I had seen an 'Emeralds' there in 2004, and this charming English dancer Robert Tewsley was there for awhile, and did it; he was special. I believe Sebastien Marcovicci was also good in that. I also saw just 'Rubies' at Mariinsky in 2007, which was very good except for rather tacky sets; I forget that voluptuous male Russian dancer Shklorov or something. Saw Ekaterina that day too. For sets, the POB DVD is the best, the most stylish and tasteful, but somehow this greatest company (for me they are, since I finally saw them in 'Giselle' in 2012, with Aurelie) made the mistake of casting Agnes Lestestu in Diamonds, and she seemed to be sleepwalking. Strange misfortune for what would otherwise be a great dvd.
Oh yes, I hate to think of Nilas Martins in Diamonds, or really in most any of the (too) many things I saw him in in 2004. He was once even doing 'Apollo', wasn't he? Once Nikolaj Hubbe became the star there, Nilas looked ridiculous quite often, got in trouble, and wasn't even given a farewell performance. I thought Hubbe was as great as the male dancers of the Balanchine Golden Age, although I find RDB less intriguing than some (they were at Koch Theater in 2011, and I'd rather now see anything at the Met, because of acoustics.)
Just to mention that 'too gentle' thing I said about the 2014 'Emeralds' I saw. There was a lot of this in Suzanne Farrell's own company, which I finally saw in 2011. This is probably verboten, but I thought the boys danced just like the girls, and especially in port de bras, which Gene Kelly used to say often happened with the boys directed by female ballet directors. I was fairly disappointed, and it seemed sort of sad that she hadn't been able to become part of NYCB due to the obvious conflicts. She's sort of a loner, which explains her uniqueness and the whiff of tragedy (that you never saw in McBride.)
Merrill Ashley wrong in Emeralds? No no no no no.
I'm not a Peter Martins fan, but love Suzanne Farrell here.
And what don't you like about his dancing at this point in time?
Wrong aspect ratio... This is 3:2. The correct ratio for this video is 4:3. Both dancers look stubbier than they really were.
Saw this as a child…all I wanted in the world was to be a ballerina☝️
The aspect ratio of this video looks wrong. The width vs height ratio is larger than what it should be.
Peter Martins is a Dane. and Balanchine thought he would make Suzanne Farrell look good as he is blond and she is dark haired.
In this piece all he does is look good and be a pillar.
I watch this version on occasion and this time, after repeatedly viewing the versions posted of dancers with Het National Ballet, and dancers of the major Russian ballet companies, this performance strikes me as the darkest of them all. Farrell seems remote and reluctant in some moments, vigorous and quick in others-- as if she were a wild animal tranquilized and captured, with no energy to resist her captor but moments of adrenaline that demand she try to escape... and fail. In the end her Domineer wins, with a kiss on her hand as her for downcasts and her other hand falls limp. His partnering supports this in my view: neutral, distant, focused only on the object of not affection, but his prize. Compared to Zalensky and Chudin, Martins as a partner does not exude affection of noble graciousness to the ballerina-- his port de bras occurs as if indifferent to hers, and in some moments(@1:32) his arm just hangs by his side rather than matching her lines. This contributes to a sense of quiet impatience lacking empathy, bordering on disdain-- etched as well into his even, serious face. Very interesting to read this new interpretation into this dance of two, after having viewed several versions and this one repeatedly as, ya know, "closest to the original".
+Kerry Takashi Ah-- excuse me for missing your comment here until now. Thank you for the correction-- I didn't know it was made on her. Good to know, for reference.
I wonder how she would coach it were she allowed to do so? Indeed, she dances with more understatement here than any version I've seen on YT. The irony is that while the Russian dancers do it very differently, not at all like this, "Diamonds" was fashioned with the chilled Imperial style of Russia, yes? Albeit, I wonder how much modern Russian dancers understand that, and if/how their understanding differs from that of the previous generation of Russian dancers who were closer to the trappings and decorum of imperial Russia.
We need a historian! And commentary from Suzanne!!!
I believe Farrell had disagreements with her home company and that was why she left (or was forced to leave). If you want to know how she would coach, there are some clips of her own chamber company. They dance in pure Balanchine style.
Also Balanchine repertoire is under strict control by the Balanchine Foundation. Most of the dancers on the board were dancers who danced in Farrell's shadow. This is strictly my own opinion, but I often wonder if their long held jealousy is allowing the style that Balanchine honed with Farrell to degrade. Maybe her legacy is being destroyed on purpose. Lucky we all have videos of her dancing.
+Kerry Takashi I see... I will look for those clips of her chamber company. However, I still don't understand what *exactly* is being "degraded" in the Russian iterations of the Diamonds PDD. What do you see that I am missing ?
+Rossi Lamont Walter You commented on the other video-- I will read now.
@@kerrytakashi12 Ms Farrell is the original & will forever be the champion of this role . However , she originally danced this role with Jacques D ' Amboise before Martins joined the company .
i just watched the bolshoi did the jewels, and the diamond duet was bad bad bad...so bad i thought the girl was sick both nights, (nina kaptsova), it was in HOng Kong so maybe she got some bug?? and had to watch this for corrective reasons... I would have cried if the bolshoi pair was half this good, ironic that now the americans dance and play tchaikovsky better then the russians...
+loretta apple bee Not ironic at all. “Diamonds” was choreographed by the Russian-American choreographer, George Balanchine, who set it originally on the pair seen in this video. The full-length “Jewels”, set on the New York City Ballet, premiered in New York City in 1967. It would be more than forty years before ANY Russian company would get to perform it.
What infuriates me more than anything is the attitude with which today’s Russian dancers dance “Diamonds.” They act like they invented it, which would account for their stylistically wrong-headed interpretations of “Diamonds.” It would also account for an inane retort made by that stupid bitch of a prima ballerina, Svetlana Zakharova. Refusing out of hand the coaching tips given to her by coaches sent by the Balanchine Trust during a rehearsal, she remarked, “This is Bolshoi Diamonds,” as opposed to “Balanchine’s Diamonds.” What arrogance and idiocy, and what a typically provincial declaration on her part.
Zakharova’s conceit and gall is making my blood boil, even as I’m typing. Stupid, stupid woman.
She got Iksanov fired when she wasn't given the opening night in "Onegin", so of course she feels she can do things like ignoring Balanchine repetiteurs. Even musicians at the Bolshoi have spoken anonymously to the press saying what an obnoxious diva she is and pointing out her well-known closeness to Putin. She's the present-day version of Mathilde Kchessinska alright.
Balanchine actually didn't set DIAMONDS on Martins and Farrell - he set it on *D'Amboise* and Farrell. Peter Martins had not yet joined NYC Ballet when DIAMONDS was made.
Mea culpa. You’re absolutely correct. Jacques D’Amboise, NOT Peter Martins.
Comparing their pdd with smirnova and chudin. and uliana and zelensky, that´s the best i´ve seen till now. It´s superb , breathless. They are perfect !!!
Smirnova is awful. She dances it like Norma Desmond does Balanchine. This clip is the real deal and how Balanchine WANTED it to look.
How Peter Martins got his surname? Does he has portuguese ancestry?
You´re crazy. I won´t answer you more.
What else is there to say
peter martins is danish...
If you don't know peter martins when you see him and have to ask you don't love Balanchine, his work and you know NOTHING about ballet. TRUTH.
I thought that was fantastic
watch her musicality!
very basic choreography to match an adagio, from the ROMANTIC era,.please forget the persona on/off stage of the dancers as well as choreographer and perhaps you will be able to transcend your reality, thanks to the great musical score of p.i. tschakosky!
Did she practice heavy lifting? She looks like a world champion in power lifting
Martins is undoubtedly a portuguese name. Curious...
She's very pretty but she certainly doesn't have a sensational presence like Makarova or Kirkland. I don't feel the inner emotion like Makarova or Kirkland could deliver. If I had the choice of the three to train with, I'd train with Kirkland. She has that ethereal presence with her grand punctuated gestures and bravura like no female dancer I've ever seen.
Maybe it doesn't come through on video for people who weren't there at the time. But Farrell was unspeakably beautiful. No one else like her.
Farrell pretty much explains in her autobiography "Holding on to the Air" the creation of Balanchine's 'Jewels' and why Balanchine chosed her to be Diamond instead of Ruby. Farrell quotes on her book " He had already decided that I would be a Diamond---clear, cool, hard, and lasting, but also a mysterious prism that reflects the entire spectrum." She also explains Balanchine's beliefs on how a male dancer partners and dances with their ballerina. I can see this in Farrell and Martins dancing. Exactly what Balanchine wanted.
Farrell was a wonderful Balanchine dancer. Kirkland was just the greatest dancer of the 20th Century (IMO). I don't agree that they are in the same class, as great as Farrell was. Kirkland was like a sorceress who had too much power for a human body to sustain. It eventually ate her alive. When she was dancing well however, it was of another planet. I once said that if she were a singer she would have been a combination of Sutherland and Callas rolled into one. However, this IS a wonderful performance diamonds.
JL D Gelsey wanted to be like Suzanne because Balanchine liked Suzanne she said it in an interview
@@woolfromtheking I think there was a lot of projection going on between both of them. Kirkland was looking for a father figure and Balanchine was looking for someone to be another Farrell. It was inevitable that they would clash.
Beautiful. but i just watched María Khoreva, 19, a great rising Star, and Xander Parish. She Is light like a feather, great extensions, etc. I prefer their brilliant performance.💕🎈
I just saw Khoreva in Diamonds today (with Asterov) and, while she shows great potential and of course great facility, it comes nowhere close to the romantic abandon, musicality, spontaneity and daring of Suzanne Farrell. Khoreva can get there with time, but let’s be real.
Гаммы и арпеджио. Соседям назло.
*looks ugh autocorrection -.-
To a modern eye she looks...well, wooden. Perhaps such backs were in vogue those day.
I've reported you. You're going to be BANNED. HA HA HA HA. ;p
Beautiful but dull.
Try watching it a few more times. To me, the underlying feeling is that she is remote, unattainable, adored. Like every muse. This moves me in a different way than other pas de deux.
Balanchine's ballet wasn't supposed to telling a story