The Music of The Olympic Games: A Brief History
The Olympic games are recognizable to just about everyone on Earth. From the name itself, to the iconic interlocking rings that symbolize the games, the Olympics (both Summer and Winter) are a global institution, regardless of people’s interest in athletics. After all, there are 39 classifications of sports played during the 17-day event, and it could be argued that only five of those sports (Basketball, Boxing, Golf, Soccer, Tennis) are followed by the general public on a regular basis.
So, with that in mind, what makes the Olympics so memorable? There are obviously a number of reasons — from the individual athletes, and their personal stories, that define what it means to be an Olympian; to the spirit of competition that defines a multicultural, global society; to the meaning of respect and sportsmanship that are continually demonstrated by the Olympic athletes over three weeks.
But one that doesn’t immediately come to mind is something that the Olympics would be, figuratively speaking, naked without: the music. After all, when one thinks of the Olympic games, one of the first things that pops into their heads would probably be this theme:
That is most likely the Olympic theme that many Americans are familiar with — that is, at least, the first 23 seconds — the theme that plays every day on U.S. Olympic telecasts, usually followed by the elegant colloquialisms of Bob Costas. “Bugler’s Dream” was a piece by the late French-American composer Leo Arnaud, commissioned for conductor Felix Slatkin’s album, Charge!, back in 1958. ABC began using the theme for its Olympic coverage starting in 1968, for the Winter Games, and has been a staple for Olympic music, ever since.
However, while “Bugler’s Dream” is synonymous with the Olympic games, it’s actually not the Olympics’ official theme. That title goes to this lesser-known piece:
That was the “Olympic Hymn” — more informally known as “the Olympic Anthem” — a piece commissioned by the first President of the Olympic International Committee, Demetrius Vikelas, before the first Modern Olympic Games of 1896. Being that the Ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece, and seeing that the first edition of the Modern Games were held in Athens, the song was pieced together by two Greeks — opera composer Spyridon Samaras arranged the choral cantata, while renowned poet Kostis Palamas arranged the lyrics. They translate to a celebration of the values that the Olympics are meant to embody: Unity, Honor, Grace, Beauty and Love.
Even more interesting is the ongoing controversy over the origin of the Olympic theme. Because, while many are familiar with the “Bugler’s Dream” theme and its relationship with the Olympic games, most would associate said theme to famed American composer John Williams, of Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter fame. Technically, however, they wouldn’t be wrong.
After all, Williams did compose the equally-recognizable “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles:
However, the first 14 seconds of the piece is relatively unrecognizable. That’s likely because Americans are used to the updated “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” track, released in 1996 for the Atlanta games. The original intro was replaced with the opening to “Bugler’s Dream”, hence the understandable confusion.
Regardless, while Williams did not technically write the full Olympic Fanfare as it is known today, his work with the Olympic games is just as iconic. Take his third work for the Olympic games, “Summon The Heroes”, commissioned specifically for the 1996 Games, with a grand orchestral composition that practically screams “heroic, majestic pride” to the average listener:
This music, with its memorable melodies and lingering grandeur, embodies what the Olympic games are all about. One could say that, without these quintessential compositions, the games would lose a level of its very meaning. That’s not just a personal opinion — that comes straight from Olympic music expert William K. Guegold:
In the late 1800s, when Pierre de Coubertin decided to resurrect the Olympics, so to speak, he felt that the arts should be part of it, not just music but all the arts.
Music was always a valuable part of the Olympic Games. Thanks to men like Leo Arnaud and John Williams, the world’s greatest games have their memorable soundtrack, which will live on well beyond the games, themselves.
