Mukhortova-Trankov LP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IMwD1TDoUI

I was not much interested in Pairs until I watched the whole competition at Euros. It was amazing, and I was really, really impressed by M/T's Long Program. I've never seen such a gorgeous acting performance on ice. As we all know, it is based upon "The Lady and the Hooligan" by Shostakovich, a ballet which was first staged in 1961. The music (very russian, if you know what I mean) has a lot of changes of rythm and it's really amusing. Maria and Maxim were actually two actors, because they expressed theatrically every detail and aspect of their characters. Maxim interpreted a big and rude boy who falls in love with his teacher. As we could expect from a "hooligan", it's not like a platonic love, in fact he chases her trying to, well, you know, touch her bottom. But we can see he's not just a rough guy: he has a delicate feeling in his soul. So he becomes - and that's sweet - clumsy for love. Really funny yet moving to watch. Maria is the Lady, the teacher, and she looks rigid and aristocratic and she drives him away. Appareantly. She actually wants to attract him. She is also fickle: look at what she does at 4:08 in the video. Ah ah, wonderful! They're so connected to the music.
The routine doesn't show it, but the end of the story is very sad. He is stabbed by a school-mate (an other hooligan, perhaps jealous?) and before dying, he wants a kiss from her.
That's theater on ice!

I have totally opposite feelings about their LP. SP is wonderful, but LP... Actually it is too much theather and chaos. Many moves are just silly, and the story is not dramatic, but rather cliche. At least she changed her costume, so it does not add to the mess on ice. This LP really does not bring the best out of their skating.

THANK YOU GiuliaPlum!
I really thought I was was only one who liked their LP.

Kinga said:

I have totally opposite feelings about their LP. SP is wonderful, but LP... Actually it is too much theather and chaos. Many moves are just silly, and the story is not dramatic, but rather cliche. At least she changed her costume, so it does not add to the mess on ice. This LP really does not bring the best out of their skating.

Click to expand...

Uhmm :scratch: I noticed this very Lp among the others because it doesn't have clichè characters. I think that "normal" death-and-love stories we see in Pairs or Dance in this season are clichè, like "Romeo and Juliet", "Love story", "Doctor Zivago", "West side story"... Maxim and Maria portrait more complex characters, and not just "two good guys who can't love each other". And the music itself is interesting, something we have never heard on ice before and which not "bring tears in our eyes".


Thank you rosee!

yay! I'm not the only one who actually likes this LP! Thanks a lot for describing the whole story, I didn't know it that well, now this LP looks even better for me.
I'm not very into Pair skating now but the two programs of Maria and Maxim are just amazing. I believe it's because of the stories they are able to tell on ice :think:. But whatever it is, it just mermerizes me.

GiuliaPlum said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IMwD1TDoUI

I was not much interested in Pairs until I watched the whole competition at Euros. It was amazing, and I was really, really impressed by M/T's Long Program. I've never seen such a gorgeous acting performance on ice. As we all know, it is based upon "The Lady and the Hooligan" by Shostakovich, a ballet which was first staged in 1961. The music (very russian, if you know what I mean)

Click to expand...

I know what you mean I love this piece

GiuliaPlum said:

That's theater on ice!

Click to expand...

I agree 100%
at first, I didn't like the program. They didn't perform it well during the GP season and I found the costumes *very* distracting, I kind of hated it. Then I completely changed my mind at Euros. Sometimes, there is no good reason why you don't like a program, and even little details, or having the chance to watch it live, can let you make up your mind.

Now I absolutely love this program..there is everything, rythm, coreography, acting. I mean just look at the step sequence.

I'm also glad there is someone else loving it.
Too bad they didn't perform it properly until now. There is still something not working in this LP, some joy in skating is needed here.. but so much potential

Please Maria and Maxim, have a clean skate at Worlds! I'm looking forward for it!

I loved it right away, when I read the article about them and the program on GoldenSkate during the off season I knew I would love it. It's so cool to have this kind of programs next to the Carmen, Tango, Adagio...
But I still can't get in their SP...

rosee said:

I loved it right away, when I read the article about them and the program on GoldenSkate during the off season I knew I would love it. It's so cool to have this kind of programs next to the Carmen, Tango, Adagio...
But I still can't get in their SP...

Click to expand...

There's a story behind "No way home" too. I discovered it in this very forum, and I was deeply moved... If you see, Maria has a butterfly on her SP dress (which I absolutely love). Quote from Ptichka: "The program is about a butterfly's guardian angel - he protects her throughout the program, but she still dies in his hands at the end." And Maxim himself said: "Our idea for the short program is for Masha to be a flying soul or even a moth, sort of a one-day butterfly". In fact, at the end of the program he looks desperate, and she falls just like a dead butterfly. I didn't get this ending move until I knew the story! And they also said this program is very close to their heart and soul.

I have a thing for this couple, they could do anything on the ice and I would still love and support them!
Eleonora you were very lucky to see them live in Helsinki! I hope we can see them again in Torino.

^I thought the story of the butterfly and guardian angel was really beautiful too! It really added to an already gorgeous program!

Add me to the list of ''The Lady and The Hooligan'' fans! I couldn't really get into the program when they performed it at skate America, because I felt the footwork section, which is really the most important part in bringing out the mood of the piece was probably affected by their technical mistakes earlier on. They performed much much better at TEB, and it was lovely. There's this wonderfully playful air about it. And both of them are so perfect for the roles they are playing! And Maxim has soo much charisma!
Am I gushing?

GiuliaPlum, thanks for sharing the story behind their programs. I understood the LP, but wasn't aware of the inspiration behind the SP.

Their SP, IMO, is one of the most gorgeous from a pairs team that I've seen in quite awhile. I found it stunning at SA, their movement across the ice in this program is lovely. I am really hoping they keep it for the Olympics. In fact, now that I know the story behind it I'm going to go watch it.

The LP has great potential IMO. They haven't had a clean showing of it yet, but I'm hoping it is yet to come at Worlds. I like that they are telling a different story, it definitely stands out. But in how Savchenko/Szolkowy reworked their LP, Mukhortova/Trankov might benefit from doing the same. Their showing at Euros, while it could have been better, was their best performance of the season. Maria in particular never gave up performing it to the end, and I was impressed with that.

They are the first Russian team I've liked since B/S, so I really look forward to seeing more of them in the future and I hope they are at their best at Worlds.

Murkhotova and Trankov are, imo as well as many fans, the most beautiful skaters in the Short Program. They should really begin working on the LP. There is time for Russian Nats, Euros before the Olys.