Music talk

[Murieleirum]

Just now, rozuyu said:

 

@Murieleirum OMG Shosty's 7th was also my high school crush! Plus 10th. And piano concertos. Pretty much all of Shostakovich's music.

If he skated to the music of any of the 20th century Russian giants, I would be in heaven.

As to Yuzuru's music cuts, I agree that they are really good. The POTO cuts were amazing. SEIMEI is a masterpiece! I played the Ballade so I cringe a bit at the cuts (I can feel the things that are missing every time in my fingers arggghhh) but it's still way better than other Chopin cuts in figure skating, which are often awful.

 

OMG SAME. At both the 20th century Russian giants, and the Ballad cringe. I haven't played it (too hard for me), but I loved it and listening Yuzuru's SP version at first felt very weird. It does get better after a while though xD
I am super-duper stuck on Stravinsky, I would die if Yuzuru skated to him again (not randomly, I chose to marry Firebird at the marrying topic on this forum). Also, I think while Shostakovich might be a little too 'Russian' (especially the 7th) - hard to interpret for Yuzuru - Stravinsky's themes are more International, and accessible. For example, The Rite of Spring woud be a veeery very difficult music choice, but if there's one skater who could do it, it's Yuzuru. 

But if he chooses to skate to a violin theme... aaaah, I'm torn. I don't know what I'd rather see. I would send him hundreds of violin concertos or sonatas, he is so perfect for so many of them! 

Too short, I know, but from 0:25, I'd die if he skated to this. Morricone's music is all genius, all fantastic. 

[Xen]

Also rooting for that Morricone piece for the SP. 

 

For the LP...since we're on the topic of Warhorses, while it's not a figure skating warhorse, what about Lalo? I don't think anyone has done Lalo. Or maybe Saint Saens (pretty sure Sasha cohen skated to him before). Then there's Brahms, which I don't think any skater has touched yet....

 

[Anony]

4 hours ago, kiches said:

I don't know if I expect a warhorse, but I do expect a safer/surer choice in theme for his programs.

I don't expect Yuzuru to dive into say... Carmen or Les Miserables, but I do expect Yuzuru to use at least one Classical/baroque era piece and Yuzuru seems fond of piano and Chopin.

 

If Yuzuru wants to do Japanese, but still mainstream enough that he can get immediate (western)audience recognition, that's going to be tricky. He can go for something from a Ghibli movie, tho I don't know how willing he is to skate Hisaishi again. Something from a video game maybe, Legend of Zelda is big right now since the new game just came out(after how many years? lol) and Final Fantasy has plenty of iconic soundtracks, tho I imagine it would be hard to do a video game soundtrack without coming off as at least a little childish(expectations sucks, never forget that).

 

Either way he has plenty of options, it's just picking the best one is gonna be some work.

[Murieleirum]

28 minutes ago, rozuyu said:

@MurieleirumThe Rite of Spring would be so awesome! But it's even more complex than the Firebird (which is already a warhorse) - I mean its rhythmic complexities are scary. I'm practicing the piano transcription right now and I can barely comprehend what is happening there half of the time, so choreographing a skating program to this must be a nightmare, even though it's a ballet after all. But if someone did skate to it now (last time someone skated to this was in the 90s... I can only remember Dmitrenko doing it and it was... well ) I would be so happy. 

Re: violin pieces, Prokofiev's and Shosty's violin concertos - think about that!

And Morricone - love his music as well 

 

Let's play the adaptation together!!! Something that'd go like this:

Yes, maybe for Olympic season the Rite of Spring would be a bit too much... Yuzu would risk to finish same way the First public performance of Rite of Spring went... escaping the ice rink while judges chase him 

 

I don't remember if I already shared this but oh well... then there's Bruch violin concerto, or Mendelssohn... I do agree that Brahms isn't very popular, unfortunately. Piano wise...

 

 

What about Debussy? 

[sallycinnamon]

 

@Murieleirum and @rozuyuIt would be incredible if he ever skated to something like the Rite of Spring. That'd be a challenge, but if there is someone who could do it it's Yuzuru!  

 

19 minutes ago, Murieleirum said:

 

Let's play the adaptation together!!! Something that'd go like this:

Yes, maybe for Olympic season the Rite of Spring would be a bit too much... Yuzu would risk to finish same way the First public performance of Rite of Spring went... escaping the ice rink while judges chase him.

 

I don't remember if I already shared this but oh well... then there's Bruch violin concerto, or Mendelssohn... I do agree that Brahms isn't very popular, unfortunately. Piano wise...

 

What about Debussy? 

 

I think Yuzuru could interpret Arabesque no1. beautifully, but it would work together better with something which is powerful and faster, too (I think the same for my previous suggestions - Liszt's Consolation or Erik Satie's pieces - they need more rhythm and mood changes, more intense parts unless he'd perform them as exhibition pieces).

[Mitya]

Prokofiev- Symphony No5 is amazing! 

This one and the others are a sample of how many beautiful classical music pieces all around. 

 

Swan Lake is soo overused! It's probably in top 5 most used warhorses. Just like R&J and "4 seasons". I want to completely trust Jeff and their masterwork with Yuzuru in SP. 

[Xen]

3 minutes ago, sallycinnamon said:

I think Yuzuru could interpret Arabesque no1. beautifully, but it would work together better with something which is powerful and faster, too (I think the same for my previous suggestions - Liszt's Consolation or Erik Satie's pieces - they need more rhythm and mood changes, more intense parts unless he'd perform them as exhibition pieces).

Liszt and Ravel are two that pop into my mind. Debussy feels a bit too...mild for him, 

 

Then again, I did have a dream about Yuzu with a medal and the costume he wore was black/white/steely blue gradients, biased cut (like the R&J olympic costume), but instead of a boobskirt, he had a nice sprinkling of sparkly leaf patterns. And then today, I was listening to New World Symphony...and it clicked...so any chance of Dvorak New World Symphony? 

[Katt]

Swan lake is one of rare warhorse that I never get tired of it. But well, I dont think Yuzuru will skate to overused music next season. .Yuzuru said he try to find the music that won't affect too much to the performance even when he make mistakes. So I think he will back to his dramatic style. It might be an OST. 

 

If he skate to Vitali's chaconnen, I would die happily 

[Murieleirum]

Okay, since I am too excited about all of these musical possibilities to function in my daily life, first thing when I get home after work today, I'll try to fit Yuzuru's FS of this year with some of the musical pieces we proposed, and then I'll share the results so we can get a feel of 'what it would be like' if he skated to our favourite pieces. *determined* 

But just to get the discussion going, I too second the New World Symphony, although it would be difficult to fit that in a program without adding something else in the end, because the ending is quite weird (for a skating program). 

True, Debussy is a bit too little dynamic for skating - I mean, the whole theme of his music is 'suspension', so there's hardly any tension building and tension releasing - I mean there is, but it's always subtle and floating. Very fitting for Yuzuru, but not for a Program that needs to conquer consent from the judges. 

 

Oh yeah I almost forgot: regarding themes that we would like for him to 'bring back', there is actually one I wouldn't mind, because there are plenty of pieces to inspire him: Requiem. 

Mozart, Verdi, Ligeti... (okay maybe best not Ligeti).

Or a theme he himself brought up: Fire! (Firebird 2.0 cough cough)

[sallycinnamon]

1 hour ago, Murieleirum said:

Okay, since I am too excited about all of these musical possibilities to function in my daily life, first thing when I get home after work today, I'll try to fit Yuzuru's FS of this year with some of the musical pieces we proposed, and then I'll share the results so we can get a feel of 'what it would be like' if he skated to our favourite pieces. *determined* 

 

Mozart, Verdi, Ligeti... (okay maybe best not Ligeti).

 

 

Yes, please share the results! 

 

1 hour ago, rozuyu said:

 

@Murieleirum I can imagine the judges' faces.  They would run away asap. I personally love Ligeti but if Stravinsky is considered too "heavy/avantgarde" for some, then Ligeti... 

And the judges are not that open-minded about music. I've read many stories about skaters changing their program music from some bold choices to safer ones (e.g. Misha Ge) even during the season because of negative feedback from the judges. Given that it's the Olympic season, sadly, we won't see many risky picks.

If you do a mash up of some Yuzuru programs with Prokofiev (I just thought a mix of 2nd and 3rd movement from 5th symphony would be epic and very "skateable" haha ), I will rewatch that on loop. Seriously.

 

 

I'd sell one of my kidneys if Yuzu skated to Ligeti, Liszt, or Bartók one day.   But I'm afraid Ligeti would be really too much, even Stravinsky is pop music compared to him  

[Mitya]

If Yuzuru would skate to Ligeti's "Atmospheres" record scores will be guaranteed just before start to skating

 

Why not Liszt? There are so many mesmerizing pieces by him.

[Smultron]

57 minutes ago, Mitya said:

If Yuzuru would skate to Ligeti's "Atmospheres" record scores will be guaranteed just before start to skating

 

Why not Liszt? There are so many mesmerizing pieces by him.

 

This got me intrigued and I found that Atmospheres piece This could be ... interesting 

[Lyyli]

Murieleirum, Kiira Korpi skated to Sibelius violin concerto as her last FS 2015 before r***ng. I don´t remember anyone else using this lovely piece of music. Shae Lynn made the choreography for her. You´ll find the video in Youtube if you want to see it. 

[Xen]

3 hours ago, Murieleirum said:

Oh yeah I almost forgot: regarding themes that we would like for him to 'bring back', there is actually one I wouldn't mind, because there are plenty of pieces to inspire him: Requiem. 

Mozart, Verdi, Ligeti... (okay maybe best not Ligeti).

Or a theme he himself brought up: Fire! (Firebird 2.0 cough cough)

Quick youtube search also netted a Faure Requiem, then there's Brahms (which I don't think will work) and a Dvorak. But then...it led to Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony...so now my brain is thinking Mahler+Yuzuru+blue....

 

Edit: went to listen to Ligeti (honestly never heard of this composer). So maybe not Atmospheres, but what about the Six Bagatelles?

[Murieleirum]

35 minutes ago, Lyyli said:

Murieleirum, Kiira Korpi skated to Sibelius violin concerto as her last FS 2015 before r***ng. I don´t remember anyone else using this lovely piece of music. Shae Lynn made the choreography for her. You´ll find the video in Youtube if you want to see it. 

 

Thank you for telling me! A very beautiful program indeed! Although, I have to say, classical music is so much more difficult to interpret than people think. That's why warhorses are few and overused. Turandot, Four seasons, Carmen, they're all easier to interpret because they're, like... the pop music of classical? Bam, bam, bam, kind of like that.

 

And this is why I don't like Shoma's programs for next year. I already know the judges are gonna give him high Interpretation scores when... well... anyone can get fired up with Vivaldi's Winter and that one theme that goes 'All'alba viiiiiinceróóóóóóóóóóó'. So, smart move, Shoma. Doesn't get my approval tho.