Reflections of Earth/Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony

[mmouse]

If you are a fan of the Millennium Celebration at Epcot, especially the music from Reflections of Earth and the Tapestry of Nations/Dreams, you should definitely check out the music from the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics. When I watched the ceremony on TV, I kept hearing a familiar tone to the music, and now that I've listened to the score in its entirety several times, I can tell you that it is so close to both RoE and Tapestry, that there are at least half a dozen parts that are nearly direct quotes from those two works.

The two scores (the Vancouver one and the Epcot Millennium scores) are like sister works in that way (or perhaps the Vancouver opening is a successor to RoE/Tapestry), with much in the Olympic score that is different, but also enough similarity that I feel the composer, Dave Pierce, must have been involved in the creation of RoE/Tapestry. Does anyone have any information linking Pierce and Gavin Greenaway, the composer from the Millennium Celebration? The quotes in the music are so direct and unmistakable that they are either the most flattering inspiration ever, or there must have been collaboration (or it's a lawsuit waiting to happen! ).

Regardless, it is great music, and if you like RoE and Tapestry, you will surely like the additional music. It's available on iTunes at:
Sounds of Vancouver 2010: Opening Ceremony Commemorative Album

If anyone has more information on the link between these works, I would love to know more!

--Scott

 

[Club 33]

Actually, you've got it backwards. Dave Pierce was not involved with the Millenium Celebration, but Gavin Greenaway was involved with the music for the Olympics.

"The production's director was David Atkins, who directed the Sydney 2000 Olympic and 2006 Doha Asian Games ceremonies.[2][12] The ceremony received $20 million (CAD) funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage.[12] Much of the instrumental music for the ceremony was written by Dave Pierce and Gavin Greenaway. [13]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics_opening_ceremony

 

[mmouse]

Actually, you've got it backwards. Dave Pierce was not involved with the Millenium Celebration, but Gavin Greenaway was involved with the music for the Olympics.

"The production's director was David Atkins, who directed the Sydney 2000 Olympic and 2006 Doha Asian Games ceremonies.[2][12] The ceremony received $20 million (CAD) funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage.[12] Much of the instrumental music for the ceremony was written by Dave Pierce and Gavin Greenaway. [13]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics_opening_ceremony

Brilliant! I am slapping my forehead for not checking for a Wikipedia entry on the opening ceremony. I can rest easy now. Thank you.

Have you heard the Olympic ceremony score? Any thoughts on it?

--Scott

 

[Squalls Ahead]

My interest in music composed specifically for the Olympics began in 1984 (Los Angeles games) with the scores of John Williams and the original soundtrack to ‘16 Days of Glory’ (Bud Greenspan’s documentary of the games).

While watching this year’s opening ceremony I was moved by much of the music. ‘Parade Of Athletes’ is a beautiful, triumphant score; and because the entrance of the athletes by nature is a long process, there was plenty of time to listen to it. Then the Georgian Delegation entered the stadium, and the emphasis of moment, and the music, dramatically changed. Knowing that Nodar Kumaritashvili (the 21-year-old luger who died earlier that day) was supposed to be carrying the Georgian flag made me break down and sob like a baby. The delegation wore black scarves and black arm bands and a long piece of black cloth hung from their flag. Their solemn, stoic faces – some on the verge of tears, the mass of attendees and participants standing to their feet – and the music, is something I’ll never forget. God bless Nodar.

‘Fire On The Mountain’, ‘Peaks Of Endeavour’ and ‘Raising Of The Olympic Flag’ I think are also very noteworthy. On the Closing Ceremony album, an upbeat version of ‘Parade Of Athletes’ makes a return as ‘Entrance Of The Athletes’. Both albums are well worth the download price, let alone the price of the CDs.