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Mel's Weekly#4: September 27, 2004As the preparation for the season is coming to a close, and more and more music information is being released, I've had some time to evaluate some choices for the year. As usual, David Wilson's skaters are leading the way in original music choices, everything from obscure Ravel pieces to non-standard selections of more popular music, as is the case with Joannie Rochette's version of "Firebird." As is also usual, the array of traditional choices is the overwhelming favourite for the big name skaters. From Romeo & Juliet (whether it's Rota, Tchaikovsky, or Prokofiev) to Don Quixote to Bolero to Madame Butterfly to movie favourites like Moulin Rouge and Chicago, it will be standards that one should expect to hear most often over the course of the season. I am personally not a fan of overused music, especially when it has been done so well by someone who has come before. Music is so carefully tied to the emotions and just as it is not good strategy to read "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" for a drama audition because it evokes so many excellent renditions, I do not believe it is a good game plan to skate to "Bolero" when just the mention of this music in the skating world brings to mind "the perfect 54." Yes, Michelle Kwan, I'm talking to you. That's not to say that her "Bolero" won't be a good program. I have excellent faith in both the choreography of Christopher Dean and the ability of Michelle Kwan to execute "Bolero" with unsurpassed passion. Just as your average judge, I don't want to prejudge Michelle's program...but it's virtually impossible to dissociate "Bolero" from Torvill & Dean and the standard that they set. Moving on...let's talk about the battle of the Juliets, shall we? It's this year's "Carmen" - everyone from Shizuka Arakawa to Elena Sokolova to Anabelle Langlois to Jessica Dubé is going to be Juliet this year, and those are just from the top of my head. Yes, "Romeo & Juliet" is a beautiful story. But who can hear one of the various "Romeo & Juliet" compositions without having a preconceived notion of how Juliet should be interpreted? It's not a death sentence, no, and it can be done rather well...but why take that risk? Why have your creativity put in a box? There are so many beautiful pieces of music out there that have never been touched, or have never left an impact, on the ice. I'd love to see someone, especially a dance team, try out Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique." This piece made such an impact on the country of France when it was written in the 19th century that no other French composer dared write another symphony for thirty years. Outside of the classical world, there are so many things in the film score industry that would play out beautifully on the ice, especially for those that prefer to interpret a characterization in their programs. And trust me, there's more to jazz than "Take Five" and "In the Mood" - which might seem a bit hard to believe for skating fans. And who's with me on wanting to help Nikolai Morozov purchase a few new CDs? I'm thinking about starting a fund. Until next week! Archives -- Contact -- Features -- Guestbook -- Links -- Webmistress (c)2004-7 Melanie L. Hoyt All rights reserved. |