The Worst Programs...

[Yazmeen]

I don't believe that I have to repeat this after its been brought up countless numbers of times, much less two years after SLC, but FOG was NOT chosen because Michelle thought she was a shoo-in for gold. It was actually chosen for the skating exhibition in October 2001 that was originally planned in honor of the 40th anniversary of the loss of the 1961 USFS team. Michelle (and Frank, at that time) chose the song in honor of the skaters who perished in the Sabina Air plane crash on their way to the World Championships that year. Then, 9/11 happened and the show was altered somewhat and the presentations of the skaters, including MK's FOG, took on another meaning along with the original one.

I don't mean to snark, its getting a little tiring to constantly hear the harping from skating fans who dislike Michelle about why she chose that song, much less the gold dress. But, of course, some people will never believe that it wasn't a gigantic conspiracy on Michelle's part. Give it a rest already!!!!

 

[Germanice]

Re: Re: remember Sting

I love Sting. Now maybe if she would have skated to him...

I LOVE(ED) Sting (... most of all when he was with "The Police") as well!!! Still an attractive guy ! And of course Sting's fantastic original version of "Fields of Gold" is unreachable.

What makes me wonder: In sooo many cases boring splish-splash versions of great songs were used in skating, which is - at least to me! - always a huge disappointment. Is it not allowed to skate to the orginal!?

I'm asking this out of curiousity; this time it's nothing against Kwan.

Anke

PS: Yazmeen, one poster asked me why I can't stand Fog and I answered. That's all!

 

[rtureck]

Do you think MK could deal with Wagner's Lieberstod?

I think Michelle can deal with Lieberstod + more, but I don't want her to. I know many people worship Wagner, but I don't. I don't care for hypergraphia, and Wagner's so call "music drama" (just another word for opera, IMHO) is the music equivalent for hypergraphia. I am unimpressed with having to bore through 5 hours of a Wagner opera for a few moments of sensuous music. I prefer to see Michelle skate to Barber's Medea's meditation and vengenance, or RvW's Job.

 

[rtureck]

Re: Re: Re: remember Sting

What makes me wonder: In sooo many cases boring splish-splash versions of great songs were used in skating, which is - at least to me! - always a huge disappointment. Is it not allowed to skate to the orginal!?


Anke

Some original music are boring too, just name any Wagner operas.

I think Eva Cassidy's FOG is a definite improvement on Sting's version.

PS: Yazmeen, one poster asked me why I can't stand Fog and I answered. That's all

As usual you are way off base in your assessment of FOG, but 100% consistent with your "against" Kwan message.

 

[Germanice]

Re: Re: Re: Re: remember Sting

Some original music are boring too, just name any Wagner operas.

Being a decent German I find Wagner opera's tremendously interesting ... tah-tah-tah-taaaah-taah!

Anke

 

[rtureck]

Is that the best Germany has to offer in music is Wagner? I hope not, I find Wagner boring Tahhhh

If you really want to listen to subpar boring music, try Wagner first symphony, or the march that he totally flopped on. The one that he took the commison from America on the centennial celebration, and couldn't even finish? He couldn't even write a decent march. Then how about the quartet that he abandoned, he couldn't even finish one quartet. How many did Haydn write?

I think some German composers achieved the highest in music, e.g. Bach, but not Wagner.

 

[Germanice]

Is that the best Germany has to offer in music is Wagner?

No, have you ever had the pleasure of listening to Modern Talking?
Cheerrrry-cherry-baaaaiby ....

That was fun, thank you! A Wagner opera for me, "Best of Kwan" for you ... and now Good Night!

Anke

 

[rtureck]

No, have you ever had the pleasure of listening to Modern Talking? Cheerrrry-cherry-baaaaiby ....

That was fun, thank you! A Wagner opera for me, "Best of Kwan" for you ... and now Good Night!

Anke

A Wagner hypergraphia 5 hours of boring sound for you, and I imagine you are ZZZZ now. Good night

On second thought, if you are going to bed why listen to a boring Wagner opera, shouldn't you at least try to have some fun and listen to Siegfried Idyll, after all Mathman said the O***** of joy is important.

 

[Germanice]

On second thought, if you are going to bed why listen to a boring Wagner opera, shouldn't you at least try to have some fun and listen to Siegfried Idyll, after all Mathman said the O***** of joy is important.

No, thank you! Sooo kind, but I'll take my AY-fanfics with me ...

Anke

 

[hockeyfan228]

Well, this topic went from actual Worst Programs to theoretical Worst Programs

 

[BronzeisGolden]

Whether you like Wagner or not, I think it is important to note that he was and is considered one of the finest composers of his time and accomplished things so many of us can only dream about. But, everyone has their tastes....I actually prefer Rachmoninov and Tchaikovsky to Mozart and Beethoven. As for Sting and "The Police"....an enthusiastic YESSS! I love "The Police"! Also, I felt Eva Cassidy did a fine job with "Fields of Gold". She didn't try to emulate what Sting did, but did it her way. As far as that song goes, it isn't a personal favorite...I feel that there are several better examples of Cassidy's talent to be heard on her "Songbird" album.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Oh, my dear, I didn't think Wagner would produce such hate in the forum. So be it. One can hate whatever they like. For me, if one doesn't like Wagner, one is not well versed in music and the introduction of leitmotifs. But that's ok, I don't care much for quantum physics and Delibes. But, hey, that's what makes us individuals. Who wants to be homogenized.

Now what was the real subject of this thread?

Joe

 

[Matt]

In one of the infinitessimal number of Kurt Browning "Gotta Skate" specials (#III, I believe), Josée Chouinard opened with a number to some kind of techno-ish drone of a song that kept repeating something like "one more night" over and over. Her skating was wonderful, but the music was awful and it gave me a migraine!

 

[RealtorGal]

Disclaimer: I don’t have a master degree in music; I am just an average concertgoer, and a way below average vocal recital attendee. I don’t know what is a “singer’s face”

I observe that most singers emote with their face when the piece calls for it. Of course the degree of emoting has to be appropriate to the music. When one is singing a monophony plainchant, there maybe no or just minimal facial emoting with a raised eyebrow, or eyes focusing on heaven (or the ceiling). When one is singing Cignus ustus cantat ,The Roast Swan from Carmina Burana, I imagine some painful emoting is in order. Everything related operas are over the top, the music, the costumes, and the acting etc. So why should a skater using opera music be different. I know MK was not trying to tell the story of Tosca, but she is using dramatic opera music, so I am not embarrassed by her emoting, I am actually very proud of her achievement. I think the emotions from the last minute of Tosca were genuine. Come on, she just kicked everyone’s butt, and she was not supposed to win, didn’t uncle Dick and auntie Peggy just write her off? I watched the Tosca program again; I am convinced Michelle just had a hungry expression on her face that was all. She was probably thinking about the roast duck feast they had prepared for her. She was just telling herself, OK, finish the footwork (or according to MM the “victory lap”) the yummy roast duck is waiting.

You know, it's really great that you joined this board just when we lost our long time resident classical musician, Eltamina... We are really fortunate that you were able to fill her shoes!

"Singer's face": Okay, there is a difference between honest emotion that comes from feeling the music and understanding the words. Then there is "singer's face"--which is what I call it when someone "emotes" -- puts on a pained expression to give the impression that one is feeling the music. I felt that in FOG, Michelle's emotion was true and came from what she was feeling at the time. In other words, I bought it. I'm not a fan of performers crying during a performance--it's embarrassing. However, in that particular performance, I believed she just couldn't help it. I didn't even notice the tears until the end, but I did feel the true emotion in her skating. As for Tosca, while she did seem to let go during that last minute, I, personally, just didn't buy the passion--it was too over the top for me. Obviously, I'm in the minority--but everyone has his/her own opinion, which is just fine with me!

 

[valuvsmk]

No, have you ever had the pleasure of listening to Modern Talking?
Cheerrrry-cherry-baaaaiby ....

That was fun, thank you! A Wagner opera for me, "Best of Kwan" for you ... and now Good Night!

Anke

"Kill de Wabbit, Kill de Wabbit!" (sorry, just the Ugly American in me)

 

[shine]

I think Wagner is boring. And he likes to repeat himself a lot. Even his name is not that special. And to sit through that 10-hour long opera of his has scarred me for life. I think Sandhu should skate to Bruch's violin concerto again and this time to that piece ONLY. I think Yags short program to Chopin's etude in c minor is one of the most brilliantly choreographed program to a classical piece in history, even though it was a muzak. Suguri's program this season is pretty bad and hurtful to the eye of a Mozart lover. I hope she'd decides to get a new LP for Mozart's sake.

 

[Mathman]

"As for Tosca, while she did seem to let go during that last minute, I, personally, just didn't buy the passion--it was too over the top for me. Obviously, I'm in the minority--but everyone has his/her own opinion, which is just fine with me!" RealtorGal

Oh RealtorGal, how could you not believe that Michelle was happy in that final minute? Think about it. She had lost her first event of the season, in the second she fell and barely squeaked out a disputable win, and in the short program she could only make second place.

Then in Tosca she came out and knocked off each of her elements, six triples bing, bing, bing, with textbook precision. She got visibly happier and happier with every jump she hit. When she landed the last one, it just came over her -- "I won, I won!" -- and she started tearing down the ice like crazy! Her heart on her sleeve. Totally honest emotion.

Your friend, Mathman

 

[Rgirl]

"Kill de Wabbit, Kill de Wabbit!" (sorry, just the Ugly American in me)

Don't apologize Valuvsmk! Elmer and Bugs's version (okay, Chuck Jones's version to cartoon connoisseurs) is one of the great musical parodies of all time! So great as satire that it becomes great in and of itself. Bugs Bunny with those iron breast plates, the horns, and the Germanic braids. Freakin' genius!

But Joe has encouraged us to return to the topic, which was worst programs, which gives me the opportunity to say something I neglected to put into my post to Johar about why I didn't like FOG. By no means do I consider FOG a "worst" program. Johar asked why some people didn't like FOG and, true, I don't like most of FOG. I answered Johar's question, saying why I disliked and/or liked certain aspects or performances of FOG.

As Rtureck explained to us all, it is a free country and Michelle was free to cry during FOG (since you asked, Rtureck, she did cry during and after the Oly performance), just as I am free to express, within the guidelines natch, that I was not moved by Michelle's FOG Oly exhib performance and that I was moved by her demeanor during the medal ceremony; just as a certain "baby sister" is free to continue her campaign of hate, misrepresentation, and lies against a certain older poster despite that older poster's numerous attempts to work things out with "baby sister" so they can post in peaceful coexistence; just as any poster, even "baby sister," is free to post under as many different names as she can manage; just as Rtureck, or any poster, such as, oh, say, Gezando--or even Eltamina, if only she were here--can tell us all how and what we should think about music, skating, and "o***** of joy."

My vote for worst program--and this is NOT the skater's fault, the blame lies solely with Alexei Mishin--goes to poor Alexei Yagudin's '97 World's exhibition "Jungle Program." For those who were fortunate enough to have missed its one and only performance, Mishin stuck a straw "jungle hat" on Yagudin's head, put a straw "jungle skirt" around his waist, painted black circles around his nipples and his navel, and had Yags go out and skate wearing only that (and his skates) to "jungle music" with absolutely no choreography, representing Russia as the 1997 World bronze medalist at age 18. Mishin did not have an exhibition program prepared for Yags because he didn't think he would medal and threw the "jungle" program and "costume" together at the last minute. To Yags's credit, he performed with gusto and tried to give the audience some good skating. To Yags' further credit, he soon thereafter dumped Mishin and began training with Tarasova. So worst program for me actually goes to Mishin, with Yags as the brave but beleaguered victim.

So Rtureck, how are they?
Rgirl

 

[Jaana]

Rgirl, where does that info about "Jungle programme" come from? Worlds 1997 exhibition was not the first event for that programme. Already in Skate America 1996 Yagudin skated to an exhibition number which sounds very much like it, LOL:

http://groups.google.com/[email protected]&output=gplain

Excerpt:
>Alexei Yagudin's exhibition program is the one that made the show worthwhile for me, because you had to be there -- I don't think words are adequate to describe it. He was wearing black leggings, a grass skirt and tiara, and had "war paint" on his face and bare chest. He was also carrying some ears of dried corn that he tossed into the stands at the beginning of his program.>

Marjaana

 

[RIskatingfan]

I think that program beats everything LOL (Yagudin's "One banana") That has got to be the worst program ever LOL Not Petrenko's puppets, Candeloros' stripping, Tobel's tutu... but that banana thing LOL

I had tried to watch it awhile back and I couldn't, it was too bad I tried the other day and I had to stop the tape even before he started the program LOL

And what was that about Kwan's FOG? One of the worst programs? You may not like her but that program was a nice exhibition, whether you enjoy her skating or not. There is a big difference between a famous program that people don't like and a program that is famous for being so bad.