Olympic Star Spangled Banner

[The Impaler]

Anyone know who arranged the national anthem that they're playing in Beijing when the USA wins gold? I was getting some work done and looked up to see Michael Phelps get the gold when I heard the most awful arrangement of the anthem I've ever heard. My apologies if anyone on the board knows who did it personally, but it's downright terrible. I think it was put best when my completely non-musical friend sitting next to me said, "it sounds like it should be in a Disney movie."

[Dan Schultz]

I like it.... even the strings. It's much better than the Roseann Barr rendition.

[BVD Press]

I like it.... even the strings. It's much better than the Roseann Barr rendition.

Ever heard the Carl Lewis version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uDc5tQxmJY" target="_blank

I think this might rival Rosanne!

[SplatterTone]

I'm working on the one for the next Olympics. It will be scored for crumhorns.

[tokuno]

I'm working on the one for the next Olympics. It will be scored for crumhorns.

Make it all-American: kazoos, banjos, and musical saws

[MileMarkerZero]

I heard the most awful arrangement of the anthem I've ever heard. My apologies if anyone on the board knows who did it personally, but it's downright terrible. I think it was put best when my completely non-musical friend sitting next to me said, "it sounds like it should be in a Disney movie."

I doesn't help that they took it Tempo di dirge...

[SplatterTone]

Just before every Olympics, Congress really should change the national anthem to the Perry Mason theme. That would be so stinkin' cool.

[bearphonium]

What I noticed about it (for Phelps' first medal) was there seemed to be a weird intro, or it started twice; and it never finished, missing about the last 6-8 measures or so. I do not like it played as a dirge, it is an anthem!

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

"I got to hear the this recording of the US National Anthem tonight at the 4x100 Free relay medal ceremony, and I thought it was excellent. I haven't been exposed to too many arrangements, but I thought this particular one was very well done. I read earlier that these arrangements were performed by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and so I am wondering if the arrangement was likely done by conductor and music director Tan Lihua. Assuming all of the music is released, would this be on it? I would LOVE a copy of it."

from - http://www.nationalanthems.us/forum/YaB ... 7887682/15" target="_blank

TMB

[TubaRay]

I like it.... even the strings. It's much better than the Roseann Barr rendition.

That's a pretty high standard, Dan. Do you really think it was better?

Seriously, this seems to be an arrangement that one either really likes or really hates. I haven't yet decided what I think. The arrangement certainly has some nice ideas in it. It is certainly not rousing in nature. I believe it was written to be somewhat somber and serious. I believe it succeeded at that.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I like it okay...I do think it is a bit too slow.

That being said, didn't anyone else notice the very present tuba sound in the mix? Listen to the last note of the penultimate phrase ("Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave" for those of you wondering)...gorgeous, very loud low Eb in the tuba on the fermata!

[brianf]

but it's downright terrible

Come on! It takes under 10 minutes, does not have 5000 additional notes covering 50 octaves and there is no lip syncing.

Yes, there is a lot of tuba, this was done by the Bejing Symphony - Micky Wrobleski is in on this one!

[Alex F]

My understanding is that, for the 2004 Athens summer games, all the anthems were arranged by Slovakian conductor Peter Breiner and recorded by the Slovakian Radio Symphony Orchestra. These are available on a 5 CD set. I'm aware that the 2008 set of anthems was recorded, over a two year period, by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, but wonder whether or not these are new arrangements.

The odd-sounding Us antherm at Phelp's first gold medal ceremony appears to have been caused by some technical glitch in the audio booth. The conspiracy theorists are already out there claiming that this was the Chinese government retaliating because of GW's previous criticism of Chinese human rights policy.

I believe that there are two recording made of each anthem: a full length version; and a shorter (not to exceed 90 seconds) version for use in medal ceremonies. That latter version could be quite challenging with such anthems as that of Uruguay, which exceeds five minutes. Of course, that anthem donesn't seem to get much play at the Olympics.

At least the Chinese won't do what the White House did a couple of years back when the President of the PRC came to visit. I'm not sure whether this was one of the service bands or a recording, but Comrade President was welcomed to the joyous strains of the OTHER Chinese Anthem, that of the ROC (Taiwan).

[TubaRay]

Come on! It takes under 10 minutes, does not have 5000 additional notes covering 50 octaves and there is no lip syncing.

Then what good is it?

[The Impaler]

I think it was put best when my completely non-musical friend sitting next to me said, "it sounds like it should be in a Disney movie."

Personally, I think it is spectacular. Maybe a little syrupy, but full of interesting harmonies and some really kick butt tuba playing too....

RC

Funny, the interesting harmonies are exactly what causes my distaste for it. To my ear, the anthem's simplicity is one of its hallmarks and much of what makes it so meaningful and memorable.

[The Jackson]

What about that cambiata at the end? I love that technique, but not here.

[wrobotuba]

Just a little clarification on some points....

Mixing:
Believe it or not, tuba was the only voice without a mic. The hard brasses each had two per section, as did the horns. The woodwinds and string had, as I recall, the same sort of set up. The timpani had two mics and the rest of the percussion each had one. All of the anthems, and I THINK there were between 206 and 220 were recorded in the same location by one orchestra- the Beijing Symphony orchestra at the Central People's Radio Station, located in Beijing. As I recall it was a grand total of roughly 10 days of recording sessions (10a.m.-8p.m. with breaks..)
Not a concert hall and not a studio, it's more or less like a theater which happens to have decent acoustics and be a little tuba friendly. Incidentally, the BSO also recorded Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra, The Firebird, and Pictures at an Exhibition in this same space (all for EMI), with a nearly identical mic set up.

Version:
Each embassy was responsible for making the necessary arrangements for us to get the version they wanted recorded. In the cases where we were provided with piano/vocal scores or no sheet music at all, a group of Beijing's main studio composers were called upon to orchestrate or transcribe from a recordings. It is certain that in many cases the orchestra WAS only given vocal scores, so, I would say 95% of all the anthems were orchestrated by Chinese composers. If you happen to hear a lot of tuba, it is because I do a lot of work for those people on the side. And, if the producers/embassies thought it was too much/unmusical, I reckon somewhere along the line, it would have been called to our attention. It is a pity that the Israeli National Anthem got changed, that particular arrangement would have been one hell of a thing to have heard....

On that, once each anthem was recorded, they were submitted to their respective embassies for approval. If something was off (feeling was always the issue, when there was a need to re-record) then it would come back to us and we would try again. As I recall, we DID need to re-record the National Anthem of the United States of America. But, the instructions were to play it SLOWER than we had originally recorded it.

As a matter of fact, we listened to EVERY national anthem immediately before recording. It was nothing short of mind-boggling to see how DIFFERENT what we were all hearing and what we were all seeing. Most of the alterations were for the better. Some...well...to each is own. For better or for worse, each composer got to put their own little stamp on these pieces, and I think that is great. They certainly didn't do this to offend anyone, and I also do not feel that they ruined anything. You can rest assured that if the US embassy here (in Beijing) didn't approve of the version they heard, you would be hearing a different one.

I hope Cuba wins at least one gold medal....that one came back to us at least 5 times..each time, "The feeling...it's just not....right."

The rest of the music:
For all the rest of the music taking part during the various ceremonies, commercial breaks, etc... This music was recorded MOSTLY in various recording studios throughout Beijing.
For the brass, it was:
Qin Guo Chen (playing all 3 trumpet parts)
Jia Hui and David Gamble (playing the 4 horn parts),
Zhao Xin (playing all 3 trombone parts) and
For one session, Liu Xiao, tuba
For the remainder, I covered the tuba part

On recording sessions that utilized a whole brass section, (most notably, the opening ceremony) China Brass was brought in to record. The personnel for these sessions were:
Trumpets- Qin Guo Chen, Adrian Schneider, Wang Xun, and Zhu Yi Mou
French horns- Jia Hui, David Gamble, Zhao Rui Hua, and Liu Ji
Trombones- Lu Jian Hua, Ye Zheng, Zhang Jiang, and Zhao Xin
Tuba- Micky Wrobleski

All the folks listed here poured their blood and sweat into these recordings. I am very proud to consider myself their colleague and friend. They have made such amazing progress in every facet of music from the fundamentals to interpretation. To hear them play and to see the reactions on their faces when they hear an in tune chord and feel it inside them, has been a truly miraculous experience. They're not 100% yet, but we are working at it...

China is going to be an exciting place in the future for brass and for orchestral music...keep your eyes open!

Micky Wrobleski

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Thanks for the great information, Micky, and continued success in the future. You sound superb on the Banner, no matter what the mic setup!

[Dean E]

Here's an excerpt from Friday's Washington Post. Submitted for academic discussion only.

Trust the hosts. All women athletes are 16 or older, no lip-synching allowed (except for ugly children), and no emulating fireworks displays!

Anthem Arrangements Raise A Red Flag Over Authorship

By Philip Kennicott, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, August 22, 2008; Page C01

Peter Breiner is a busy composer and he wasn't much interested in watching the Beijing Olympic Games. But then the calls and e-mails started coming in. His daughter was certain that the Chinese were using his orchestrations of the world's national anthems. He even heard from people who are not his fans -- people like Bob in Tuscaloosa, who knows Breiner's distinctive version of the "The Star-Spangled Banner," who doesn't like it one bit, and who isn't happy to be hearing it from Beijing.the hosts

That's when Breiner started watching the medal ceremonies. He says he is "100 percent positive" that the Beijing Olympic Committee is using his work -- without attribution, permission or compensation. Breiner's publisher, Naxos Rights International, is concerned as well, and has attempted to discuss the matter with the Chinese, but so far to no avail."

Here is a link to the Washington Post story. You may have to register, but it's free and the paper will not spam you.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... id=artslot" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Clearly copied from Mr. Breiner's version, but I have to wonder what kind of recourse he has. He can hardly bring Chinese officials here to be sued.