Mao Asada news

**ayayukiituka** · 08-03-2010, 01:30 PM

This is the highlight of The Ice,which was held in July.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12teK_85YqY
Her performance looks more mature than DOI.
Unfortunately,this's not been braoadcasted yet,but maybe someone must upload when they'll see on TV.

**rtureck** · 08-03-2010, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Olympia

I was thinking of Schumann too, rtureck. He's not someone skaters seem to think of, but it would be fun hearing something like the Manfred Overture or some of his piano pieces. There's that beautiful piano quintet--E flat Major, I think? I love that Mao seems to like Romantic era music.

I love >90% of Schumann;s compositions. Yeah piano 5tet, and many of his chamber pieces too. How about his piano cto? I think most skaters (actually choreographers) are not warming up to his music because ?? difficult to interpret?? Most pieces he wrote in happy times were about Robert and Clara love story. His piano cto comes to mind. ( Master) Pieces he wrote in challenging times (borders between mania/psychosis and genius sanity). I hink Mao will be a good interpreter for Schumann's Traumerei , what do you think?

Originally Posted by ayayukiituka

This is the highlight of The Ice,which was held in July.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12teK_85YqY
Her performance looks more mature than DOI.
Unfortunately,this's not been braoadcasted yet,but maybe someone must upload when they'll see on TV.

Thanks for the youtube link.. LOL Mao with 1950s hairstyle. She looked so happy

**Olympia** · 08-03-2010, 11:57 PM

Schumann's story is glorious and tragic. As you say, rtureck, it's a love story between him and Clara, who was one of the preeminent pianists of the time (pretty impressive considering how restricted women were in those days). I think that straight-on full orchestral music from that era is probably hard for choreographers to deal with because the rhythm and dynamics are so regular--and so large-scale! I think they all wanted to be Beethoven. Though I love the piano concerto as you do. Schumann and Mendelssohn were so caught up in the forward-looking hopefulness of the early Romantic era. Their music always makes me happy.

Speaking of Mendelssohn, how about a skating program to something from his Octet? Wouldn't that be exquisite? Hmmm...it would work for Mao. And now that I've said that full orchestral music might be too tough for choreographers, I'll contradict myself and suggest Mendelssohn's "The Fair Melusine." Just as flowing and light-filled as can be.

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

**miki88** · 08-04-2010, 10:36 AM

I would love Mao to skate to Maurice Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe." Yukina Ota did a great job to this piece but I'd love to see what Mao could do with this music.

**janetfan** · 08-04-2010, 09:57 PM

Seems like for the past few seasons Mao has shown new exhibition programs that are simply stunning.
This year's Chopin Ballade is no exception - and I just love it.

Cheers to Tat as well for another brilliant choreo.

Beautiful music, beautiful dress and a beautiful Mao.

**rtureck** · 08-05-2010, 06:17 PM

Miki88,

Talk about Ota, I miss her, I think she is one of the most music skater EVER!!!. Is that program post anywhere on the internet?
By the way did Sarah Hughes skate to D&C?
Many ppl think Mao will be great interpreting French composers e.g Debussy.

Originally Posted by Olympia

Schumann's story is glorious and tragic. As you say, rtureck, it's a love story between him and Clara, who was one of the preeminent pianists of the time (pretty impressive considering how restricted women were in those days). I think that straight-on full orchestral music from that era is probably hard for choreographers to deal with because the rhythm and dynamics are so regular--and so large-scale! I think they all wanted to be Beethoven. Though I love the piano concerto as you do. Schumann and Mendelssohn were so caught up in the forward-looking hopefulness of the early Romantic era. Their music always makes me happy.

Felix Mendelssohn's music is almost always uplifting, rare exception the last string quartet he wrote after the death of his beloved sister Fanny. Most Robert Schumann pieces makes me happy some exceptions e.g cello cto.
Schumann and Mendelssohn were good friends too. Talk about the piano quintet, Robert wrote that to show off Clara's viruosity. They scheduled a private recital among friends, unfortunately Clara was sick, and since Robert injured his hand (permanently?) he was not able to play the piece. Then came Felix to the rescue, he showed up early, took one look at the score and sight read for the performance.

Speaking of Mendelssohn, how about a skating program to something from his Octet? Wouldn't that be exquisite? Hmmm...it would work for Mao. And now that I've said that full orchestral music might be too tough for choreographers, I'll contradict myself and suggest Mendelssohn's "The Fair Melusine." Just as flowing and light-filled as can be.

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

Mendelssohn 8tet is a masterpiece, he composed that at 16. Many musicologists, musicians (including Joshua Bell) think that at 16 Mendelssohn showed more maturity in composition evidence by the octet than Mozart at 16. I think it will be a good piece of music for skating, and definitely Mao will do justice to this masterpiece . Fair Mulsine is just light and lovely. I think no composer can take us in the fantasy world of mermaids, fairies etc like Mendelssohn, and no one wirtes scherzo like Felix.

**PolymerBob** · 08-05-2010, 08:16 PM

I can't watch Mao's videos. They are all private, whatever that means.

**ayayukiituka** · 08-05-2010, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by PolymerBob

I can't watch Mao's videos. They are all private, whatever that means.

It seems you can see them at night by Japan standard time

**feraina** · 08-05-2010, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by rtureck

I agree, it seems like it is more difficult for womean skaters to do spread eagles well. Josee is an exception.

I actually quite like Mao's spread eagle! I thought it very elegant and expressive. Not extremely long or big, but very appropriate for that moment in the music.

**Olympia** · 08-06-2010, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by rtureck

By the way did Sarah Hughes skate to D&C?
Many ppl think Mao will be great interpreting French composers e.g Debussy.

Felix Mendelssohn's music is almost always uplifting, rare exception the last string quartet he wrote after the death of his beloved sister Fanny. Most Robert Schumann pieces makes me happy some exceptions e.g cello cto.
Schumann and Mendelssohn were good friends too. Talk about the piano quintet, Robert wrote that to show off Clara's viruosity. They scheduled a private recital among friends, unfortunately Clara was sick, and since Robert injured his hand (permanently?) he was not able to play the piece. Then came Felix to the rescue, he showed up early, took one look at the score and sight read for the performance.

Mendelssohn 8tet is a masterpiece, he composed that at 16. Many musicologists, musicians (including Joshua Bell) think that at 16 Mendelssohn showed more maturity in composition evidence by the octet than Mozart at 16. I think it will be a good piece of music for skating, and definitely Mao will do justice to this masterpiece . Fair Mulsine is just light and lovely. I think no composer can take us in the fantasy world of mermaids, fairies etc like Mendelssohn, and no one wirtes scherzo like Felix.

You know I agree with you on all counts, RTureck! (I keep wanting to call you Roz, but I fear that might be disrespectful.) I've always felt that Mendelssohn at age 16 was far more sophisticated than Mozart--I thought I must be missing something to think so. After all, Mozart was--well, Mozart! But Mendelssohn did write that Octet! It was and is one of the monumental masterpieces of chamber music. And when you think that he wrote it in about 1825--what else in 1825 even sounded like that? What a lovely story about his sight-reading the piano part for the performance of the Quintet. Thanks for sharing that.

Yes, I'm fairly sure Daphnis and Chloe was what Sarah skated to as her long program in 2002. I was so glad she and Robin Wagner chose that music. Not typical skating music at all.

I too think that Mao would be very good for the French repertoire. I always felt that way about Michelle, too. Both of these ladies have that lightness and fluidity, as well as a sort of nocturnal quality, a bit mysterious, that seems to go with French Romantic and post-Romantic music. I can see Mao performing Debussy or Ravel.

**ayayukiituka** · 08-06-2010, 11:28 AM

Yes,we'll see the performances of The Ice tomorrow

Somebody uploaded the commercial on youtube, check it out!
can't wait to see the whole show.

**miki88** · 08-06-2010, 07:23 PM

rtureck, here's a video of Yukina's "Daphnis et Chloe" program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VagI_KzBbmE She's such a lovely skater.
It always breaks my heart to think that her career was so short.