YellowVest Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I mean this is getting just stupid. First Beijing's faked singing, now this. Faking singing is not too big, but a whole orchestra? This is a mammoth embarrassment for the IOC. And they probably knew about it all along and wouldn't tell anybody. We'll see how much of Vancouver's show is faked, including TV faking a huge Flame inside BC Place: Sydney orchestra faked 2000 Olympics performance Updated Fri. Aug. 29 2008 8:34 AM ET The Associated Press SYDNEY, Australia -- China isn't the only country to fake a musical performance during an Olympic opening ceremony. Turns out Australia knows a thing about miming music, too. Eight years after Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, officials with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra acknowledged their stirring performance at the opening ceremony was entirely prerecorded. And perhaps even more cringe-inducing for Sydney residents: some of the music was recorded by the symphony of rival city Melbourne. The revelation followed an international uproar over China's decision to pass off the voice of a 7-year-old singer as that of another girl at this year's Olympic opening ceremony. The Beijing ceremony's chief music director said the real singer, Yang Peiyi, wasn't good looking enough. So the pigtailed and perky Lin Miaoke mouthed the words to "Ode to the Motherland" instead at the ceremony. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra managing director Trevor Green confirmed on Friday that the 2000 opening ceremony performance had been prerecorded by both the Sydney and Melbourne orchestras, saying that steps must be taken to ensure mistakes aren't made live during high-profile events. "If you've got an event the size of the Olympics, and you've got billions and billions of people watching it, you definitely have a backing track and mime to it, because anything could go wrong," Green said. "It's just a 'safety first' thing. ... You cannot take the risk." The Sydney orchestra's decision to call on Melbourne for help was not surprising, given the workload, Green added. "It was just too much for one orchestra," he said. "We share artists all the time and conductors all the time." Sydney Symphony Orchestra managing director Libby Christie did not return a call seeking comment Friday, but earlier this week acknowledged the performance had been mimed. "It was all prerecorded and the MSO (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) did record a minority of the music that was performed," Christie told The Sydney Morning Herald for a story published Tuesday. "It's correct that we were basically miming to a pre-recording." Christie said tight deadlines and a "mountainous workload" required the use of two orchestras for the backing tape. Yvonne Zammit, a Sydney symphony spokeswoman, said Friday that Christie stood by her earlier comments. Christie said the Sydney orchestra rarely used recordings in place of live performances, but did so during the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Sydney. Green said his orchestra had also used a backing track at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowVest Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...b=Entertainment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceNarcissus Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 This thread is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY OFF TOPIC buddy. Somebody please move it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowVest Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Move it where? Are we not hosting the Olympics next and supposedly putting on a "big show"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I just find it utterly shocking. Shocking that people are shocked by such things. Olympic Ceremonies are seen worldwide and you only get one shot at them. So I totally understand the need to get it right, or at least present it right. Mistakes happen. The Gov General of Australia almost mispronounced Sydney and then slammed his microphones together. The final torch bearer in Cortina 1956 tripped on a TV cable and fell down. There was a streaker at the closing of the Montreal Games. And then we have the Seoul doves. You don't want orchestras performing off key, singers forgetting the words, or other problems that can be easily controlled when that many people are paying attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Torch Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.x Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Why the hell is this topic even doing here? And so what???? Who the hell even cares! It was 8 fricking years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingspread Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 SSO did a marvelous job at faking it. And the way the conductor did her thing, especially during the national anthem segment? Epic. One of the things I don't like about the Beijing OC is that the lip-syncing sucked. I have nothing against faking it, as long as performers do it well. And I agree, this is off-topic. This was also previously posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA84 Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 I just find it utterly shocking.Shocking that people are shocked by such things. Olympic Ceremonies are seen worldwide and you only get one shot at them. So I totally understand the need to get it right, or at least present it right. Mistakes happen. The Gov General of Australia almost mispronounced Sydney and then slammed his microphones together. The final torch bearer in Cortina 1956 tripped on a TV cable and fell down. There was a streaker at the closing of the Montreal Games. And then we have the Seoul doves. You don't want orchestras performing off key, singers forgetting the words, or other problems that can be easily controlled when that many people are paying attention. I would be surprised if ANY orchestra from Los Angeles forward actually were playing. That ceremony always looked sketchy to me as I used to be in an orchestra. Continuing the tradition of gaffes - that poor Govoner General in 1988 messing up, Reagan messing up, the BIG messup in '56 with how much tnt they put in Ron Clarke's torch. Stuff happens in ceremonies. Heck in Bejing did you notice how the cable dropped and Li Ning kinda freaked right before he started his run? Live is rarely picture perfect. So stuff happens to enhance them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Continuing the tradition of gaffes - that poor Govoner General in 1988 messing up, Reagan messing up, the BIG messup in '56 with how much tnt they put in Ron Clarke's torch. Stuff happens in ceremonies. Heck in Bejing did you notice how the cable dropped and Li Ning kinda freaked right before he started his run? Live is rarely picture perfect. So stuff happens to enhance them. In addition, for the HUGE stadia -- and if they have sound directors who know their job, yes, they mix the live orchestral music WITH previously recorded tracks so the 'live' audience gets a good balance of the music in structures which are NOT built for symphonic music. What's the point of having 80,000 people if you're not going to present as professional a show (even with a few accepted industry 'tricks') as you can? What I wonder about are the orchestras in the outdoor Winter Ceremonies? Don't the lips and fingers of the musicians freeze in that night winter air? So, which is why things as 'prerecorded music' comes into play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA84 Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 In addition, for the HUGE stadia -- and if they have sound directors who know their job, yes, they mix the live orchestral music WITH previously recorded tracks so the 'live' audience gets a good balance of the music in structures which are NOT built for symphonic music. What's the point of having 80,000 people if you're not going to present as professional a show (even with a few accepted industry 'tricks') as you can?What I wonder about are the orchestras in the outdoor Winter Ceremonies? Don't the lips and fingers of the musicians freeze in that night winter air? So, which is why things as 'prerecorded music' comes into play. A good question. I recall, in my youth, having to play out in the cold in November - not nearly as bad as during a February Olympics. Never as crisp, my spit valve would gurgle and I couldn't get it all out, the woodwinds had a horrible time with their reeds, the trombonist, trumpet players and French Horn musicians (Well - the French Horns are high strung in the first place ) were having lip problems, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.x Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Live is rarely picture perfect. So stuff happens to enhance them. lol actually, we didn't see that on CBC....i think it was on NBC or maybe TVB that i saw that, must've been horrifying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Winter Olympics...great point! I recall reading an article years ago about Calgary after the "trumpets have sounded and the drums have stilled" that the music was all prerecorded so that wet lips wouldn't freeze to cold brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Winter Olympics...great point! I recall reading an article years ago about Calgary after the "trumpets have sounded and the drums have stilled" that the music was all prerecorded so that wet lips wouldn't freeze to cold brass. Exactly. THE MUSIC MAN didn't sell his band instruments and uniforms for winter use!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA84 Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 (edited) lol actually, we didn't see that on CBC....i think it was on NBC or maybe TVB that i saw that, must've been horrifying. It had to be on CBC - it was right when they raised him to the top - they held him for a second and then there was a slight drop and he kinda freaked a little. I guess I find this whole "fakery" argument amusing for the same reason I really haven't cared for the opening ceremonies since '88 and Lillehammer which from that point back, there was no electronic wizadry, and everything was performed by people with no computer aid. Much more real and spirited IMHO Edited August 30, 2008 by LA84 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfm Jeremie Posted August 30, 2008 Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 Good lord. Hope someone has notified the IOC and filled in an official request for Sydney to be stripped of its "Best Ever" evaluation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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