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Programu 2002/2003
Kratky program: Adagio by T. Albinoni
Free Skate : St. Petersburg 300
from the soundtrack "Criminal St. Petersburg" by Igor Korniluk
Exhibition:
Carmen by George Bizet
Carmen Suite by Bizet/Shchedrin
"Town wich doesn't exist"
from the soundtrack "Criminal St. Petersburg" by Igor Korniluk
"Baila" by Zuccero
(only performed once, at Art on Ice)
"Only You" by The Platters and
"Have Some Fun Tonight" by Little Richard
Plushenko's style is a joy to behold
Evgeni Plushenko's interpretation of his repertoire of music demonstrates the classical, contemporary and charismatic style he has developed throughout his career. His role model growing up in Russia was former Olympic gold medalist Viktor Petrenko. Evgeni's competitive and exhibition programs identify with his myriad tastes of music.
A year-by-year look at Evgeni's programs and the composer/artists helps explain the musicality and depth of Evgeni's perception and understanding of how to marry music and skating skills into gold medal performances.
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| Evgeni Plushenko combines skill and artistry in his unique programs. |
2002-2003
Music: St. Petersburg 300
Composer: Igor Korniliuk
Program: Free skate
St. Petersburg 300: Evgeni wanted to pay tribute to his homeland's 300th anniversary and selected an arranged version of the soundtrack St. Petersburg 300 from the Russian television drama "Criminal St. Petersburg".
It has reaped great dividends as Evgeni won his second World Championship and all amateur competitions he entered this season. St. Petersburg's founding date has gone down in history as May 16, 1703 (May 27 by the current calendar).
According to legend, it was on this day that the cornerstone was laid for the Peter and Paul Fortress. The fortress was to become the nucleus of a new city which, as it expanded and assumed the role of the capital, marked its anniversary on the day its citadel was founded.
2002-2003
Music: Adagio Albinoni
Composer: Tomaso Albinoni/Remo Giazotto
Program: Short
Albinoni's Adagio: This is a short work for string orchestra and organ. It was originally written by Tomaso Albinoni and rewritten by Remo Giazotto 200 years later. The original work reminded Giazotto of a piece that would be played in church, so he added an organ and turned it into a very stately and elegant piece.
Did you know? Albinoni's Adagio was played at Lady Diana Spencer's funeral in 1997.
2002-2003 Exhibitions 2001-2002
Carmen Suite: See 2001-2002 free skate
Only you: Original song by The Platters
Music: Carmen Suite
Composer: Georges Bizez/Rodion Shchedrin
Music: Fixe
Show: Cirque du Solei
Music: Eclipse
Show: Cirque du Soleil
Music: El Tango de Roxanne
Show/artists: Moulin Rouge / Ewan McGregor, Jose Feliciano, Jacek Koman.
Music: La Petite Fille de la Mer
Composer: Vangelis Papathanassiou
Program: Free
Carmen Suite, Cirque du Solei, Moulin Rouge and Vangelis: This season's free skating program showed Evgeni to be more creative and daring with his music selection. He maintained a classical theme and added a trio of selections from Cirque du Soleil and a show tune from Moulin Rouge. Rodion Shchedrin is called by the world media "one of the prominent Russian composers of the past 50 years and his compositions the most playable in the world. Shchedrin's "Carmen Suite" is played somewhere on the planet every day! "Fixe" and "Eclipse", from Cirque du Solei, featured startling acts in the show. A solo trapeze act is performed to "Fixe" in which the performer reaches her perch atop the bigtop and then begins her long swing into the void when, suddenly she would be seen on stage, hanging by her ankles! "Eclipse" features a gymnast trusting her life to a handful of characters as they hold aloft a thick bendable bar. The performer is thrust into the air, flipping, twisting and turning before ending back upon the bar - feet first. From the popular soundtrack Moulin Rouge, Evgeni skated to the steamy "El Tango de Roxanne" sung by Ewan McGregor, Jose Feliciano and Jacek Koman. Vangelis' "La Petite Fille de la Mer" was also on the original soundtrack from "L'apocalypse des animaus". The cut of the five songs for this program was Evgeni's most ambitious of his career.
Did you know? Georges Bizet's Carmen premiered only 30 days before his death in 1875. Bizet was 37 years old.
2001-2002
Music: Earth Song, Childhood, Billy Jean, They Don't Care About Us
Composer/Artist: Michael Jackson
Program: Short
Earth Song, Childhood, Billy Jean, They Don't Care About Us: Evgeni enjoyed listening to Michael Jackson and incorporated a medley of his songs into his short program. All but "They Don't Care About Us" were on Jackson's HIStory album. Jackson, in interviews, interpreted the songs. Jackson wrote "Earth Song" in a hotel in Austria. Jackson said: "I was feeling so much pain and so much suffering of the plight of the Planet Earth. For me, this is Earth's Song because I think nature is trying so hard to compensate for man's mismanagement of the Earth." About "Childhood" Jackson said the song, "Is a reflection of my life, years ago, when I was much younger. And it's about the pain, some of the joys, some of the dreaming, some of the mental adventures I took because of the different lifestyle that I had being a child performer. I was born on the stage and 'Childhood' - it is my mirror - it is my story." Jackson said when he was on tour with his brothers there would be girls claiming his brothers had relationships with them. He thought this was strange until one day a girl named Billie Jean entered his life. "There was this girl, named Billie Jean, who used to stand outside my gate. And I would drive outside the gate and she would say 'Here's the keys to our car' and she would say 'Here's the keys to the front door'. She would say that I am actually the father of her child, which never ever happened... And that inspired the song cause the chorus goes, 'Billy Jean is not my lover, she's just the one who claims that I am the one, but the kid is not my son'. So, I guess that's how that happened."
2001-2002 Exhibitions 2000-2001
Sex Bomb: Tom Jones and Mousse T
Carmen Suite: Georges Bizet/ Rodion Shchedrin
Music: Xotica
Composer: Rene Dupere
Music: Tango from Hasta que te conoci
Composer: Raul Di Blasio
Music: Once Upon A Time In America
Composer: Ennio Morricone
Music: Cotton Club
Composer: Duke Ellington
Music: Mortal Kombat
Composer: George S. Clinton
Program: Free skate
Xotica, Tango from Hasta que te conoci, Once Upon A Time In America, Cotton Club, Mortal Combat: Evgeni completely dominated skating this season winning the World Championship and 8 of 9 competitions. His musical selections showed his maturity toward more contempory music and the diversity exhibited between Duke Ellington and George S. Clinton. Rene Dupere (Xotica) was a street musician who actually produced some of his early work while performing for the public. He later composed music for Cirque du Soleil. Raul Di Blasio's Tango was symbolic of his uphill battle to convince the record industry that a Latin pianist could sell records around the world. Today he is regarded in Latin America as an artist who single-handedly has popularized the Latin piano instrumental. Ennio Morricone(Once Upon A Time In America) is one of film music's all-time great composers. He has had a revolutionary impact on the way films are scored. The Italian now splits time between Hollywood and Italy scoring music for films. He is at 400 plus and counting. Duke Ellington (Cotton Club), considered one of the world's greatest composers and musicians, caught the nation's ears when radio receivers and the music industry could hear Duke's band broadcast live from "The Cotton Club". The band's music, along with their popularity, spread rapidly. The final piece of Evgeni's free skate music was out of character from his previous selections but began to show the Americanization of the World Champion. Evgeni chose a selection from Clinton's "Mortal Kombat", which is a sequel to a movie based on a video game.
Did you know? Raul Di Blasio, a native Argentinian, has had many romantic pieces, most inspired by women. Di Blasio says: "Without women, I wouldn't be a pianist. The piano was created because of women."
2000-2001
Music: Bolero
Composer: Maurice Ravel
Program: Short
Bolero: Maurice Ravel was a French composer who composed this memorable piece of music in 1928.
Try saying the following:
Dum diddly dum diddly dum dum
Dum diddly dum diddly diddly diddly
Now repeat that steadily without a break for 15 minutes. That's the challenge given to the snare drummer in Ravel's best-known composition. This piece consists of two tunes repeated over and over again above this insistent drum rhythm. It starts very quietly on one or two instruments but gradually grows in volume until the full orchestra plays the tune as loudly as possible. The piece ends with a dramatic flourish. The endless repetition is supposed to produce a hypnotic effect which heightens the drama of the ending.
Did you know? In World War I (1914-1918) Maurice Ravel was unfit for service and volunteered to work as an orderly in a military hospital.
2000-2001 Exhibitions 1999-2000
Pasadena: Maywood lyrics. Album unknown.
Sex Bomb: Tom Jones and Mousse T.
Music: Dark Eyes
Composer: Unknown
Music: Coachmen Don't Drive the Horse
Composer: (Unknown)
Music: Concierto Madrigal for Two Guitars
Composer: Joaguin Rodrigo
Program: Free skate
Dark Eyes, Coachmen Don't Drive the Horse, Two Guitars: Are all Russian folk dances. This composition of Evgeni's free program showcased his desire to skate to music that represented his heritage and continued to exhibit his classical style.
1999-2000
Music: The Sabre Dance
Composer: Aram Ilich Khachaturian
Program: Short
The Sabre Dance: Aram Khachaturian was known as the composer of instrumental concerti and the sensational scores for the ballets "Gayaneh" and "Spartacus". He was known as one of the most popular and successful composers of the Soviet period. The Sabre Dance was part of the score of "Spartacus".
1999-2000 Exhibitions 1998-1999
Two Step Nadya: Did you know this song is also featured in the move "Babe: Pig in the City"
Ciocircla - This is a piece that native Russians refer to as a sailor song.
Music: Chronologie 2, 3
Composer: Jean Michel Jarre
Music: Zoolookologie
Composer: Jean Michael Jarre
Program: Free skate
Chronologie 2, 3: Jean Michel Jarre's Chronologie represents the chronological look at time and space within our existence - with Jean Michel seeing the album as the "Rythem of Life" and that Chronologie deliberately forms a cycle of music. Jean Michel is known for his keyboard wizardry.
Zoolookologie: During several months, Jean Michel Barre traveled around the world recording voices of people from different countries and cultures. For Zoolookogie Jean Michel used the synthesizer as if it were a camera - taking "pictures" of different cultures and ethnic origins and using them to create the tracks.
1998-1999
Music: Hava Nagila
Composer: Various artists
Program: Short
Hava Nagila: Although Evgeni skated this as a demanding short program he enjoyed its musicality. Hava Nagila, which means "Let's Be Joyful" is an Israeli folk song that is played during joyous occasions and almost always results in dancing.
1998-1999 Exhibitions 1997-1998
The Swan from Carnival of the Animals. Camile Saint-Saens, one of the most famous French composers, originally wrote this piece to make fun of some of his friends. Now it is enjoyed by children all over the world for the pictures it paints of animals.
Two Step Nadya: See 1999-2000 exhibitions.
Ciocircla - See 1999-2000 exhibitions.
Music: Chronologie 2, 3
Composer: Jean Michel Jarre
Music: Zoolookologie
Composer: Jean Michael Jarre
Program: Free skate
Chronologie 2, 3: See 1998-1999 free skate.
Zoolookologie: See 1998-1999 free skate.
1997-1998
Music: Concierto d' Aranjuez
Composer: Joachim Rodrigo
Music: El Gato Montes
Composer: Joachim Rodrigo
Program: Short program
Concierto d' Aranjuez: Composer Rodrigo Joaquin was almost totally blind since age 3. From the very beginning Rodrigo wrote all his works in Braille, dictating them afterward to a copyist. He was born on St. Cecilia's day (November 22), the patron saint of music. He wrote "Concierto d' Aranjuez" in Paris for guitar and orchestra. This was Rodrigo's first work to bring him fame.
El Gato Montes: Translated is "The Wild Cat". There are four main characters in this opera. Matador Rafael, 'El Macareno', loves Soleá, who loves him in return but whose heart, she confesses to the priest Padre Antón, was touched in the past by the ardent advances of Juanillo the wild cat, a mountain bandit now wanted for murder. The bandit inconveniently reappears to claim Soleá, shortly before Rafael is about to fight at Seville. Rafael is mortally wounded in the ring: Soleá dies of grief. The wild cat breaks into the house of mourning, seizes Soleá's lifeless body and carries it off to his lair in the hills, where he is swiftly pursued. Rather than surrender, he persuades one of his gang to shoot him dead.
1997-1998 Exhibitions 1996-1997
Chronologie 2, 3: See 1998-1999 free skate.
Zoolookologie: See 1998-1999 free skate.
Enigma
Music: William Tell Overture
Composer: Gioachino Rossini
Music: The Barber of Seville
Composer: Gioachino Rossini
Program: Free skate
William Tell Overture: Gioachino Rossini's overture is familiar for the galloping "Lone Ranger" theme. It is a typical theme of Rossini - a toe-tapping rhythm, with a tune you can hum. The well known theme occurs several minutes into the overture, heralded by the famous horn calls.
The Barber of Seville: One of the world's most popular operas it has sparkling orchestration and playful melodies that create the perfect atmosphere for Figaro and the Count as they plot to abduct the lovely and resourceful Rosina. Figaro, the clever barber, helps Count Almaviva outwit Doctor Bartolo and win the hand of lovely Rosina.
1996-1997
Music: Tarantella
Composer: Witold Lutoslawski
Music: Santa Lucia
Composer: Luigi Gordigiani
Program: Short
Tarantella: Originally the Tarantella (pronounced tarntel) was a legitimate Italian folk dance of lower to middle class. In English the name essentially means "Tarantula Spider". In Buzabatt (near Kashan, Persia), it was reported that a Tarantella dance existed just in Sicily. If the spider had poisoned anyone, they were advised to dance to the sound of music. Love and pleasure are apparent throughout this dance. Each motion, each gesture, is made with the most voluptuous gracefulness.
Santa Lucia: One custom from Scandinavia was for children to write the word "Lussi", on the eve of December 13, on doors, fences and walls. In ancient times this practice was to announce to the demons of winter that their reign was broken on Saint Lucy's Day, that the sun would return again and the days become longer. People in Northern Europe would throw incense into the bonfires on December 13. While the flames rose, trumpets and flutes played to celebrate the changing of the sun's course.
1995-1996
Music: Don Quixote
Composer: Ludwig (Leon) Minkus
Program: Free skate
Evgeni chose the music to one of the world's most recognizable ballets among his first international competitive programs. Leon Minkus, who originally composed Don Quixote in 1869, had his work summarized as full of melody and rhythmic verve, much of which is charming. The balletic style of the music fit Evgeni's early training in ballet and dance perfectly. It also set him on a course to keep the tradition of his heritage in his programs throughout his skating career.
Did you know? The use of live horses and donkeys in Don Quixote was quite a tradition. When the work was staged by Pavlova in London it was thought that the horse looked too robust to belong to the Don, so it was made up to look thinner. The effect must have been good as it prompted the authorities to investigate if the animal was malnourished!