Busted.
So, as it turns out, that wonderful live performance at the inauguration by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, et al? Wasn't so live.
Now, on the one hand, it seems silly to criticize either the performers or the organizers for having pre-recorded the piece that they then pretended to play live, since playing instruments with any degree of dexterity when temps are in the teens is essentially impossible. (I should also point out that, had it been the Minnesota Orchestra scheduled to play at the inauguration, the performance would simply not have happened, since we have strict minimum temperature standards to protect our instruments, and that minimum is a helluva lot higher than an average January temp in D.C.)
On the other hand, controversies over lip-synching seem to crop up constantly when pop music is involved (Ashlee Simpson, anyone?), and it doesn't seem fair that classical musicians should get a complete pass. So what do you think? Should the pre-taping have been explicitly disclosed at the time of the "performance"? Should, perhaps, the pre-taping have included video, which would have allowed everyone present to watch the actual performance, rather than a mock-up? Or is this all just much ado about nothing?
Now, on the one hand, it seems silly to criticize either the performers or the organizers for having pre-recorded the piece that they then pretended to play live, since playing instruments with any degree of dexterity when temps are in the teens is essentially impossible. (I should also point out that, had it been the Minnesota Orchestra scheduled to play at the inauguration, the performance would simply not have happened, since we have strict minimum temperature standards to protect our instruments, and that minimum is a helluva lot higher than an average January temp in D.C.)
On the other hand, controversies over lip-synching seem to crop up constantly when pop music is involved (Ashlee Simpson, anyone?), and it doesn't seem fair that classical musicians should get a complete pass. So what do you think? Should the pre-taping have been explicitly disclosed at the time of the "performance"? Should, perhaps, the pre-taping have included video, which would have allowed everyone present to watch the actual performance, rather than a mock-up? Or is this all just much ado about nothing?
Labels: music and politics, visual impact
posted by Sam at
8:49 AM
9 Comments:
I have no problem with it - I guess the difference is that in this case it was the same artists that produced the pre-recorded version.
Maybe the oath of office should have been pre-recorded, too.
I'm glad they played the recording. Do I want to hear the sound of instrument strings breaking moments before the inauguration of the nation's first president of color? No way. Would I have liked to be informed ahead of time that it would not a live performance we were hearing? Yes. But I can't put my finger on why.
If this were an event centered around this particular musical performance, I might feel differently, but this was an Inauguration, for crying out loud!
I just assumed all along that it was pre-recorded!
I think it was pretty lame. If a live performance wasn't possible in those conditions (which I certainly agree it was not) then they shouldn't have done it at all. It just seems so cheesy and cheap, and the inauguration of a president should be anything but.
It's just normal practice for large-scale special events, especially outdoor events. Not a big deal.
With Steve, I assumed that a backup recording would have been prepared: that's just what happens for any event of importance, including Olympic ceremonies that are held in summer.
With Sarah, I agree that it would be very different if this were a concert in which the music and the performance had an "absolute" role to play instead of having a function within a bigger ceremony.
With Anonymous, I agree that the matter of whether the performers you see on the day are the performers on the recording does make a big difference to perception. (That's why there was the hoo-ha about the Chinese girl at the opening ceremony of the recent Olympics. It seemed like - was - a fraud because she wasn't the one really singing.)
must have been a slow news day...good grief
I wasn't surprised that the music had been pre-recorded considering the weather. I was surprised that musicians of their calibre would agree to act out playing the piece (which I really liked, by the way). Were they paid? Or was at a gratis performance? For the vast majority of people who witnessed this moment, all they cared about was seeing Obama take the oath of office. That was the big deal of the day, so my vote is for much ado about nothing, and it was really stepping up to the plate that day to brave the elements by Ma, Perlman, et.al. Cinda
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