Carmen Be Gone and Other Music Don'ts

[Meoima]

Bolero!!! PLEASE STOP!!! This repetitive music is the worst of them all.

 

[surimi]

We can only choose one except POTO and Carmen? It's got to be either La Vie en Rose or Rhapsody in Blue. I can't stand them.

 

[sunnystars]

No more electronic-classic mix for anyone. Ade's Rondo Capriccio "mix" from last year was not pleasant to hear.

 

[solani]

The problem with "Bolero" itself is, that the music itself is repetitive, so all Bolero music cuts for the skaters sound the same. And the skater(s) have to be spot on when performing with the drums and all the drama in the music. I didn't like Elizaveta's Bolero much this season, but I like the one she performed at Worlds, she got me there. But it's certainly a dangerous piece of music for any skater, as the judges and the fans have so many performances they can compare to. (But they didn't in Kovtun's case ... :think
I don't have a problem with Carmen and POTO or any other overused piece of music, apart from the creepy "I am the angel of music ... " line.
It's certainly easier to choose music that is known (also to the fans and to the judges), because the listener doesn't have to get used to it. You know what to expect, you know there won't be any problems with the music (all tempi available, good places for cuts etc.) so I see why the choreographers, trainers and skaters would choose something they know and like.

 

[GF2445]

No once can touch adagietto Mahler symphony no.5 because it will always be connected to Tessa and Scott.
Also the arrangement that was made for them was never released and the best recordings of this movement are much slower than The arrangement given to tessa and scott.

 

[solani]

No once can touch adagietto Mahler symphony no.5 because it will always be connected to Tessa and Scott.
Also the arrangement that was made for them was never released and the best recordings of this movement are much slower than The arrangement given to tessa and scott.

I especially like that their arrangement was faster than the recordings, as the impression is lighter. I read once, that the adagietto wasn't supposed to be played that slow by Mahler, this was a historic development.

 

[Culturevulture73]

Otonal, Romeo & Juliet, Firebird, Don Quixote, Rachmaninoff (unless you're skating Eric Carmen's All By Myself not Dion's)

Tango de Roxanne - as Ashley proved, there's other music from Moulin Rouge

Miss Saigon and Madame Butterfly.

And also lousy cuts - Voronov's anemic Man's World (and let's also say - no more awful covers! I love Seal but no one should sing Man's World but James Brown) into the least recognizable version of Come Together ever was terrible.

I'm sure I'll think of more…

 

[YesWay]

Nobody should be allowed to use:

Romeo & Juliet, as used by Yuzuru Hanyu at 2012 World Championships
Parisienne Walkways, as used by Yuzuru Hanyu at 2014 Olympics
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, as used by Mao Asada at 2014 Olympics
El Mambo, as used by Daisuke Takahashi 2010-2011
Schindler's List, as used by Julia Lipnitskaia 2013-2014

Because anyone who uses them invites comparison with Legendary programs/performances... and will inevitably fall short.

I'd also add my personal pet hate, "Adios Nonino" to the "banned" list. Over-used, and I never liked it anyway. A bit like Bolero. There should be a mandatory "Music Violation" deduction for using that (Unless it's that crazy "Bolero III" with metal guitars and opera singing, that they use on Japanese TV as theme music for skating programs...)

 

[dress]

I think there should be a list of banned music every year (unless olympic years)

 

[Scrufflet]

Reading all the comments here, I realize that I could probably listen to just about anything as long as the skater(s) skates TO yhe music, not through it. This season, I had too much POTO, so I just turned the sound down to minimal and it was satisfactory. But I must admit, I haven't been able to watch Chock/Bates" American in Paris because the music is currently on my hate list.

 

[mysticice]

I think skaters should choose whatever helps them to compete the best they can. Many times it's a catchy tune like the classics. They are young so most music is not overused for them.

However I must admit I have a personal issue with La Strada; I hate the film thus I hate the music.

 

[aa456]

Besides the POTOs, Boleros, Carmen and Scheherazade's, I would like to add the James Bond Medley. I don't think it's overused but the vast majority of the skaters can't pull it off (I'm looking at you Mirai and Amber Glenn!)

 

[cheerknithanson]

Reading all the comments here, I realize that I could probably listen to just about anything as long as the skater(s) skates TO yhe music, not through it. This season, I had too much POTO, so I just turned the sound down to minimal and it was satisfactory. But I must admit, I haven't been able to watch Chock/Bates" American in Paris because the music is currently on my hate list.

Exactly. That's why I LOVE Farris' SP to "Give Me Love." You can see that he's feeling the music and skates to it. In my opinion, in order to skate to the music, you have to FEEL it as well.

 

[Buttercup]

Schindler's List. It almost always looks like the skaters use it because it's easy for that music to carry you in terms of performance and interpretation. "Look at me, I'm so tragic and profound, I'm a serious arteeeeste". Enough already. Find some other soundtrack.

That POTO and Carmen need to go away goes without saying. Also Firebird.

 

[jenm]

I'm also one of those who don't have a problem with overused music or warhorses as long as the skater skates to the music. But my skating music peeve would be those with distracting vocals (and in general, music with lyrics that are used in competition; galas are fine). An example would be Adelina's 2013 LP; that part with Christina Aguilera's vocals that was not well mixed with the entirety of the program music. And also, badly cut music. I would also like to say the end part of Adelina's Carmen in Sochi was so wild, (edit) I wouldn't want it to be used in competition unless you can really pull it off. (/edit)

As for the program music that I can associate with only one skater, it would be Danse Macabre (agree with OP).

 

[Interspectator]

While a roll my eyes and sigh when I hear a skater has chosen Carmen or Poto again; a lot of these skaters are really young. Some people have sophisticated musical taste from a young age, but a lot of people don't. They hear a classic tune, it seems easy to skate to, and they skate better to that than an obscure song they've never heard before. Totally understandable. For instance, I think Mura does not have much artistic range, and to try to get him to display a Jeremy Abbott style of artistry simply isn't going to happen.
Sticking with Warhorses is the best plan for him. It may make my ears bleed, but if it gets him higher points because he can concentrate on his program now since he knows the music really, really, well, that's great!

It's up to the whole team to find music that maybe isn't so well known, but that the skater can connect to.

I do give mad props to skaters who go outside the box with their music choices though.

We've had some boyband music this year from Coldplay and some Ed Sheeran which I enjoyed. Even Vornov's 100 random music cuts was entertaining BECAUSE he really, really liked it. He had confidence in his skating this season, and in his choreography too.

Yuzu did POTO, and everyone groaned, his Coach made him wait a season etc. But this was something he wanted to do with his whole heart. Shae Lynn Bourne said that she respected Yuzu's choice because he was so sure that this was the music for him.
The music isn't sophisticated like his Chopin SP and it is terribly overused, but he sells the program much better as a whole than his Notredame De Paris program which he never connected with.

The above are my musings on the usage of these songs and why we will probably continue to hear them again and again. But hopefully not all at once like Worlds this year. Wow. Sooooo many POTOS.

 

[apgold]

I don't mind POTO and Carmen if it's done in a fresh way. I love V/M's "Carmen" b/c of the choreography and their interpretation. I liked Yuzu's POTO b/c of the choreography and how he connected to it (same with Akiko last year).

The problem happens when multiple people use it in the same season and from the same country (I'm looking at you, Japan), where it grows tiresome. There really should be a rule that one skater per country can use a piece of music per season. And Samantha Cesario needs to give up Carmen already and find new music.

Schindler's List. It almost always looks like the skaters use it because it's easy for that music to carry you in terms of performance and interpretation. "Look at me, I'm so tragic and profound, I'm a serious arteeeeste".

Eh, I liked Yulia's and Josh's programs to SL, but I agree that it needs to go away for a while. Although both of them could be accused of using it to look like a serious arteeste, LOL.

I'm probably most sick of "Rhapsody in Blue" mostly b/c when someone shows up skating to it in a blue costume. Shame b/c I love Gershwin but there's plenty more in that catalog to choose from.

And for lyrics, no Andrea Bocelli, please. I'm sure he's got many fans (here) but it's similar to SL IMO, let's be all emotional.

This season, I actually liked vocalists that you wouldn't expect, like JLo (Elena's SP) and Nicole Kidman (Ashley's FS).

 

[bartlebooth]

And for lyrics, no Andrea Bocelli, please. I'm sure he's got many fans (here) but it's similar to SL IMO, let's be all emotional.

I concur.

 

[satine]

Nothing I'm probably the only skating fan who doesn't have a problem with workhorses: if a piece of music is beautiful, I'm never tired of hearing it! I've watched many many Carmens (some of them horrible ones, too) but I always like it, for example

Reading all the comments here, I realize that I could probably listen to just about anything as long as the skater(s) skates TO yhe music, not through it. This season, I had too much POTO, so I just turned the sound down to minimal and it was satisfactory. But I must admit, I haven't been able to watch Chock/Bates" American in Paris because the music is currently on my hate list.

I'm also one of those who don't have a problem with overused music or warhorses as long as the skater skates to the music. But my skating music peeve would be those with distracting vocals (and in general, music with lyrics that are used in competition; galas are fine). An example would be Adelina's 2013 LP; that part with Christina Aguilera's vocals that was not well mixed with the entirety of the program music. And also, badly cut music. I would also like to say the end part of Adelina's Carmen in Sochi was so wild, I wouldn't want it to be used again by anyone.

As for the program music that I can associate with only one skater, it would be Danse Macabre (agree with OP).

:agree:

 

[jenaj]

I'm also one of those who don't have a problem with overused music or warhorses as long as the skater skates to the music. But my skating music peeve would be those with distracting vocals (and in general, music with lyrics that are used in competition; galas are fine)

As for the program music that I can associate with only one skater, it would be Danse Macabre (agree with OP).

Why? So many skaters have used it--Jenny Kirk, Orser, even Plushy.