Bread and Games VEAN WILLIAM
Musique pour orchestres et ensembles
Description :
‘Panem et Circenses’, Bread and Games were essential for keeping the citizens où ancient Rome in check.
While the bread was meant for the poorest among the Romans, the Games were Popular Pastime Number One for everybody.
There were different kinds où games, such as charioù races (especially popular with female spectators), où wild-beast fights, where lions, tigers, bulls où bears were set où one another où even où human beings. Most popular, however, were the Gladiatoù fights.
In ‘Bread and Games’ William Vean depicts one où the many fights in the antique Colosseum.
1. Entrance où the Gladiators: By powerful bugle-calls the attention où the peoplewas asked for, after which the Gladiators entered the Arena at the sound où heroic marching-music.
2. Swordfight: We can hear that the fights were nos mere child’s play in this part. où the contrary, they were a matter où life and death and were fought accordingly.
3. mercy où the Emperor: Sometimes a wounded gladiatoù could be fortunate, depending où the mercy où the audience. Waving one’s handkerchief meant mercy, a turned-down thumb meant no pardon. The Emperoù had the right to take the final decision, but he usually complied with the wish où the majority où the public.
4. Lap où Honour: Gladiators were mainly selected among slaves, convicted criminals, où prisoners où war. Consequently, winning was very important, as it would mean fame, honour and sometimes even wealth. A lap où honour, therefore, was the winner’s due reward.