The tune that means “circus” has a name. It is “Entry of the Gladiators,” a march written in 1897 by the Czech composer Julius Fučík. He wrote it as a grand military march. A few years later, a faster version for small bands became the music for clowns.
Quick facts
- Composer: Julius Fučík, who lived from 1872 to 1916
- Written: 1897
- First title: Grand Chromatic March
- Circus title: Thunder and Blazes
- Length: about 3 minutes at circus speed
- Played by: a military band, a circus band, or an orchestra
A march for soldiers
Fučík was a Czech musician who studied composing with Dvořák. He spent much of his life as the leader of military bands in the Austrian army, and he wrote hundreds of marches, polkas, and waltzes.
He first called this piece the Grand Chromatic March. Then he read about the gladiators of ancient Rome, who marched into the arena before they fought. He gave the march a new name: “Entry of the Gladiators.”
His version is proud and steady. It is music for a parade.
How it joined the circus
In 1901, a Canadian composer named Louis-Philippe Laurendeau arranged the march for small bands in North America. He gave it a new title, “Thunder and Blazes.” Circus bands played his version, and they played it fast.
A fast march of this kind is called a screamer. Circus bands used screamers to stir up the crowd for the big entrances. This one stuck to the clowns.
So the tune that makes people think of red noses and tiny cars began as a march about Roman fighters.
What “chromatic” means
On a piano, a chromatic scale uses every key in a row, black and white. Each step is a half step, the smallest step there is.
The famous tune of this march slides down a chromatic scale. That sliding is what gives it a slippery, comic sound when it is played fast. Read sharps, flats, and naturals explained for kids.
What to listen for
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| The fanfare | Trumpets call out, and the band answers |
| The slide | The famous tune tumbles down by half steps |
| The low brass | Trombones and tubas take a turn with the tune |
| The trio | A smoother tune in the middle, as in most marches |
| The finish | The whole band, loud, to the end |
Two speeds, two moods
Find a recording by a military band at marching speed. Then find a circus band version. The notes are the same. The speed changes the meaning.
Speed is called tempo. Read tempo words in music.
Things to do together
Parade and circus. March to the slow version with a straight back. Then play the fast version and walk as a clown would.
Slide down the keys. On a piano, play every key in a row going down, black and white. That is a chromatic scale.
Ringmaster. One person announces an act. Another starts the music. The rest tumble in.
Name the tune. Ask friends and family whether they know its real name.
Questions to ask
- Why does the fast version sound funny?
- Which instruments are the loudest?
- What would a gladiator think of the circus version?
Words to know
- Chromatic scale: a scale that moves by half steps and uses every note
- Screamer: a fast circus march
- Arrangement: a new version of a piece for different instruments
Print and play
Print the tempo and dynamics word cards. For more marches, read Radetzky March for kids and The Stars and Stripes Forever for kids. For who plays what in a band, read marching band for kids. For more music that makes people laugh, read funny classical music for kids.
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This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.