# Olympics Music



## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm afraid that since they have become a Spectacle, I have probably watched more Olympic opening ceremonies than are good for me -- including that embarrassing one from Nagano in which CBS decided Americans were much too cretinous to be able to sit through the choral part of the ode To Joy that Ozawa conducted to climax the evening, so cut away to drivel.

So watching tonight, I was again struck by the endlessness of the Parade of Nations, and began to wonder about the backup orchestra, which played with pomp and excitement for 2 hours as athletes streamed in. Was it live? On tape? Was the music written out? Or like an organ processional written out in sections which were cycled through ad libertum? Or taped as an endless loop? And did the players have to go out drinking afterwards? Anyone know?


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

That I don't know, but I do know that good old John Williams composed the fanfare.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

I remember there was a performance of Tchaikovsky piano concerto in B flat minor in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

The music for this Olympics is not without controversy....see here for a sickening revelation.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/olympic-composer-cornelius-quits-over-abuse-of-disabled-children-jmdfh9mpc


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Apparently it was music from video games which are a big thing in Japan.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I loathe the ceremonial music - it's usually overblown rubbish with a little bit of gratuitous new-age/world hokum thrown in for good measure. I for one would be happier just to hear the national anthems of each country as they emerge from the tunnel.


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

elgars ghost said:


> I loathe the ceremonial music - it's usually overblown rubbish with a little bit of gratuitous new-age/world hokum thrown in for good measure. I for one would be happier just to hear the national anthems of each country as they emerge from the tunnel.


Most national anthems are rubbish too...


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Fabulin said:


> Most national anthems are rubbish too...


True, but at least most of them can be judiciously shortened...


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I heard this piece composed for the 2000 Sidney Summer games by New Zealand composer, John Psathas. I thought it was pretty darn good.

"View from Olympus"

It doesn't seem to have any of the pomp that most Olympic music has, but is quite exhilarating. I think it holds up very well on it's own, without the Olympic context.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

God that Olympic opening ceremony was absolute pish. *Hours* of mind-numbing tedium. Can't they just say "it's open" and get on with it? I can't be dealing with all that overblown nonsense.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Merl said:


> God that Olympic opening ceremony was absolute pish. *Hours* of mind-numbing tedium. Can't they just say "it's open" and get on with it? I can't be dealing with all that overblown nonsense.


I mostly agree, but it did have great piano solo by jazz-fusion phenom, Hiromi!

She is so good!

That made most of the boredom worth it for me.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

They should go back to this one -http://https://youtu.be/hRcx9gSlY9A?t=173


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## strawa (Apr 1, 2020)

If I remember correctly, at the opening of Athens, in 2004, they played the final movement of Mahler's Third Symphony while a centaur (?!) crossed the field. And the narrator on brazilian television said: "this song is by Gustav Marler, the title is... Lansam".


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

strawa said:


> If I remember correctly, at the opening of Athens, in 2004, they played the final movement of Mahler's Third Symphony while a centaur (?!) crossed the field. And the narrator on brazilian television said: "this song is by Gustav Marler, the title is... Lansam".


Latin American sports commentators are like classical music in temperament actually


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Know what you write about.

Such is the advice generally given to would-be authors in a writing course.

Perhaps the same should go for music.

Perhaps anyone who wants to write an Olympic hymn should first compete against the other would-be composers doing various of the Olympics events -- swimming/diving, speed skating, gymnastics, track and field, luge, equestrian disciplines, etc. -- and the overall winner not only gets a gold medal, he or she also gets the honor of writing the Olympic hymn.


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