And now you know
Like me, some of you may have long wondered how it was that Julius Fučík's "Entrance of the Gladiators" came to be associated with clowns (aside from the obvious circus connection). An enterprising Canadian at the turn of the last century named Louis-Philippe Laurendeau (aka Paul Laurent) is apparently responsible, after he re-arranged what Fučík had intended as a military march for a full band into a piece for a smaller group of performers. The march quickly became a staple of circuses in North America.
As an aside, if you ever hear the piece performed in its original version, it's amazing how different it sounds from the more popular version.
As an aside, if you ever hear the piece performed in its original version, it's amazing how different it sounds from the more popular version.