{"id":43134,"date":"2024-05-15T18:39:41","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T16:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/45592437-3763-4367-b788-20b1fb03843e"},"modified":"2024-05-22T19:41:14","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T17:41:14","slug":"best-olympic-music-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/best-olympic-music-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Olympic music of all time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 15 May 2024 at 16:39 PM<\/p>

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Music has always played an essential role in the atmosphere of celebration and heroic endeavour that characterises the Olympic Games. But what are some examples of the best Olympic music?<\/strong><\/p>

Olympic Games music: the key role played by music across Olympic history<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
Best Olympic music: classical and pop music that has graced the Games <\/h2>
Vivaldi<\/strong>: L\u2019Olimpiade<\/em> (1734)<\/strong><\/h3>Okay, so this opera pre-dates the Modern Olympics. However, an ancient games is the backdrop to Vivaldi<\/a><\/strong>‘s drama, which is fittingly set in Olympia. So, we’re allowing it here.<\/p>
Spyridon Samaras: <\/strong>Olympic Hymn<\/em> (Athens 1896)<\/strong><\/h3>The first Olympic Games (of the \u2018modern\u2019 variety anyway) saw the commissioning and premiere performance of this choral cantata<\/a><\/strong>. It features a libretto by Kostis Palamas and wasn\u2019t officially recognised as an Olympic Anthem until 1958. Several other \u2018Olympic Hymns\u2019 have been composed since\u2026 <\/p>
Suk: <\/strong>Toward a New Life<\/em> (Los Angeles 1932)<\/strong><\/h3>
Josef Suk\u2019s short orchestral work, which has a fabulous opening fanfare, won a silver medal in the orchestral composition category at the 1932 Olympics. He\u2019s the only familiar name to have taken part in one of the Olympics\u2019 early art competitions. <\/p>
Walter Bradley-Keeler: <\/strong>Hymne Olympique<\/em> (Los Angeles 1932)<\/strong><\/h3>
The Samaras Hymn appeared to fall out of favour in the years following its premiere. So, the International Olympic Committee launched a competition to find a new anthem. American pianist Walter Bradley-Keeler won and the result went down well when it was performed at the 1932 opening ceremony. <\/p>
R Strauss: <\/strong>Olympische Hymne<\/em> (Berlin 1936)<\/strong><\/h3>Bradley-Keeler\u2019s Hymn was still warm when the German Olympic Committee approached Richard Strauss<\/strong><\/a> to compose another for the Berlin Olympics. The IOC, however, had decided the American\u2019s Hymn would be adopted as the official anthem moving forward\u2026 That didn\u2019t stop them, though, and a separate German anthem was permitted. The Berlin Phil (one of the best orchestras in the world<\/a><\/strong>) did the honours at the opening ceremony.<\/p>
<\/div><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leo-arnaud-bugler-s-dream-winter-olympics-innsbruck-1964\"><strong>Leo Arnaud: <\/strong><strong><em>Bugler\u2019s Dream<\/em> (Winter Olympics, Innsbruck 1964)<\/strong><\/h3><p>Arnaud was a French-American film composer and this very familiar short piece wasn\u2019t actually written with the Olympics in mind. It was actually commissioned by Felix Slatkin for a 1958 album called <em>Charge!<\/em> and forms part of a larger work called <em>The Charge Suite<\/em>. In 1964 ABC Television utilised it for its coverage of the 1964 Winter Olympics. It has been used widely ever since. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-best-olympic-music-into-the-1980s-with-shostakovich\">More best Olympic music: into the 1980s with Shostakovich<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-shostakovich-festive-overture-moscow-1980\"><strong>Shostakovich: Festive Overture (Moscow 1980)<\/strong><\/h3><p>Written in 1947 to mark the 30th anniversary of the \u2018October Revolution\u2019, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/dmitri-shostakovich\">Shostakovich<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s colourful work was adopted as the official theme of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The event itself is remembered with some controversy, thanks to a boycott in relation to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. <\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/politics-dmitri-shostakovich\">The politics of Dmitri Shostakovich<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/five-best-shostakovich-conductors\">Five of the best Shostakovich conductors<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leonard-bernstein-olympic-hymn-olympic-congress-baden-baden-1981\"><strong>Leonard Bernstein: <\/strong><strong><em>Olympic Hymn<\/em> (Olympic Congress, Baden Baden 1981)<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/leonard-bernstein-composer\">Bernstein<\/a><\/strong> was commissioned to write this work for the 1981 International Olympic Congress, which took place in Baden Baden, Austria in September 1981. The Hymn, which features words by G\u00fcnter Kunnert, premiered at the opening of the congress \u2013 which was attended by Pope John Paul II, HRH Prince Philip and the Secretary General of the United Nations.<\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/everything-we-know-about-bradley-coopers-new-bernstein-biopic-coming-to-netflix\"><em>Maestro<\/em>: all about the Netflix Bernstein biopic<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/grant-llewellyn-memories-of-leonard-bernstein\">Leonard Bernstein: a showman and musical visionary with a car number plate you couldn’t miss<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p\/><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bernstein: Olympic Hymn \/ Williams \u00b7 Boston Pops Orchestra\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QKiNoMgnAK4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-philip-glass-the-olympian-los-angeles-1984\"><strong>Philip Glass: <\/strong><strong><em>The Olympian<\/em> (Los Angeles 1984)<\/strong><\/h3><p>The full title of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/philip-glass\/\">Glass<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s five-minute work is <em>The Olympian: Lighting of the Torch and Closing<\/em>. It was commissioned as a key part of the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-john-williams-olympic-fanfare-and-theme-los-angeles-1984\"><strong>John Williams: <\/strong><strong><em>Olympic Fanfare and Theme<\/em> (Los Angeles 1984)<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Olympic Theme Los Angeles 1984 - John Williams\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MF0fEAFBOoM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>Also commissioned for the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, this was premiered on 28 July by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the composer. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/williams-john\/\">John Williams<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s own later arrangement added Arnaud\u2019s <em>Bugler\u2019s Dream<\/em> as an opening <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/fanfare-meaning\">fanfare<\/a><\/strong>. This confused some listeners into thinking it, too, was written by Williams. This commission marked the beginning of a long partnership between John Williams and the Olympic Games.<\/p><p><strong>We named John Williams one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/top-film-composers-ever\/\">greatest film composers ever<\/a><\/strong>.<strong> And we chose the Los Angeles Philharmonic as one of the<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/worlds-best-orchestras\">world’s greatest orchestras<\/a><\/strong> <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-vangelis-chariots-of-fire-winter-olympics-sarajevo-1984\"><strong>Vangelis: <\/strong><strong>Chariots of Fire (Winter Olympics, Sarajevo 1984)<\/strong><\/h3><p>Of course this was composed for a film, which featured the 1924 London Olympics. However, it was officially adopted as the theme for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Vangelis\u2019s work has become synonymous with sport, and races in particular. Oft-used, referenced and lampooned over the decades. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-best-olympic-music-part-3-the-john-williams-era\">Best Olympic music, part 3: the John Williams era<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-john-williams-the-olympic-spirit-seoul-1988\"><strong>John Williams: <em>The Olympic Spirit<\/em> (Seoul 1988)<\/strong><\/h3><p>After the success of his official theme for the 1984 Olympics, American broadcaster NBC approached John Williams for music to accompany its coverage of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The composer was no stranger to NBC, though, having written its <em>Nightly News<\/em> music (known as <em>The Mission<\/em>) in 1985. <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mikis-theodorakis-canto-olympico-barcelona-1992\"><strong>Mikis Theodorakis: <\/strong><strong><em>Canto Olympico<\/em> (Barcelona 1992)<\/strong><\/h3><p>This six-movement symphonic <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-oratorio\">oratorio<\/a><\/strong> was commissioned by the IOC for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was perhaps somewhat overshadowed by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caball\u00e9\u2019s epic song \u2018Barcelona\u2019 that year. And, to a lesser extent, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/who-is-andrew-lloyd-webber\">Andrew Lloyd Webber<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s song \u2018Amigos Para Siempre\u2019 (recorded by Sarah Brightman and Jos\u00e9 Carreras, aka one of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/who-were-the-three-tenors\">Three Tenors<\/a><\/strong>). <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-john-williams-summon-the-heroes-atlanta-1996\"><strong>John Williams: <\/strong><strong><em>Summon the Heroes<\/em> (Atlanta 1996)<\/strong><\/h3><p>The Olympics returned to the US in 1996 for the Centennial Olympic Games. And so, the IOC commissioned John Williams once again for an American anthem. The result is one of the composer\u2019s most thrilling creations, and a shining example of one of the best Olympic music works of all time . Dedicated to trumpeter Tim Morrison, the work was performed for the press in London earlier in 1996, but officially premiered at the opening ceremony on 19 July 1996 by the Atlanta Symphony and Williams. <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-michael-torke-javelin-atlanta-1996\"><strong>Michael Torke: <\/strong><strong><em>Javelin<\/em> (Atlanta 1996)<\/strong><\/h3><p>This was actually commissioned as part of the Cultural Olympiad to mark the 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary of the Atlanta Symphony. It was premiered by the orchestra in September 1994. The title of the work connects with how the composer saw music, a vision of something taking flight. <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-john-williams-call-of-the-champions-winter-olympics-salt-lake-city-2002\"><strong>John Williams: <\/strong><strong><em>Call of the Champions<\/em> (Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City 2002)<\/strong><\/h3><p>Once again John Williams was brought on board by the IOC. This time, it was for the Winter Salt Lake City, Utah. Williams composed this exciting piece for choir and orchestra, the words based on the Olympic motto: <em>Citius, Altius, Fortius<\/em> (Faster, Higher, Stronger). He added a forth word, Clarius (Clarity), for the finale. The work was premiered on the composer\u2019s 70<sup>th<\/sup> birthday (8 February 2002). The Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir presided.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Williams Conducts Call of the Champions\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cSOy0EMzHd4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-philip-glass-orion-athens-2004\"><strong>Philip Glass: <\/strong><strong><em>Orion<\/em> (Athens 2004)<\/strong><\/h3><p>Glass returned to the Olympics in 2004, with this dynamic commission for the Cultural Olympiad. It brought together musicians from all over the world, and each section titled for different countries. The premiere, on 3 June 2004, featured <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/s\/shankar-ravi\">Ravi Shankar<\/a><\/strong>, UAKTI, Mark Atkins, Michael Riesman and The Philip Glass Ensemble. <\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-james-macmillan-fanfare-upon-one-note-london-2012\"><strong>James MacMillan: <\/strong><strong><em>Fanfare Upon One Note<\/em> (London 2012)<\/strong><\/h3><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/james-macmillan-2\">James MacMillan<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s short fanfare was first performed at <em>Music Nation: A Sporting Fanfare<\/em>, a special concert held in Glasgow in March 2012. Commissioned ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, it was next performed at the BBC Proms by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. <\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/discover-james-macmillan\">Playlist: discover James MacMillan<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-elbow-first-steps-london-2012\"><strong>Elbow: <\/strong><strong><em>First Steps<\/em> (London 2012)<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elbow - 'First Steps' (Full Version) with Olympic Montage\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c8rdbvDFh1I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>This catchy six-minute anthem was penned by Guy Garvey and his bandmates from Elbow for the BBC\u2019s coverage of the London 2012 Olympics. It brings together the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, NovaVox <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/gospel-music-guide\">gospel<\/a><\/strong> choir and the band. And it became a familiar presence during the games.<\/p><p><strong>We hope you’ve enjoyed our rundown of the best Olympic music of all time.<\/strong> <strong>Love watching the Games and singing to the national anthems? You can find some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/national-anthem-lyrics\/\">national anthem lyrics<\/a> here<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-group highlight-box is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/eight-best-pieces-music-about-sport\/\">Pieces of music about sport: eight of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/six-best-tennis-playing-composers\/\">Six of the best… tennis-playing composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/six-best-football-mad-musicians\/\">Football-mad musicians: 6 of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-michael-beek\">About Michael Beek<\/h4><p>Michael Beek is the Reviews Editor of BBC Music Magazine. He joined the team in May 2018, following ten years as a freelance film music journalist and fifteen years at St George’s Bristol. <\/p><p>Michael specialises in film and television music and was the Editor of Music from the Movies.com. He has written for the BBC Proms, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood in Vienna and Silva Screen Records. Also a presenter, Michael has hosted concerts and live events for Bristol Film Festival and St George’s Bristol. He has also hosted Debbie Wiseman’s ‘Music and Words from Wolf Hall’ at venues across the UK.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Wednesday, 15 May 2024 at 16:39 PM Music has always played an essential role in the atmosphere of celebration and heroic endeavour that characterises the Olympic Games. But what are some examples of the best Olympic music? 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Best Olympic music: classical and pop music that has graced the Games <\/h2>