So I was just randomly thinking about my favorite kind of free programs. What types of music do I like to see skaters use on the ice. It's oddly compartmentalized based upon discipline:For Men I like Soundtracks. You don't see them very much anymore but I love them. Kurt Browning's Casablanca, Alexei Yagudin's Man in the Iron Mask, Todd Eldredge and First Knight...I'm a sucker for a good soundtrack. I would love to see someone tackle Avatar this upcoming season...could be epic.
With Ice Dance I'm a little more open to musical exploration with. My favorite Ice Dance programs are to music that hasn't been used or has rarely been used. I only like odd "out there" choices for Ice Dancers. I want Ice Dancers to be innovative and weird music choices allow for that. Anyone remember the Finnish team of Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko? To this day they remain two of my favorite dancers because of their innovation.
For Pairs I like classical pieces of music that are heavy on the piano. Something about Piano's and Pairs that just go together like bread and butter. Or quiet romantic music...that works really well for pairs too. Just about anything Puccini or Rachmaninoff work for me. Gordeyeva and Grinkov's Moonlight Sonata, one of those heavy piano pieces, pure genius.The only discipline I can't pin a music choice down with is women. What I can determine is that I tend to like music for women that has big endings...music that crescendos to a climax and ends on a big or emotional note. Think Michelle Kwan's Tosca program (there's Puccini again!). Akiko Suzuki did a great job this season with West Side Story. I guess with women I say go big or go home.
Okay...so what kind of programs do you like?
4 comments:
i'm COMPLETELY biased! i want classical, classical, classical (from men, ladies and pairs/teams). my favorite sort of programs, Abbott's Saint-Saens LP, Virtue/Moir's Mahler FD, Baiul's Swan...you get my drift! nothing else satisfies me in the same way. the periodic musical theatre or vocal/cabaret song is welcome too.
I think the skaters should use a piece of music that is well known (the tricky part is to stay away from the overused stuff) because the audience and judges don't have to "think" listening to the music. Instead they can passively listen and give more brain power to the visual.
I'm brand new to skating and don't know the rules about music choice, but if I ruled the skating world, I'd like to see something like this:
Mens -- Classic rock. Magic Carpet Ride, Inna-gadda-davida, All Right Now. Music with an edge. (No pun intended.)
Dance -- This is where I'd like classical music. Pretty and romantic.
Pairs -- Modern rock. Music that's strong and energetic, like pairs skating.
Ladies -- Maybe it's hard to pin down a choice here because anything could work. Match the skater's personality -- pretty classical, edgy rock, sexy jazz.
Crazy, unworkable thoughts perhaps...
I think the most crucial thing that distinguishes good skating music is that it MUST have highs and lows. Music that is all sort of one emotional level just does not work for skating, IMO. I am with you, Aaron, I think soundtracks work great for skating, especially for the men because the men tend to have more power in their skating.
Post a Comment