The journey began two years ago. On the eve of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, the creative force behind the show of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony sat in an undisclosed location outside Paris, reflecting on that journey that began in solitude. Victor le Masne, the 42-year-old French composer, multi-instrumentalist, and music director, took up a heavy crown to wear two years ago. However, after being given the responsibility of being the music director for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics opening day, Le Masne began the quest modestly, jamming alone in the studio, searching for a theme. Finally, he knew what he was going to do.

Cut to 2024. Now, with 12 hours of music composed for four national orchestras and around 600 musicians, the scale of his achievement is indeed palpable. But Le Masne wasn’t sure of how it would hit the zeitgeist and the pulse of the audience. However, after the ceremony, the “reality is kicking in”. While the impeccable show has created waves, it has also garnered fair share of criticisms from fans and celebs from all across the globe. Reflecting on the same, Le Masne recently shared his thoughts on how he, although now standing atop a mountain, also feels ‘naked’ before the world.

Victor Le Masne’s quest to balance freedom and responsibility in his Olympic anthem

Victor Le Masne’s evolution as an artist is marked by significant milestones. Recently, Le Masne sat for an interview with The Guardian’s Rudi Zygaldo and finally unraveled his thoughts after her artistic quest. Going down memory lane, it was shared how six years ago Le Masne was transitioning from his role in the indie electro duo Housse de Racket to becoming a sought-after producer and composer for major French artists. After that, he continued to rise. From rearranging La Marseillaise for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics handover to working on the revival of the 70s French rock opera Starmania, he was living his time in art. But suddenly the trajectory took a turn. He had to design music for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony.

As the opening ceremony unfolds with its grand tableaux and diverse musical influences, Le Masne’s touch is evident in every note. From the performances of Lady Gaga, Céline Dion, and Juliette Armanet, to the music of contemporary French rapper Rim’k, Le Masne planned it all. However, alongside making it grand, Le Masne also retained his unique artistic vision.

He was asked about the probable political pressure and weight of responsibility that he had to bear. Replying to the same, Victor le Masne replied, “Not really. I did play the theme to President Macron in person. He liked the fusion of the symphonic and the electronic.” He further added, “I had a lot of freedom but at the same time I knew I had to express diversity and inclusivity”. However, fans and eminent personalities shared their two cents on the artistic take of Le Masne.

Art or Outrage? Unpacking the controversial moments of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

While the rain-soaked Opening Ceremony was a visual masterclass for the audience, dark shadows of controversies plagued the spectacle like a rose with thorns. The visual of a semi-naked blue figure lying on a platter of fruits raised the crowd’s eyebrows. According to what Victor le Masne wanted to convey, the blue figure represented the Greek God of wine and revelry, Dionysus. Through the segment, Masne attempted to bring out ‘the absurdity of violence between human beings.’ Unfortunately, a significant portion of the crowd did not buy the explanation. They interpreted this as an insult to Christianity and mocked the ‘The Last Supper’. 

To add to the woes, this was not the only controversial segment the Paris Olympics opening ceremony had. Seconds prior to the heavy metal band Gojira setting the pouring city on fire, a beheaded visual of Marie Antoinette appeared on the screen. For context, Marie Antoinette was the wife of King Louis XVI, and the last queen consort of France before the French Revolution took place. Antoinette was allegedly a greedy queen with infidelity issues and was even accused of being compassionate about France’s enemies. In one of the somber turn of events, following King Louis’ execution, Marie Antoinette was held captive on false charges and was executed via guillotine in 1793. Well, that might have been an anecdote of French history, but personalities like Andrew Tate seem to be enraged. 

Taking to his X account, the controversial social media influencer stated that the Marie Antoinette spot was a hint of ‘devil worship.’ Tate further accused the West of being controlled by ‘Satanists’. Thus, with the controversy taking center stage in the opening moments of Paris, it is now up to the athletes to wipe off the rusty memory and replace it with sheer sporting brilliance.