Battle of the Giselles

[hrmsk8ngnutt]

I was checking this link http://www.isufs.org/events/cat00006342.htm of the ISU bios of the ladies competing at Skate America. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Miki Ando is skating to Giselle in her LP - the same music that Yukari Nakano announced earlier. And they are both competing at this event???? I thought I had read Miki was keeping her programs from last season - unless I am thinking of another skater. Anyhow, it's really not that unusual for two world class skaters to pick the same music - but skaters from the same country??? Granted, there are different portions each could pick but still I would think that perhaps one of the skaters would change. Then again, it is an intriguing twist in what will be a great battle if both skaters are in good shape. If they are both really skating to Giselle, I wonder what others think about this.

Another thought: I see Yukari as more Giselle and Miki as more Myrtha.

Herm (sk8ngnutt)

 

[Spun Silver]

Sounds great to me. For Nakano it is a pretty straightforward step after Cinderella. For Miki it's more surprising, but Giselle gives her a chance to stretch herself. I think Miki is drop-dead gorgeous. Romantic heroine music should accent that. Hopefully she'll get to show that she's more than a technician, as some people pigeonhole her.

I do regret not seeing more of her Carmen FP from last year though. It was a natural for her and she didn't get a chance to hone it. And the music (however over-familiar) is so much better than Giselle.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

The story of Giselle does not lend itself for interpretation by a solo skater. It's all about Albrecht and Hilarian that makes it worse.

However, if the music is used without reference to the story, it could work. It's quite simple music. Used a lot as background music in cowboy movies.

 

[Medusa]

Used a lot as background music in cowboy movies.

^^Really? I so didn't know that. But then again, I don't watch Cowboy movies, except for Karl May movies. Sheer curiosity, in which movies is the music used?

I can't imagine Miki as Giselle. The best programs Morosov did for her so far were powerful programs with really powerful music: Shehezerade, Carmen... Well, let's see.

 

[Tinymavy15]

From Carmen to Giselle? that is a strech. I don't feel this is the right choice for her, but i hope she proves me wrong.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Medusa. The music in the background is in many movies before you were born. If you know Giselle, think of how the first act ends after giselle's mad scene, that woudl be music for the posse to chase the rustlers.
I think Angela used it for footwork.

I watched Miki do a really great LP in Skate Amercia one year. I have not seen that since.

 

[TtonyV7]

Regrettably I doubt will get amazing Giselle from either one (but they can prove me wrong!)

Ando has potential to skate to Giselle wonderfully, however her move to Morozov kinda dissolve that. Let's say it was in her mist of the Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and Funny Valentine programs, I would agree! But at last she has departed that artistic style. I can only imagine Giselle with tons of arm movements !?!?!

Nakano...eh... we shall see. Giselle as a great ballet that requires great choreography similar to Nikodinov which adopted many moves from the ballet onto the ice. With Nakano, I'm not expecting much depth in her choreography or emotion. Hope she can prove me wrong.

 

[Ladskater]

The story of Giselle does not lend itself for interpretation by a solo skater. It's all about Albrecht and Hilarian that makes it worse.

However, if the music is used without reference to the story, it could work. It's quite simple music. Used a lot as background music in cowboy movies.

Cowboy music?? Are you not maybe thinking of the William Tell Overature by Rossini? Made famous of course by the Lone Ranger, but certainly used as posse chasing music. I don't think Giselle lent itself to cowboy movie music...

 

[nubka]

The story of Giselle does not lend itself for interpretation by a solo skater. It's all about Albrecht and Hilarian that makes it worse.

Well, there's always the mad scene. The skater could swing a sword around, pull her hair out, and then collapse on the ice...

 

[AwesomeIce]

From Carmen to Giselle? that is a strech. I don't feel this is the right choice for her, but i hope she proves me wrong.

It may not be the "perfect" music for her, but I'd prefer to see her try out different styles that to watch, say, Caroline Zhang skate to the same old stuff all the time.

 

[Mathman]

Golden Skate rules the Internet!

I just Googled "Giselle, cowboy music" and guess what the very first entry was? This very thread!

Also, Gisele Bundchen made a music video for Black Cowboy (described as an uber lame band.)

I think the music Joe is referring to is the second to last tune in the first act, a galop general (lively folk dance). Hi-ho, Silver!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Cowboy music?? Are you not maybe thinking of the William Tell Overature by Rossini? Made famous of course by the Lone Ranger, but certainly used as posse chasing music. I don't think Giselle lent itself to cowboy movie music...

I think you are only thinking of certain parts of Giselle. Listen to the last scene after Giselle's mad scene, and then again with the Wilis forcing Hilarion to dance to death.

I don't want to bust any baloons, but most music lovers think the music for Giselle is tacky, but it works with the Giselle story.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Well, there's always the mad scene. The skater could swing a sword around, pull her hair out, and then collapse on the ice...

I'd love it.

 

[lcd]

However, if the music is used without reference to the story, it could work. [/QUOTE]

Sadly, I feel hard pressed to remember outside of Carmen ...hmmmm.... when a top lady actually skated a program which stayed true to the underlying "story" of the music....
:frown2:

 

[Wrlmy]

Also, Gisele Bundchen made a music video for Black Cowboy (described as an uber lame band.)

every word of the sentence

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Sadly, I feel hard pressed to remember outside of Carmen ...hmmmm.... when a top lady actually skated a program which stayed true to the underlying "story" of the music....
:frown2:

How true. Putting 3 acts of Madama Butterfly into a 4 minute routine, or 4 acts of Swan Lake into a 4 minute routine is ludicrous. And with both heroines dying at the end of those routines,

All they have to do if they want to connect to the stories is to have the feel for the essence of the heroine and stabbing oneself at the end doesn't really work after they've done 3x3s and flying camels.

 

[sorcerer]

.... but Giselle gives her a chance to stretch herself. I think Miki is drop-dead gorgeous...I do regret not seeing more of her Carmen FP from last year though. It was a natural for her and she didn't get a chance to hone it. ...

ITA.
But this isn't her last season. (She said so herself.) So we'll probably see her Carmen again (and refined) in near future, this I strongly hope and believe.

In her interviews, Miki says she wants to show some different nuances in her skaing compared to the past two seasons.
She also says that she wanted some (up-and-down) story in her LP, and that Nikolai's choice of Giselle was indeed a snug fit to herself. This season she was able to tell her likes and dislikes in the compiling of the music, and so she's very happy with what she got in both programs. (The SP is also Miki's own music choice.)

I personally imagine Miki's performance this year won't be showy but something introspective of the skater's life itself.
Also, I think this season she'll take priority in extending her capability in skating rather than in seeking wins.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that Miki Ando is skating to Giselle in her LP - the same music that Yukari Nakano announced earlier.

Nikolai's LP choice for Miki also seems to have been done early, so I think this is just coincidence.

It was in mid August that one of the press here sort of leaked Miki's LP choice by telling like 'Nakano is skating to Giselle which Ando also plans to skate'.
Miki's fans weren't sure if that was Morozov's final decision, since Fumie was saying in plural interviews that he hadn't yet determined LP for her at the time.
(Miki's rumoured SP choice at that time later turned out to be either changed or wrong.)
It was in mid September that Miki's LP was confirmed in magazines.... I thought soon after someone had already posted the music in this forum..(?)

Nakano says in magazine interviews that Giselle was her own choice, and that she can't be unconscious about Miki doing the same LP music, but that she has her distinct character enough to perform her Giselle in her own way.

 

[MasterB]

Nicole Bobek, Best Gisselle for me.

 

[MissCleo]

How true. Putting 3 acts of Madama Butterfly into a 4 minute routine, or 4 acts of Swan Lake into a 4 minute routine is ludicrous. And with both heroines dying at the end of those routines,

All they have to do if they want to connect to the stories is to have the feel for the essence of the heroine and stabbing oneself at the end doesn't really work after they've done 3x3s and flying camels.

ITA. What I have always wanted was for a skater to not overedit the music. Stick with one aria, or just two maybe three themes of the opera. For example,it would be great if someone would skate to "Un bel di" and just skate to what Cho Cho san was feeling at that exact moment rather than try to re-enact the whole opera. IMHO, anything more is just overkill.

 

[Binthere]

Nicole Bobek, Best Gisselle for me.

Good memory. I agree. Wonderful 'actress' and facial expressions.