Music Ideas for All Skaters | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Music Ideas for All Skaters

For Jeffrey Buttle

George Gerswins "Rhapsody in Blue" would be a winner for him [lp] as the music goes several ways with a tinkly piano part for all his gorgeous intricate footwork. If Jeff were an American I would say Gerswins "An American in Paris". :)......... anyone have other ideas for Jeffrey? I would love to hear from you. :)
 
Jeff always has something really sophisticated and not very conventional. I cannot really think of any that might touch him :) Among classical music, however, I may want to see him skate to something from Bartok, Shostakovich, or Stravinsky (They may be called modern, whatever).
 
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For Jeffrey Buttle

Ever since I saw his "Il Paliacci"... I've been thinking that he would do better with "Petruchka" (Stravinsky).
 
Since Johnny Weir is a big fan of Christina Aguilera, I'm in favor of him using Beautiful as an exhibition number. I think it could be a really powerful performance. Unless someone else has already done so, while I wasn't paying attention?
 
Kept looking for the "power" movement. and trying to figure where his electrifying footwork would go.
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Try the third part of the same movement (if I've gotten the terms correct).
 
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Buttercup said:
As for 1492 - Conquest of Paradise, it's a soundtrack that has been used by several skaters in the past. Here's Brian Joubert LP set to that music at 2005 Europeans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTViPr5eIUM
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Awesome! Again - familiar with the music - didn't know the name. This would be great choice IMHO for Evan. Thank you for the link.

Buttercup said:
Try the third part of the same movement (if I've gotten the terms correct).
Click to expand...

Duh!! Forgot about combining segments. This does have more power. Thanks.
 
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I believe that most figure skaters do not follow the music step by step. You have to agree they will get out of character when a difficult element is about to be performed and often lose the beat (never mind the rhythm) of the music. Can't blame them. It's tough dancing on the skating apparatus, and the elements are much more important in the sport than keeping to the music.

I would therefore suggest that music be as simple as possible with enough swells in it to grab the audience instead of drum rolls. Interpreting the music as best one can with regard to big jumps. Movie background music works best, imo.

Risk taking is not a part of Exhibition skating. I think Exhibitions shows best The Art of Figure Skating. Maybe there should be a competition for such PCS abilities with a strict limitations of elements (tricks).

Joe
 
Joesitz said:
I believe that most figure skaters do not follow the music step by step. You have to agree they will get out of character when a difficult element is about to be performed and often lose the beat (never mind the rhythm) of the music. Can't blame them. It's tough dancing on the skating apparatus, and the elements are much more important in the sport than keeping to the music.

I would therefore suggest that music be as simple as possible with enough swells in it to grab the audience instead of drum rolls. Interpreting the music as best one can with regard to big jumps. Movie background music works best, imo.

Risk taking is not a part of Exhibition skating. I think Exhibitions shows best The Art of Figure Skating. Maybe there should be a competition for such PCS abilities with a strict limitations of elements (tricks).

Joe
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Well said!

Seems to me the bigger issue is how figure skating is perceived: as sport or as theater. No other sport I know of is expected to combine both. This is where the tug of war comes into play.

The idea of EX competition for artistry is food for thought.
 
Joesitz said:
I believe that most figure skaters do not follow the music step by step. You have to agree they will get out of character when a difficult element is about to be performed and often lose the beat (never mind the rhythm) of the music. Can't blame them. It's tough dancing on the skating apparatus, and the elements are much more important in the sport than keeping to the music.
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This is why I have so much respect for Mao Asada and Jeffrey Buttle. I was so happy for them to finally win the Worlds!

Joesitz said:
I would therefore suggest that music be as simple as possible... Interpreting the music as best one can with regard to big jumps...
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Other than ice-dance, I agree here.
Also, this is where Lambiel went over board with "Flamenco."
His music changes from Middle-Eastern singing... to modal guitar music... to tonal orchestra music in the first 40 seconds. This is only for his opening 3A... I bet he had problems with that jump all year long.

Joesitz said:
Movie background music works best...
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Good point... Buttle "Ararat", especially,... not too well known but known enough + abundance of interesting musical materials + great story + etc.

Joesitz said:
I think Exhibitions shows best The Art of Figure Skating.
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I am guessing that this is what Lambiel intended to do with his "Flamenco" number with Najarro... and turned that into his competition number.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3lsMXe_bFA
 
I would like competitive programs to be artistic and worth watching many many times. Competitive programs are the ones you put all your energy. If you are artistically oriented, it would be such a pain if you have to neglect the artistic side of figure skating, especially when you spend so much time with that program. How can a musician play any practice music piece without paying attention to the beauty of if even if the piece is meant to be primarily for practices? Besides, competitive programs are the ones people watch most seriously. Luckily, I've personally never felt that there's no artistic programs in the field that paid great attention to the compositions, structures, nuances, and variations. I usually find at least several artistic programs a year that I could watch many many times without getting bored. I've never found it hard to find artistic performances in music or ballet competitions, either. If the PCS criteria are applied more properly according to their definitions, we'd see much more artistic programs.
 
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I would love competitive programs to be more artistic-like and not just the usual 'look ma, how flexible I am' and then call it ballet on ice. Unfortunately, they are not. The PCS scoring is what we have and Buttle showed that to the hilt. Good job, Jeffrey.

Meanwhile Exhibitions are the center pieces of the art of skating but they are generally just thrown together. They will never make the Maryinsky. but this may:


Thanks jyshin!

Joe
 
Lambiel
Le Sacre du Printemps; Danse sacrale by Stravinsky:
Great music, much more difficult in my opinion than the usual Stravinsky (Firebird) used for skating.

Klezmer music for a short program would be great.

Weir
I would love him to skate to Bach - it's a tiny obsession of mine.
Air BWV 1068 or Cantata BWV 106 "Actus tragicus" for the long program

Enigma Variations I&II from Elgar would make a great short program for Johnny in my opinion - the problem is just that the main crescendo is more in the middle of the second one.

Romance (from the Gadfly), Shostakovich - also as a short.

Takahashi
Chinese Traditional "Horses" - I would love, love to see that (short program, of course).

Buttle
Beethoven Piano concerto No.4 Andante con moto
Mussorgsky Il vecchio castello - Pictures of an exhibition - both as long programs.

Lysacek
Crimson tide and deep blue sea by Nightwish, for a short program.

Last of the Wilds by Nightwish, album "Dark Passion Play", for a long program.
Blooded by Within Temptation, album "Enter", for a short - but needs to be cut somewhere...

Chan
Forest Scenes: The Prophet Bird, Opus 82 by Schumann for a short program

Abbott
Novellette Opus 21 No.1 by Schumann, for a long program. Very difficult piece of music - but Abbott is so musical, no, he is beyond musical - that he is probably one of the very few skaters who can skate to this.

By the way, has any junior or novice skater ever skated to this? Would be great in my opinion - age-appropriate music.

Verner
Slavonic Dance No.13 by Dvorák - yes, it's cliché - a Czech skating to music written by a Czech, but it's a great piece of music but unfortunately I didn't find on the internet.
 
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