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Mao Asada news

LeCygne

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Yu Na Kim has chosen not to participate in the Grand Prix series, so she could be said to be "out of the picture" right now. At least out of the competitive picture. She has, of course, been very busy with some outstanding ice show performances.

She has said that she wants to come back for Worlds, so we'll see... She'll just be at a slight disadvantage without having competed at all in the revamped CoP.
 

breeze

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 22, 2010
I already saw this performance from Dream On Ice thread, but it looks even better after watching it a few more times. Thanks for bringing this up again.

Chopin definitely suits Mao. I'm happy to see her bring this only a few months after a disappointing season. (OSM is a HUGE achievement, yes, but she looked very sad on the podium.. Yet she certainly ended the season on a high note.) For several years I liked her exhibitions a lot more than her competitive programs, but now I can't wait to see her Liebestraum!

I liked almost all moments of this exhibition. For some reason, I didn't like the ending pose and the arm movement proceeding it, but then her smile at the end made up for it more than enough. :) I also found the twizzle sequence very charming. I didn't know there were 4 different kinds of twizzles, though. Can someone please enlighten me?
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
I read from Mao forum that Mao and TAT chose this ballad to celebrate Chopin's 200th anniversary. :)
 

dlgpffps

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
But I think this is not the Mao "we have been missing", but a more mature, elegant, musical, balletic Mao that we've never really seen before. She still floats across the ice like she always did, but she's lost the bouncy bubbliness of her earlier years.

Well-said :thumbsup:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I read from Mao forum that Mao and TAT chose this ballad to celebrate Chopin's 200th anniversary. :)


Ooh, I didn't think of that! What a wonderful thing for them to do.

You may have put your finger on one reason Mao went to TT as a coach: Mao seems to be so interested in music, especially classical music, and TT certainly gravitates toward that kind of music.
 

Marrymeyunakim

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Mao is such a glorious talent, so light and blissful across the ice.

I don't get all of you saying her jumps could be improved...? I think they look just great!
 

rtureck

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I read from Mao forum that Mao and TAT chose this ballad to celebrate Chopin's 200th anniversary

2010 is also the 200th Bday of Robert Schumann. I am glad TT and Mao are celebratin Chopin's 200th Bday year. Anyway 2011 will be Lizst 200th Bday year, and Mao is celebrating that with Liebestraum. What a treat.



Having said that, some things I don't like:

  • spread eagle (but then again not many women do this well)/ falling leaf (? the jump in the spread eagle position)

I agree, it seems like it is more difficult for womean skaters to do spread eagles well. Josee is an exception.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
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. Movie sound tracks can be wonderful, of course, but it's so tremendous to see a really musical skater try for the works of the old masters. (Though I wish she'd chosen another Rachmaninoff, not that Prelude, for this season!)
 

rtureck

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
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?

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
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
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
 
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miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
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

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
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. :clap:
 

rtureck

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
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.

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.
 
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feraina

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2007
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.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
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.
 
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