Yo-Yo Ma Sorta Pulled an Asslee Simpson at the Inauguration
Pop tarts aren't the only ones who rely on pre-recorded audio for performances!
The superstar quartet comprised of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill reportsused a previously recorded audio tape for the broadcast of Barack Obama's inauguration ceremonies.
A mouthpiece for the inauguration committee said the weather was to blame. Uh huh!
"They were very insistent on playing live until it became clear that it would be too cold," says the rep/
Apparently, instruments don't totally stay on tune in the chilly weather.
But, people sitting up close apparently heard the musicians play, but their instruments weren't amplified.
Violinist Perlman told a reporter, "It would have been a disaster if we had done it any other way. This occasion's got to be perfect. You can't have any slip-ups."
However, the Marine Band did indeed perform live, said the inauguration committee PR person.
Guess brass instruments do better in cold weather?
[Image via AP.]
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yesssss brass instruments stay much better in tune in the cold. i'm a violinist, and i would NOT play my instrument outside when it's cold.
I'm a string player and normally I would refuse outright to play outside if it's too cold and/or too hot. In cold weather the wood of the instrument can actually freeze and crack, and in heat the varnish and glue can melt and/or evaporate. Playing a brass instrument in the cold sucks, but it's still doable (ie your instrument won't self destruct itself).
Re: mykatya – I knew it ! I was down on the mall for the inauguration and kept thinking, "they can't be playing the better instruments they own . . . to much of a risk." Thanks - you confirmed my suspicions !
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I was there, it was beautiful - and that's all anyone cared about.
Typical…the deception has begun….and Duh they f'ed up the oath….abortions for the world and free terrorists….NICE ENJOY your Obamanation!
Actually, yeah, brass instruments do better in cold weather. Woodwind/string instruments don't do so well.
Don't make smart ass and ignorant comments about things you ovbioulsy know nothing about. ALL of those instruments would have been SEVERELY distressed had they've been played. You really need think before you write things. If you know nothing about classical music or the intruments then do a little research before you make stupid comments.
Have you ever in your life play a violin or even seen one you brainless idiot?
All instruments go extremely out of tune in both cold and hot weather.
You need to go your research before you slam peoples P.
String instruments are sensitive, Perez.
I was wondering about that. There's no way strings could have stayed tuned in that cold. The music was gorgeous anyway.
i play violin and its true the thing wont stay in tune when its cold. even when its a little chilly in the house. it doesn't have to be that cold. but the strings don't break. the pegs shrink and loosen the strings so the string gets too lax and wont vibrate.
Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma were not playing on their usual instruments. I have also heard that they were not even wood, but I'm not sure if that is true or not. Anthony McGill did however use his Backun barrel and bell, which is ULTRA sensitive to cold/hot weather….I have a feeling he was doing some advertising.
My clarinet cracked once when I played outdoors in 30 degree weather. It was not pleasant.
Really? You are so uninformed and unable to Google simple information? Wow. Unbelievable. String instruments are very sensitive to the weather. Google it.
Actually the Clarinet is in much greater danger of cracking than the string instruments due to having large amounts of metal attached to the wood, and they both expand and contract at varying rates. I had my oboe and english horn both crack after being left in an apartment that got down to only 50 degrees.
And also, even if the weather was perfect, amplification of the instruments using pickups never sounds as good as hearing the instruments properly recorded.
Brass is pretty forgiving when it comes to temperature. Also, being the President's Own Marine Band doesn't really give you a choice whether you play for the inauguration or not. And I'm sure they have a set of lesser quality instruments just for these type situations. Yo-Yo Ma and Perlman deserve to be heard on their real (million dollar) instruments, not the ones that were brought out in that weather
uhhh it was like 10 degrees that day. wood doth not agree with that temperature. metal does. although i bet it burnt the shit off the poor bastards who had to play them's mouths…
My local radio station reported this b/4 you… that's bad.
wood warps in cold weather, so wooden instruments become terribly out of tune as both the wood and strings reacts to cold or damp environments, it's very understandable why a pre-recorded song was amplified, and at least his recordings are showcasing his actual talent, not studio-altered pop shit!
Fake music, flubbed inaugural swearing in looks like Messiah Hussein is getting off to a rough start. Nothing like a fraudulent administration to start screwing things up right off the bat!
UNLIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN, WHO ACTUALLY SANG! MAYBE NOT AS GOOD AS WHEN SHE SANG AT MARTIN LUTHER JR.'S FUNERAL IN 1968, BUT THEN SHE'S NEARLY 70-YEARS-OLD! STOP SLAMMING HER, AND LEARN A FEW THINGS ABOUT HISTORY AND ABOUT MUSIC AND ABOUT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING THE HUMAN VOICE!
Hey Perez, I'm a classical violinist, so I'll let you know that this is a valid excuse (even though it kinda sucks!!)
String instruments are more sensitive to temperature changes than brass instruments, because even the slightest change in temperature can cause the wood of the violin to warp slightly, which makes the strings to become flat or sharp. Brass instruments, however, can withstand the cold much better than stringed instruments, seeing as how they are made out of metal instead of wood. That's why you don't see violinists in the marching band.
Love you boo, keep up the great work!
xox
Ella
Re: mandabanana –
Yeah, I too have to resort to name calling when people are smarter than I am.
Clarinets are known to be very out of tuned, and sound very awful out of tuned. I don't blame them.
it's "in tune" you idiot.
yes, the marine band definitely sounded live.
Oh Mario….I wish you'd never posted this. As you can see from the 100 or so comments, stringed instruments will snap and die in cold weather. I can bet you my weight in gold that all of them weren't playing their usual instruments. My friend, you are usually spot on, but this time, you really missed the mark.
God Perez, you should get over yourself.
You don't know anything about the conditions of instruments under extreme weather, so stop bitching about it.
And by the way, your spelling is slipping heaps, just thought you should know.
The difference between Asslee and Yo-Yo Ma is that one is a musician who CAN perform live if necessary and the other is a talentless, overindulged child who hasn't heard the word "NO" enough.
Yes, metal instruments do fare WAY better in cold weather as opposed to string instruments. I play the flute and the violin, and while neither are good to have in cold weather, the wood of a hollow string instrument (such as a cello, violin, viola, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar) can get warped or shrink in cold or really dry weather. Brass instruments don't shrink or warp due to the weather as much. I've actually found its easier to play my flute in cold weather, I can get the high notes out better. Do a little research before you start bashing three of the worlds best classical musicians please.
Fake musicians playing for a fake president.
Re: sticktocelebritynewsidiot –
That might make sense if Obama had been lip-syncing his inauguration speech. 'Cause turns out… Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Itzhak Perlman, and Gabriela Montero are all real musicians. By your logic… Obama is a real president! Yay!
yo perez, why do I get the feeling that somehow you're a closet racist? for some reason, you seem to have got something against Asians. For all that passion you have standing up for Gay Rights and the Latino-American cause, you seem to have double standards when it comes to your own perspective of the world.
Wow, you've got a lot of classically trained instrumentalists on your hands, Perez.
I played the violin, and I know cold weather is bad for string instruments - they can go out of tune quickly because of the expanding and contracting, but I don't know that much about it.
I'm sure Yo Yo Ma would have played live if he could, though.