Olympic Fanfare and Theme (Bell Part)

by John Williams

http://www.johnwilliams.org/compositions/olympicfanfare.html


By 1984 John Williams' film music was familiar to audiences the world over and it was only natural that the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee would turn to the city's most famous composer of popular instrumental music when they decided to commission a fanfare to be used during the Games. While it was an honor to be asked to compose such a piece of music, the prospect was not without its challenges. Leo Arnaud's fanfare (from his Bugler's Dream suite written in the 1930s) had become synonymous with the Olympics since ABC began using it for its televised coverage of the Olympics in 1968. Any new composition would necessarily compete with the attachment listeners had developed to Arnaud's theme. At the same time, the opening fanfare was to be played by herald trumpets at all of the medal ceremonies and official Olympic events, so it had to be based on the harmonic overtones these instruments were capable of producing. The music was also needed to be broken into small chunks and used as "bumpers" by ABC before and after commercial breaks.

Williams met all of these challenges with aplomb, creating a piece that is the very definition of "goose bump" music. The composer told Jon Burlingame in 1992 that his music was intended to musically represent "the spirit of cooperation, of heroic achievement, all the striving and preparation that go before the events and all the applause that comes after them." Williams conducted the premiere of the work at the opening ceremonies of the 23rd Olympiad on July 28, 1984 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The opening fanfare is in two pieces, a triad-based ascending motive for full brass adorned by thirty-second notes from trumpets, followed by more vigorous response from trumpets supported by an accented low brass pedal that generates additional excitement by entering on the second half of the fourth beat of each 4/4 measure. These two sections are then repeated (so that the fanfare section has an A-B-A-B form). A crescendo on the final chord leads to a quiet snare drum figure that is repeated throughout the following section.

Strings and horns state the broad, noble "Olympic Theme" with the "B" portion of the fanfare answering quietly in trumpets and woodwinds. Low woodwinds and strings, supported by horns, then state a jauntier melody, which is followed by a syncopated horn bridge colored by glockenspiel, before the jaunty tune returns and is briefly developed over scurrying string passages. This crescendos to a reprise of the "B" portion of the fanfare. Low brass now joins in with percussion on the rhythmic ostinato and orchestra sings the noble theme in full force. In the exciting coda, pieces of the "B" fanfare are passed around between horns and trumpets.

The score of the work calls for three flutes (one doubling piccolo), three oboes, three clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), three bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), four horns, four trumpets, four trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (snare, field drum, cymbals, bass drum, suspended cymbal, chimes, glockenspiel, vibraphone and triangle), harp, piano and strings.

http://www.myspace.com/davidmercadomorales

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Percussion
• Practice
• Bells
• Glockenspiel
• David
• Olympic
• Fanfare
• John
• Williams

[nuty35]

where do you get your sheet music

[davimerc]

@nuty35 This is the orchestra percussion bell part.

[nuty35]

@davimerc ya but website did you get your music

[davimerc]

@nuty35 No website, this is a original orchestra part. If you can find it in the internet I don't know where to look.

[angryjalapeno]

It's cool that you love what you do

[davimerc]

:) Thank you... very nice.

[awesomemike173]

I'm playing this right now in my marching band show. You should check the key signature, I know I play Bb at the beginning notes, and every other note we play is off, it may just be the transposing. Also I have parts in between that match up much better. Also I would check your grip. Not trying to sound like a jerk, but my band is quite good, and our percussion is well put together, and I have spent 10 hrs a week for that last few months playing this.

[xxlinkinxxparkxx]

hi i just started percussion at my middle school and i was wondering if u could tell me how to play a natural on the bells

[davimerc]

I have the same part the only thing I'm doing is playing the glock part. The time signature changes in some sections, but not to cut time only to 2/4. The beginning is all 4/4.

[fcmilsweeper9]

Hey, I have to play this for youth orchestra. My part doesnot completley match up with yours. I am sure of it. My part is chimes, bells and vibes. Im wondering, does the time signature ever change from cut time (besides at the beggining)? Im really confused because there are strange parts on the second page, however I am lining up with the major parts. Please help.