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Inauguration Fakers: Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma should be ashamed of themselves

Lip syncing, playing to tape or just plain faking a musical performance is never okay.

A professional NFL football player is paid a salary to play football on Sunday afternoons. Often, these players become celebrities — even to the point some fans attend hometown games to see a rival team’s stars sign autographs in the parking lot after a game. But at the end of the day, if the football player was paid just to show up and go through the motions of playing football without actually playing, I think the nation would erupt in anger.

In a culture where Americans are becoming increasingly lax in their understanding and appreciation of “good” music (e.g., the primetime American Idol karaoke television program), I commended President Obama’s choice in having Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma perform John Williams’ “Air and Simple Gifts”. BUT, the decision not to amplify the instruments — due to the cold weather affecting their tone and tuning — and simply rely on a taped recording to trick the millions of people watching was both unfortunate and unwise.

Itzhak Perlman told the New York Times, “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.”

I absolutely disagree. This was an orchestrated fraud (pun intended) on the day the nation was to come together under a new administration built on intangible concepts of Hope and Change. But this is no change. Really no different than Milli Vanilli’s Grammy, Ashley Simpson on Saturday Night Live, every musical float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

The real slip-up was choosing musicians who can’t play their instruments in cold weather – IN JANUARY.

It’s pathetic, and America should be ashamed of not only Perlman, Ma and inaugural organizers who didn’t think we would notice or care, but a laissez-faire attitude in the general public that teaches our children that faking it when it’s cold is the new Presidential Way.

Posted 24 Jan 2009 by Greg Swan in Music - News

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  • http://www.wikipedia.com Eric S.

    Ok, look. When a stringed instrument, or any instrument really, gets cold, it goes out of tune. When it warms up, it goes out of tune. And tuning an instrument takes time. The point was that these musicians came together to create some beautiful music, which they did. So they didn’t play it live. So what? Does that decrease the value of the music, or its beauty? Does that make them lesser musicians? Not at all! It makes them people who realize that a recording of their playing will bring greater pleasure to the millions watching, as their song won’t be out of tune from the cold.

    Honestly, at the end of the day, does it even matter? We heard some amazing musicians playing beautiful music. Who cares if it was live?

  • http://www.perfectporridge.com Perfect Porridge

    Does that decrease the value of the music, or its beauty? Does that make them lesser musicians? Yes and definitely yes.

    They shouldn’t have bothered scheduling stringed instrument players to play in January if they couldn’t actually perform.

    What if you learned Obama’s inauguration speech was pre-recorded because he had a cold and lost his voice that day? It was him talking on the tape, so would it really matter that he faked the speech the day of? Yes, it would matter, just like this should matter.

  • http://rogerflyer.com roger flyer

    You obviously have never played a stringed instrument in the cold. It’s hard to say who wold be more miserable–the musicians or the audience.

  • http://www.wikipedia.com Eric S.

    No instrument can ‘actually perform’ outside in January if it’s that cold outside. I do think they should’ve maybe told networks ahead of time, or possibly made an announcement, but the inauguration would be a lesser even without that beautiful piece of music.

  • http://www.perfectporridge.com Perfect Porridge

    The miltary bands played their instruments. The trumpet fanfare was played on actual trumpets. Even Aretha Franklin sang “live,” although it was hardly enjoable. But hey, at least it was “real.” You’re both advocating fraud as a preferred course of action, which puzzles me and further causes me to doubt the better judgement of the American people when it comes to musical consumption.

  • http://www.wikipedia.com Eric S.

    I would see it as fraud if they were finger-sync’d with a recording they hadn’t made. A recording they were unable to actually play. Since they could actually play the music that was recorded if it hadn’t been freezing cold outside.

    The trumpet fanfare was played on actual trumpets, yes. But it wasn’t as long, as complicated, and its not as hard to keep a trumpet in tune in the cold; just blow hot air through it.

    Aretha Franklin sang live; cold air doesn’t really affect the strings in your throat, just the ones on instruments.

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  • http://weblog.timoregan.com/ Vemrion

    The solution to this: Space heaters and cheap violins!

    Don’t bring the Stradivarius, and leave the live violin/cello out in the cold (actually, semi-heated area with space heaters; use plexiglass to contain the heat and amplify the sound) so it’s not going through any massive temperature shifts then tune it and keep it that temp. Slowly introduce it to heat after the performance.

    Also, American Idol proves people don’t care about being in tune anyway!

  • Heather

    Ok I can see everyone’s point on this issue. But until you have performed in front of millions of people, I dont think anyone has the right to comment. This was a massive moment in American history and the event producers were trying to ensure a flawless show. Being a professional who has put on many event, you cover your butt. Does that make it right — not necessarily but I can understand the justification.

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  • Will

    This article is just sad. The author clearly does not understand that most classical instruments get terribly out of tune when introduced to cold weather. Not even Yo-Yo Ma or Itzahk Perlman can accomodate for that in the middle of a piece. And just so you know, the peformers actually did play the piece, but a previous recording was piped out of the speakers instead of the live performance. The performers did not “fake it”.

  • Will

    This article is just sad. The author clearly does not understand that most classical instruments get terribly out of tune when introduced to cold weather. Not even Yo-Yo Ma or Itzahk Perlman can accomodate for that in the middle of a piece. And just so you know, the peformers actually did play the piece, but a previous recording was piped out of the speakers instead of the live performance. The performers did not “fake it”.

    • Kent

      Great article. The performers “faked it” plain and simple. Playing a tape is much different than performing live. Imagine if Tiger Woods, before a critical masters putt, had the luxury of playing a tape of a putt made in a practice round. Most frustrating is the lack of transparency. I, like millions of people watching, was deceived. They should have announced the playing of the recording. If this did not suit them, don't take the gig. Cold weather in January is hardly are rare occurrence.

  • Kent

    Great article. The performers “faked it” plain and simple. Playing a tape is much different than performing live. Imagine if Tiger Woods, before a critical masters putt, had the luxury of playing a tape of a putt made in a practice round. Most frustrating is the lack of transparency. I, like millions of people watching, was deceived. They should have announced the playing of the recording. If this did not suit them, don't take the gig. Cold weather in January is hardly are rare occurrence.

  • nic

    Itzak Perlman and YoYo Ma are already great musicians. The reason they didn't play live because the instruments might actually break in that cold weather. So do you want to see, a million dollar violin and cello break right in front of the millions of people in the one of the most important day of the century? Imagine, if those instruments broke, what would people say about the inauguration? That was a very important day and there should be no mistakes. They are being professional and smart, knowing what is the best to do in that situation. Furthermore, if you don't know, violins and cellos are made of wood, i guess, the strings that Perlman and Ma are using are gut strings from sheep. Violinists clearly know that gut strings are the most hard strings to keep in tune (gut strings sound the best) and break easily, even normal wear and tear, they only lasts for a couple of months. Trumpets and other brass instruments are made of metal, and NOT wood, so which do you think would break first, wood or metal? Of course, its wood. So their decision was the best solution to the dilemma. Also, they were the ones who recorded it, it is not as if it was not them who played the music. OK, there should be no discussions about this anymore because playing live in that occasion is really a dumb thing to do (for string instrumentalists). PERIOD.

  • nic

    Itzak Perlman and YoYo Ma are already great musicians. The reason they didn't play live because the instruments might actually break in that cold weather. So do you want to see, a million dollar violin and cello break right in front of the millions of people in the one of the most important day of the century? Imagine, if those instruments broke, what would people say about the inauguration? That was a very important day and there should be no mistakes. They are being professional and smart, knowing what is the best to do in that situation. Furthermore, if you don't know, violins and cellos are made of wood, i guess, the strings that Perlman and Ma are using are gut strings from sheep. Violinists clearly know that gut strings are the most hard strings to keep in tune (gut strings sound the best) and break easily, even normal wear and tear, they only lasts for a couple of months. Trumpets and other brass instruments are made of metal, and NOT wood, so which do you think would break first, wood or metal? Of course, its wood. So their decision was the best solution to the dilemma. Also, they were the ones who recorded it, it is not as if it was not them who played the music. OK, there should be no discussions about this anymore because playing live in that occasion is really a dumb thing to do (for string instrumentalists). PERIOD.

    • nic

      Furthermore, if you also don't know, because apparently you don't understand instruments like the violin, Perlman's and Ma's instruments are Stradivarius. Well, research Stradivarius because its long to explain them, but overall, Stradivarius instruments are one of the best made instruments in the world. You know how old are they? They are about as old as the United States itself, maybe even older than the first US president who also was inaugurated. The violin of Perlman and cello of Ma are even older than the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, etc. that are secured in a glass vault in the National Archives to make sure that air do not go in to them because guess what, THOSE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS WOULD BREAK in that weather; same as THOSE PRICELESS INSTRUMENTS. Again, playing live with those instruments is dumb.

      • http://www.perfectporridge.com/ Greg Swan

        So why bother if you have to fake it? You didn't justify why they
        should mislead, just why instruments are fragile. It's a moral issue.

  • nic

    Furthermore, if you also don't know, because apparently you don't understand instruments like the violin, Perlman's and Ma's instruments are Stradivarius. Well, research Stradivarius because its long to explain them, but overall, Stradivarius instruments are one of the best made instruments in the world. You know how old are they? They are about as old as the United States itself, maybe even older than the first US president who also was inaugurated. The violin of Perlman and cello of Ma are even older than the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, etc. that are secured in a glass vault in the National Archives to make sure that air do not go in to them because guess what, THOSE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS WOULD BREAK in that weather; same as THOSE PRICELESS INSTRUMENTS. Again, playing live with those instruments is dumb.

  • http://www.perfectporridge.com/ Greg Swan

    So why bother if you have to fake it? You didn't justify why they
    should mislead, just why instruments are fragile. It's a moral issue.

  • nic

    Itzak Perlman and YoYo Ma are already great musicians. The reason they didn’t play live because the instruments might actually break in that cold weather. So do you want to see, a million dollar violin and cello break right in front of the millions of people in the one of the most important day of the century? Imagine, if those instruments broke, what would people say about the inauguration? That was a very important day and there should be no mistakes. They are being professional and smart, knowing what is the best to do in that situation. Furthermore, if you don’t know, violins and cellos are made of wood, i guess, the strings that Perlman and Ma are using are gut strings from sheep. Violinists clearly know that gut strings are the most hard strings to keep in tune (gut strings sound the best) and break easily, even normal wear and tear, they only lasts for a couple of months. Trumpets and other brass instruments are made of metal, and NOT wood, so which do you think would break first, wood or metal? Of course, its wood. So their decision was the best solution to the dilemma. Also, they were the ones who recorded it, it is not as if it was not them who played the music. OK, there should be no discussions about this anymore because playing live in that occasion is really a dumb thing to do (for string instrumentalists). PERIOD.

  • nic

    Furthermore, if you also don’t know, because apparently you don’t understand instruments like the violin, Perlman’s and Ma’s instruments are Stradivarius. Well, research Stradivarius because its long to explain them, but overall, Stradivarius instruments are one of the best made instruments in the world. You know how old are they? They are about as old as the United States itself, maybe even older than the first US president who also was inaugurated. The violin of Perlman and cello of Ma are even older than the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, etc. that are secured in a glass vault in the National Archives to make sure that air do not go in to them because guess what, THOSE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS WOULD BREAK in that weather; same as THOSE PRICELESS INSTRUMENTS. Again, playing live with those instruments is dumb.

  • http://www.perfectporridge.com/ Greg Swan

    So why bother if you have to fake it? You didn’t justify why theyrnshould mislead, just why instruments are fragile. It’s a moral issue.