Nathan Chen
- Thread starter matmuh
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
I wonder what provoked you to come out of lurkdomPeople lurk threads without posting, sometimes. I just saw somebody saying she'd gone 10 years without making a single tweet but got provoked, finally.
I don't come by all this grumpiness just because I've been reading bold demands for 'LutzDance pleasing' unconventional cerebral music.
ETA I agree his choices in 2018 were for the ages. They deserve to be well-remembered.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
hi guys 
someone ambushed my inbox... to ask my opinion on this... those who read my posts know I love Nathan and am a musician.
I believe Nathan can skate on pretty much anything but will give a few options i believe would be interesting... i doubt they will ever happen.. if they do, give me credit for it LOL
1) glorious Schumann's third symphony.... i doubt many skaters can manage this... so heroic yet needing a lot of polish... Perfect for Nathan's powerful jumping and elegant lines. Of course, lots of editing would be required but some people do that for a living, though many aren't that good at it I would advocate to use only the first movement https://youtu.be/OfR8d3aJKEs
2) Ravel concerto : here i would even be okay for a mismatch of the 3 movements : https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=70
it starts with a bang, goes into jazzy piano, has a gorgeous slow movement in the middle with lots of instruments ( https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=571 ) and finishes with a whirlwind of fast virtuoso piano ( https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=1125 )
3) poulenc's two piano concerto... https://youtu.be/2-VSj7bSsfo
4) chopin (just because everyone does it) andante spianato (and not the polonaise that follows) https://youtu.be/jJ130s7BiSM
enjoy imagining nathan's gorgeous skating on this.
someone ambushed my inbox... to ask my opinion on this... those who read my posts know I love Nathan and am a musician.I believe Nathan can skate on pretty much anything but will give a few options i believe would be interesting... i doubt they will ever happen.. if they do, give me credit for it LOL
1) glorious Schumann's third symphony.... i doubt many skaters can manage this... so heroic yet needing a lot of polish... Perfect for Nathan's powerful jumping and elegant lines. Of course, lots of editing would be required but some people do that for a living, though many aren't that good at it
I would advocate to use only the first movement https://youtu.be/OfR8d3aJKEs2) Ravel concerto : here i would even be okay for a mismatch of the 3 movements : https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=70
it starts with a bang, goes into jazzy piano, has a gorgeous slow movement in the middle with lots of instruments ( https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=571 ) and finishes with a whirlwind of fast virtuoso piano ( https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=1125 )
3) poulenc's two piano concerto... https://youtu.be/2-VSj7bSsfo
4) chopin (just because everyone does it) andante spianato (and not the polonaise that follows) https://youtu.be/jJ130s7BiSM
enjoy imagining nathan's gorgeous skating on this.
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- Joined
- May 9, 2019
This has been on my wish list for Nathan for two years! The jazzy first movement and lyrical second movement are just the sweetest combination. I also like Jerome Robbin’s choreography for the second movement.
Oh no I thought I did it single handedly! Now my self-esteem is gone
hi guys
I believe Nathan can skate on pretty much anything but will give a few options i believe would be interesting... i doubt they will ever happen.. if they do, give me credit for it LOL
1) glorious Schumann's third symphony.... i doubt many skaters can manage this... so heroic yet needing a lot of polish... Perfect for Nathan's powerful jumping and elegant lines. Of course, lots of editing would be required but some people do that for a living, though many aren't that good at it
2) Ravel concerto : here i would even be okay for a mismatch of the 3 movements : https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=70
it starts with a bang, goes into jazzy piano, has a gorgeous slow movement in the middle with lots of instruments ( https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=571 ) and finishes with a whirlwind of fast virtuoso piano ( https://youtu.be/vlvWfP-iFmY?t=1125 )
3) poulenc's two piano concerto... https://youtu.be/2-VSj7bSsfo
4) chopin (just because everyone does it) andante spianato (and not the polonaise that follows) https://youtu.be/jJ130s7BiSM
enjoy imagining nathan's gorgeous skating on this.
Who would be so rude?
Thank you for the education!
Oh no I thought I did it single handedly! Now my self-esteem is gone
I take it back. You may claim full credit.
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- Joined
- Sep 22, 2019
Yeah! Two votes for Poulenc
And sorry, somehow I wrote sonata above when it clearly isn't
- Joined
- May 9, 2019
Still listening to everyone’s recommendations and imagining skating to them. Food for the soul 
I personally wouldn’t pick Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto or Schumann’s third symphony for Nathan because they’re too...majestic and upbeat, for lack of a better word. Nathan’s skating has a quirky quality and dark undercurrent to it, hence my penchant for “weird” music
Stravinsky and Prokofiev are perfect in that regard. Listening to Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata, the sombre bass lines, the disquieting dissonance, and the occasional burst of pure lyricism encapsulate what I want for him (same reason for my recommendation of his violin sonatas).
Poulenc’s concerto is giving me similar vibes to Ravel’s concerto in G: an energetic first movement with complex instrumentation followed by a gentle, lyrical second movement. I prefer Ravel’s first movement and Poulenc’s second. Maybe they can mix and match lol.
Mozart’s Andante Cantabile from Piano Sonata No.8 is just perfection.
Chopin is one of my favorite composers and his Andante Spianato one of my favorite works. It breaks my heart every time I listen to it. And his Larghetto from Piano Concerto No.2 another great example of emotional transparency and tender romanticism. But I’m very attached to Nathan’s Chopin program as a junior and don’t want him to repeat what he has already done so well.
I personally wouldn’t pick Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto or Schumann’s third symphony for Nathan because they’re too...majestic and upbeat, for lack of a better word. Nathan’s skating has a quirky quality and dark undercurrent to it, hence my penchant for “weird” music
Stravinsky and Prokofiev are perfect in that regard. Listening to Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata, the sombre bass lines, the disquieting dissonance, and the occasional burst of pure lyricism encapsulate what I want for him (same reason for my recommendation of his violin sonatas).Poulenc’s concerto is giving me similar vibes to Ravel’s concerto in G: an energetic first movement with complex instrumentation followed by a gentle, lyrical second movement. I prefer Ravel’s first movement and Poulenc’s second. Maybe they can mix and match lol.
Mozart’s Andante Cantabile from Piano Sonata No.8 is just perfection.
Chopin is one of my favorite composers and his Andante Spianato one of my favorite works. It breaks my heart every time I listen to it. And his Larghetto from Piano Concerto No.2 another great example of emotional transparency and tender romanticism. But I’m very attached to Nathan’s Chopin program as a junior and don’t want him to repeat what he has already done so well.
Nathan showing off more fancy jewelry. I was more interested in the suit!
WTT with Nam and Roman
Figure Skating in Harlem virtually gala is this evening but still not sure if Nathan is supposed to make an appearance?
WTT with Nam and Roman
Figure Skating in Harlem virtually gala is this evening but still not sure if Nathan is supposed to make an appearance?
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
but there is a two piano sonatas as well.. .it's gorgeousYeah! Two votes for Poulenc
And sorry, somehow I wrote sonata above when it clearly isn't
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Um Nathan hello?? What’s happening??
Also didn’t know he shared my taste in dainty gold jewelry
https://instagram.com/mejuri?igshid=11ijq0v7hgeib- Joined
- Sep 22, 2014
Absolutely agree with LutzDance here. If you put all of his Shae programs next to each other (or alternate between them), none looks like the other one in terms of choreo, style, overall body language, arm movements etc. (you can even include his Le Corsaire SP as well, just to underline the variety)Hmm it’s something I’m not concerned about. To me, Nemesis, Caravan, La Bohème, Desperado and the Glass program (and No Good) couldn’t be further apart from each other.
In fact, most skaters don't show this much variation in their presentation even when their programs are from different choreographers!
(and don't even get me started on recycling certain moves/choreo elements... really, Nathan recycling a type of leap or frequently doing spreadeagles is still very tame)
What Desperados lacks is distinct choreo, a bit more originality, which is sth. all the other programs had, so it really stands out as the weakest, compared to her other work for Nathan.
Huh?? At no point did Nemesis and La Boheme have the 'exact same' ending pose.
Nemesis has hands to fists with arms stretched away to the back, which creates very specific lines in combo with the foot position: https://i.imgur.com/zdRE26o.png
La Boheme first had arms down to the sides with open palms and spread fingers, done with an energetic gesture, standing on his toes a little, looking a little restless/like he could start running any moment: https://i.imgur.com/14DmPpF.png
Which was then changed to soft arms and hands in front, done in a more appropriate, delicate motion and introduced as early as Carnival on Ice at Japan Open (so not 'long after its debut' at Sun Valley, and certainly in time for competition season): https://i.imgur.com/bQpsvBj.png
How so? Especially the revised (final) version with the raised arms, open palms and relaxed fingers was perfect to convey the wistful theme of the song and the idea of lost, fleeting youth and intangible old memories.
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Thank you for your detailed post with accompanying images.
In some ways this reminds me of my discussion with LutzDance. La Boheme ending pose at Sun Valley debut was good enough for LutzDance. I didn’t like it. For you that ending pose was significantly different from Nemesis. For me it was too similar.
We all look at the same images and form different opinions. It’s all good-- we can all appreciate Nathan in different ways.
The ‘throwaway’ was my clumsy attempt to make a joke with LutzDance. To LutzDance, the preceding material was far more important than the ending pose, at least that’s how I read LutzDance’s comment here:
(the comment is in the next post because I cannot figure out this quote mess)<<---this is what I added in 'edit'
So I jokingly said that _to LutzDance_, it was throwaway material_-- nothing particularly important, close enough for government work, etc. It's certainly important to me, or I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place.
To me the ending of La Boheme in Sun Valley left much to be desired, but maybe Shae aimed for exactly what you stated. Although if that was her intention, then why change it for Carnival on Ice? Why not keep it exactly as it was at Sun Valley all season?
Yes, the revised ending of La Boheme was much more suitable IMHO. If only it were that way from its Sun Valley debut.
This season shows (again) that every program is a work in progress. *shrug* It’s just that I tend to have high expectations of a program’s debut, because as jump layouts become more difficult through the season or opinions from various officials get taken into account, certain cherished details may be altered or omitted in later versions. So for La Boheme it felt like a missed opportunity to get the choreographer’s best and most complete vision at the program's debut. Many people here seem to see ISP1 Philip Glass with original music cut as the best Philip Glass. I wish Sun Valley La Boheme could have been the best La Boheme.
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This is the LutzDance comment that made me say 'throwaway' jokingly.
I think the best La Boheme was the version at the The Ice... Later on Nathan totally killed it with that stupid costume.
I couldn't agree more about the facepalm.
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- Joined
- May 9, 2019
Yeah, it would be more accurate to say "overall" than "preceding" though, as my point was the sensible and original construction of the whole program overwrote any imperfection brought by a single pose (not that I had problem with the original ending pose).
My favorite La Boheme is the Nats version - that is, of course, once I see past the horrible costume. There he managed to capture a wistful and nostalgic mood, whereas he was more passionate and angry at The Ice. There was also more clarity to the pacing of the step sequence, which was quite fast to begin with and more rushed at The Ice.
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Nathan named March Athlete of the Month along with Anna Shcherbakova by the US Sports Academy
https://twitter.com/USSportsAcademy/status/1385617723967762432?s=20
Another photo from David Yurman
https://www.instagram.com/p/COBG5GxpD-J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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Me too!i wonder if he got a manicure before that
But yeah, I don't think so, knowing Nathan...
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