Classical music that I'm surprised hasn't been used for skating? | Golden Skate

Classical music that I'm surprised hasn't been used for skating?

Skatetomusic

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 5, 2009
As a musician who loves skating and plays the violin,
I have been thinking of many works that I have seen performed but never have been used in skating before or haven't seen much action of so to speak.

unused
Rachmaninov Symphony #2:cool:
The second, third and fourth movements are quite a contrast to what you would normally here in his music. The second and fourth movements are lively and vivacious, while the third movement is very emotional, lyrical and filled with a full color pallete. Note the strong themes throughout

2nd movement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKXLuolO1tI
3rd movement part one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v60qgwtOQCI&feature=related
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlheJNYFhp4&feature=related
4th movement part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMiOuSaeHSQ&feature=related
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4YdiUUbNE4&feature=related

Tchaikovsky
Nutcracker: Waltz of the Snowflakes

Prokofiev
Violin Concerto #1
This work is very lyrical and adventursome at the same time. It has many highs and lows and can leave one to tears at the end becuase it is very uplifting. I don't think there are any other violin concertos except for the Barber Violin Concerto that can reach out and touch the heart.

1st movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27fU-aeOvg0
2nd movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKW5OK4B6aE&feature=related
3rd movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s7vWShOwZA&feature=related
 

mycelticblessing

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
:clap: I'm so glad you mentioned Rachmaninov Symphony #2. It is one of my favourite pieces of music and I actually like this symphony more than any of his piano concertos. All the movements are lovely, but I've always pictured the 3rd movement as being perfect for skating. Whenever I hear it, I'll dream up some imaginary skating routine in my head!

Thanks for providing the link to Profokiev's violin concerto. I've never heard it before, but it's beautiful.
 
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NatachaHatawa

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
I don't know if they've never been used before, but here are some I haven't heard on the ice:

Brahms's Hungarian Dances

Russian Dance from Tchakovsky's Nutcracker
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Waltz of the snowflakes is used a lot by lower level skaters in Christmas shows and the like... I guess once skaters get to senior level they think of it as " little girl" music
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2007
Awesome topic Skatetomusic! I could go on for hours regarding this subject, but since you mentioned you are a violinist, I'll limit myself to violin compositions -

Lalo's "Symphony Espangol" - I'm truly stunned that nobody has skated to this piece yet. You'll get 'Malaguena" re-used ad naseum, but this thrilling Spanish masterpiece gets ignored? :scratch:

Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata - The first movement would make one heck of a long program, although tastefully trimming it down to 4-4 1/2 minutes may be a challenge.

Bruch's Concerto in g - What a gorgeous middle movement, and nobody skates to it!

Tchaikovsky's Concerto in D - Beautiful, melancholic slow movement, and a kickass Russian dance for the last.

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis has a heartbreaking violin solo in the fourth section of the mass that would make a beautiful program.

Steven Reich's Violin Phase. 'Nuff said :cool:
 

ManyCairns

Medalist
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Country
United-States
I think I've suggested this before in threads for particular skater(s), but I'd love to see Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances used.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Ooh, my favorite kind of thread. I'm at work and can't go into detail or find the links, but I want to agree fervently with Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony, which I too love even better than the piano concertos.

I also like all the violin concertos mentioned. When people mention Max Bruch, for some reason, I always think of Ernest Bloch, and so I recommend Schlomo, a piece he composed for cello. I'll hunt for a link later. Haunting like you wouldn't believe.

Also, thinking of Respighi, I'd love to see the third section of his Botticelli Triptych, "The Birth of Venus." Maybe it's a bit slow for a complete long program, but I have a whole idea for a sort of group piece. Also, his The Fountains of Rome is plenty fast, and it has some great emotional high points.

There could be some great Baroque skating music. Remember that lovely march that Denkova and Staviskiy skated to as their compulsory dance in I think 2003?

I'll hunt for links later. Pardon the pun, considering the type of music we're discussing, but this thread rocks!
 

schiele

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Ooh, my favorite kind of thread. I'm at work and can't go into detail or find the links, but I want to agree fervently with Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony, which I too love even better than the piano concertos.

I also like all the violin concertos mentioned. When people mention Max Bruch, for some reason, I always think of Ernest Bloch, and so I recommend Schlomo, a piece he composed for cello. I'll hunt for a link later. Haunting like you wouldn't believe.

Also, thinking of Respighi, I'd love to see the third section of his Botticelli Triptych, "The Birth of Venus." Maybe it's a bit slow for a complete long program, but I have a whole idea for a sort of group piece. Also, his The Fountains of Rome is plenty fast, and it has some great emotional high points.

There could be some great Baroque skating music. Remember that lovely march that Denkova and Staviskiy skated to as their compulsory dance in I think 2003?

I'll hunt for links later. Pardon the pun, considering the type of music we're discussing, but this thread rocks!

Baroque would be very interesting indeed. I would totally like smth like that.
To put it a la Chandler from Friends, some links would be perfection.. :laugh::laugh:
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
I really blame the coaches for the problem of all skaters using the same 15 pieces of music over and over. Spanish=Carmen, malagueña and azor pizolla. Even if the chreograher suggests more obsure pieces the skaters in the end choose the one they can relate to because so and so used it in the 19xx olympics.at the senior levels skaters pick what they know, but the catalog of what they know would be greater if coaches did not give every juvinille level skater Carmen, phantom of the opera and rhapsody in blue
 

BravesSkateFan

Medalist
Joined
Aug 7, 2003
I've always wanted someone to skate to Fur Elise. I think it would make wonderful music for a short program. I made a montage to it once and thought it worked well. As far as I know no skaters have used it.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I mentioned a few pieces. Here are links for some of them, plus a few more

Respighi, "The Birth of Venus;" it starts slow but builds. And there's a spot for a spin at the end. Almost a perfect length, too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdQ9ONMsxd

Respighi's The Fountains of Rome is kind of long, but it's got some shimmering and very dynamic parts to it. Here's the first section: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPTlqnn51r4

Denkova and Staviskiy's piece is here--a baroque beauty. I can see something similar being used for a short program for a lady. (Minus the choral part D/S use, of course...alas.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsAhLiGTva8

For Spanish music, how about Albeniz? His Iberia has some amazing sections, and they're arranged for either orchestra or solo piano or guitar. Here's a sample:
Asturias (Leyenda)--the best known section:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEfFbuT3I6A

Rats! I can't find any orchestral versions of the suite. I must hunt further. But here's a piano version of the second movement which will give an idea of the speed and intensity it can achieve:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBFD7x8p_jE&feature=PlayList&p=2E938C1653890E1E&index=29

I wish someone could figure out a cut of music from the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Suite Number 3, the theme and variations movement. People have danced to it (Balanchine choreographed one version); why not a skating program?

Oh, edited addition: I know this is too long, but there are some really rich portions for a skate program in Humperdinck's overture to his opera Hansel and Gretel. Here's a performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNn3U1unnu0
 
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Skatetomusic

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 5, 2009
Even though I'm a violinist I don't limit myself to just solo violin works. I love orchestral music, concertos, overtures, and chamber music. The main intention for why I posted this topic is so a list of great works can be compiled. Here I go with a few more suggestions.

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto #3
1st movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBA1HKVXdOc&feature=related
2nd movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w79faCvksc0&feature=related
3rd movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGN7ihV5PQg&feature=related

This is the 1967 recording of Martha Agerich w/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abaddo. Considered the best by pengiun music of this composition. Scott and Dulebohn of the USA skated to this as their long program during 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 seasons. They didn't skate it clean though. I consider the second movement to be great music because of the changes of tempo and crescendo and decrescendo's,

Vaughan-Williams: Fantasy on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y7nJL1hpUU

For those who liked witnessing Yuna's A lark ascending long program and Matt Savoie's Barber Adagio for strings short program this is a great composition of Vaughan-Williams.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
The Tallis is possibly my favorite piece in the world! It would make a good solo program, but wouldn't it be even lovelier as an ensemble program choreographed by someone like Lori Nichol or Sandra Bezic? Then more of it could be used than just the four-and-something minutes required for a ladies' long program.

Speaking of Martha Argerich, there's a great Rachmaninoff suite for two pianos, and here is the second movement, the waltz. I'm partial to waltzes. This is the Second Suite; Rachmaninoff also wrote one other one (the Suite Number 1, obviously), but the second one is to my mind the greater beauty of the two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txt6b6JJixg
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
This a great topic. Music is such an integral part of figure skating. This is a refreshing disucssion from some of our other topics of late! Anyway, I would love to see more of Beethoven's music skated to. For example:

Jeff Buttle skating to Beethoven's sixth or Pastoral symphony - excerpts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZGb-Kjy0S0

I beleive most of Rachmaninov's music - especially the second symphony has been used.

I would also like to see Jeff skate to more of Philip Glass's music - Particularly the music from the movie "The Hours"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FniHgiyaTY
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I'm with you, Celtic. The Second Symphony has not been used. I think Rachmaninoff is a wonderful composer to use, because he's a great combination of emotional intensity, melodiousness, a certain drive forward (which allows for speed), and lush orchestration that a listener can happily get immersed in. I tend to notice what pieces by him are used. The lovely 1998 short program by Kwan contains not just part of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto but a few strains from his sublime Cello Sonata--a glorious, glorious piece that isn't well known at all but that always brings me to tears.

Here's part of the Second Movement of the Second Symphony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hit2o6c7HWg&feature=related

Here's part of the Cello Sonata--this happens to be the fourth movement, which is rather fast, but also has one of the most emotional parts of all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef_4etuemWI&feature=related
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Musicality which hides inside Interpretation of the CoP is, or should I say was, the entire basis for the two parts scorinig system of Contents and Perfortmance. (I do go back a hundred years.:))
It has taken 2nd fiddle to what is called a Program Component which deals more with the layout and choreography of a program to which the skater has little input, and how that skater handles what another has devised.
.
However, one thing I have noticed is that some judges who are well versed in music give higher scores to skaters who also have a sense of timing, rhythm and feel for the music being played. I just wish more judges were like that rather than those who score interpretation (Carmen dies in the end) as the big scoring moment in the routine.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
That's an excellent point, Joesitz! I don't think that a skater is obligated to use the plot and/or character that a piece of music originally depicted. Why should Carmen be about an amoral temptress? Why does Scheherezade have to portray a young woman who might be put to death the next morning by the man she's just married? I think the music could suggest other things entirely, and the skater shouldn't be penalized for that. What really matters, as you point out, is the understanding of the rhythm and the beat, as well as the skater's ability to convey an emotional connection with the music--which could be a connection entirely different from the one implied by the original storyline. I mean, really--if someone skates to the majestic sound track from Jurassic Park, must she be portraying a dinosaur?
 
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