olympiaki-agones Posted October 18, 2014 Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 Barcelona Lighting Cauldron. Athens Welcome to the World lighting the fire rings on the pond and Bouzouki band. Italian National Anthem in Turin. Misha's Good Bye segment at Moscow Luzhniki Stadium The Old Wild West Chariots segments in L.A. The Chorus Performance Ode of Joy linking the World in Nagano. "XXV Anniversary" Performance by Angelo Badalamenti remembering all Olympic Cities from 1896 to 1992 in Barcelona. The Giant Olympic Rings Balloon floating on Mexico City's Olympic Stadium. The SLC handover in Nagano. The Martial Nazi propaganda segment in Berlin. Jose Carreras and Monserrat Caballé performance "Amics per Sempre". The Aquatic Han river parade of Seoul. The transition from Tsarist era to the Communist one in Sochi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympiaki-agones Posted October 18, 2014 Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 Sorry for all the Aussies here, but Sydney to me was a good show but not as touching and emotional like other ceremonies. Then I enjoy watching more Atlanta's OC than Sydney. After all, John Williams compositions have become classical at Olympic Ceremonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 Personal taste, I guess. Personally, and bias aside, I thought Sydney was quite emotional, in the sense that it was quite raw and honest. Australia is a tough, harsh and ungorgiving environment and I think it relayed that extremely well. The sunburnt country, brought to life. It was also a product of the time - when there had been a cultural revision of our history. We were coming to terms with our mistakes and that came throught in certain elements, maybe not enough. Australia is a fast growing, changing place. If we hosted again, it would be an interesting opportunity to build on the narrative from 2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattygs Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 I guess Sydney was the last in a particular era of stadium theatre, things became a little more abstract after Sydney and Salt Lake. Sydney also had the benefit of being able to go in any direction to present itself to a world which to a large degree didn't know much about it. This was a benefit and curse of London and Melbourne perhaps. The world was well aware of British history and London, and likewise, the Commonwealth has been well introduced to Australia and even Melbourne. I suppose the ceremonies team decided then to go down a far more conceptual angle, with London deciding to base their ceremonies around their history of revolutions, as opposed to history. Melbourne, decided to go for those more unique and quirky things that they see to be in Melbourne, much of it reminded me of of most of their promotional work here in New Zealand. An audience which doesn't want a wo to go history of the city, but is more interested in trams, the laneways, the food, the culture etc etc. While Melbourne may not have been the favourite for many in terms of contents, you'd be doing it tough to find a better produced show I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Pretty fair call, I'd say. I think if Melbourne had hosted in 1996 more thought would have been given toward narrative and knitting the city's history into the Australian story - and as your point out, the 1850s Gold Rush (one of biggest ever up with California) would be a big moment --- potentially something extremely spectacular could be drawn out of it too (I'm thinking an Australian Pandemonium) Sydney went there a little bit with the industrialisation theme following British arrival... but the gold rush itself, told from the Melbourne perspective would be magic. I think the gold rush was a notably absent from Sydney's ceremony, only because it would probably be veering too far "south of the border" - it was Sydney's moment after all. There were some Victorian elements thought, Ned Kelly being the notable one. If Melbourne did host 1996, I would have expected some homage to the iconic W class tram. Perhaps not flying at the start of the ceremony, but going into the MCG on ground level on "tracks", perhaps these "tracks" would serve for a float parade later in the Opening Ceremony. So we could have seen the following: - Tram arrival - Welcome from the people of Melbourne and Australia - Australian anthem "Advance Australia Fair" - Indigenous welcome and the story of John Batman's settlement in Melbourne - The Gold Rush and the Hoddle Street Grid (The discovery of gold, the rush itself, and the formation of the - The growth of Marvelous Melbourne (Arts, science and other forms of culture that helped shape Melbourne to what it is today) - The story of Federation (The story of the birth of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901) - A remembrance to both World War 1 and 2 (Showcasing the sacrifices of Australians in uniform) - Immigrant Australia (Showcasing multicultural Australia which became more prominent post World War 2) - The Ancient Olympics (A homage to the ancient games) - Past Olympics, stopping at the 1956 Olympics for an extended segment, following to the 1992 Olympics and bits of the handover ceremony (The formation of the games by Baron Pierre de Coubertin) - Arrival of the Athletes - Speeches, official opening - Arrival of the Olympic flag and Olympic anthem - Peace segment - Olympic oaths - The Olympic torch and cauldron lighting - Theme song - Fireworks For the closing: - Revisiting the past 16 days - Showcase of Melbourne arts, music, theatre and cuisine and architecture - Famous Melbournians and Australians as well as Melbourne in TV and film (I could have expected the likes of Malcolm and his separating yellow car make an entrance and say a Neighbours segment) - Australian inventions - Aussie sport (particularly the popular Australian Rules Football and Melbourne Cup) - Athlete arrival - Speeches, official closing - Lowering of the Olympic Flag - Handover segment - Extinguishing the flame - Concert of Australian music acts - The theme song one more time - Fireworks Perhaps I got some of the official protocol mixed up but you get the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 That's some extensive speculation there, friend! Thank goodness for Sydney 2000 actually happening to ground us in reality... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 That's some extensive speculation there, friend! Thank goodness for Sydney 2000 actually happening to ground us in reality... Well what else would one have done with Melbourne during 1996? Maybe the advent of the new (back then) Internet could have played prominence in the Opening Ceremony in some way as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Well, wifi Internet as we currently know it was developed by the CSIRO between 1992 and 1996 - so who knows, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympiaki-agones Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 I can't deny Sydney 2000 OC was spectacular. Although it wasn't, to me, the kind of ceremony I would ever watch it again and again. Still, Barcelona, Athens, Moscow and L.A. were absolutely the sort of ceremonies that present great sequences, in my point of view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman617 Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 - the Chinese printing blocks segment in Beijing - Klypsedra, Athens - the undersea portion of Sydney - Pendemonium, London - the Beijing segment with the giant oars - Advance Australia Fair, Sydney - such a great song - the Cirque de Soleil-like segment with the bungee cords, Albertville - cauldron lighting, Barcelona - projection trick, Atlanta - athletes parade, Torino (they marched in to a long segment of classic 70's disco; I thought it was cool retro fun) I need to add an 11th - the cauldron lighting in Sydney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Now that you mention the rendition of Advance Australia Fair in 2000 - I liked the first section... The second verses with Human Nature was a bit off, even at the time. I love that during the Olympics, you become familiar with the host nation anathem. I loved Star Spangled Banner in the Atlanta opening... And the Greek anthem in Athens (wow) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympiaki-agones Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Talking about the host nation anthems sung at the Opening or Closing ceremonies is something I love to watch. I think the Italians and the Russians did it great! I kind of liked also that during SLC 2002, Mexico'68 just to set a good mood before the appearance of the Olympic torch and Nagano'98, so solemn and gracious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 "Advance, Australia Fair" from 2000 and this one from Torino are my best OC national anthem moments. This one particularly because TRE FRATELLI is such a martial, masculine song and then to have a little girl sing it, was just brilliant!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Now that you mention the rendition of Advance Australia Fair in 2000 - I liked the first section... The second verses with Human Nature was a bit off, even at the time. I love that during the Olympics, you become familiar with the host nation anathem. I loved Star Spangled Banner in the Atlanta opening... And the Greek anthem in Athens (wow) Advance Australia Fair is a lame anthem, but the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony rendition by Julie Anthony (after the Human Nature, start) was a beautiful rendition of an otherwise boring anthem. The Star Spangled Banner was more better in the Salt Lake City Opening Ceremony when sung by the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as opposed to the Centennial Choir made specifically for Atlanta 1996, to commemorate the Centennial Olympics. O Canada is a great anthem, that was unfortunately a letdown in both renditions (Opening and Closing Ceremonies) during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympiaki-agones Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 "Advance, Australia Fair" from 2000 and this one from Torino are my best OC national anthem moments. This one particularly because TRE FRATELLI is such a martial, masculine song and then to have a little girl sing it, was just brilliant!! That is the one I said before I like as part of the host nation protocol. The best ever. Sochi was as nice as this one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Advance Australia Fair is a lame anthem, but the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony rendition by Julie Anthony (after the Human Nature, start) was a beautiful rendition of an otherwise boring anthem. The Star Spangled Banner was more better in the Salt Lake City Opening Ceremony when sung by the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as opposed to the Centennial Choir made specifically for Atlanta 1996, to commemorate the Centennial Olympics. O Canada is a great anthem, that was unfortunately a letdown in both renditions (Opening and Closing Ceremonies) during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. I think we have an amazing anthem in AAF. One of our few national protocols we get right (compared to, say, our archaic flag). And I stand corrected: Julie Anthony followed Human Nature with the second verses of AAF in 2000. She was brilliant - Human Nature not so much. (The only "this is not the NRL Grand Final" moment of the Opening Ceremony) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 AAF sounded like it was written for Julie Anthony to sing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 AAF sounded like it was written for Julie Anthony to sing!! Actually, even well before the games that was what she was best known for. Sort of our unofficial official anthem singer. She'd even get hired for corporate events (I'd been to a few myself) where her repertoire wouldn't be complete if she didn't sing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 So like Kate Smith and GOD BLESS AMERICA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorchbearerSydney Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Actually, even well before the games that was what she was best known for. Sort of our unofficial official anthem singer. She'd even get hired for corporate events (I'd been to a few myself) where her repertoire wouldn't be complete if she didn't sing it. There was a joke going around that Julie Anthony was the only person who knew the words to AAF, that's why she was always hired to sing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman617 Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 One more moment - London Closing Ceremonies: Eric Idle doing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" was pure genius. And when I mentioned AAF earlier, I meant the Julie Anthony version. She was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Eric Idle doing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" was pure genius. But you know, that's NOT an original moment created for the Olympics. It's merely reprising a number previously associated with the performer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMarkSnow2012 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 But you know, that's NOT an original moment created for the Olympics. It's merely reprising a number previously associated with the performer. Obviously, Always Look on the Bright Side was an oldie, as were almost all songs in the CC, but they didn't reprise the original visuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Obviously, Always Look on the Bright Side was an oldie, as were almost all songs in the CC, but they didn't reprise the original visuals. Yeah, but I was hoping posters would pick moments that were totally original in conception rather than just re-hashed material for which, of course you create a whole new production look. That was the small distinction I was trying to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMarkSnow2012 Posted October 29, 2014 Report Share Posted October 29, 2014 Yeah, but I was hoping posters would pick moments that were totally original in conception rather than just re-hashed material for which, of course you create a whole new production look. That was the small distinction I was trying to make. Fair enough. Then again, it would have been a pretty memorable ceremony moment if they had reprised the original visuals for Bright Side ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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