Skating music you never want to hear again?

figspec2NE1 · Feb 20, 2014

I don't know about you, but there are some pieces of music that I never want used in a figure skating program in competition ever again. What are your choices?
Mine are these:
anything from Swan Lake
habanera from Carmen (I think I heard it twice in two programs from two different skaters)
any awful arrangement of a rock song (I'm looking at you whoever composed that dreadful arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody from someone's short program that I heard yesterday)!
I will be thankful that next season words are allowed in music… I always found it quite peculiar to listen to a rendition of a song without words.

anthologyz · Feb 20, 2014

whatever soviet era elevator company is producing the tracks for sotnikova's programs needs to recall that cd stat.

Raatkirani · Feb 20, 2014

Carmen!!!! So sick of it! Swan Lake is a close second, followed by Scheherazade.

Johar · Feb 20, 2014

Raatkirani said:
Carmen!!!! So sick of it! Swan Lake is a close second, followed by Scheherazade.

:thumbsup:

Rikku · Feb 20, 2014

Carmen,
Rhapsody in blue,
Swan lake,
Four seasons
And any variation of Romeo and Juliet can all take a break for at least a few years.

desertskates · Feb 20, 2014

All things Sergei Rachmaninoff can take a hike for a few years, imho.

s_parks · Feb 20, 2014

anthologyz said:
whatever soviet era elevator company is producing the tracks for sotnikova's programs needs to recall that cd stat.

cptnhastings · Feb 20, 2014

Rachmaninoff PC #2. I love it, but so overused in figure skating. Heck, I'd say also Rhapsody on a Theme... Rachmaninoff has so many other pieces to go with. (I love how Kimmie Meisner skated to Symphonic Dances 8 years ago.)

I think tangos should be banned period until an Argentine figure skating emerges. So I guess that means forever unless some American with an Argentine father/mother starts competing there.

bartlebooth · Feb 20, 2014

El Tango de Roxanne - I just can't cope with it

jcsamex · Feb 20, 2014

Scheherazade. I hate it. And, on the contrary to many people here, I absolute love Swan Lake and Carmen. I never get tired of these classicals.

WeakAnkles · Feb 20, 2014

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
in A Minor Op. 28 for Violin and Orchestra
by Camille Saint-Saëns

has forever been tainted for me.

mwk81 · Feb 20, 2014

Sing sing sing, from ice dancing to some of the single skaters, so much sing sing sing

vinganca · Feb 20, 2014

can I say what I'd like to hear MORE of in skating programs? Baroque music! there is SO much music from that era (mid-late 1600's - 1750) that is stunningly gorgeous.

I adore the four seasons and could never get tired of it, but it's not the only masterpiece by Vivaldi! Why not use parts of the b minor concerto for 4 violins, or stanzas from his La Follia? Same with Bach - he wrote more and far better music than Air on a G string; why is that the only Bach piece skaters think of to use?

And there is so much by other Baroque composers - the dance music from Rameau's operas and the Passacaille d'Armide by Lully for example.

the only reasons I can think of why skaters don't use this music is maybe they don't know about it, or perhaps because it is more rhythmic than Romantic-era music (Chopin, Saint-Saens, Rachmaninoff, etc.), even during lilting legato melody-driven lines the sense of beat is always there in Baroque music, so you have to be more exact regarding timing.

There is a lot of Baroque music that probably wouldn't be suitable because it repeats too much and/or doesn't build to a crescendo at the end, but there are quite a few compositions from this era that don't present those problems and would make great skating music.

Zamboni · Feb 20, 2014

Any music that has scratchy violins and stays at the same tempo throughout the piece. It's bad enough in the short program, but in long programs it is unbearable.

There were several girls in a row (early on) who were skating to this type of music and it just doesn't draw me in. Music needs places for jumps and spins and it needs different tempos.

I prefer something dramatic with big crescendos. I don't really care if it is classical or jazz or Broadway, as long as it ebbs and flows. I don't know if I'm making sense.

noskates · Feb 20, 2014

CARMEN. CARMEN. CARMEN

Any color of swan - black or white

Any tango

Anything that is faster than the skater can skate.

usethis2 · Feb 20, 2014

Swan Lake. Seriously

But overall the music needs to become a bit more modern.

Skatetomusic · Feb 20, 2014

Carmen, Scheherazade, Bolero, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto's (Even though I love them.), Tosca, Les Mis(even though the music is great fun.) Nessum Dorma(Vanessa Mea or orchestral versions) Gershwin, Adios Noninos, The Feeling Begins,

Also slow music programs that does not do skaters any justice.

vinganca · Feb 21, 2014

Skatetomusic said:
Carmen, Scheherazade, Bolero, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto's (Even though I love them.), Tosca, Les Mis(even though the music is great fun.) Nessum Dorma(Vanessa Mea or orchestral versions) Gershwin, Adios Noninos, The Feeling Begins,

i agree with all of these...and also, phantom of the opera. and anything by Chopin.

a lot of this overplayed music i actually do like (i.e. nessun dorma), just not a zillion times.

have to say i love love LOVE when skaters do Cirque du Soleil medleys. My favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsEFv90V0TA

skatedreamer · Feb 21, 2014

vinganca said:
i agree with all of these...and also, phantom of the opera. and anything by Chopin.

a lot of this overplayed music i actually do like (i.e. nessun dorma), just not a zillion times.

have to say i love love LOVE when skaters do Cirque du Soleil medleys. My favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsEFv90V0TA

Totally agree that many of these are over-used, especially "Carmen," even though I love it. OTOH, it would be fun if some skaters tried some of the pieces from "Carmen" that no one ever bothers with, e.g., the "Gypsy Song."

As for Bizet, seems to me that the Symphony in C would make a great skate for someone!

And yes, puh-leeeeeeze, let's get rid of "Phantom" and all things Andrew Lloyd Webber...

CarneAsada · Feb 21, 2014

When I saw this thread, I was reminded of this spoof article of Juilliard releasing a "banned music list."

Of course this would be impossible in music as many of those pieces are must-learns for any serious musician, but I thought that it would be a great idea for the ISU to start a tradition of banning certain pieces every year. Any piece on the banned music list would be automatically removed from the list after two seasons. Except for Carmen, which should be banned forever. I would refuse to allow any part of Carmen anywhere, anytime, for anyone. Except the Toreador song; I have a soft spot for that one, so it may stay.

Skating music you never want to hear again?

figspec2NE1

anthologyz

Raatkirani

Johar

Rikku

Just enjoying the skating

desertskates

s_parks

cptnhastings

bartlebooth

jcsamex

WeakAnkles

mwk81

vinganca

Zamboni

noskates

usethis2

Skatetomusic

vinganca

skatedreamer

CarneAsada

Similar threads

Connect with us