Who is more artistic, Aliona Kostornaia or Anna Shcherbakova?

taylor1 · Dec 11, 2019

This is an unpopular opinion, but it really shouldn't be. In every performance, Anna proves to me to be the most artistic skater out of the 3A. Many people see Alena's amazing smooth skating and skating skills, and they somehow associate this will being artistic and having musicality. For me, I judge this component on how the skater can connect with the audience. Watching Anna can make me feel a large variety of emotions, but with Alena, her programs are a bit boring to me. I don't feel anything watching her. Also to judge a skater's artistry you really need to watch their programs with no sound. Sometimes the music can dictate your impressions. And after watching both Anna and Alena's programs on silent, it was confirmed that Anna is miles ahead of Alena in artistry.

Edwin · Dec 11, 2019

taylor1 said:
This is an unpopular opinion, but it really shouldn't be. In every performance, Anna proves to me to be the most artistic skater out of the 3A. Many people see Alena's amazing smooth skating and skating skills, and they somehow associate this will being artistic and having musicality. For me, I judge this component on how the skater can connect with the audience. Watching Anna can make me feel a large variety of emotions, but with Alena, her programs are a bit boring to me. I don't feel anything watching her. Also to judge a skater's artistry you really need to watch their programs with no sound. Sometimes the music can dictate your impressions. And after watching both Anna and Alena's programs on silent, it was confirmed that Anna is miles ahead of Alena in artistry.

Why so? You are entitled to your opinion on artistry as much like any of us. Appreciation of artistry is so personal, if we all would like the same pieces of art, the world would be bland and boring.

Watching any performance without audio is always interesting and a completely different experience. Anna's 'theatrical' performance is exquisite, she emotes with her posture, her gestures, her face. She has a knack for performance, ever since Dream Catcher, Daniil Markovich staged programs that fitted Anna like a glove.

Anna may be more musical in your opinion with the current programs, but next years' could be different and your opinion might be too

But no doubt Anna is enjoying her Perfumer and Firebird routines, as much as Alyona is enjoying her Angel and Vampire.

Anna and Aleksandra's programs still ooze youthful exuberance, Alyona is already moving towards more serious matter. But each and any of their programs is popular with the audiences, the view numbers testify of this.

Tutberidze's Terrific Trio not only rejuvenated and even revolutionised female figure skating, they also brought millions of new fans to the sport, and not only in Russia.

I have no doubt many a young girl in figure skating wants a 'transformer' dress just like Anna's ;-)

Manitou · Dec 11, 2019

I noticed that too. I would NOT say Anna is more artistic, Alena is very charismatic, she has grace, speed, ease and angelic beauty. But so does Anna. To me Anna is kind of under the radar.

Farnaz · Dec 11, 2019

For me, Alena is the "Angel from Heaven" and Anna is the "Fairy from Earth" :biggrin:

No comparison, they are different portrays of artistry :luv17:

theharleyquinn · Dec 11, 2019

To me: Anna is better at interpretation. Alena is a better performer.

I think Anna's Perfume SP is incredibly difficult interpretation-wise (imo the most mature and artistically complex program that any of Eteri's team is doing), yet she communicates the dark themes of the music very, very well. This is a natural talent of hers, but the SP highlights it. By contrast, in the FS I find that the dress change is doing the "performing" rather than Anna herself. I think she could probably "reveal" the Firebird on her own without it.

Alena's Twilight FS is not very easy to perform cohesively given how the different parts are woven together, yet she makes it very natural. Her skating and expression varies in each third and she elevates the material. She also has a natural charisma and stylistic signature to her skating. I honestly don't think she's yet been given material to fully highlight/challenge her skills in interpretation.

Mathman · Dec 11, 2019

It seems strange to suggest that we can better evaluate a skater in the category "Interpretation of Music" by watching her performance without the music. Did she hit that crescendo right on the beat? What crescendo?

As for "connecting with the audience," this is evaluated under the component "Performance/execution," not "Musical Interpretation." And Choreography/Composition is yet again a different consideration. It would be interesting to see how it would all turn out if the judges took greater care in distinguishing the components.

For instance, I think (personal preference) that the best Russian skater in terms of Performance is Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (also Sofia Samodurova). To me, Elizaveta should get high scores in this component, but not so high in Musical Interpretation or in Choreography.

In the United States television coverage of the Grand Prix Final I was interested when commentator Johnny Weir said, comparing the three A's in terms of music selection and cuts, that Kostornia was the weakest (behind both Shcherbakova and Trusoiva). But (aa is suggested by the OP 0f this thread), Alena's superior skating skills and overall grace of movement gives her the edge in general artistic impression.

Anyway, they are both great. :love:

Edit: I see Harley Quinn beat me to the punch:

theharleyquinn said:
Anna is better at interpretation. Alena is a better performer.

drivingmissdaisy · Dec 11, 2019

Alena's program music, especially her LP's, does not highlight her artistic strengths at all. She brings excitement in spite of the music choices with the 3A and her magnificent skating. Anna is also very good but, to me, her body control reflects her age whereas Alena moves with more maturity and command. I think the few points of PCS difference they have is fair.

SNAKSuyun · Dec 11, 2019

I've always found Alena to be more of a "virtuoso" performing for the public while Anna's performances were more intimate and emotional. I prefer the latter personally, but it's probably a YMMV thing RE: if that means one is "objectively" more "artistic" or "musical" than the other.

KatGrace1925 · Dec 11, 2019

I personally think Alena has not only better skating skills but incredible interpretation of the music and expression when she skates, there is a sophistication and maturity. Anna in my opinion still lacks maturity and her performances seem juniorish to me, I think she has a lot of potential but all I get from her programs is happy kid skating.

theharleyquinn · Dec 11, 2019

Mathman said:
It seems strange to suggest that we can better evaluate a skater in the category "Interpretation of Music" by watching her performance without the music. Did she hit that crescendo right on the beat? What crescendo?

As for "connecting with the audience," this is evaluated under the component "Performance/execution," not "Musical Interpretation." And Choreography/Composition is yet again a different consideration. It would be interesting to see how it would all turn out if the judges took greater care in distinguishing the components.

For instance, I think (personal preference) that the best Russian skater in terms of Performance is Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (also Sofia Samodurova). To me, Elizaveta should get high scores in this component, but not so high in Musical Interpretation or in Choreography.

In the United States television coverage of the Grand Prix Final I was interested when commentator Johnny Weir said, comparing the three A's in terms of music selection and cuts, that Kostornia was the weakest (behind both Shcherbakova and Trusoiva). But (aa is suggested by the OP 0f this thread), Alena's superior skating skills and overall grace of movement gives her the edge in general artistic impression.

Anyway, they are both great.

Edit: I see Harley Quinn beat me to the punch:

A first!

Interpretation is where I find skaters that can only keep the same feeling throughout a program struggle. It seems to me that interpretation should be asking: What is the music asking for at this moment? It's not just checking off a box of: "did I do something when the music changed here?" It's moreso: "does what I'm doing when the music changed match what the music is doing?" I think there are a lot of different ways to accomplish matching the music (meaning, not just jumping on beat), but so often many skaters do nothing and skate right through dynamic parts of music.

But then again, if you don't pick good music you don't have a chance to do much of any of this.

zounger · Dec 11, 2019

Watching live and this is for the specific competition elsewhere might be different, the impression I got is that Anna is better in PE,IN live than in videos while Alena the opposite she looks better in videos than live.

As for the marks in PE,IN I will give higher marks to Anna in both SP, FS than Alena. For the FS in GPF I would have given Alena a bit more because she skated without errors. Anna's FS lost a bit of it's "choreo", where some PE,IN was involved, with the introduction of an extra quad. It was evident, plus the fall.

icybear · Dec 11, 2019

Alena is my favourite of the 3a but sometimes I feel like her performance is very methodical. If you just watch her face throughout the sp, its not very connected to the music. I definitely think Anna is more gifted in portraying the emotion of the music. Anyway I'm sure Alena will grow artistic, she's only 16 and she's already the most rounded skater in the entire field.

Happy Skates · Dec 11, 2019

I definitely think that Anna is underrated in musicality/artistry, and I would give her the edge over Alena in PE/IN, but I also think that Alena is extremely musical. Anna gives more face and imo hits the musical accents better, but Alena also hits them well and they both portray the nuances of the music. All in all I'd say Alena, in addition to having skating skills, has some of the best carriage of the arms, although this season in her free program she has shown an ability to really perform. Anna on the other hand, has some of the most innate musicality that I've ever seen, and I think is severely underrated in this regard. I just can't believe it when I see someone call her a "jumping bean" or something, because in my opinion, she is one of the most musical ladies (if not the most) in the field. And it comes off not only in her programs now, but in her programs from when she was a child and in the floor dance videos that Team Tutberidze posts. But I disagree about the Alena part, I think she is very artistic and musical in her own right, even if the overall impression of her artistry is enhanced by her skating skills and posture.

Baron Vladimir · Dec 11, 2019

taylor1 said:
This is an unpopular opinion, but it really shouldn't be. In every performance, Anna proves to me to be the most artistic skater out of the 3A. Many people see Alena's amazing smooth skating and skating skills, and they somehow associate this will being artistic and having musicality. For me, I judge this component on how the skater can connect with the audience. Watching Anna can make me feel a large variety of emotions, but with Alena, her programs are a bit boring to me. I don't feel anything watching her. Also to judge a skater's artistry you really need to watch their programs with no sound. Sometimes the music can dictate your impressions. And after watching both Anna and Alena's programs on silent, it was confirmed that Anna is miles ahead of Alena in artistry.

I think Alyona has better command of the ice rink, due to the better speed and ice coverage which make her ability to project toward the audience and the judges an easier task. Anna seems to me as the one who is more in line with the music, especially by watching it on the TV screen with close up camera shoots. But then again, impression of watching it live and on TV is different because speed and ice coverage and projecting outside can make better effect than expressing subtle nuancies of the music with body movements and inward facial expression. Saying that, i thought Alina was better than both of them in 'performance/expressing' factor in her GPF SP. (E:The 'more artistic' debate is always dependable tho on which 'artistic part' of a skating you are 'able to see' better (and what you can't process that easily) and which 'artistic ability' or orientation is closer to your own preferences. That's why even some of purely sounded artistic and subjective components as IN of the music are still based on some objective/more seeable criterias, which can be different form what we're thinking Interpretation of the music is or should be).

SNAKSuyun · Dec 11, 2019

Since people are commenting on live vs. video, I watched both live last year at the JGPF in Vancouver, and I knew next to nothing about the 3A before that competition (outside that they were up-and-coming and all very talented). Alena's fluidity and maturity definitely set her apart from the field - she reminded me of Yuna - but Anna was the one who made an impression on me and made me truly want to watch her program again & again. Both are great to watch live; Alena to me projected grandness, control and virtuosity while Anna projected a far more unique fragile, haunting beauty.

Thrashergurl · Dec 11, 2019

Alena is something special. Anna is improving, but Alena has it all

Baron Vladimir · Dec 11, 2019

SNAKSuyun said:
Since people are commenting on live vs. video, I watched both live last year at the JGPF in Vancouver, and I knew next to nothing about the 3A before that competition (outside that they were up-and-coming and all very talented). Alena's fluidity and maturity definitely set her apart from the field - she reminded me of Yuna - but Anna was the one who made an impression on me and made me truly want to watch her program again & again. Both are great to watch live; Alena to me projected grandness, control and virtuosity while Anna projected a far more unique fragile, haunting beauty.

Yeah, i think your opinion is (as many others) very plausible one. Problem with IN mark is in fact that IN of the music in figure skating is based on some defined criterias judges should follow. Together with the facts that judges are not musical experts and they are not judging musical/dancing competition after all, and that different people have different preferencies, we as a audience will always have disagreements about it, especially if we are thinking about that one component outside the context of the whole skating programmme. I think the biggest problem about IN is in a deffinition of it and its need to be deffined, and i would give the judges a little more 'freedom' in judging that component comparing to all the others.

MGstyle · Dec 11, 2019

They both have special talents, in different ways and both are beautiful to watch - though I agree Aljona's movements are more polished, smooth and have more finesse at this moment, which quite possibly Anna will improve upon the raw talent she already possesses. One thing I must say, Gleikhengaus' robotic, awkward choreography do not showcase their natural talent to the max IMO. In this season, Anna's FP is better than Aljona's, so that might be a factor that Anna is looking better at this moment.

Lechat · Dec 11, 2019

Alena is the tiniest but the most feminine. Sasha and Anna are children like. Anna improved since the Lombardia trophy but Alena has everything.

RoseNightingale · Dec 11, 2019

I agree Anna is more artistic than Aliona. And I think she is the perfect skater of technical brilliance with artistic brilliance. She can do quads while acting out her program at the same time. You never really go "Wow, quad!" while forgetting her performance as she's so in it. Also I love seeing her joy while skating (during the parts she can show happiness) as you just get this feeling she just loves what she's doing. She's really a joy to watch.

Anna has really skated into my heart and has become my fave skater. :luv17:

Who is more artistic, Aliona Kostornaia or Anna Shcherbakova?

taylor1

Edwin

СделаноВХрустальном!

Manitou

Farnaz

theharleyquinn

Mathman

drivingmissdaisy

SNAKSuyun

did it spark joy?

KatGrace1925

theharleyquinn

zounger

icybear

Happy Skates

Baron Vladimir

SNAKSuyun

did it spark joy?

Thrashergurl

Baron Vladimir

MGstyle

Crawling around on the ice after chestnuts

Lechat

RoseNightingale

Similar threads

Connect with us