Music you want to hear more of | Golden Skate

Music you want to hear more of

gkelly

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What are some pieces of music that you have seen one or a few skaters use successfully in competition, so you know it can work in a competitive program, but few enough so far that you would like to see more?

Maybe include links to the program(s) that make you think it's good skating music and should be used more.

(Are there any selections that a skater with outstanding interpretive abilities can make work, but that you wouldn't recommend for the average athlete?)
 

rabidline

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Since I have both of them in my mind, a couple of Beethoven Violin Sonatas that I think only has one notable skater each that have done it internationally (correct me if I'm wrong):

Violin Sonata No. 5 / Spring:



Violin Sonata No. 9 / Kreutzer:

 

surimi

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For music with vocals, I really like it when skaters pick music in their country's language, or a language that's different from the mainstream. There have been a few skaters from Japan and China who skated to music with Japanese and Chinese lyrics, and I really enjoyed it. I wish more languages were used than just English, Spanish, French, Italian, and an ocassional song in Russian.
 

Rina RUS

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I really liked when Mikhail Kolyada took a song by Muslim Magomaev. Magomaev is a singer with fantastical voice, he sang not only in Russian. I also saw that many years ago one of the episodes of the “Ice Age” was dedicated to Magomaev’s songs, but I haven’t watched that episode. Maybe I’ll watch it.
Mikhail Kolyada - Rostelecom 2021 - Exhibition

I also think this music from “The Same Munchausen” movie is extremely beautiful

this song from “An Ordinary Wonder” movie is extremely beautiful too

Among contemporary singers Pelageya has a beautiful voice. I’d be happy to see skating not to some sad songs, but to this one (it seems to me it is not too fast, but not boring):
 
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icewhite

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There are many... but the ones I immediately think of:

Yann Tiersen, Kerber (Mozalev)
I'm a fan of Tiersen, and I think the choreo is from Averbukh. This is a brilliant program in my opinion, but I think it's very good and classic skating music in general.

Breakfast in Bagdad (Rika Kihira)
Not sure whether this is already the best you can do with this music, although Kihira is such a wonderful skater. It's definitely not easy to skate to, but I find it inspiring and think it easily leads to a more original choreo, which I always like. Anyway, a program I enjoyed a lot and music I wouldn't mind hearing one or two times more in skating.

Horns (Kevin Aymoz)
I desperately want to move whenever I see Kevin skate this. He has likely done a lot of what is even possible with this music, but at the same time I think this energetic, sightly cheeky song generally offers possibilities to perform and I wouldn't mind seeing more tries.

By the way there was a skater not long ago skating to Ciara's version of Paint it, black, and I remember that I loved it - not sure how I rated the performance or how suitable it really was, maybe I just liked that version... can't find it now unfortunately. Does anyone know who and what I'm talking of?
 

Rina RUS

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Ichatdelune

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I would love to see a program to Korean music that is not K-pop. We have other music genres to skate to. We have nice ballads, rock music, folk music, hip-hop, jazz... the list goes on. Some Korean skaters have skated to said non-Kpop music but they are far and few between. Some examples on the top of my head:

Lena Park, In Dreams

This song has all the dramatic ebb and flow a figure skating program needs. And I'd love Lena Park music in figure skating.

N.EX.T, Lazenca Save Us

Some nice strong Korean rock from a soundtrack of a Korean anime series. I think the original would suit better to figure skating but the cover by Ha Hyunwoo is the most popular version, so that could be used as well.

Song Changsik's Whale Hunting, covered by Jaurim

Folk music with a rock band flair. I love Jaurim and any of their music is welcome to me.

Tablo feat. Taeyang, Tomorrow

Tablo is a wonderful lyricist, but aside from that the song is just good. I'd hear this over a thousand Tommee Profitt covers of golden age pop.

Lee Sora, Proposal

A sweet ballad with some Bossa Nova flair. Maybe to be used mixed with her other songs.


I might add to this list later

Edit: I should've read the original post more carefully :palmf: For songs that have been used in figure skating that I'd like to see more of:

Ich gehör nur mir from the musical Elisabeth - I saw a junior skater skate to an awful rendition but can't remember her name

Elisabeth is a good musical and should be used more than ALW's warhorses.

Erlkönig by Schubert - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EurFiLCWwoU
My tesoro skated to a soft version and I loved it. More Schubert in figure skating please!

Tank! from the soundtrack of Cowboy Bebop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6E44K7M5fg

I desperately wanted Tomoki Hiwatashi to actually use this program in competition but it didn't happen. This is such good music, come on choreographers use it I beg you

The Captivating Star of Happiness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tq8HWV8VLw

I am in the minority that actually liked this music, but I still like it and would like to see it used more.

Coppélia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9UtetxiZpg

Seriously folks! The Shibs had an amazing program! Watch and learn and use the music!
 
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elbkup

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Ic3Rabbit

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T

By the way there was a skater not long ago skating to Ciara's version of Paint it, black, and I remember that I loved it - not sure how I rated the performance or how suitable it really was, maybe I just liked that version... can't find it now unfortunately. Does anyone know who and what I'm talking of?
Multiple skaters have used this piece, I can't remember the most recent womens skater using it right now tbh. But yes, it's a great song.
 

Mathematician

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I always like nuevo tango performances but I guess thats extremely ubiquitous.

Though recently Adeliia danced to some Russian Gypsy music and I loved it. By the way, Gypsy folk songs often inspired lots of classical composers - I know Liszt was known for improvising on Gypsy melody a lot. So, I'm not alone in recognizing the value of their music. Anyways, those Gypsy dances are quite musical and classic while also allowing for fun and lighthearted performances without sacrificing powerful emotion. I also think it fits both genders really well, even though I don't watch male skating myself.



Some music here, for example, I think would be a well fit for mature but really fun and addicting programs:

 

Mathematician

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It is said that listening to Mozart is beneficial to one's health. So it is also reasonable to vote for Mozart.
Not a bad suggestion. We (at least I) don't actually see much Mozart despite plenty of Bach and Beethoven. Problem is, most skaters probably don't have the right artistic disposition for Mozart; he is a composer you need to specialize in quite strongly to be effective with, at least from what I understand.

However, I don't know how much I buy that theory of his music benefitting cognitive function.
 

elbkup

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It is said that listening to Mozart is beneficial to one's health. So it is also reasonable to vote for Mozart.
Same is true of Tchaikovsky probably..
His “Dreams of a Winter Journey” is a classic long piece, little used and could be used multiple ways..

Alena Kanysheva skated to it as a Junior.. wish we could have seen her more but this is wonderful!


 

Diana Delafield

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I haven’t seen an exhibition to this song :)
“Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines”
For some reason I'm seeing in my mind's eye Torvill and Dean skating an exhibition to this. Did they really? Or am I just seeing it as something they would have done? :scratch2::biggrin:

Just remembered, it was Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert, a comedic exhibition.

And for pairs, I'd like to see one do justice to Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (actually I'd like to see quite a bit of their work used). It was used at an adult competition that happened to be in December, otherwise it would have to be an exhibition in a Christmas show. The skaters who used it (oh, OK, it was my partner and me) were past their peak, which wasn't world-class to begin with, and I'd love to see a more powerful pair do a better job with it than we did. We managed the drama expression-wise, but it needed bigger throws and twists than we could produce by then.

EDIT: Just tested this link and it seems it isn't available any more. Sorry about that.

And just about anything by Two Steps From Hell. I discovered them used as a soundtrack for a clip from one of my favourite films, The Light Horsemen, and wanted to grab my skates and my partner, drop about twenty years, and get on the ice.


 

el henry

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.....

And just about anything by Two Steps From Hell. I discovered them used as a soundtrack for a clip from one of my favourite films, The Light Horsemen, and wanted to grab my skates and my partner, drop about twenty years, and get on the ice.



Adam Siao Him Fa with a medley from Two Steps from Hell: (If I am not mistaken, Meagan and Eric skated a program with their music, but I could be wrong.)

 

Diana Delafield

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For some reason I'm seeing in my mind's eye Torvill and Dean skating an exhibition to this. Did they really? Or am I just seeing it as something they would have done? :scratch2::biggrin:

Just remembered, it was Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert, a comedic exhibition.

And for pairs, I'd like to see one do justice to Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (actually I'd like to see quite a bit of their work used). It was used at an adult competition that happened to be in December, otherwise it would have to be an exhibition in a Christmas show. The skaters who used it (oh, OK, it was my partner and me) were past their peak, which wasn't world-class to begin with, and I'd love to see a more powerful pair do a better job with it than we did. We managed the drama expression-wise, but it needed bigger throws and twists than we could produce by then.

EDIT: Just tested this link and it seems it isn't available any more. Sorry about that.

And just about anything by Two Steps From Hell. I discovered them used as a soundtrack for a clip from one of my favourite films, The Light Horsemen, and wanted to grab my skates and my partner, drop about twenty years, and get on the ice.


A better clip: https://youtu.be/_udGcKMhbtc The first one I used just looks like a lot of beautiful horses were abused in the filming, which they weren't, and shows the same parts repeatedly. (OT, but the clip always saddens me because this was the last scene filmed, in the Australian desert, and after the day's shooting the main actor of the ensemble cast, the one who walks around Beersheba after the charge, was driving home and was hit head-on by a truck and left in a coma for many years before he briefly woke up and then died. He was being boosted as the next Mel Gibson, and then never saw this movie himself.)
 

Diana Delafield

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You mean Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert skated to “Those Magnificent Men…”? I think it would be fun to see that program! :)
I couldn't find a video of it, but I remember seeing it. They really hammed it up with the facial expressions, and he kept getting her into upside-down dance lifts and other awkward positions and then didn't know how to get her out of them, while she got more and more exasperated. :biggrin:
 
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