KidFlash25's Full Review: NBC Presents Summon the Heroes / Williams, Boston ...
Every two years around this time, I'm tempted to exhume this from deep in my collection, where it's buried beneath such gems as Catherine Wheel's Adam and Eve (back in heavy rotation after listening to it recently, actually) and the Donna Lewis CD I shamefully have (why did I buy that, anyway?). A bit of background first: After spending literally two weeks in front of my TV during the 1996 Summer Olympics, I was dying to get my hands on this. Come Christmas, my grandmother obliged me (my first classical CD, no less) and I proceeded to nearly wear the disc out. (Of course, my interest in it eventually waned until the next Olympics came around. More on that later.)
It was no surprise to hear that John Williams would be composing new music for the 1996 Games. After all, Coplandesque patriotic music comes easy to him - witness his work for Superman, the Indiana Jones trilogy, even The Patriot's theme became fodder for highlight shows weeks after its release. His 1984 Olympic Theme became an indelible part of every American Olympic telecast ever since. Even lesser-known works, like his theme for NBC's 1988 Olympic coverage, are heavy on patriotic energy. The 12 tracks contained on this CD have that in spades. Here's a look:
1. 'Summon the Heroes'
While not as instantly recognizable as Williams' other Olympic themes, this still works to great effect getting the listener's blood going, while pausing for a solemn moment or two. A good way to start the CD.
2. 'O Fortuna'
You know the passage. It's one of the classical pieces everyone knows, alongside Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Fanfare for the Common Man, and the Boston Pops and Tanglewood Festival Chorus play it with spirit and gusto.
3. 'Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare'
This combination of both ABC's venerable Olympic themes worked well as background music for NBC's 1992 Olympic coverage, so it was recorded for the first time here. Eight years later, it never fails to give me goosebumps whenever I catch an Olympic event. (You can find the Olympic Theme by itself on the terrific Williams/Boston Pops compilation By Request, or seek out an import version of this CD which has the tracks separated.)
4. 'Ode to Zeus'
Mikis Theodorakis was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee to compose a theme for the Barcelona Games. This is a brief snippet of 'Canto Olympico', heavy on the choir yet still very stirring. After hearing this, I'm intrigued to seek out the rest of his 49-minute suite.
5. 'Javelin'
Composed by Michael Torke for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in honor of the Games, it's not nearly as forceful and bombastic as other tracks on the CD. Think of it as 'The Little Composition That Could'. Still, it's effective and energetic in its own right.
6. 'Olympic Hymm'
Leonard Bernstein was commissioned to write this piece for the 1981 International Olympic Congress. It's very similar to Theodorakis' work, heavy on the choir, but not as powerful.
7. 'Festive Overture, Op. 96'
Used as the 1980 Summer Olympic theme, this bright and feisty Dmitri Shostakovich piece injects some much-needed fun into the listening mix. It would be a perfect fit in a future installment of Fantasia, if Disney is so inclined.
8. 'Conquest of Paradise'
Having not seen or heard any other Vangelis project besides Chariots of Fire at the time, I was blown away by the fact that he could write effective orchestral music. (Of course, in the hands of a maestro like Williams, just about any orchestral piece is effective.)
9. 'Parade of the Charioteers'
One of Miklos Rozsa's best-known pieces from his indelible Ben-Hur score, Williams and the Pops do it justice. I strongly suggest looking for the hard-to-find 2-disc set of the score, however. While the acoustics are a lot better, the original recording has just a tad more energy...
10. 'Toward A New Life'
Apparently the Olympics used to have musical composition as a category, and this piece won Josef Suk a silver medal in 1932. It's yet another chance for the Pops' horn section to get a workout, though not as furiously as other tracks on the CD.
11. 'Chariots of Fire'
The only track that doesn't grab me on this CD. Even shorn of most of its electronics and mainly performed by the Boston Pops, it still doesn't work. I couldn't tell you why - I like Vangelis' music just fine, seeing as how I proudly own two versions of his Blade Runner score. I can only shrug.
12. 'The Olympic Spirit'
Composed by Williams for NBC's coverage of the 1988 Summer Games, it's a short, energetic piece that puts the horns to work and makes for a fine capper to the CD.
My listening pattern hasn't changed in six years, as I'm sure that this will go back in my collection on August 30 to wait for February 2006 and the next Winter Games. While the end result is as much marketing ploy as it is great music - we are talking about the 'Official Classical Album of the 1996 Atlanta Games' with liner notes by Bob Costas of all people, after all - that shouldn't dissuade you from seeking this out, used or otherwise.
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