Musicmaker of Laura B. butchers down Charlottes Freestyle

TarrSteps

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Bwah ha ha ha ha ha.

Really? The worst? He/she needs to get out more! :D

I hope no one is going to get into a twist about that comment. As said, dressage music is not exactly High Art, especially at the top levels where judges are not know for their sense of humour and people have often been told to tone it down so as not to draw the ire of the particularly cranky. (Debbie McDonald's fun tv theme kur comes to mind.)

Many reviewers confuse judgemental with discerning - I wouldn't give it another thought.
 

Pebble101

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I am not knowledgeable about DTM (no Sky therefore don't watch it) but I enjoyed Charlottes music and thought it was entirely appropriate for that competition.

Personally I found Laura's a bit bland, but I'm sure lots will disagree with me. Music is such personal taste!
 

Halfstep

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I thought Charlotte's was a bit "cut and paste", but the quality of the horse and riding made up for it. In fairness to Sligs, Laura's was lovely, the composition was seamless and it made "sense" as an entire piece.
Freestyles have changed a lot recently. I think Imke's Wibi Soerjadi Kur set the bar very very high, and no one has quite managed to jump it (although Totilas' Kur came close!). I'd be surprised if Tom Hunt (who is a decent musician, after all) doesn't become a very good Kur composer in time, but he isn't quite there yet (IMHO - although I like the kurs he's done for Michael Eilberg).
 

TarrSteps

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I do think it's true, we will increasingly see kurs that are all of a piece as people seek to refine the margins. But even then, music will never make up for the point of the exercise.

Just one more thing to spend money on!
 

Booboos

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Great, just as the rollkur mudslinging is pausing for breath, another totally unsportsmanlike comment takes its place.

The artistic element of the freestyle is always going to be contentious as it offers the greatest room for personal likes/dislikes. Personally I thought Adelinde's music and choreography were the best of the three, but I accept it's different being there and seeing live as well as that music reflects personal preferences - not an excuse for being rude though!
 

RutlandH2O

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Having just watched Imke's Wibi Seorjadi Kur at Aachen 2010, on YouTube, it is clear that the original piece of music was seamless, cohesive and perfect for the job. The music was composed for the movements of the horse and the horse "danced" to it, beautifully, I might add.

Olympic Ice Dancing freestyle always had cut and paste music enabling the skaters to perform their required moves at different tempi. When Torvill and Dean skated their freestyle to Bolero in Sarajevo, their musical arranger was able to cut and paste within that one piece, to give the "dance" a seamless, exquisite continuity (and contributed beautifully to their gold medal).

Yes, Charlotte's Kur was very cut and paste, but the choice of music, to compliment the horse's movement AND convey an English theme, WITH a glorious nod to the Olympic experience in the form of the Olympic Fanfare, by John Williams, three times within the Kur, was pure genius!

Until elite dressage riders employ music composers to write original works for their Kurs, or have them arrange and re-orchestrate one piece which reflects all the rhythms and cadences needed, the freestyle will always be cut and paste.
 

Mondy

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Posted on another forum :ma

Unfortunately, the winning freestyle was the most worthless, vulgar, banal, and meaningless piece of noise I ever heard before.

http://www.topdressage.tv/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=209&t=5696&p=14808#p14808


1. The Dutch always complain when they don't win and seek to place the blame elsewhere.

2. Dujardin's music did not adhere to the FEI rules specifying what the music, horse and movements should do in a freestyle.

So a bit of truth either way, as usual.
 

RutlandH2O

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1. The Dutch always complain when they don't win and seek to place the blame elsewhere.

2. Dujardin's music did not adhere to the FEI rules specifying what the music, horse and movements should do in a freestyle.

So a bit of truth either way, as usual.

The rude comments were made by a Belgian. Last I heard, the Olympic Kur is not a music competition.

How did Charlotte's music not adhere to the FEI rules?
 

Polotash

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Charlottes music was a bit cut and paste, but the overall picture was lovely anyway. I have to agree Laura's was more polished, but as ppl have said - it isn't a music competition!
 

ester

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I wasn't a great fan of it either really, there was a post in CR after its initial debut.. the orchestration was very bitty. Much preferred Carl's of the two and a few others.
 
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