Entry of the Gladiators Op. 68

Julius Fucik - a pupil of Dvorak and so prolific a composer of marches that he has been called “the John Philip Sousa of Bohemia” - would be surprised to learn that his Entry of the Gladiators has come to be associated more with circus clowns than anything else. Originally called Grande Marche Chromatique, it was given its present title when Fucik developed a keen interest in the heroic exploits of the gladiators of ancient Rome. Clearly, the World Weightlifters’ Federation identified the heroic side of the piece when they adopted it as their theme tune. On the other hand, it gets so recklessly close to absurdity at the beginning and so overdoes the glamour of the big tune at the end that it is difficult to take it seriously. So circus clowns it must be then.