Your favorite Carmen

Dramatic effect, yes, but I don't think that SPs can have the lasting "signature piece" effect that LPs can.

MK's Rach is a perfect example. While probably one of if not the best choreographed SP of all time, it's hardly put other skaters off from using it. No one has yet to dare to touch Salome, Taj, Lyra, Arianne, TRV, SOTBS, etc..because of the (negative) comparisons that would crop up. Rach already has been done about a dozen times since she tackled it.

EOE had long been established as a MK piece since she did both an LP and a Exhib to it which she used for several years, before she and her team butchered it into a last minute replacement SP.

Much as I love them, B&S are some of the last people I would ever think of when suggesting origional music. Almost everything they skated to was practicly a trubute to past Russin greats and their signature programs to it. As we've seen, precious few were intimiadated before taking on Swan Lake as their own.

Sasha's Malequena is another great example. As soon as the first strings were sounded "Kristi, Kristi, Kristi!" screamed in my head, especially since the opening moves are practicly identical.

While Sps may have the power to creat fan favorites, they will never IMHO live on in history. Highlights of SLC will always show Sarah's LP, never MK's winning SP. that's just the way it is. No one ever has a dramatic victory with a SP and the just aren't as associated with champions as the LPs are.

berthes ghost said:

EOE had long been established as a MK piece since she did both an LP and a Exhib to it which she used for several years, before she and her team butchered it into a last minute replacement SP.


Much as I love them, B&S are some of the last people I would ever think of when suggesting origional music. Almost everything they skated to was practicly a trubute to past Russin greats and their signature programs to it. As we've seen, precious few were intimiadated before taking on Swan Lake as their own.


Sasha's Malequena is another great example. As soon as the first strings were sounded "Kristi, Kristi, Kristi!" screamed in my head, especially since the opening moves are practicly identical.


While SPs may have the power to creat fan favorites, they will never IMHO live on in history. Highlights of SLC will always show Sarah's LP, never MK's winning SP. that's just the way it is. No one ever has a dramatic victory with a SP and the just aren't as associated with champions as the LPs are.

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I have to disagree with your post on several accounts.

1)EOE:

MK had used EOE as only a PART of an LP; not the whole LP (she used music from the movie 'The man from Snowy River' in the same LP). I don't see how the EOE can be 'butchered' just because it became a last minute replacement.

2)B&S never used original music(?)

This is where I disagree with you the most.

With the exception of Swan Lake and Meditation from Thais, most of B&S's music was not used by anyone else (or almost). Examples:

You millions (97 SP)- I have not seen anyone else skating to this beautiful waltz by Strauss.

Dark eyes (98 LP)- although a popular Russian folk music, I have not come across the Hollywood bowl orchestra version that was used by B&S-on a CD. It is quite different. Plushenko used some of the music in his 2000 LP, but it was only a part of it.

Happy Valley (99 SP)- nobody has skated to this music. BTW it is not Russian music. It is Chinese- sort of. It was created when Hongkong became a part of China (played by Vanessa Mae).

Concert for Coloratura(99LP)- Nobody has skated to this, and nobody will dare to. Only B&S can.

Radetzky March(2000SP)- hardly a common piece of skating music. It was used in parts of OD one year, that's all.

Valse Sentimentale(2000LP)- Same as Coloratura

Meadowland (2001SP)- Russian folk music, yes. How many other pairs/skaters have used it though? Hardly any. In fact, nobody, to my knowledge (you can't just dismiss it as 'Russian folk music' because there are so many different pieces). How can you say it is not original when it comes to skating?

Citylights(LP)- Chaplin medley. Bechke & Petrov skated an LP to the Limelight part of it, as pros. Petr Barna skated an exhibition to the latter part (can't remember the title). Chaplin is not exactly an everyday name in skating. However, B&S put their signature on it and it will never be erased.

Lady Caliph (2002SP)- Nobody has skated to this, and hopefully nobody will. B&S OWNed this music and program.

BTW Meditation from Thais was used by many skaters (Oksana Baiul, Debi Thomas, and I think Caryn Kadavy), and not just previous Russian greats as you claim (the Protopopovs, G&G only as pros). This was one of the few times B&S used music that was more familiar.

To sum up, B&S have used some of the most original music in their skating (SP & LP).

3)Malaguena

Malaguena has been used by dozens of skaters (OK, I am exaggerating) so you cannot single out just Sasha. Besides, I don't see it as Kristi's signature piece, simply because it has been skated to by so many. I did not find Kristi's interpretation extraordinary, although it was good enough to win her the Olympic and worlds gold medals. Winning a title does not automatically put a skater's signature on the music- JMHO.

4) SP vs. LP

On the last point I do agree with you. Since skaters are not awarded medals in public for the SP's, there is no glamour of victory associated with it. That honor belongs to LP's as far as the general public is concerned. I think true fans will still appreciate beautifully constructed and well skated SP's. They may remember that Sarah skated well in the 2002 Olys but they may not associate the music with her. In my mind at least she did not put her signature on it.

Vash

I voted for K/O's Carmen.

I didn't think Kat Witt's Carmen was that good. I haven't seen the Emmy Award winning Carmen on Ice, so I'm just basing my opinion on her Olympic LP. To me it was lots of posing and the same flirty character Kat Witt always plays. I liked Kwan's Carmen SP better. To me it was a different take on the music...darker and more dramatic.

mk06gold said:

I voted for Michelle Kwan. I think Michelle skated at least once in her career, didn't she.

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Nice...you voted for a program you apparently either didn't watch or don't remember...

As Much as I love Sasha`s "Carmen" Katarina was literally Carmen during that program LOL