Favorite performances to Tchaikovsky's music

[Vash01]

This is definitely (still) the off season. I am all nostalgic about my favorite performances from the past. This time it's Tchaikovsky, who is one of the most popular composers in figure skating.

Here are some of my favorite performances to his music (I will post the links later):

Romeo & Juliet: G&G (Euro 90 LP), K&P (pro), Kulik (97 worlds LP, in spite of his mistakes), Yamaguchi-Galindo (89 US nationals LP, although second half was from the movie)

K&P's Romeo & Juliet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roIjw...eature=related

The Nutcracker: G&G (pro-Landover 2 years in a row), Bechke & Petrov (92 Oly LP), Kulik (pro- not the usual music though)

Swan Lake: B&S 98 Euro SP, Sasha Cohen (Marshalls 2003?), Rudy Galindo (96 US Nationals LP), Maria Butyrskaya (worlds 2000 LP)
B&S 1998 Euro SP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJCGGBmCmf0

Sleeping Beauty: Angela Nikodinov (2001 US Nationals LP)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGsMDXLyXxs

Valse Sentimentale: B&S LP (2000 SC, 2000 Euro)

Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony: Klimova-Ponomarenko (pro 92, 93)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOHJDV1dcIk

[TID]

I think S/Z's nutcracker is a classic as well.

[znhurston]

I agree. S/Z's Nutcracker was superb!

[znhurston]

Does Daisuke's Cyber-Swan short program count? If so, I'd add it to the list.

[briancoogaert]

Definitely B&S 2000 LP Valse Sentimentale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjTIf21db4o

When I saw it for the first time, it was fabulous !

[falling_dance]

Peggy Fleming, 1968 US Nats FS (There was some Tchai 6 in that program.)
Kay Thomson, 1984 Canadians FS (Swan Lake)
Rosalynn Sumners, 1986 Worlds Pros TP (Swan Lake) and 1994 North American Open TP (Sleeping Beauty)
Alexei Urmanov, 1995 Euros FS (Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, because there just isn't enough music in the former ballet for a four-and-a-half-minute program)
Rudy Galindo, 1996 US Nats FS (Swan Lake)
Sasha Cohen, 2003 Campbells FS (Swan Lake) and 2004 Campbells FS (Nutcracker)
Shizuka Arakawa's 2004 Worlds Techno Swan SP
Joannie Rochette, 2008 4CC SP (Piano Concerto No. 1)

[briancoogaert]

Can we add Yuzuru Hanyu's SP ? White legend...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KPon1zhlLI

[matti]

Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko 1991 Free Dance to Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 aka Pathétique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwcnuC20m6U

[Vash01]

Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko 1991 Free Dance to Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 aka Pathétique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwcnuC20m6U

I love this music, and also his concerto no. 1. I wish more skaters would use it, instead of the usual ones (R&J, Swan Lake, Nutcracker).

[Vash01]

Definitely B&S 2000 LP Valse Sentimentale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjTIf21db4o

When I saw it for the first time, it was fabulous !

This is always bitter sweet for me. I loved this program. It was elegant, pure, and it flowed like a single thread from beginning to end. When I first saw it, I thought- they look even better than last year! At SA in Colorado, they struggled with fatigue and adjustment to another country. S&P won the competition with a clean skate. I had no problem with that result, but apparently that was enough for the politics to get started.

B&S skated that program well enough at SC and at the Euros to win (one minor mistake each time). After the Euros, they seemed to be on track to win their third world title in a row. Unfortunately Elena's cold medicine disqualified them, and it was a struggle for them to get back to the top. They never really got back on top, the way the would have, if they had been allowed to compete at the 2000 worlds. From what I read, they were skating really well in practices. Their skate to this music at the 2001 GPF was good enough for a win but by that time the politics were in full force, as witnessed at the 2001 worlds.

Without the DQ at 2000 worlds, B&S could have gone into the 2002 Olympics as 4x world champions and would have received the benefit of doubt.

[Taso]

I loved Klimova & Ponomarenko's Symphony No. 5, where she played the mirage of his dead wife

[Vash01]

I loved Klimova & Ponomarenko's Symphony No. 5, where she played the mirage of his dead wife

In my book this is the best ice dance ever, among pros. It was dramatic, creative, technically perfect, and deeply emotional. I never get tired of watching this.

[lily]

Lambiel's Violin Concerto D-major

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-tuceoPsQc

[lulu]

I loved Klimova & Ponomarenko's Symphony No. 5, where she played the mirage of his dead wife

An amazing program.

[skatesindreams]

I loved Klimova & Ponomarenko's Symphony No. 5, where she played the mirage of his dead wife

This was its' first public performance:

Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko 1992 Challenge of Champions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOHJDV1dcIk