‘Milli Vanilli moment’ at inauguration causes flap

NEW YORK – To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, here we go again.

The revelation that millions of people who saw the inauguration of President Barack Obama were actually listening to recorded music instead of the actual performance of the Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman-led quartet has led to comparisons of lip-synching (though, in this case, might the correct term be hand-synching?) and drawn comparisons to other infamous cases, including Ashlee Simpson’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ debacle and perhaps music’s most famous pantomimes, Milli Vanilli.
But Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, says she doesn’t understand what the fuss is all about.
‘I think this is a whole lot of nothin’,’ she said on Friday. ‘These are world-class performers who are playing in 19 degree weather and the technical requirements of their instruments made it impossible for them to have their music amplified and know that it would be in tune. So they made, what I think, was probably a difficult decision to play to tape.’
Cellist Ma, violinist Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and Metropolitan Opera clarinet player Anthony McGill performed ‘Air and Simple Gifts’, a piece arranged by Oscar-winning composer John Williams.
Montero was wearing gloves, but the rest of the quartet played their instruments barehanded in the frigid 28-degree weather.
Florman said they were indeed playing their instruments and not miming their moves. But those who saw the event did not hear that, but the recorded track.
He said everyone performing at the inauguration, from Aretha Franklin to the US Marine Band, recorded a version of their performance as a precautionary measure, typical for such events. But Franklin sang ‘My Country, ‘Tis of Thee’ live, and the band also performed live.
Florman said when Obama made his request for the quartet, because of the delicacy of the instruments and the size of the grand piano, there was some consideration given to having the quartet play at the Capitol and have their performance beamed to the world.
‘Everyone agreed that they needed to perform someplace so (Obama) could actually watch the performance,’ she said. ‘But obviously the drawback is that they’re out in the elements.’
The idea that the quartet’s music was not heard live may be heresy to some in classical music – the late Luciano Pavarotti caused a stir when it was discovered he lip-synched on one occasion. But while it may not be as widely publicised as when a pop star lip-synchs, it does happen.
Even in good conditions, getting good sound in an open-air stadium, or sometimes even a domed arena, is difficult.
Some artists choose to lip-synch – Whitney Houston’s memorable performance of the national anthem in 1991 at the Super Bowl was sung to a track.
But for this year’s Super Bowl, which features Bruce Springsteen as the half-time performer, don’t expect any lip-synching from the Boss. – Nampa-AP