Heya,
Just curious if any of you C&Fipplers have run into a store or online distributer that has Michael Flatley’s old solo flute album. Production of it was stopped some time ago, as its over 15 years old by now. Or do any of ye have it and be willing to lend it or a copy of it to a fellow WHOA sufferer?
Michael Flatley plays flute?
The interactive Michael Flatley Flute CD: He doesn’t let any other musicians solo except himself, and at the end he begs you to let him do numerous identical encores. And if your neighborhood bully/spouse breaks one of your whistles, he miraculously repairs it for you. (:
Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I didn’t know he played flute, either. Is he good?
Yes, he does, and did in “Lord of the Dance” and also in the subsequent “Feet of Fire.” His playing is of very high quality.
He was also a Golden-Gloves boxer in another part of his life, which is where some of the more pugilistic parts of his choreography probably come from.
I know that it’s fashionable to poke fun at Flatley, but no-one dances like he can. He and Maria Pages did a pas-de-deux at the end of her firedance routine in “Riverdance” that was just blistering. When he left, they replaced him with six ( 6 ) guys, and she ate them all alive right there on stage. I watched her do it.
I saw Flatley in “Lord of the Dance” at the Rosemont, in Rosemont, the city where he grew up, and it must have been really sweet for him to return to the place where he had once worked as a Roto-Rooter man and take the place by storm.
I don’t remember Flatley playing flute in “Lord of the Dance,” but he did in Feet of Flames (LOTD on steroids).
For all his egotism ( remember checking the LOTD site and it was all pictures of him with the ladies and his sports car), he’s still just plain the best Irish dancer in the world. As far as I know he still holds the world record for fastest dancing. THAT we can’t take away from him.
I admire anyone who can coax notes from a flute: I can’t seem to manage the embouchure.
On 2001-07-24 11:20, fiddling_tenor wrote:
I don’t remember Flatley playing flute in “Lord of the Dance,” but he did in Feet of Flames (LOTD on steroids).
I can’t say that he did so in every performance of “Lord of the Dance,” but he did in the one my wife and I saw. My wife wasn’t convinced he was actually playing, but I’m a fifer and could see that his fingerings were on. I later read in some biographical material that he’s a concert flutist.
For all his egotism ( remember checking the LOTD site and it was all pictures of him with the ladies and his sports car), he’s still just plain the best Irish dancer in the world. As far as I know he still holds the world record for fastest dancing. THAT we can’t take away from him.
Most of my opinions are derived from interviews I’ve seen with him on TV, and – to me, at least – he doesn’t come across as the prima donna some have made him out to be. Further, he gives other people the stage in his productions, often and for extended periods. That’s inconsistent with egomania. I’m not challenging your perception of the “Lord of the Dance” site, just offering another perspective.
Remember that his departure from “Riverdance” doesn’t appear to have been on the best of terms, and some of the bad publicity may be no more than sour grapes. In my opinion, Flatley is the best ever in Celtic dance, and he must have some inkling of his own abilities or he never would have left Riverdance. I can’t criticize a man too much who appears to have an accurate opinion of his talent.
I remember watching the PBS broadcast of the early “Riverdance” when he made his first entrance and thinking to myself, “all right, Pretty Boy, have you got the stuff?” And, of course, he did. I had taped the show, and when it was done I re-wound it and watched it again. I’d never done that before.
You mentioned above that “Feet of Flames” is “Lord of the Dance” on steroids, which I agree with. Now compare “Lord of the Dance” with “Riverdance” …!
I admire anyone who can coax notes from a flute: I can’t seem to manage the embouchure.
As I said, I play the fife. I find a flute very difficult, believe it or not, because of the very fine embouchere I’ve trained myself to form for the fife. The flute requires a much larger embouchere and more wind. I can make a flute sound, but not like I can a fife.
I find that if I have been playing my pennywhistles that it takes me a while to get the fife going properly because the pennywhistle uses your mouth muscles so much differently.
Flatley’s recording “along came Flatley” (if I recall) is listed in the discography from Fintan Valleley’s Compaion to Irish Traditional Music. Sorry I can’t help with the release. Try Charlie and Mary Lou at Ossian USA to find out what is going on.
I was traveling a few months ago and was forced to watch an interview special with M.F. I must say he seemed way to down to earth to be the Flatley of his image. They showed him talking about playing the flute (he has Wooden Flute Acquisition Disorder; he more that I will ever be able to buy). They also showed his flute solo from FOF. His technique was very nice. He composed the tune for FOF, but it was a personal piece that was written (aside from the musical) and performed as a gift to his mother. His mother has a great appreciation for his flute playing. What do you know, Flatley is a human being.
I can say that his composition did not stand out to me. It felt canned and “celtic” as opposed to a piece from the tradition (either Irish or Scottish). I could not feel that the melody had come from a song that preceeded the instrumental piece.
Also, nobody can deny his speed and proficiency. However, just like traditional music that has moved into being played at speeds that are more commercial (and amazing). Dancing has gone the same route. If you can ever catch a performance of Patrick O’Dea, you will know what I mean.
Jack Coen is to Seamus Egan as
Patrick O’Dea is to Michael Flatley
(For the record I chose Jack and Seamus because I respect and enjoy their work, but sometimes prefer one over the other when the mood strikes me)
Yeah, I would say Micheal Flatley plays the flute, and he plays it reelly, reelly well. I should know. I just saw him live last Sunday. I am also an Irish Dancer, and M. F. is darn good at what he does. The only problem that I had with Feet of Flames was the strong sex appeal. A few of the dances looked more like pole dancing than Irish Step and one of the dances was called Strip Jig. But other than that it was great! So that’s my 2 cents.