I Agree With Paul Wylie

[IDLERACER]

While watching the recent ladies competitions on ESPN, commentator Paul Wylie finally said out loud exactly what I was thinking. Why are so many skaters using what amounts to alot of non-descript string-laden muzak to skate to? :sheesh: They could be nailing every jump and giving the best performance of their lives, and it still wouldn't be particularly entertaining, due to the lousy "soundtrack."

It may not have been the best performance of the afternoon, but for me, the most watchable one was Alissa Czisny's, beacuse she used a West Side Story medley which started out with a simple nylon string guitar solo that segued into a tasteful string quartet arrangement (click HERE). I wish every skater would use something more along these lines.

Every other performance looks better if you turn the television's sound off, and just throw on some of your favorite classical music as a substitute...But don't take my word for it. If you taped the last two competitions, give it a try!​

 

[maureend]

Because non-descript music makes no demands. Great music requires that movement respond to its nuances, texture and soul. COP brings us to the road of where muzak reigns. Though he made this comment while Suguri was skating to lovely cello playing of Piazolla, as if it were muzak, which it definitely is not....

 

[Tonichelle]

I still don't blame the CoP for lack of creativity... I blame the skaters... they're using CoP as an excuse.

 

[attyfan]

I still don't blame the CoP for lack of creativity... I blame the skaters... they're using CoP as an excuse.

I wish I could agree, but I can't. The skaters, like other people in other walks of life, do that which is rewarded. Under CoP, it is more rewarding to use moves and features that are already established as high-point-getters than it is to be creative. Maybe, if the ISU put something into the CoP to reward creativity (such as a bonus for being the first to do a specific move -- or the first to do it after ___ years), or at least jump the GOE so a well done new move can garner a lot of points, no matter what level it is determined to be, then there might be more creativity in the programs.

After all, under the CoP, why should the skaters be creative? It doesn't get them anywhere near the rewards that they can get by point-whoring.

 

[Kathleen]

I agree with Paul.

I also like his commentating. He does a good job!

 

[waxel]

I agree that there has been an increase in selections that are both boring and lack musical integrity. I'm not sure if the fault is CoP or simply the poor taste of the skater/coach/choreographer (whoever made the decision). All of this non-compelling music is one of the things contributing to a decline in the popularity of skating.

 

[NJSk8Fan]

I lack terribly in the knowledge of the music the skaters skate to...all the soundtracks of Carmen, Les Mis, etc. It doesn't really catch my ear. And I must say, watching NHK on sunday, much of the music was rather boring.

 

[Bennett]

I think that Carolina and Sarah did wonderful choices of music. Carolina's SP is very interesting and changes her image. Her LP is such a beautiful peiece of music. I really, really love that.

Sarah's music is also very nice. Her SP has nice nostalgic melodies that remind me of old movies (60's or 70's?). It also goes well with her costume that has some oldie taste. I also like her LP music. It's very beautiful and has interesting, subtle nuances. Her programs have delicate, reserved sophistication. I like her lovely taste.

Miki's music choices were a bit dissapointing to me. Especially, I don't see much originality in her SP. Not only that the music is overused, but also that the program looks such a CoP-friendly, ready-made program. But the edit of her LP music and her choreos turned out to be more interesting than I had initially expected when I had first heard that she was going to do Carmen.

I was also a bit dissapointed by Yuna's LP. It looks a CoP-friendly program that is rather uncharacteristic of Wilson who tends to exhibit superb originality. But I find her SP more interesting to watch. It has very lovely moves. I also like this joyful music played.

Mao's LP turned out to be my favorite. It's very elegant and takes careful attention to every note of the music. When I saw Shizuka's Olympic SP, I thought that this music was difficult to skate to because it's so fast and monotonous. But Mao does a great job in underscoring the flow and elegance of the music. It's not that the choreos are innovative as it is in Daisuke's SP, but that the choreos, edits of the music, and the way she delivers it all accenturate the delicate beauty of this classical music.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

It's orchestration that brings the house down! If you are a lover of 19th century ballet and can't get enough of Swan Lake, well, when you hear it in a stage performance, the conductor follows the dancer and accents all the swells and booms in that music.

Nessum Dorma, Puccini's gift to figure skating is the Queen of all swells. Bizet's Carmen are the booms for the obvious interpretation.

A good orchestration of almost any music will half sell the performance. JMO.

Joe

 

[fourclover]

It may not have been the best performance of the afternoon, but for me, the most watchable one was Alissa Czisny's, beacuse she used a West Side Story medley which started out with a simple nylon string guitar solo that segued into a tasteful string quartet arrangement (click HERE). I wish every skater would use something more along these lines.

Every other performance looks better if you turn the television's sound off, and just throw on some of your favorite classical music as a substitute...But don't take my word for it. If you taped the last two competitions, give it a try!​

I think it's a matter of personal taste. I prefer Chopin any day to West Side Story medley which sounds like a schizophrenic cat especially the nylon string guitar part. I do like Paul's commentating though - he's got class.

 

[heyang]

Paul also commented the Solkowy's and partner's music was very monotone, which actually demands that their performance overcome the music. If the team made any significant mistakes it became even more glaring.

I definitely consider Paul one of my favorite commentators. His thoughts are very measured. His voice is nice and he's very knowledgable. I don't expect to hear Scott-like shrieking. He also has commented impersonally - praises without gushing. Doesn't talk throughout.

 

[Tonichelle]

I agree that Paul is probably the most professional of the 'expert' commentators... but he still needs to get with the times (I still laugh at a few years back he didn't know what a shoot the duck was lol)

 

[oleada]

I agree. Paul is great . He also explains the new rules in COP really well, which is something previous commentators hadn't done. I wish the whole ESPN team was commentating at US Nationals instead of Sandra Bezic and Scott Hamilton, who seem to be stuck in the 6.0 era.

 

[Bennett]

IAfter all, under the CoP, why should the skaters be creative? It doesn't get them anywhere near the rewards that they can get by point-whoring.

Like Daisuke getting level 1 on his steps at SA?

Hope he can get level 4 at GPF or Worlds without decreasing the excitement of his steps:agree:

 

[blue dog]

I still don't blame the CoP for lack of creativity... I blame the skaters... they're using CoP as an excuse.

I'm with Toni here--they are using the CoP as an excuse for cookiecutter programs. They can still be creative under this new system. There was a time under 6.0 when the creativity was at a standstill, and the musical choices of a lot of the skaters were questionable:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IVpKZMOFJec (of course, the title of the song is "People are still having sex")
this one won a world title! http://youtube.com/watch?v=kFxBgF7jc-k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KiFkatem_GQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WtOHZ3_U3PU
this one won Olympic silver and world gold (I hate the Rocky music in the beginning) http://youtube.com/watch?v=aWqFocrYA-k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AGsgG8nNVdk

 

[Tonichelle]

I agree. Paul is great . He also explains the new rules in COP really well, which is something previous commentators hadn't done. I wish the whole ESPN team was commentating at US Nationals instead of Sandra Bezic and Scott Hamilton, who seem to be stuck in the 6.0 era.

1 - Paul has a head for numbers, so he's basically the "Mathman" of the skating world

2 - I'd love to see them do away with Sandra on NBC, but I have no problem with Scott sticking around... he just needs the right team to feed off of. He was less negative when he commentated with Verne Lundquist.

 

[oleada]

He got level 3 and 4 at NHK and the steps are still fabulous.

I disagree about COP being the reason that programs are similar - programs were similar under 6.0 to, with the exception of a number of skaters who were creative and original. Skaters have always looked and taken what works from other's programs.

Daisuke's SP this season and the majority of the Sachenko/Szolkowy's programs are some examples of teams that do very well under COP and have original and inventive programs. The programs don't have to be cookie-cutter at all.

 

[kyla2]

Paul

He's right. The music this year is the pits. Really awful.

 

[cassieandcheetah]

He's right. The music this year is the pits. Really awful.

I actually liked Robin and Aliona's music though, so much so that I even got an mp3 of it! It's kind of slow I have to say, but I think they kind of take a slow and methodical approach to everything in general.....

As for other music highlights, I really liked Sarah Meier's sp music (Patch Adams I believe?), Delobel and Schoenfelder's FD (The Piano), and Mao's sp music (a fantasy piece from Ladies in Lavender). I'm not sure if Mao does the best job possible at relating to it, but the music itself is quite beautiful.

But the real disappointment is Kimmie's long program. I can't believe the same melody plays on and on for like 4 and a half minutes. At least Shizuka had some variety in her program, but Kimmie, wow, it was just mindboggling how monotone and unvarying the cut turned out.

and Yuna Kim's is a bit of downer too. I have the Miss Saigon soundtrack memorized from front to back, so I can honestly say that she chose the worst tracks possible from it. I understand she needed the overturish beginning to start out fast, but there are so many other songs she could have chosen....IMO.

 

[Bennett]

As for other music highlights, I really liked Sarah Meier's sp music (Patch Adams I believe?), Delobel and Schoenfelder's FD (The Piano), and Mao's sp music (a fantasy piece from Ladies in Lavender). I'm not sure if Mao does the best job possible at relating to it, but the music itself is quite beautiful.

But the real disappointment is Kimmie's long program. I can't believe the same melody plays on and on for like 4 and a half minutes. At least Shizuka had some variety in her program, but Kimmie, wow, it was just mindboggling how monotone and unvarying the cut turned out.

I also like Mao's SP music but thought it a bit repetitive. But I agree that the main theme is extremely beautiful. I think that Mao tried to challenge herself with a different type of music that she has never skated to before. I see more strength in her skating and body moves. But because she seems to have been extremely nervous in her SP due to the struggle with the combination jump, it seems to have been difficult to relate to the music. When she overcomes the jump concerns, I am sure that she'll do it great:agree:

I thought Kimmie's LP repetitive, too. But it is such a gorgeous piece of music. It's very dynamic, happy and matches her happy atmosphere. She seems to have started this program pretty recently. When she gets used to the program more, she'll look much better