Ballet Music | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Ballet Music

Haleth

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Just thought of a really fun "out there" choice-- a couple weeks ago I saw a Jerome Robbins ballet (Glass Pieces) with a portion set to music from Philip Glass's opera Akhnaten. Having trouble locating the music right now, but think really powerful drum beats and brass.

Cool!

Coincidentally I was just listening to R. Murray Schafer's "Snowforms" (piece for SA choir) and wondering if someone should skate to its lovely ethereal beauty for a show piece.

For something terrifying and grand, there are parts of his musical theatre piece Apocalypsis, such as John's Vision. I actually went to the performance three years ago and it was fantastic. 1,000 dancers, singers, actors, and instrumentalists came together awesomely. You get a taste of the the energy here: https://youtu.be/oBp6A9gbe8Q
 

samm22

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 22, 2015
I really don’t have any problem with swan lake if people actually use swan lake and follow the story. If you’re the white swan, be the white swan. Be innocent, be in love, be in torment over Rothbart’s manipulations and sigfrieds betrayal, but PLEASE do not be firey and sultry and skate to the black swan music. I honestly think swan lake works much better as a pair program because there’s so much emotion in the story and in the music.

I hate when people skate to nutcracker. That music is only acceptable during the months of the year in a very specific setting and does not need to be used outside of it. Save ballet dancers everywhere. Don’t skate to Nutcracker.

As for other ballets, Bayadere as a whole is lovely. There are so many options as well. You could be gamzatti or solor in the grand pas d’action in act 2 with all of the bombastic, proud music or you could be Nikya and do her death scene or something from shades which is more lyrical, mournful, and eerily elegant. Other than that, sleeping beauty actually has some good music, and Raymonda, Paquita and onegin all have good parts. So much of Balanchines choreography is set to much older classical pieces so you could use the music to some of his ballets without getting copywrited as long as you don’t take his choreography.
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
Just thought of a really fun "out there" choice-- a couple weeks ago I saw a Jerome Robbins ballet (Glass Pieces) with a portion set to music from Philip Glass's opera Akhnaten. Having trouble locating the music right now, but think really powerful drum beats and brass.

That would be a stunner if done right...

The Australian classical music station is doing their annual top 100 countdown (popular vote) this long weekend, so I'm thinking there'll be some pieces that would be good for skaters... surprisingly, one one ballet so far (L'Apres-midi d'un Faune) but we'll see what turns up.
 

Giselle

Medalist
Joined
Oct 15, 2014
I second "Le Jeune Homme et la Mort". It's amazing to me how it's not a warhorse.
This ballet has everything; the perfection that is J.S. Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, an adult concept, an avant-garde choreogreaphy by Roland Petit, iconic costumes and ice dance's favourite theme (i.e. love and death). I had even suggested it when Tesse asked her fans on Instagram what they should choose for their Olympic skate, but of course they chose Moulin Rouge.

My only hope/dream is that P&C skate to it one day (quite possibly in Beijing).

I think it was me that suggested "Le Jeune Homme et la Mort". It is a dramatic piece very well suited for Ice dance.
I thought of P/C when suggesting it but I think other teams could do very well with it, like Hurtado/Khaliavin, Popova/Mozgov, Ilinykh/Katsalapov (if they were still together obviously), maybe Hubbell/Donohue.


I really don’t have any problem with swan lake if people actually use swan lake and follow the story. If you’re the white swan, be the white swan. Be innocent, be in love, be in torment over Rothbart’s manipulations and sigfrieds betrayal, but PLEASE do not be firey and sultry and skate to the black swan music. I honestly think swan lake works much better as a pair program because there’s so much emotion in the story and in the music.

This. Also, Odile doesn't HAVE to be a crazy and mad woman. She spends quite a bit of time disguised as Odette, seducing Siegfried.


I was also thinking today that Act II of Giselle has been virtually unused. Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis would be a terrific character to portray instead of innocent Giselle. She is mysterious, commanding, vengeful and powerful!
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
Oooh, that sounds nice. Do you have a link to the music?

My favorie youtube upload tends to be hard to get outside Australia, but I hope this one - the playlist for the suite from the ballet - will work for you
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW2jD-ZQ9AmiwX8f7hDoaMzR-zna44coQ

It's a magical piece, the most famous bit being Eliza's Aria, but there are quite a few other themes that I think would make glorious, mysterious, magical programs for the right skater (and yes, me being me and Yuzuru being partial to swans, I thought of him but there are quite a few ladies who could 'be' Eliza beautifully)
 

elbkup

Power without conscience is a savage weapon
Medalist
Joined
Mar 3, 2015
Country
United-States
I recently had the good fortune to see the documentary 'Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse' which traced her career and relationship with Balanchine. It contained a film clip of her Don Quixote solo which took my breath away.. it was total abandon, magical. She has the most beautiful arm, hand movements. I was reminded of young Alena Kostornaia's performance of her long program last season... I am not sure if this Don Quixote piece is suitable for skating. Have posted the clip below .. worth watching, I think, if one can get past the dated film but it is the only film that exists of that performance.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcV8A0Axkd4&index=7&list=PLzTcE9dkDHw8sKzkdKivwtyAVIUNQM2ZI
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I'm sorry if I'm off topic because La Bayadère is a very famous ballet, but there are two music I wish people skated to :

Gamzatti's temple variation from the Act III of La Bayadère in the Makarova version! I'm at work so I can't link a youtube video but the music is short and very emotional and the original variation has awesome choreography.

I also posted one in Nathan's FF that I'd like to see him tackle the golden idol music, but anyone would do. it's probably better for an EX program though.

The music from the first act of the Spartacus ballet is great.

And the blue bird variation from Sleeping Beauty!

Balachine's jewels ballet also has nice music but it's more abstract, fit for a P/C style.

Karen Magnussen skated to Spartacus. Fabulous program and skating.
 

Ded Moroz

LADIES QUAD CLUB
On the Ice
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Country
United-Nations
⛸️ LES PATINEURS (1937; music 1849 & 1854)- Giacomo Meyerbeer. 🍺


[wiki synopsis:]

The ballet, in one act, depicts a Victorian skating party that takes place on a frozen pond on a winter's evening. A semicircle of arched trellises separates the pond from the snowy woods behind. Suspended above are colorful Chinese lanterns that shed light on the white 'ice', and dimly illuminate the dark trees silhouetted against the starry night sky.

The first skaters to enter are four couples dressed in matching brown jackets. They are soon joined by others: two girls wearing blue jackets and bonnets, two girls wearing red jackets and bonnets, a girl and boy dressed all in white, and a lone boy wearing blue.

This happy group of young people dance together in various combinations, gliding and leaping and spinning across the ice until snow begins to fall.
Finally, the single boy is left alone, whirling like a top in the middle of the pond.


part 1 (8:26)
https://youtu.be/-OJz0V6h-X0

part 2 (14:23)
https://youtu.be/1RmU7DCeK2w
 
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