[Merged] Yo-Yo Ma's Obama Inauguration performance pre-recorded!

[teknoluv]

Damn it. I watched and rather enjoyed the quartet's performance LIVE. Not a hardcore classical fan, but I thought I could tell the difference. Now ... they said the weather was too cold for the instruments to be in perfect tunes.



WASHINGTON – The classical music played for millions of people watching President Barack Obama's inauguration was not the live performance it appeared to be.

Unless you were one of the fortunate few sitting within earshot of the celebrated performers, what you heard was a recording made two days earlier.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill made the decision a day before Tuesday's inauguration to use a previously recorded audio tape for the broadcast of the ceremonies.

Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said the weather was too cold for the instruments to stay in tune.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_recorded_music_16

[RestIsHistory]

And people made a mockery of the opening ceremony fireworks being pre-recorded.

Wonder what they got to say now.

[originalnutta]

And people made a mockery of the opening ceremony fireworks being pre-recorded.

Wonder what they got to say now.

How is this any different than the fireworks?

Those same people are probably thinking the same thing.

[ferkel]

I'm not suprised.. look how they bumbled up the oath! Couldn't even get 35 words in order.

[Kommander_KornFlakes]

-

The quartet the whole world saw playing their violins were just mimicking, the music you heard was played on CD by technicians to speakers all over the gathering grounds and television broadcast.



http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090123/oddities/us_politics_inauguration_entertainment_music_offbe at_1



Reminds me of the fake Chinese girl singer during the Olympics :D

[teknoluv]

Repost: Yo-Yo Ma's Obama Inauguration performance pre-recorded! (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=691492)

[Magoo]

Where is the uproar? Where is the backlash?

How hypocritical.

[Snicla]

Didn't Jessica Simpson's sister get busted over this same thing?


Just do a little jig, people will forget.

[blakjak]

...and why would we care about this?

[flexwong]

it's funny b/c China has a law now that will penalize singers who lip sync at concerts and such.

[bokep]

...and why would we care about this?

because people here got riled up when they found out that the little chinese girl who sang at the olympics was lip syncing

personally i didn't give a **** about it, and i don't care about this one either

[mself084]

Where is the uproar? Where is the backlash?

How hypocritical.


because people here got riled up when they found out that the little chinese girl who sang at the olympics was lip syncing

personally i didn't give a **** about it, and i don't care about this one either

If Yo-Yo Ma was actually a child, told he was not looking enough to appear on television, and subsequently was replaced with a better looking artist, there would be an uproar.

I don't really care, but come on... Apples and oranges...

[Justin]

Reminds me of the fake Chinese girl singer during the Olympics :D

There is a difference. Atleast here, the people pretending to play were peobably the people the pre-recorded the cd. In the case of the girl in China, it wasn't even the same girl singing as the one on display.

[slowtyper]

because people here got riled up when they found out that the little chinese girl who sang at the olympics was lip syncing

personally i didn't give a **** about it, and i don't care about this one either

No, people didn't care that the girl was lip syncing, they were riled up because the original little girl was replaced for not being cute enough. Big difference.

[slowtyper]

Didn't Jessica Simpson's sister get busted over this same thing?


Just do a little jig, people will forget.

People have been busted lip syncing since time immemorial. Its no big deal except for some embarrassment. The issue in question (china's) was not because of lip syncing.

[Kommander_KornFlakes]

...and why would we care about this?

The racist scumballs are all over it in their blogosphere, they are even calling for the annullment of his presidency because he stalled a little during his oath.

[Bskll]

To equate this to the Chinese girl lip synching is just another fail analogy by yours truly, KK.

1. the girl china who appeared in public did not have any talent in singing. whereas the artists in question here actually were able to perform the pieces being boradcasted. If Yo Yo Ma was actually sitting in a concert hall, he would be able to produce a perfect rendition of what he played on Obama day.
2. The recording were done on the basis of logic, not arbitrary decision like in china. If Yo Yo Ma played with outdoors with his own cello and was broadcast live, it would sound really out of tune and also kill his instrument per the article, same with Itzhak Perlman and the rest of the quartet. And as a musician, you always want to give it your best so the logical conclusion was reached to have everyone else beside those on the podium to hear the first rate music recorded by their respective original instruments while the podium people got to hear a second rated one being performed live. one group hears the best music not live, the other hear a slightly degraded music but live. both a compromise. but none of this is even remotely similar to the Chinese arbitrary decision to replace the the performing girl's voice with another persons.

It seems that RFD has just lost all ability to make logical analogies and comparisons.

[BornRuff]

The racist scumballs are all over it in their blogosphere, they are even calling for the annullment of his presidency because he stalled a little during his oath.

Meh, what are they going to do about it?

[15-20_God]

After reading the thread title I thought instead of arriving by limo, Barack Obama rode in on a rusty 15 year old mountain bike with Michelle perched on the handlebar and groceries dangling from the grips.

[g0lden0rchard]

Did anyone actually read the article?

They did actually play but due to technical difficulties due to weather (the cold) it probably sounded shiit.

If there is anyone here that even knows anything about stringed instruments and temperature change should know that it would be very difficult to play in those temperatures.

Read the article and you will understand why they did what they did.

Note: I take my guitar outside to go to friends place for lessons and within minutes the guitar is cold and out of tune. I then tune it and then it goes out of tune as it warms and then I need to tune it again once it is at room temp.

[CodecX81]

Well, don't let it get in the way of the "hope":

1. Messing up the oath
2. Pre-recorded (fraudulent) musical performances
3. Appointment of senior VP of Raytheon, William Lynn, to deputy defense secretary that runs contrary to Obama's new White House policy on "no lobbyists".
4. Closing Gitmo thereby declaring open season on North America for terrorists.
5. Appointing Geithner as Treasury Secretary despite his personal tax evasion (irony is lost on the Democrats)

I suppose the pre-recorded musical performance can be a metaphor of the disappointments, failures and immorality to come in the next 4 years.

One side of the coin!
If the US decides to keep their nose out of other political hotspots, they will be well enough left alone.
..GITMO will either be relocated to a more secretive spot, or the criminals will be deported. Hopefully they see this as a sign of change.

[bokep]

If Yo-Yo Ma was actually a child, told he was not looking enough to appear on television, and subsequently was replaced with a better looking artist, there would be an uproar.

I don't really care, but come on... Apples and oranges...


No, people didn't care that the girl was lip syncing, they were riled up because the original little girl was replaced for not being cute enough. Big difference.

Big difference? Hahaha.

They exactly the same thing. Sure the reasons might be different, but both were done to create the "perfect" performance. The audience was essentiallly lied to in both performances. If you're gonna whine and ***** about one, then at least be consistent and ***** about the other.

[teknoluv]

No need to go "all the way". We're talking about MUSIC here (in the Entertainment section).

What I don't like is, I was expecting to see top notch musicians like Yo-Yo Ma performing LIVE (AND he did play live) but most of us (except the few dozens who actually sat near them) were deprived of that, because of some stupid producers who decided to load a pre-recorded tape in order to recreate the perfect moment instead of broadcasting what really happened at that historical moment.

[sfu_lifer]

Big difference? Hahaha.

They exactly the same thing. Sure the reasons might be different, but both were done to create the "perfect" performance. The audience was essentiallly lied to in both performances. If you're gonna whine and ***** about one, then at least be consistent and ***** about the other.

Bait and switch was the one done in the Olympics. In this case, we know Yo yo ma performed the piece. BIG difference.
Sure lip sync'ing in itself is awful but to do a "milli vannilli" is doubly so.

[trilinearmipmap]

After reading the thread title I thought instead of arriving by limo, Barack Obama rode in on a rusty 15 year old mountain bike with Michelle perched on the handlebar and groceries dangling from the grips.

After reading the intro, I thought the police arrested a few hundred protesters at the inauguration, sent them to labour camps to make cheap products for WalMart, then auctioned their kidneys on EBay.

[Jon Lai]

To equate this to the Chinese girl lip synching is just another fail analogy by yours truly, KK.

1. the girl china who appeared in public did not have any talent in singing. whereas the artists in question here actually were able to perform the pieces being boradcasted. If Yo Yo Ma was actually sitting in a concert hall, he would be able to produce a perfect rendition of what he played on Obama day.
2. The recording were done on the basis of logic, not arbitrary decision like in china. If Yo Yo Ma played with outdoors with his own cello and was broadcast live, it would sound really out of tune and also kill his instrument per the article, same with Itzhak Perlman and the rest of the quartet. And as a musician, you always want to give it your best so the logical conclusion was reached to have everyone else beside those on the podium to hear the first rate music recorded by their respective original instruments while the podium people got to hear a second rated one being performed live. one group hears the best music not live, the other hear a slightly degraded music but live. both a compromise. but none of this is even remotely similar to the Chinese arbitrary decision to replace the the performing girl's voice with another persons.

It seems that RFD has just lost all ability to make logical analogies and comparisons.

Not RFD, just K_K. He's known for making these types of threads.

[Rishi]

Is this supposed to be news? I'm an amateur violinist and the second I the saw the performance I knew it was fake. It's impossible to play a string instrument outdoors in that temperature. The reason they played pre-recorded music is because it's NOT POSSIBLE to play live music under those conditions.

[Magoo]

Some of you crack me up...

All of us should not have cared that the girl singing in the Olympics wasn't her and we should not care that buddy wasn't actually playing his cello live.

We all have better things to worry about... like winning the 6/49 in Saturday night's draw... $43 million? Yikes

[_Allan_]

As noted, it's IMPOSSIBLE to play stringed intruments in 0C or -3C temps.
A piano in that weather, will keep it's tune for less then 90 minutes.
Why do you think in a marching band, there are NO stringed intruments?
Bass and percussion aren't as affected ...
The music that was played, was recorded the night before in the warmth and amicable tempreature of a concert hall or recording studio.

[Bskll]

After reading the intro, I thought the police arrested a few hundred protesters at the inauguration, sent them to labour camps to make cheap products for WalMart, then auctioned their kidneys on EBay.

i'm sorry but this is just not up to the standard of 15-20_god. you tried, good job.

[cheapmeister]

There is no doubt that those artists have the skill to play that music. I did hear a runour that they were going to play carbon made instruments but I guessed they played it safe by using the recording.

[Kommander_KornFlakes]

As noted, it's IMPOSSIBLE to play stringed intruments in 0C or -3C temps.

A piano in that weather, will keep it's tune for less then 90 minutes.


What? So why didn't they played their violins for real then, they performance only for 10 minutes anyways :rolleyes:

[Bskll]

What? So why didn't they played their violins for real then, they performance only for 10 minutes anyways :rolleyes:

the piano keeping its tune doesn't mean the string instruments will. :rolleyes:

[neilson]

-

The quartet the whole world saw playing their violins were just mimicking, the music you heard was played on CD by technicians to speakers all over the gathering grounds and television broadcast.



http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090123/oddities/us_politics_inauguration_entertainment_music_offbe at_1



Reminds me of the fake Chinese girl singer during the Olympics :D

KKR, you just broke your own rules from Dec. 2nd, 2007:


-
Off Topic has had a sudden relief from preposterous and stupid threads, what gives? I know that B40 and Kuqdew have been banned but their demise alone can't be credited with being the sole reason why Off Topic's firestorm has subsided.

Maybe it's because the smart allecs who only reply in threads to say stupid things have abstained too? (ie Ojam,Korruption & Spray).

Anyways, I have a few tips for people to follow to keep Off Topic sane:


1. Stop the creation of stupid posts and polls such as "Giving Up a Dog", "Can I Get a 1GB ScanDisk" and "Ryan Just Sent Me a PM".

2. Blog-type dumb threads about visiting Lamborghini car dealerships with the sole intention of wasting the time of salesmen there....try not to start them.

3. Stop going to interesting threads just to second-guess the OP.

4. If you see an offensive or lock-worthy thread, don't go there to reply "in before the lock", it makes you look more stupid than the actual thread.

5. Before you post something PLEASE look at it in your "search" function before making a 25th repeat of the subject.

6. Stop blasting posters who ask innocent but legit questions, remember. not everybody is an Einstein like you.

7. Ignore and ostracize morons who are post count wh*res and spend all day posting smileys and 2-word-long replies just to get their post count high.

8. And lastly, if you don't have nothing nice to say in a thread, abstain from doing so, remember, nobody is going to miss your idiocy.

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=521799

[Jon Lai]

As noted, it's IMPOSSIBLE to play stringed intruments in 0C or -3C temps.
A piano in that weather, will keep it's tune for less then 90 minutes.
Why do you think in a marching band, there are NO stringed intruments?
Bass and percussion aren't as affected ...
The music that was played, was recorded the night before in the warmth and amicable tempreature of a concert hall or recording studio.

Brass instruments are also affected by temperature, but in a marching band whether or not you're in tune matters less. Marching bands are all about the drums and loudness of the sound.

[slowtyper]

Big difference? Hahaha.

They exactly the same thing. Sure the reasons might be different, but both were done to create the "perfect" performance. The audience was essentiallly lied to in both performances. If you're gonna whine and ***** about one, then at least be consistent and ***** about the other.

Jeeze you are dense. You already admit that the reasons were different. That reason was why people were upset. people were not upset just because the performance was synced, they were upset because thats a pretty ****** thing to do to a little girl because she wasn't cute enough.

[chrza]

Is this supposed to be news? I'm an amateur violinist and the second I the saw the performance I knew it was fake. It's impossible to play a string instrument outdoors in that temperature. The reason they played pre-recorded music is because it's NOT POSSIBLE to play live music under those conditions.

+1 We already know that Yoyo Ma is good, lol, so it's not like you can hold it against him.

[Squiggles]

I hear they did this because the Yo-Yo Ma that originally played the piece was not good looking enough to be on television, so he was replaced by a more physically attractive Yo-Yo Ma for the actual ceremony.

[hightech]

I'm not suprised.. look how they bumbled up the oath! Couldn't even get 35 words in order.

Obama didn't make the mistake on the oath.. the judge did.

[BornRuff]

I hear they did this because the Yo-Yo Ma that originally played the piece was not good looking enough to be on television, so he was replaced by a more physically attractive Yo-Yo Ma for the actual ceremony.

Initial reports suggest that while the Yo Yo Ma that appeared at the inauguration appeared similar to his usual performance stand in here.....

http://www.regmemphis.com/siteart/entertainers/pic1_14.jpg

THIS is the real Yo Yo Ma

http://www.porkbelly.net/azupload/uploads/Kutt/ugly206.jpg

Obama claimed that having the real Yo Yo Ma show up at the ceremony would be bad for national unity, but I think the real Ma is ballin.

[teknoluv]

Since the threads have now been merged, let me shed some light on the "other" (Kommander_KornFlakes') repost.

This Yo-Yo Ma farce should remind us NOT of the pretty/not-so-pretty Olympic girls BUT the firework playback during the opening ceremony. What was done wrong in both this U.S. and the Chinese events is that some production gurus decided that it's better to let us watch a hi-fi recreation than the truthful historical moment. Fireworks were shot, music was played ANYWAY, it's US (we, the people) who were deprived of experiencing the reality.

The people are not stupid. We can understand that live performance *could* be less than perfect. Why make us all fools?! Aretha Franklin did not sing that well either; it was cold, and she is not a robot, and that's fine! People still love her performance.

We already have too much pre-recorded components in many concerts. Voice your discontent, or we'll lose the real music forever. Remeber! This is the Entertainment section.

[pintobean]

This is a mostly unrelated story, but I figured I'd tell it anyways, since it may have some relevance here...

Back when I was in highschool, our concert band went on a European tour to Italy. When we were in the city of Verona, we were invited to watch a performance of the opera "Aida" at the city's famous outdoor amphitheatre (the Arena di Verona).

About 10 minutes before the show started, an announcement was made that some of the professional musicians were refusing to perform because it was windy and humid and they were worried that their instruments would get damaged. It was explained to us that some of the instruments being used by the musicians were worth tens of thousands of dollars. The announcement basically warned us that the music wouldn't be very good with so many musicians missing, and the producers apologized for that. I remember one of the girls in our group asked our tour guide why they wouldn't just use a recording, and he said that it would be considered blasphemy to defraud the audience in such a way. He said that people go to see live events for a reason...otherwise they could just stay home and watch the performance on TV and listen to previously recorded audio.

Anyways, the show started, and it was pretty obvious to us musicians that the orchestra was performing shorthanded. Nevertheless, we were still able to appreciate the show.

Then with about 20 minutes to go until the end of the opera, it suddenly started to drizzle :eek: The ensuing scene in the orchestra pit was hilariously comedic. The remaining musicians literally began running away with their instruments tucked under their jackets and vests. Music stands were getting knocked over as people with large instruments like baritones and tubas tried to shield their prized possessions from the raindrops and escape to the dryness backstage. The conductor stayed out and continued conducting until the last of the musicians stopped playing, and then he also disappeared backstage. Through all of this commotion, the stage actors continued to sing and completely ignored what was going on a few feet in front of them.

By the end of the show, there was absolutely no music at all! It was a very interesting experience and I am certain that most people in the audience had developed a new-found appreciation for the professional musicians and stage actors.

My point is that I while I can totally understand why people like Yo-Yo Ma did not want to perform live, it probably would have earned him and the other musicians more respect if they had tried to play through the bad weather and the broadcasters had been instructed to make an announcement to the viewers that the musical pieces may not sound totally "professional" due to the utterly cold temperatures.

[neilson]

This is a mostly unrelated story, but I figured I'd tell it anyways, since it may have some relevance here...

Back when I was in highschool, our concert band went on a European tour to Italy. When we were in the city of Verona, we were invited to watch a performance of the opera "Aida" at the city's famous outdoor amphitheatre (the Arena di Verona).

About 10 minutes before the show started, an announcement was made that some of the professional musicians were refusing to perform because it was windy and humid and they were worried that their instruments would get damaged. It was explained to us that some of the instruments being used by the musicians were worth tens of thousands of dollars. The announcement basically warned us that the music wouldn't be very good with so many musicians missing, and the producers apologized for that. I remember one of the girls in our group asked our tour guide why they wouldn't just use a recording, and he said that it would be considered blasphemy to defraud the audience in such a way. He said that people go to see live events for a reason...otherwise they could just stay home and watch the performance on TV and listen to previously recorded audio.

Anyways, the show started, and it was pretty obvious to us musicians that the orchestra was performing shorthanded. Nevertheless, we were still able to appreciate the show.

Then with about 20 minutes to go until the end of the opera, it suddenly started to drizzle :eek: The ensuing scene in the orchestra pit was hilariously comedic. The remaining musicians literally began running away with their instruments tucked under their jackets and vests. Music stands were getting knocked over as people with large instruments like baritones and tubas tried to shield their prized possessions from the raindrops and escape to the dryness backstage. The conductor stayed out and continued conducting until the last of the musicians stopped playing, and then he also disappeared backstage. Through all of this commotion, the stage actors continued to sing and completely ignored what was going on a few feet in front of them.

By the end of the show, there was absolutely no music at all! It was a very interesting experience and I am certain that most people in the audience had developed a new-found appreciation for the professional musicians and stage actors.

My point is that I while I can totally understand why people like Yo-Yo Ma did not want to perform live, it probably would have earned him and the other musicians more respect if they had tried to play through the bad weather and the broadcasters had been instructed to make an announcement to the viewers that the musical pieces may not sound totally "professional" due to the utterly cold temperatures.
I guess it's just like Milli Vanilli lip sync'd, "Blame it on the Rain". Gotta blame it on something.