Off topic, but that video shows that inane program interruptions by commentators are not a new thing. Though they were mostly silent, the "In the audience is her father, the mayor of Helsinki" in the middle of the program had me
Favourite Warhorse Interpretation
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Off topic, but that video shows that inane program interruptions by commentators are not a new thing. Though they were mostly silent, the "In the audience is her father, the mayor of Helsinki" in the middle of the program had me
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Off topic, but that video shows that inane program interruptions by commentators are not a new thing. Though they were mostly silent, the "In the audience is her father, the mayor of Helsinki" in the middle of the program had me
:confused2: yeah... but at least it wasn't the usual culprits... i am glad you watched the video because i think this program is gorgeous 
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it depends what you are focusing on.
see, story wise, you could mention Tristan as a replacement for R J but Wagner's music has very little to do with the R J music people use....
Carmen and Swan Lake would indeed be difficult to replace in terms of the story, but musically, we could indeed find pieces to evoke Spanish flair or pretty ballet...
On top of my head : de falla or albeniz could be great instead of Carmen
what about Giselle instead of swan lake?
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Disagree. Really fantastic musics but aren't too pleasant for the "layman's ears" especially the first . The warhorse musics became very popular because those are very pleasant for everybody.
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Yes I thought about Giselle too but pretty as it is it can't beat Swan Lake which is just an epitome of ballet IMHO
And I would love it if Wagner's music was used more...
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perhaps but keep in mind that not all carmen or swan lake is very pleasant.... figure skating programs use what? 1-5% of the entire opera/ballet.... one could make gorgeously accessible programs out of the de falla... you just need to have the patience to do the music cuts
keeping the ear worms, removing some of the virtuoso piano stuff BTW as I listen to it again, a lot of the thematic material is very similar to Carmen, but of course, played by the pianist here so it makes it sound more abrupt and harsh but it's the same notes
it's like in Carmen, often the cuts do not feature the singers.... just the melodic material played by other instruments so it's "easier on the ear"ETA : despite the awful quality of the recording this could do a wonderful job for a spanish program... there are various excerpts from so many composers that could replace carmen. if you keep listening until the 3m mark, i bet you, some people would think this is carmen
Well, I have a list of skaters who've skated to Ave Maria---and one surprise I'll be no one knew about. From my blog back in April
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2017/04/overused-music-schuberts-ave-maria.html
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2017/04/overused-music-schuberts-ave-maria.html
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Ave Maria .... now *there's* a warhorse. Glad to see Rudy was listed in the comments if not the actual list; not a dry eye in the house when he was done.
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Kim's "Dance Macabre" one of the best interpretations of that amazing warhorse music I could remember right now. Also I think it's one of the best programs by Wilson.
When it comes to "Rachmaninoff concerto No2" it's always Mao on my mind. Mao and Tarasova. There are few strong and unforgettable moments in her career and even FS history related with this program.
V/T's "Masquerade Waltz"
Hanyu "Notre Dame de Paris" (usually I don't like this warhorse but in that case it was good music-cuts and good choreo).
But it's hard to choose any favorite program with some overuse cliches like Turandot, LesMiserables, CarminaBurana etc. For me there just cannot be good interpretation of R&J. It's the king of the warhorses and after some point them all are different elements with same background music.
When it comes to "Rachmaninoff concerto No2" it's always Mao on my mind. Mao and Tarasova. There are few strong and unforgettable moments in her career and even FS history related with this program.
V/T's "Masquerade Waltz"
Hanyu "Notre Dame de Paris" (usually I don't like this warhorse but in that case it was good music-cuts and good choreo).
But it's hard to choose any favorite program with some overuse cliches like Turandot, LesMiserables, CarminaBurana etc. For me there just cannot be good interpretation of R&J. It's the king of the warhorses and after some point them all are different elements with same background music.
Carmen: V and M genius though I would also say Witt (but probably because it became entangled with the Carmen special in my mind with the result that she is Carmen for me and I can’t separate that when I re-see her 88 program so I settled on V and M)
Bolero: Torvill and Dean
Four Seasons: Chan
Scheherazade: Curry
Rachmaninov 2 – Mshkutenok and Dmitriev - for me this was the most difficult of the lot to settle on one program – the interpretations are so different and there have been so many amazing programs – Chen and Mao are really close in the running, but if I am choosing my single most iconic…
Swan Lake – Baiul
Riverdance (though again not sure it is a warhorse exactly) – B and K
R and J – hmmm – probably Sasha
Firebird (music I really dislike) – not sure – the one I remember best is Browning, but I think that is fandom; not sure its iconic. Is there a truly iconic one?
Oddly – and I didn’t expect this – most of my iconic have come from the 6.0 era . May be it is because they have had longer to settle into my brain as iconic? May be because I saw them as a kid and so they are what shaped figure skating for me? I guess the thing about B and K's Riverdance and T and D's Bolero, for instance, is that they were the first great programs to that music that I saw and so they shaped my appreciation for those pieces as a medium (not the right word, but I can’t think of the right one) for skating so became the iconic ones. I wonder how many of us have the first “great” interpretations of a piece that they saw become the iconic one ? My only two real exceptions would be Chan whose 4 seasons is just perfection to my mind, and V and Ms Carmen which revitalised the music for me (but as I said it was a close run thing with Witt and hers was the first decent Carmen I saw).
Bolero: Torvill and Dean
Four Seasons: Chan
Scheherazade: Curry
Rachmaninov 2 – Mshkutenok and Dmitriev - for me this was the most difficult of the lot to settle on one program – the interpretations are so different and there have been so many amazing programs – Chen and Mao are really close in the running, but if I am choosing my single most iconic…
Swan Lake – Baiul
Riverdance (though again not sure it is a warhorse exactly) – B and K
R and J – hmmm – probably Sasha
Firebird (music I really dislike) – not sure – the one I remember best is Browning, but I think that is fandom; not sure its iconic. Is there a truly iconic one?
Oddly – and I didn’t expect this – most of my iconic have come from the 6.0 era . May be it is because they have had longer to settle into my brain as iconic? May be because I saw them as a kid and so they are what shaped figure skating for me? I guess the thing about B and K's Riverdance and T and D's Bolero, for instance, is that they were the first great programs to that music that I saw and so they shaped my appreciation for those pieces as a medium (not the right word, but I can’t think of the right one) for skating so became the iconic ones. I wonder how many of us have the first “great” interpretations of a piece that they saw become the iconic one ? My only two real exceptions would be Chan whose 4 seasons is just perfection to my mind, and V and Ms Carmen which revitalised the music for me (but as I said it was a close run thing with Witt and hers was the first decent Carmen I saw).
I think the problem with Rome and Juliet will always come down to which music arrangement is superior? Nino Rota or Prokofiev. One is classical and the other rather...soppy and very Hollywood. I mean, both beautiful but that's what makes it hard. Do you go down the ballet route or the movie? If anyone can skate to a composite of both cuts and do it justice, then maybe. Honestly just want someone to skate to the Montagues and Capulets march.
Same with Giselle. I personally think Davis and White and Kim's arrangements are the best for that piece because both feature the most recognizable and beautiful pieces from the ballet. Unlike Swan Lake, not every movement in Giselle is stellar. Every single bar in Swan Lake is legit. Not a filler in sight.
I don't find Riverdance warhorse-y yet. In fact I think it's Jason Brown who's become iconic because of his program.
Anyone else find Zijun Li's Sleeping Beauty stellar? It matched her demeanor well and that program was fine. I LOVED the Overture of Gracie's FS in 2014 though. It went well with her dynamic jumps.
Same with Giselle. I personally think Davis and White and Kim's arrangements are the best for that piece because both feature the most recognizable and beautiful pieces from the ballet. Unlike Swan Lake, not every movement in Giselle is stellar. Every single bar in Swan Lake is legit. Not a filler in sight.
I don't find Riverdance warhorse-y yet. In fact I think it's Jason Brown who's become iconic because of his program.
Anyone else find Zijun Li's Sleeping Beauty stellar? It matched her demeanor well and that program was fine. I LOVED the Overture of Gracie's FS in 2014 though. It went well with her dynamic jumps.
I prefer Nino Rota. And now it is very common use the 2013 soundtrack too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oal3fsaXxtw, H/B did a very good job with this music https://youtu.be/LxIFIdwfkoQ?t=40
Yuzu used mostly (Romeo+Juliet soundtrack) but it is my favorite program because he looks/was so young, I totally imagined him as Romeo https://youtu.be/RNkdquAfATk?t=47
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Mrrice, yes it is, and two words: Janet Lynn.
On the iPad and can't link, but 45 years later, still the champeen. Often imitated, never duplicated.
Sorry but I have to disagree with your choices here. Where is the balletic port de bras? The soft swan arms? The dark, bold flirtatiousness of the Black Swan? I find their choreography, movement, expression and story quite generic with no reference to the theme of the music except in their costumes. I see neither Odile nor Rothbart in these skaters.
For Black Swan, Baiul's SP is the best in my opinion. It's a straightforward homage to the ballet but done very well. She doesn't quite have the ballet fingers but she does have the arms and she nails the character of Odile in her movement and expression. Even the way she breaks her arms at the wrist and her open angular extensions a la Balanchine add to the brashness of her Odile. The icing on the cake is the Swan Lake inspired choreography - the bourrees at the beginning, the Italian fouette in the middle and to the music of Odile's famous 32 fouettes, she does instead coupe jete en tournant en manege.
