Caroline, where is Thais?
- Thread starter gio
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- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
K, maybe I am a little off
I had to look it up to see. Not too far off, but not really the main point as how I presented it.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaïs_(opera)
Quicky answer.
Thais is a pagan prostitute. A monk goes of to convert her to Christianity. She goes off with him to a convent. He goes back to his monastery. He realizes he has fallen in love with her. He has a vision she is dying. He goes back to the convent. She dies. He is bummed out.
The meditation is an entre-act between scene 1 and scene 2 of act II. In scene 1 the monk entreats her to convert and give up her whoring ways. In scene 2 they are off across the desert going to the convent. The meditation is to represent Thais' meditation on whether she should change her life.
A happy smiling skater is not in tune with the purpose of the music. This is about a woman agonizing over a life changing decision.
One might also wonder if a 13 year old should be doing a program about a prostitute deciding if she should give up her whoring ways,
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- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
I know Fumie did Eine Kleine Nachmusik. S&P did Tristan. Den/Stev did Bach as well as Chait and what's his name?, Didn't everyone use a snippet of B's 9th?
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Mathman, it depends on what you like and what you want to see. I didn't like that choice and IMO young skaters should skate to lighter music. Their interpretation of difficult pieces were and is not good. I'll change my mind when a 13 year old skater will do the Meditation properly. Obviously I mean properly in a subjective way. Also because when you judge the interpretation of skater you are always subjective.
:yes: Purpose, that is the word I was searching for! She was not in tune with the purpose of the music. You expressed it greatly!Thanks grossano!!
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- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
:agree: good answer
Well at least I had the foresight to be vague enough not to be wrong.
Maybe Caroline's interpretation was that she is happy about making the change
Maybe Caroline's interpretation was that she is happy about making the change
:think: 
hwell: :frown2: :banging: Seanibu, you leave me without words!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
gio - For me it's a question of taking the opera story in a different direction. The music should be personal to the skater, and he/she should give what the character of that piece of music means to him/her.
I hate when any skater regardless of age tries to do a literal Swan Lake, or a Madama Butterfly. Just me.
You are correct about the age thing. At such young age the skaters can only mimic something they've seen elsewhere. They can't feel it yet. A nice Lerner/Lowe waltz would do the kids fine.
Joe
I hate when any skater regardless of age tries to do a literal Swan Lake, or a Madama Butterfly. Just me.
You are correct about the age thing. At such young age the skaters can only mimic something they've seen elsewhere. They can't feel it yet. A nice Lerner/Lowe waltz would do the kids fine.
Joe
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I think a typical 13-year-old would think that was a total hoot. (Sort of like Mao Asada's happy-go-lucky Carmen, or Michelle Kwan's mock-sexy Salome.)
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I agree! The only thing it is that I like also some literal transpositions (I hope it's the right word), if done properly.
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- Mar 19, 2006
And what is wrong with using jazz, why not more Jazz? "Linus and Lucy" would have the crowd in happy tears if Mirai or Caroline skated to it. - to mind due to video.
Medeski Martin and Wood come to mind as being PERFECT for a young skater, easy to mix too.
I am not sure that this comment is ALWAYS true,
Caroline smiling - sorry about the joke, hope it was understood - might be something that they discussed, no smile may bring lower points??? I can only speculate.
I might cringe at the sound but like the idea of EVEN Kenny G! David Sandborn etc... Plenty of soft jazz too. And for an American skater to skate to jazz, doesn't that just make sense?
Medeski Martin and Wood come to mind as being PERFECT for a young skater, easy to mix too.
I am not sure that this comment is ALWAYS true,
most of the time I agree with that but many exceptions come to mind, LeAnn Rhymes at 14 felt the music.
Caroline smiling - sorry about the joke, hope it was understood - might be something that they discussed, no smile may bring lower points??? I can only speculate.
I might cringe at the sound but like the idea of EVEN Kenny G! David Sandborn etc... Plenty of soft jazz too. And for an American skater to skate to jazz, doesn't that just make sense?
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- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
I think your word is correct. At least I understand it and my vocabulary is very limited.
If a skater wants to do a literate Swan Lake or a Tosca, the skater should ask
herself 'what is it about Tosca that I can convey on the ice. Not the story of the whole opera, but the essence of that character. That could work for me.
However, being a Ballanchine fan, and watching plotless ballets but capturing a hidden mood in the music is extremely creative for my liking. It's not easy and it takes a good dancer/skater to convey this.
A case in point. Lambiel and the 4 Seasons which is plotless but picturesque. He did just that. No story but he relished in the essence of the music. Now, in all fairness, Joubert does a 007 and he, too, does it well. It's not getting into the story but showing us the character of the music. The two are quite different. 007 is much easier because we know it's a cops and robbers mode. 4 Seasons is much more difficult because it is not a known story, and also it could be done differently by different good skaters.
Another thing I look for is body language which does create a mood to the music. Few skaters have that. Kwan could do a three turn and turn heads!
Joe
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
It is natures story, definitely a story and one before we were interpreting anything. It was likely the first thing to interpret, and the interpretation of the seasons is "in" the music. Not sure I can agree with that - sorry JMO.
ITA, also comes to mind, Jenny Kirk
and of course - look down¡ - and Kurt...On the thought of 007, Debi in her first LP pro."for your eyes only" - good "interpretation" there too.
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- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
Excellent examples:agree: MORE "MORE" more please skaters. Innovative, full of expression, etc... Jazz fits so well - even the rules. And it is easy to mix for routines.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Seanibu - I'm not sure what your not sure about.
4 Seasons is the name of the tune. It's Vivaldi's take in music. How one deals with it is there business.
Joe
4 Seasons is the name of the tune. It's Vivaldi's take in music. How one deals with it is there business.
Joe
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
I was getting the impression that you thought that it is "not a known story," where I feel that it is a know story. Jut not one of "playing a role." This was what you were saying - I think - made it harder for the skates to skate to it, I think it makes it easier for there is more "accepted" interpretation variations.
I wasn't sure that I can agree with it being harder or it having no known story. I am more sure now. I said "sure" because I was trying to sound open minded to the possibility of changing my mind. Most of the time I am.:yes:
I really like this routine of Steph's
, just not the Jumanji outfit.:sheesh:Good to have you back Joe.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Seanibu - It's an abstract of the seasons. Nothing more. Why make it into a whole novel? Earquakes? tsunamis? tornadoes? cyclones. California, Indonesia, MidWest, NY tristate area. Stories of how they influence people is what would give it a plot.
Joe
Joe
