Quartet played inauguration to taped music:
Whether you loved or hated the classical music played at President Barack Obama's inauguration, what you heard was a recording made two days earlier unless you were sitting within earshot of the celebrated performers.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill made the decision a day before Tuesday's inauguration after a sound check 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.
While watching, I sortof suspected something wasn't right about that performance, but I put it down to video/audio sync issues (of which there were plenty). Shoulda gone with my gut.
I wondered how they kept those instruments in tune in that weather, now I know: they didn’t.
the ABC announcers were talking about how Yo-Yo Ma was going to use a special carbon fiber cello because of the cold. well, it looked like a standard wooden cello to me. and i guess it was.
“Whether you loved or hated the classical music . . .”
Loved it.
Surprisingly so.
Thought it was a great composition and fit the mood of the day.
Ma looked like he was having a lot of fun.
yeah, he really did.
i guess it takes a lot of the pressure off, knowing you’re not really playing for hundreds of millions of people.
Heh, just noticed you linked in the golden bounty sidebar to my comment at Unfogged on what should have happened to Bush at the inauguration. I think I had a few drinks in me.
it was a thing of beauty. i can just see Lincoln coming to life like some kind of cold stone Transformer and takin care of business. a fucking rock golem of Justice.
OT – I’m finally making my way through BSG Season 4.0 and, wow, didn’t expect the whole blown out the airlock thing for that character.
yeah, that was a good episode.