Chariots Of Fire - Vangelis (1981)

Historical Context

"Chariots of Fire" is an instrumental composition by Greek composer Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) for the 1981 British film of the same name, directed by Hugh Hudson. The film tells the true story of two British athletes at the 1924 Paris Olympics and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Score.

The use of electronic synthesizers as the main music for a period film was absolutely revolutionary. In 1981, British synth-pop was emerging strongly (Depeche Mode, Human League, Soft Cell), and electronic music was beginning to be accepted as a serious art form.

The theme reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1982. The album remained on the Billboard 200 for 97 weeks, selling three million copies in its first year alone, becoming the best-selling instrumental soundtrack until Titanic in 1997.

Musical Characteristics

The piece is written in Db Major. Vangelis played all instruments himself: synthesizers (mainly the legendary Yamaha CS-80), acoustic piano, drums and percussion, recorded at his personal studio "Nemo" in London.

The theme is built on a single-note synthetic pulse evoking runners' footsteps, with a melody reminiscent of a French horn. The composition fuses progressive rock, symphonic classical music and new age, demonstrating that synthesizers could replace a full orchestra with emotionally powerful results.

Trivia

• Vangelis could not read or write music. He composed by ear, improvising directly on his instruments. When sued for plagiarism in 1985, he demonstrated his improvisational style live in court and was acquitted.
• The original theme was going to be different. The director's first choice for the famous slow-motion beach scenes was "L'Enfant" from Opera Sauvage. Vangelis had to convince Hudson to let him create something original.
• He learned about the Oscar after a night of partying. Vangelis said he had been drinking in London the night before the ceremony and was woken by a phone call informing him he had won the Oscar for Best Original Score.

Videos

Official Video

Piano Tutorial