NEED TO KNOW
- ABC was looking for a new Olympic theme after using Leo Arnaud’s “Bugler’s Dream” four times in a row
- The network enlisted John Williams, known for his unforgettable scores on Jaws, E.T. and more
- Williams presented ”Olympic Fanfare and Theme” ahead of the summer 1984 Olympic games
After creating some of the most memorable scores in film history, John Williams was presented with a challenge.
In 1984, John Williams was tasked with creating a theme for the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The composition would replace Leo Arnaud’s “Bugler’s Dream,” which had served as the theme for the prior four Olympics.
Williams first conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston for the world premiere of the composition on June 12, 1984, with just over a month to go.
The orchestra consisted of two flutes, a piccolo, three oboes, two clarinets, one bass clarinet, two bassoons, a contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, four trombones, a tuba, a timpani, a harp, a piano, and strings. Percussion for the piece included a snare drum, field drum, piatti, a bass drum with suspended cymbal, chimes, glockenspiel, vibraphone, bass drum and a triangle.
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On July 28, 1984, the Olympics introduced ”Olympic Fanfare and Theme” at the opening ceremony.
Of the challenge of composing a fitting piece of music, Williams told The New York Times, “I’m not an avid sports fan and I have never been to an Olympics, but from watching Olympics competition on television, I gained a feeling that I aspired to make the theme of ‘Fanfare.'”
”A wonderful thing about the Olympics is that young athletes strain their guts to find and produce their best efforts. The human spirit stretching to prove itself is also typical of what musicians attempt to achieve in a symphonic effort,” he continued.
”It is difficult to describe how I feel about these athletes and their performances without sounding pretentious, but their struggle ennobles all of us. I hope I express that in this piece.”
Interestingly, the piece took on a new life when NBC took over the Olympics and decided to merge the composition in after starting with Arnaud’s “Bugler’s Dream.” It is the version many have come to associate with the competition.
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