Plushenko plans to compete in team & individual events in Sochi | Page 9 | Golden Skate

Plushenko plans to compete in team & individual events in Sochi

whitebamboo

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
No, you are wrong. After his surgery he was very careful in his interview. When he started the preparing seriously, he didn't gave interview. In 23 of june the doctor allowed him to jumping jumps on the ice! And he never said he will win in Sochi. He said he will do everything for that, he can skate in Russian OG, and if he can go to Sochi he will do everything for his best skating,and he would like to stand the podium. No more. He knows there are many good younger skaters, who have chance to win the OG. His health problems was very serious, but his recovery is well under way. But he had many injuries in his life and will be 31, I think he is very careful, he doesn't know what will be happen. And I think, in this case it is not just about him, he feels responsible for Russia's team, if he won't be in such a condition that he can do 4 programs, doesn't go to Sochi..

Yes, I remember in his first "real" post-operation interview (with Russia Radio in March), he was saying that his chance of competing in Sochi was 50:50 at that point, and that June, when the real training would start, would tell all. Back then, of course, whether he could return to the ice at all was basically completely unknown, and I think he and his team has a somewhat better sense of how things are going, though there cannot possibly be any certainties--as he is clearly well aware.

As for his new LP, I've been going on about it at other places....I was worried about whether the music can be made to work at first, but I've been thnking about it some more. People do skate "medley" programs, after all. Even in programs that aren't directly called such, but are generally seen as "unified", there are often different (though related) pieces of music being used. For instance, a movie soundtrack program may incorporate pieces from completely different parts of the movie. Editing still needs to be done to put them together.

If we only discuss the music itself, the pieces that Plushenko mentioned are mostly Marton's (except Adagio). In other words, most of the music were the works of one single composer, during a period of less than a decade, for one particular friend of that composer's, and one type of purpose. And from what I understand, that same composer is (very likely) doing the task of putting them together. (Admittedly, Godfather and Tosca were adaptations of other music, but Marton's handprints were pretty strong on them.) Theoretically, and just from the point of view of trying to make it sound unified and not jarring, I am not certain that overall, it really is harder to imagine than the more general "medley" situations.

As for being "self-indulgent": *shrugs* We have very little information right now, pretty much only the concept. I can imagine a scenario where it would indeed be directly "about" himself, his own past. Autobiographical, perhaps, if one may use such words on skating programs. If that were to be the case, then certainly I can imagine some people really not liking the idea. Of course, I can imagine people not liking the program for other reasons, too. It's a risky idea (as the reactions seem to already show), which is perhaps why it took Mishin quite a while to persuade Plushy, and everyone else on their team. We'll have to see what the actual program is like.

BTW, I also want to mention that in the team-russa2014 interview that plushyfan posted above, Plushenko said a little more about the new LP. From the gist of it, it seems that he and Mishin are seeing this as something completely new, and perhaps radically unusual. One specific sentence (google translate, but perhaps there will be better translations soon):

One can not simply add up all of the programs, all the pieces of choreography, which once served - and get a new program. It's just not possible!

He also said that it is in fact harder to choreograph this program. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Well said, whitebamboo! I must confess to being rather dubious about the whole idea myself - especially initially. But Tatjana Flade - who has heard at least "a" version, whether that ends up being "the" version, is yet not known - said she liked the music arrangement. One's immediate fear is that it would end up being... choppy, and incohesive. Of course, being a Plushy uber, I'm sure that he will be able to "sell" it to me - but just looking at it, "in cold blood", so to speak, the notion did not immediately appeal. The rumour has been kicking around for a while, and it feels to me as we fans have been regarding it with... cautious silence. At least I haven't seen many reactions when it was first mentioned, which I think I would have had it been either universally loved - or disliked - among fans. It's as everyone has been holding off until one were sure that it really was what he was going to skate to. But as always, the proof will be in the pudding, and we will simply have to wait and see.
 

whitebamboo

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Well said, whitebamboo! I must confess to being rather dubious about the whole idea myself - especially initially. But Tatjana Flade - who has heard at least "a" version, whether that ends up being "the" version, is yet not known - said she liked the music arrangement. One's immediate fear is that it would end up being... choppy, and incohesive. Of course, being a Plushy uber, I'm sure that he will be able to "sell" it to me - but just looking at it, "in cold blood", so to speak, the notion did not immediately appeal. The rumour has been kicking around for a while, and it feels to me as we fans have been regarding it with... cautious silence. At least I haven't seen many reactions when it was first mentioned, which I think I would have had it been either universally loved - or disliked - among fans. It's as everyone has been holding off until one were sure that it really was what he was going to skate to. But as always, the proof will be in the pudding, and we will simply have to wait and see.

LOL, I remembered a little while ago, I was going on in another thread how one of my primary hopes for Plushy is that he'll be able to continue taking "artistic risks". I am starting to get a bit of the suspicion that I got my wish, possibly more than I had the guts for...:)
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
One can not simply add up all of the programs, all the pieces of choreography, which once served - and get a new program. It's just not possible!

He also said that it is in fact harder to choreograph this program. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Shouldn't be an issue as I don't think he'll be taking the choreography of those programs anyways, and will have newer choreography to fit IJS standards.

I do like the thought of Marton arranging it... that to me seems like it could be a little more cohesive.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Really? Kind of like a "greatest hits" medley? You know, I think he could actually succeed with it--and maybe no one else in the world could. The trick will be to have the arranger of the music really think intensely about how to blend all of the melodies so that they work harmoniously together. I do hope Plushy manages to pull it off! This guy is so important to skating, and he's one of the rare skaters who has an artistic "voice" that's as much his contribution as that of his coach, his choreographer, and so on. I want to hear that voice loud and clear in Sochi, and I want his programs to be ones we can always remember with enjoyment.

Will he be competing anywhere before Sochi, so that he can get an idea of the judges' reaction to his programs?
 

plushyfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Country
Hungary
Will he be competing anywhere before Sochi, so that he can get an idea of the judges' reaction to his programs?

He would like to comete at the ISU Grand Prix meet in Moscow, and if everything goes right there he will compete at the Russian National Championships and the European Championships ahead of the Olympics Games.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
That worked before Turin but didn't work before vancouver and maybe Sochi will be different but being put under a brutal microscope of non Europeans could be helpful!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
He would d like to comete at the ISU Grand Prix meet in Moscow, and if everything goes right there he will compete at the Russian National Championships and the European Championships ahead of the Olympics Games.

Good. I think he needs an audience and judges that aren't all Russian to evaluate him frankly. If something isn't quite working, this is how he'll find out in time to fix it. He needs his program to be airtight before he shows up at Sochi.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
I actually think the GP event would be more helpful than Euros. He should be compared to non-euros and not be so in the Euro bubble.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
That worked before Turin but didn't work before vancouver and maybe Sochi will be different but being put under a brutal microscope of non Europeans could be helpful!

Europeans is the selection event for Team Russia. He has to go. He'll go with whichever two skaters Russia also sends, may the best man win and then go to Sochi. My preference is Gachinski or Menshov, but who's betting Tarasova's politics will interfere even if Kovtun finishes behind them again?
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Europeans is the selection event for Team Russia. He has to go. He'll go with whichever two skaters Russia also sends, may the best man win and then go to Sochi. My preference is Gachinski or Menshov, but who's betting Tarasova's politics will interfere even if Kovtun finishes behind them again?

I dont mean he doesn't go to euros I just think COr could actually be more helpful than euros in analysis of his programs because euros is a bubble.

I think kovtun could place 10th in Russian nationals and it wouldn't matter!! The excuses they came up for his performance where he placed 5th was ridiculous! He was trying quad salchow and toe the first time so he was actually amazing and doing two kinds of quads! Both were tripled. It didn't matter he was tired from jrgpf. Menshov is 30 and not qualified. Gachinski embarrassed Russia with his 2012 finish at worlds.
 
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