The Influence Of Opera On Figure Skating

[l'etoile]

Of course, Witt, Boitano and Orser did an hour-long (HBO special USA) or hour and a half (theatrical release in Germany) skating special to Carmen. Don't know that this is all of it, but it's all on Youtube and here are a few links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFep6bm8JdA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf8BDja7ryk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGv97batpz4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RoMxFsGACM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRWLWCgvmA0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX1lhU_X0TY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxxMfqJf61A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1F_rOTUIK4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMDPWeQBKBo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9osfabDWgjo

Boitano also did a program to Cavalleria Rusticana

I have this on DVD It is really interesting and the drama Katarina brings is none like I've seen ever!

[Aussie Willy]

Actually, figure skaters have rarely constructed programs around an opera, they mostly just skate to music from operas, usually only the overtures due to the need to avoid vocals.

Exactly. It is about finding a piece of music to skate to. And it seems as if the same pieces keep getting used again and again, going by the number of skaters using various pieces. And not even what gets used internationally but all the other skaters throughout the world.

[kwanfan1818]

Talking of Pagliacci:
Janet Lynn - 1972 olympic LP (first 2 mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS581_gagjM

An amazing program that ends with the Leonora Overture No. 3, which is often played as part of "Fidelio" productions, usually between the Leonora/Florestan prison scene and the final scene of the opera, although in Seattle Opera's recent production, Asher Fisch used it as the overture to the opera.

Nexxice's FS in 2010 was set to excerpts from the "Carlos Saura's 'Carmen'" soundtrack, which used the Regina Resnik recording for the classical sections and is mostly vocals. I don't recognize the guitar music played during the first lift from the movie, but that could just be a memory thing. This performance isn't very sharp, but I can't find their Nationals or Worlds performance on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No4uy3ckgFM

[paskatefan]

Carmen on Ice with The Brians & Katarina is fabulous!

On a lighter note, I've always loved Dan Hollander's "Barber of Seville" program from the 1990's.

[Vash01]

Has anyone skated to 'Orpheus & Euridice'? I listened to its music on my car radio while driving this morning.

[kwanfan1818]

I'm not sure if anyone's skatked to the Gluck, but the most danceable parts are those chsen by Balanchine for "Chaconne": "Dance of the Blessed Spirits" and a peppier orchestal interlude, for contrast.

[kwanfan1818]

I really like Purdy/Marinaro's SP program this year to "O, mio babbino caro":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YE4G0Ix1QY

[Vash01]

Glinka's 'Ruslan & Ludmilla' - I think Grushina & Goncharov skated a FD to this, but I don't remember the year. I also think that Yagudin skated to it, early in his career (again, I don't remember the year).

[l'etoile]

Glinka's 'Ruslan & Ludmilla' - I think Grushina & Goncharov skated a FD to this, but I don't remember the year. I also think that Yagudin skated to it, early in his career (again, I don't remember the year).

Google Almighty. Yagudin skated to it in 1996-97 season as SP. He's like a princess! Ruslan and Liudmilla is my favorite fairy tale story

[dinakt]

I like David Wilson's approach to choreographing opera- last year's "Rigoletto" for Javier, and this year's "Boheme" for Patrick. While there does not seem to be a direct interpretation, the musical pieces are arranged to convey the meaning of opperas, and body movement really corresponds to the emotion of each particular part. For example, Chan's step sequence to Rodolfo's grief at the end of the opera is a beauty.

[dinakt]

I dug out this threat simply to post this- Katherine Healy, 1989, skating to "Casta Diva". Stunning.
http://youtu.be/1jlRaSahmNM

[MR-FAN]

I dug out this threat simply to post this- Katherine Healy, 1989, skating to "Casta Diva". Stunning.
http://youtu.be/1jlRaSahmNM

UHHHHH!!!!



One day. One day a female skater with triple jumps will skate like Katherine Healy: The extension, the elegance, the effortlessness, the musicality, the softness, the joy, the flexibility, the line and the posture. She will be the undisputed greatest skater in the history of the sport.

[lala]

I dug out this threat simply to post this- Katherine Healy, 1989, skating to "Casta Diva". Stunning.
http://youtu.be/1jlRaSahmNM

OMG! Thank you! Beautiful skater!!! I don't know who is she..Really! I don't remeber..

[gkelly]

One day a female skater with triple jumps will skate like Katherine Healy: The extension, the elegance, the effortlessness, the musicality, the softness, the joy, the flexibility, the line and the posture. She will be the undisputed greatest skater in the history of the sport.

Oh, I think there will always be disputes -- that's what skating fans do after all.

[lala]

Oh, I think there will always be disputes -- that's what skating fans do after all.

yes.

[Katarzyna]

Thanks to everyone for posting great links here!

Here are a few more skates to Carmen – probably the opera most often used in skating:

Kaetlyn Osmond: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftIP1pqlm64 (SC 2012, LP)
Irina Slutskaya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFXR16F-A68 (GPF 2000, LP)
Alexei Urmanov: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izDDP_NpaLk (WC 1993, LP)
Alexei Yagudin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlM84T4lZ8k (WC 1997, LP)

Looks like every male student of Mishin had to skate to Carmen once in his life.

[Vash01]

Gordeeva Grinkov: Die Fledermaus (1989 worlds LP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSSfZlJNkGE


Viktor Petrenko: Carmen (1992 Oly SP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KGCNGsKxmE

Viktor Petrenko: Tosca (Pro 1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-2YJ0wlQwQ

Kristi Yamaguchi: Madama Butterfly (Pro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q637NhSOHpk


Stephane Lambiel: La Traviata (2010 Euros LP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkkLAGKnv3o

[Katarzyna]

Viktor Petrenko: Tosca (Pro 1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-2YJ0wlQwQ[/url]

Thank you in particular for this one!

I think this Tosca-performance has not been linked so far:
Irina Slutskaya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuO2eZ8kLgg (WC 2002, LP)

[Katarzyna]

More Fledermaus:
Akiko Suzuki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO83mG2awLI (WC 2012, LP)


And inspired by another thread more operetta – Kalman’s Princess of the Circus

Alexei Urmanov: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUMkksUUX7I (Skate America 1996, LP)
Petrova / Tikhonov: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc8H5ZjBJKQ (EC 2004, LP)
(Missing them )

[lala]

Maria Butyrskaya: Carmen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK4UVFzpLJc