Chariots Of Fire - Music From The Stage Show
This summer, the elements aligned: the thirty-year anniversary of the film, and the location of the 2012 Summer Olympics, completely justifying the adaptation of the 1981 Oscar-winning movie, "Chariots of Fire," for the stage. Hugh Hudson, the film’s director, produced and directed this live version of the plight of two British runners, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, one Jewish, one Catholic, who succeed on their own terms at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. The score for the play version is culled from the original cinematic score, along with new pieces, both written by the Greek composer, Vangelis.
Decca Records has released Vangelis’ music for our listening enjoyment. "Chariots of Fire, the Play: Music from the Stage Show" gives us an hour’s worth of the synthesized, quasi-symphonic orchestrations used by the composer, including the iconic title track, which accompanied the now infamous beach-running scene in the film, and is simulated live in the stage experience. The excessive use of the electronic instruments gives the recording a distinct new-age feel, which remains consistent with Hudson’s vision of using a modern score in order to express the timelessness of the play’s (and the movie’s) themes.
The theatrical version was created to coincide with this year’s London Olympics, and continues its limited run through November. With all the excitement of the Olympics beginning to fade, we still have this memorable music to recall the determination of all the participants from around the world who gathered for the games. As in the examples of the two protagonists in the play/film, some of the athletes had the advantage of unlimited resources and the latest technology, while others had to struggle merely to have the opportunity to take part in the London games.
"Chariots of Fire, The Play: Music from the Stage Show"
Vangelis
CD and Digital formats
Decca Records / Universal Music
