Skating to Beethoven

[Vash01]

Surprisingly, not many skaters have skated to Beethoven's music. However, the most famous one has to be 'Moonlight Sonata' by Gordeeva-Grinkov at the 1994 Olympics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pScMmrR2QUE

Michael Weiss skated to Beethoven, and in this performance at the US nationals he almost landed a quad lutz. He had a slight two-foot, so it was not ratified.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss8T7aGr9ZI

Sasha Cohen skated to Moonlight Sonata (US Nationals LP)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aryG1Pr8jWE

Josee Chouinard skating to Moonlight Sonata (Pro)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0fCHRoj0sw

Plushenko skated a 2004 worlds ex to Beethoven's 5th symphony being played by Edvin Marton (skating begins at 1:20 min mark)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOBMY_aCR-k

Midori Ito at the 1991 Japanese nationals (first part is Beethoven; slow section is Rachmaninoff)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTVUH3lkjds

[paskatefan]

Didn't Brian Joubert do a Beethoven program, with part of it being an instrumental version of "Ode to Joy" from the 9th Symphony?

I *think* Fumie skatied to "Moonlight Sonata"@ some point.

BTW, I have the Michelle Kwan SLC snowglobe from 2002. The music is "Fur Elise." To my knowledge, I don't recall if she ever skated to that.

[munow]

More skaters should skate to more Beethoven, other than Moonlight Sonata.

[TheIronLady]

Sasha Cohen skated to Moonlight Sonata (US Nationals LP)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aryG1Pr8jWE

I never thought Beethoven was the best musical choice for Sasha, but it could have been a lovely program had she not been thrown off a little by the mistakes.

Off topic, but does Sandra Bezic know how insulting she can sound?

"You can't expect the fairytale to come true and just step on the ice at the national level and be perfect. Without practice you can't do it."

I think the use of the phrase "without practice" sounds intentionally mean considering how much practice went into that performance. It may not be the competitive practice Sandra intended to refer to, but so much work went into that. If Sandra meant practice before judges, Sandra herself should practice her commentary to better convey what she means. A professional commentator would prepare words carefully.

[Zemgirl]

Didn't Brian Joubert do a Beethoven program, with part of it being an instrumental version of "Ode to Joy" from the 9th Symphony?

Joubert's 2010-11 LP was indeed to selections from Beethoven's 9th symphony; David Wilson was the choreographer. Here is the Euros performance of the program, which moved him from 7th after the SP to 2nd place overall.

Two seasons before that, another Frenchman skated to Beethoven, though the music was rather unfortunately rearranged for Yannick Ponsero's "Ice 5".

There are some other examples of skaters who performed to Beethoven music in the classical music thread.

[umronnie]

A/P's FD in 2000/01 was "Beethoven's Last Night". I couldn't find a nice quality clip for it, they all had dreadful sound.

[DarrellH]

Alexis Winston - A Fifth Of Beethoven

[Frau Muller]

One of my favorite programs to Beethoven: Kira Ivanova's SP at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2Oh5iteOjY

[Vash01]

A/P's FD in 2000/01 was "Beethoven's Last Night". I couldn't find a nice quality clip for it, they all had dreadful sound.

I saw it live, at the 2001 worlds, but somehow I did not think of it as skating to Beethoven.

[falling_dance]

Leonore Overture No. 3

Janet Lynn

Lisa Marie Allen

Paul Wylie

[sap5]

I don't have the link, but Virtue/Moir skated an exhibition to Beethoven's Sonata #5, "Spring."

[Holley Calmes]

I have a thing about Beethoven's trios and quartets....I think they would make a lovely choice for a skater whose style was refined and artistic.

[Shyjosie]

Beethoven's 7th symphony, Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay in 1994, exhibition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JllrkUUgQ1Y

[Loves_Shizuka]

My favourite Fumie programme was her Moonlight Sonata of 01/02. Oh and maybe her Carmen.

[LilJen]

There are quite a few "Hooked on Classics"-type or techno versions of Beethoven's fifth symphony (links already provided by others). But yeah, I find it astounding that more Beethoven isn't used. There's some wonderful there.

[Maofan7]

G&G's Moonlight Sonata program is my favourite by far

[lala]

Plushenko
Moonlight Sonata SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPLHGSA6cos CBC version

Daisuke Takahasi Moonlight Sonata SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpwr46eKYkY

[lala]

G&G's Moonlight Sonata program is my favourite by far

yes, fantastic!!!

[zilam98]

I saw it live, at the 2001 worlds, but somehow I did not think of it as skating to Beethoven.

would it be because it was the TSO versions of Beethoven pieces?

[skatesindreams]

Art at its" peak:

Belousova Protopopov 1985"Moonlight Sonata" Worlds Pro AP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qky5kw67nX4

They used it during their amateur career, as well.