Ever since it's triumphant premiere in January 1960, Frederick Ashton's La fille mal gardée has been esteemed as one of his happiest creations. This is a charming piece, elegantly performed, a village love affair set in the idyllic Constable landscape of Ashton's imagination. Marianela Nuñez and Carlos Acosta would be show-stoppers in almost any suitable role, but as Lise and Colas they are superb. William Tuckett and Jonathan Howells, in the comic roles of Simone and Alain respectively, are every bit as arresting, both displaying a certain genius for knockabout. The luminously colourful Osbert Lancaster designs, together with the vitality of The Royal Ballet's dancing and vibrant playing from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House under the baton of Anthony Twiner, serve to augment the harmless good fun at which Ashton excels.
Press Reviews
"The Royal Ballet's present revival makes much of its vigorous characters, its brilliantly virtuosic solos and duets...[Marianela Nuñez] gives the swift, intricate footwork as gorgeously as I have ever seen it...Nunez is an excellent match for Carlos Acosta's whizzing solos and his cheerful eagerness as her admirer Colas..Altogether, a terrific show." (The Stage)
"...times have never been better for the company than under their gracious and ever-present director Monica Mason. The international greats here include vivacious Argentinian Marianela Nuñez, Cuban superstar Carlos Acosta, Romanian national heroine Alina Cojocaru and handsome Italian Federico Bonelli. Of the two signature ballets, La fille mal gardée is sheer perfection. Nuñez and Acosta are unsurpassable respectively in the feminine grace and masculine confidence of Ashton's Lise and Colas, and their mimetic skills are delicious." (BBC Music Magazine ★★★★)
"The choreography's apparent - but not actual! - simplicity and its sheer joie de vivre work in perfect harmony with the undemanding light-hearted story and the tuneful 1828 score to ensure that audiences invariably leave the theatre with faces wreathed in smiles. That would certainly have been so as patrons left the Royal Opera House on 2 February 2005 - and thankfully the BBC's cameras were there to record the occasion." (Musicweb International)
Cast
Marianela Nuñez (Lise)
Carlos Acosta (Colas)
William Tuckett (Simone)
Jonathan Howells (Alain)
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Anthony Twiner
Production
Company: The Royal Ballet
Choreographer: Frederick Ashton
Disc Information
Catalogue Number: OA0992D
Date of Performance: 2005
Running Time: 112 minutes
Sound: LPCM Stereo; 5.1 Surround Sound
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Label: Opus Arte
