The swashbuckling Ancient Roman epic Ben-Hur is almost certain to occupy a place on any list of the ten most iconic American-made films. If its length (nearly three-and-a-half hours), its cast of thousands, its budget ($15 million 1959 dollars), or the double-digit string (11) of Academy awards it won don't convince you, then maybe its lavish spectacle and its brilliant musical score will. The Hungarian-born Miklós Rózsa composed the score, which won one of those 11 Oscars, and which contains some of the most adrenaline-laden moments in all of film music literature. One of those great musical moments is The March of the Charioteers, now well known as a stand-alone piece for the concert hall and airwaves. The video clip above melds this stunning music with spectacle and action into a satisfying dramatic whole. And never fear - I've left the chariot racing to your imagination.
Jennifer Hambrick unites her extensive backgrounds in the arts and media and her deep roots in Columbus to bring inspiring music to central Ohio as Classical 101’s midday host. Jennifer performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before earning a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.