1812 Overture

1880 concert overture by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Year 1812 the leap year 1812 April 2021 1812 Overture Concert overture Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1812 overture.jpg 1.2 A performance, with cannon fire, at the 2005 Classical Spectacular in Melbourne, Australia Eflat major 49 1880 Commemoration of the 1812 Russian defense against Napoleon's invading fr Grande Armée 1882 08 20 y Moscow Ippolit Al'tani The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture,Tchaikovsky Research: The Year 1812, Op. 49 (TH 49) http://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/The_Year_1812 21 June 2015 26 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220326181114/http://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/The_Year_1812 live is a concert overture in Eflat major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The piece commemorates Russia's successful defence against the French invasion of the nation in 1812. Written in just 6 weeks2018-04-03 1812 Overture is 'top classical piece' https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-43626603 2026-05-06 www.bbc.com en-GB the Overture's first public performance, conducted by Ippolit Al'tani, took place in Moscow on 20 August 1882,The Great Song Thesaurus Lax Roger Frederick Smith 1989 Oxford University Press Oxford 978-0-19-505408-8 230 registration https://archive.org/details/greatsongthesaur00laxr/page/230 under a tent, near the still unfinished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which also memorialised the 1812 defence of Russia.Felsenfeld, Daniel. Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide, p. 54. Amadeus Press, 2006. The 15-minute overture is best known for its climactic volley of cannon fire, ringing chimes, and a brass fanfare finale. It has also become a common accompaniment to fireworks displays on the United States' Independence Day.Hernández Javier C. Amid Ukraine War, Orchestras Rethink '1812 Overture,' a July 4 Rite – Some ensembles have decided not to perform Tchaikovsky's overture, written as commemoration of Russia's defeat of Napoleon's army. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/03/arts/music/1812-overture-russia-ukraine.html 3 July 2022 The New York Times 4 July 2022 4 July 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220704100753/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/03/arts/music/1812-overture-russia-ukraine.html/ live The 1812 Overture went on to become one of Tchaikovsky's most popular works, along with his ballet scores to The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake.The Cambridge Companion to Modern Russian Culture Robinson, Harlow Rzhevsky, Nicholas Cambridge University Press 2012 978-1-107-00252-4 268 Instrumentation The 1812 Overture is scored for an orchestra that consists of the following:Tchaikovsky Piotr Ilyich 1812 overture: Marche slave, and; Francesca da Rimini Courier Dover Publications 1996 0-486-29069-7 https://books.google.com/books?id=wOgpn-Oqr84C&q=1812+overture 29 December 2009 Brass band: "Open" instrumentation consisting of "any extra brass instruments" available. In some indoor performances, the part may be played on an organ. Military or marching bands also play this part. Note: the brass band or its substitute is meant to play during the finale only. Woodwinds: 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 1 cor anglais, 2 clarinets in Bflat and 2 bassoons Brass: 4 horns in F, 2 cornets in Bflat, 2 trumpets in Eflat, 3 trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass) and 1 tuba Percussion: timpani, orchestral bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, carillon Strings: violins I & II, violas, cellos and double basses. Artillery: One battery of cannons or ceremonial field artillery. The carillon is sometimes replaced with tubular bells or recordings of carillons, or even church bells. In the sections that contain cannon shots, actual cannons are sometimes replaced by howitzers, tanks, fireworks, recorded cannons, or played on a piece of staging, usually with a large wooden mallet or sledgehammer as used in Mahler's 6th Symphony. The bass drum, and gong/tam-tam are also regularly used as cannon substitutes or adjuncts in indoor performances. In his 1966 Deutsche Grammophon recording, Herbert von Karajan scored the first 02'43" (or 36 bars) for voices instead of strings at the start and the subsequent dialogue between strings and woodwind, adding the Russian Orthodox plainchant God Preserve Thy People text to the melody and slightly rearranging the texture to suit voices a capella rather than instruments. Two years later, the American conductor Igor Buketoff, son of a Russian Orthodox priest, went a stage further on his RCA Victrola recording with the New Philharmonia Orchestra. Not only did he deploy voices for the opening chant but he also had a children's chorus sing the folk tune "By the Gates" and brought the choir back to bolster the chant and the Russian Imperial national anthem God Save the Tsar!.https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/tchaikovsky-s-1812-overture-the-complete-guide Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the complete guide by Geoffrey Norris Gramophone 26 December 2020 12 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210212213023/https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/tchaikovsky-s-1812-overture-the-complete-guide live Composition Historical background: Napoleon's invasion of Russia thumb|A scene depicting the French retreat from Russia in 1812, painting by Illarion Pryanishnikov (1874) French invasion of Russia On 7 September 1812, at Borodino, 120 km mi on west of Moscow, Napoleon's forces met those of General Mikhail Kutuzov in a concerted stand made by Russia against the seemingly invincible French Army. The Battle of Borodino saw casualties estimated as high as 100,000 and the French were masters of the field. It was, however, ultimately a pyrrhic victory for the French invasion.https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/74349/Battle-of-Borodino Battle of Borodino 2010 Encyclopædia Britannica 6 January 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100121052116/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/74349/Battle-of-Borodino 21 January 2010 With resources depleted and supply lines overextended, Napoleon's weakened forces moved into Moscow, which they occupied with no delegation to receive the conquerors. Expecting a capitulation from Tsar Alexander I, the French instead found themselves in a barren and desolate city. To make things worse, 48 hours after Napoleon's entry to the Russian city on 14 September 1812, three quarters of Moscow was burned to the ground.Riehn Richard 1812: Napoleon's Russian campaign McGraw-Hill 1990 978-0070527317 New York 285 Deprived of winter stores, Napoleon had to retreat. Beginning on 19 October and lasting well into December, the French Army faced several overwhelming obstacles on its long retreat: famine, typhus, freezing temperatures, harassing cossacks, and Russian forces barring the way out of the country. Abandoned by Napoleon in November, the fr Grande Armée was reduced to one-tenth of its original size by the time it reached Poland and relative safety.Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March Zamoyski Adam 2004 Harper Collins London 0-00-712375-2 Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March In 1869, the full edition of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy was published. The novel reported a very accurate description of the Napoleonic invasion of 1812, reviving memories of the Russian resistance. This led to the commissioning of new monuments, paintings and also of new musical compositions, including Tchaikovsky's. Commission The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, commissioned in 1812 by Tsar Alexander I to commemorate the Russian victory, was nearing completion in Moscow in 1880; the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Alexander II would be at hand in 1881; and the 1882 All-Russia Arts and Industry Exhibition at Moscow was in the planning stage. Tchaikovsky's friend and mentor Nikolai Rubinstein suggested that he write a grand commemorative piece for use in related festivities. Tchaikovsky began work on the project on 12 October 1880, finishing it six weeks later.Russell Peter https://books.google.com/books?id=zsNTDwAAQBAJ&dq=%2212+October+1880%22+1812&pg=PT116 Delphi Masterworks of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Illustrated) Delphi Classics 2018 978-1-78656-123-7 en Organizers planned to have the overture performed in the square before the cathedral, with a brass band to reinforce the orchestra, the bells of the cathedral, and all the others in downtown Moscow playing "zvons" (pealing bells) on cueand cannons, fired from an electric switch panel to achieve the precision the musical score required. However, this performance did not take place, possibly due in part to the over-ambitious plan. Regardless, the assassination of Alexander II that March deflated much of the impetus for the project. In 1882, during the All-Russia Arts and Industry Exhibition, the Overture was performed in a tent next to the unfinished cathedral. The cathedral was completed on 26 May 1883.http://www.xxc.ru/english/history/index.htm Cathedral of Christ the Saviour: History 26 September 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110515162509/http://www.xxc.ru/english/history/index.htm 15 May 2011 Meanwhile, Tchaikovsky complained to his patron Nadezhda von Meck that he was "... not a conductor of festival pieces," and that the Overture would be "... very loud and noisy, but [without] artistic merit, because I wrote it without warmth and without love." Sometime earlier, the composer had confided to his publisher Pyotr Jurgenson that "Neither in the jubilee of the high-ranking person (who has always been quite antipathetic towards me), nor in the cathedral, which again I don’t like at all, is there anything that could stir my imagination." He put it together in six weeks. It is this work that would make the Tchaikovsky estate exceptionally wealthy, as it is one of the most performed and recorded works from his catalog.http://www.xxc.ru/english/index.htm Official website of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Cathedral of Christ the Saviour 10 January 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20150401020922/http://www.xxc.ru/english/index.htm 1 April 2015http://www.byzantines.net/epiphany/christsavior.htm Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow: A Russian Allegory 10 January 2010 29 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081229182612/http://www.byzantines.net/epiphany/christsavior.htm livehttp://churchesaroundtheworld.com/tag/churches/churches-in-russia/moscow/ Churches Around the World Archive 10 January 2010 4 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081204151711/http://churchesaroundtheworld.com/tag/churches/churches-in-russia/moscow/ dead In Russia, during the Soviet era, the imperial anthem was replaced with the chorus "Glory, Glory to you, holy Rus'!" (Славься, славься, святая Русь!), which came from the finale of Mikhail Glinka's opéra Ivan Susanin, a historical drama about a patriotic commoner of the same name. The original version of the song, written by Vasily Zhukovsky and Egor Fyodorovich Rozen, praised the Tsar and the Russian Tsardom, while the latter version by Sergey Gorodetsky was one of a patriotic form and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial anthem of Russia in the 20th century and even today. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, the original score returned.Russian national anthem "God Save the Tsar" in Tchaikovsky's music https://web.archive.org/web/20060710215953/http://www.hymn.ru/god-save-in-tchaikovsky/index-en.html 10 July 2006 Norris Geoffrey 1 May 2018 Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the complete guide https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/tchaikovsky-s-1812-overture-the-complete-guide 2022-09-26 Gramophone en 12 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210212213023/https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/tchaikovsky-s-1812-overture-the-complete-guide live Adaptation in other contexts As a rousing patriotic hymn, the Overture has subsequently been adapted into and associated with other contexts than that of the Russian resistance to Napoleon's invasion. The 1812 Overture is popularly knownhttp://old.post-gazette.com/ae/20030704overtureae3.asp How a rousing Russian tune took over our July 4th 4 July 2015 Andrew Druckenbrod Post-Gazette 29 November 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211129194321/http://old.post-gazette.com/ae/20030704overtureae3.asp dead in the United States as a symbol of the United States Independence Day, a tradition that dates back to a 1974 choice made by Arthur Fiedler for a performance at the Boston Pops July 4 concert.http://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/How-did-the-1812-Overture-become-a-Fourth-3674377.php How did the '1812 Overture,' become a Fourth tradition? Everett Evans Hearst Newspapers 29 June 2012 4 July 2015 29 November 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211129194318/https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/How-did-the-1812-Overture-become-a-Fourth-3674377.php livehttp://christandpopculture.com/the-1812-overture-is-a-story-of-gods-sovereignty-over-human-history/ Independence Day Staple, the "1812 Overture" is a Story of God's Sovereignty Over Human History Christ and Pop Culture 4 July 2015 Matthew Linder 19 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190319143539/https://christandpopculture.com/the-1812-overture-is-a-story-of-gods-sovereignty-over-human-history/ live An earlier outdoors July presentation in the U.S. was by the National Symphony Orchestra, led by Howard Mitchell, on 7 July 1950—incorporation eight 75mm Howitzers."Background for '1812 Overture'" (UP Story). The Columbus (NE) Daily Telegram, 7 July 1950, 8. According to the NSO's management, the performance celebrated the sesquicentennial of the relocation of America's capital from Philadelphia to Washington, DC."Fort Myer Cannon Give Realistic Air to National Symphony 'Overture, 1812'." Danville (IL) Advocate-Messenger, 13 July 1950, 9. The piece was parodied by composer Malcolm Arnold in A Grand, Grand Overture which features four rifles, three Hoover vacuum cleaners (two uprights in B♭ and one horizontal with detachable sucker in C), and an electric floor polisher in E♭; it is dedicated to President Hoover.https://corymbus.co.uk/malcolm-arnold-a-life-in-symphonies/ Malcolm Arnold – A Life in Symphonies 23 September 2016 5 October 2019 29 November 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211129200105/https://corymbus.co.uk/malcolm-arnold-a-life-in-symphonies/ live The piece was also parodied by P. D. Q. Bach for the 1989 musical album 1712 Overture and Other Musical Assaults.https://www.allmusic.com/album/pdq-bach-1712-overture-other-musical-assaults-mw0000155880 ALLMUSIC, NETAKTION LLC allmusic.com Overview: P.D.Q. Bach: 1712 Overture & Other Musical Assaults 13 June 1989 26 August 2024 25 August 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240825183806/https://www.allmusic.com/album/pdq-bach-1712-overture-other-musical-assaults-mw0000155880 live The 2026 movie Coyote Vs Acme used a portion of the overture which replaced some instruments and cannons with the Road Runner's iconic "Beep Beep" for the movie's climax.Broxton Johnathan COYOTE VS. ACME – Steven Price https://moviemusicuk.us/2026/09/01/coyote-vs-acme-steven-price/ Moviemusicuk.us 16 September 2026 Structure {|class="wikitable" |- | |- |U Vorot, Vorot is a folk song brought up in the piece representing the Russian people |} The piece begins with the simple, plaintive Russian melody of the Eastern Orthodox Troparion of the Holy Cross (also known as "O Lord, Save Thy People") played by four cellos and two violas.https://orthodoxwoman.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/lord-save-thy-people-and-the-1812-overture/ Lord Save Thy People and the 1812 Overture 14 September 2012 orthodoxwoman 18 June 2018 en-US 12 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220312100127/https://orthodoxwoman.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/lord-save-thy-people-and-the-1812-overture/ live This represents the Russian people praying for the victory. Then, the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", is heard, representing the invading French army.During Napoleon's reign, the Marseillaise was not the national anthem of France as it had been banned by the emperor, but audiences were more familiar with La Marseillaise, so that is what Tchaikovsky used in his piece. Then, the melody of "La Marseillaise" is heard competing against Russian folk music, representing the two armies fighting each other as the French approached Moscow. At this point, five cannon shots are heard, representing the Battle of Borodino. This is where "La Marseillaise" is most prominent, and seems to be winning. After this, a long descending run represents the French army retreating out of Moscow as the freezing winter winds rage on. At the end of this run the opening motif is repeated, which can be interpreted as prayers being answered. The grand finale culminates with eleven more cannon shots and the melody of "God Save the Tsar!".https://www.thoughtco.com/tchaikovskys-1812-overture-724401 The History of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture Green Aaron 30 January 2018 ThoughtCo 13 April 2018 17 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190417042006/https://www.thoughtco.com/tchaikovskys-1812-overture-724401 dead Anachronism of nationalist motifs Although La Marseillaise was chosen as the French national anthem in 1795, it was revoked by Napoleon in 1805 and forbidden from being played in his presence, and would not have been played during the Russian campaign. It was only reinstated as the French anthem in 1879the year before the commission of the overturewhich can explain its use by Tchaikovsky in the overture.Ross, Stewart (2002). The French Revolution Events and outcomes. Evans Brothers, p. 69. 0-237-52292-6. "Chant du départ", nicknamed "the brother of the Marseillaise" by French Republican soldiers, served as the official anthem of Napoleon's regime. However, it had been largely forgotten by 1882, while educated Russians of the time were likely to be familiar with the tune of "La Marseillaise" and recognize its significance.September 2018 Although "God Save the Tsar!" was the Russian national anthem during Tchaikovsky's lifetime, it did not exist in 1812. There was no official Russian anthem until 1815, from which time until 1833 the anthem was "The Prayer of Russians" (ru-Latn Molitva russkikh), sung to the tune of "God Save the King". Bohlman Philip Vilas The Music of European Nationalism: Cultural Identity and Modern History ABC-CLIO 2004 157 https://books.google.com/books?id=fkQf7k2OaDcC&q=Russian+anthem&pg=PT190 978-1-85109-363-2 13 September 2011 The two songs both start with the same words, God Save the Tsar!, but diverge after that. Themes O Lord, Save thy People represents the praying for deliverance from the invading army. A part of this hymn translates to "Grant victory to all Orthodox Christians over their enemies."Micholic Peter Aftershocks of 1812: Nationalism and Censorship in Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture https://pages.stolaf.edu/music242-spring2014/portfolio/aftershocks-of-1812-nationalism-and-censorship-in-tchaikovskys-1812-overture/ Adventures in Music History and Literature at St. Olaf 13 May 2014 12 December 2014 28 December 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171228053959/https://pages.stolaf.edu/music242-spring2014/portfolio/aftershocks-of-1812-nationalism-and-censorship-in-tchaikovskys-1812-overture/The Russian Orthodox church Outside of Russia https://www.synod.com/synod/engdocuments/enart_venerationofcross.html August 28, 2022 By including this hymn in the piece, Tchaikovsky is suggesting that God granted the Orthodox Russians victory over the French imperial troops. Later in the piece when La Marseillaise is played, it seems as though the Russians will lose the battle. Then O Lord, Save thy People, along with God Save the Tsar!, is played powerfully in the brass section with a strong display of chimes in the background. The ringing chimes are written to represent the bells of Moscow.Starmer W. W. The Great Bell of Moscow The Musical Times 1 October 1916 57 884 441–442 10.2307/910209 910209 The Bells of Moscow hold significance, because in the Russian Orthodox religion, the bells symbolize the voice of God.Batuman Elif The Bells The New Yorker 22–29 27 April 2009 85 11 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/04/27/the-bells-6 Lyrics In the introduction, the prayer Tropar Krestu (Troparion to the Cross) is used. There are four versions of this prayer used in the introduction. First version RussianTransliterationСпаси, Господи, люди Твоя, И благослови достояние Твоё. Победы борющимся за веру правую и за святую Русь, На сопротивныя даруя. И Твоё сохраняя, Крестом Твоим жительство.Spasi, Gospodi, liudi Tvoya, I blagoslovi dostoyaniye Tvoyo. Pobedy boriushchimsia za veru pravuyu i za sviatuyu Rus', Na soprotivnyya daruya. I Tvoyo sokhraniaya, Krestom Tvoim zhitelstvo. Second version RussianTransliterationСпаси, Господи, люди Твоя, И благослови достояние Твоё. Победы Христолюбивому воинству и Богохранимей державе, На сопротивныя даруя. И Твоё сохраняя, Крестом Твоим жительство.Spasi, Gospodi, liudi Tvoya, I blagoslovi dostoyanye Tvoyo. Pobedy Khristoliubivomu voinstvu i Bogokhranimey derzhave, Na soprotivnyya daruya. I Tvoyo sokhraniaya, Krestom Tvoim zhitelstvo. Third version RussianTransliterationСпаси, Господи, люди Твоя, И благослови достояние Твоё. Победы благоверному Императору нашему Николаю Александровичу, На сопротивныя даруя. И Твоё сохраняя, Крестом Твоим жительство.Spasi, Gospodi, liudi Tvoya, I blagoslovi dostoyanie Tvoyo. Pobedy blagovernomu Imperatoru nashemu Nikolayu Aleksandrovichu, Na soprotivnyya daruya. I Tvoyo sokhraniaya, Krestom Tvoim zhitelstvo. Fourth version RussianTransliterationСпаси, Господи, люди Твоя, И благослови достояние Твоё. Спаси, Господи, люди Твоя, и благослови достояние Твоё, На сопротивныя даруя. И Твое сохраняя, Крестом Твоим жительство.Spasi, Gospodi, liudi Tvoya, I blagoslovi dostoyanie Tvoyo. Spasi, Gospodi, liudi Tvoya, i blagoslovi dostoyanye Tvoyo, Na soprotivnyya daruya. I Tvoe sokhraniaya, Krestom Tvoim zhitelstvo. Performance practice In a live performance, the logistics of safety and precision in placement of the shots require either well-drilled military crews using modern cannons, or the use of sixteen pieces of muzzle-loading artillery, since any reloading schemes, to attain the sixteen shots, or even a semblance of them, in the two-minute time span involved, makes safety and precision impossible with 1800s artillery. Time lag alone precludes implementation of cues for the shots for fewer than sixteen 1812-era field pieces.Mordden Ethan A guide to orchestral music: the handbook for non-musicians Oxford University Press US 1986 Reprint, illustrated 978-0-19-504041-8 Performance history Shortlist of performances of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture during and shortly after his life.The Year 1812 https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/The_Year_1812 Tchaikovsky Research Berlin, German Empire: December 1882, conducted by Benjamin Bilse at Konzerthaus Berlin Smolensk, Russian Empire: 2 June 1885, conducted by Mily Balakirev Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire: 17 March 1887, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Moscow, Russian Empire: 26 November 1887, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Moscow, Russian Empire: 27 November 1887, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Berlin, German Empire: 8 February 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Prague, Austria-Hungary: 19 February 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself at Rudolfinum Prague, Austria-Hungary: 21 February 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself at National Theatre Amsterdam, Netherlands: 29 November 1888, conducted by Willem Kes Prague, Austria-Hungary: 30 November 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself at National Theatre London, Great Britain: 15 January 1889, conducted by George Henschel Pavlovsk, Russian Empire: 18 May 1890, conducted by Julius Laube Tiflis, Russian Empire: 1 November 1890, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Odessa, Russian Empire: 2 December 1891, conducted by Anton Arensky Kiev, Russian Empire: 2 January 1892, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Kiev, Russian Empire: 3 January 1892, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Brussels, Belgium: 14 January 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Odessa, Russian Empire: 4 February 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Kharkov, Russian Empire: 26 March 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself Boston, United States: 29 December 1893, conducted by Emil Paur at Boston Music Hall Vienna, Austria-Hungary: 15 January 1899, conducted by Gustav Mahler Recording history music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - 1812 overture.ogg 1812 Overture Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra ogg The earliest traceable orchestral recording, which does not include the shots and features no percussion apart from bells, was by the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra conducted by Landon Ronald, and issued by His Master's Voice on three 12-inch 78-rpm sides in 1916."Landon Ronald" at damians78s.co.uk https://web.archive.org/web/20121105142738/http://damians78s.co.uk/html/landon_ronald.html 5 November 2012 A Royal Opera Orchestra recording of about the same time similarly contains no shots at all.https://books.google.com/books?id=sOsPAAAAIAAJ New Outlook – Volume 145 Smith Alfred Emanuel 1927 Outlook Publishing Company, Inc. 24 17 January 2010 Antal Doráti's 1954 Mercury Records recording with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, partially recorded at West Point, and using the Yale Memorial Carillon in New Haven, Connecticut, uses a Napoleonic French single muzzleloading cannon shot dubbed in 16 times as written. On the first edition of the recording, one side played the Overture and the other side played a narrative by Deems Taylor about how the cannon and bell effects were accomplished. (Later editions placed the commentary after the performance on side 1 and the Capriccio Italien on side 2.) A stereophonic version was recorded on 5 April 1958, using the bells of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carillon, at Riverside Church. On this Mercury Living Presence Stereo recording, the spoken commentary was also given by Deems Taylor and the 1812 was coupled with Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien. Later editions coupled the 1812 Overture with Dorati's recording of Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, which featured the London Symphony Orchestra and real cannon.https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/arts/music/25fine.html Wilma Cozart Fine, Classical Music Record Producer, Dies at 82 Kozinn Allan 24 September 2009 The New York Times 17 January 2010 17 June 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220617120802/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/arts/music/25fine.html live The Black Dyke Band has recorded a brass band arrangement of the piece. This recording on their album Symphonic Brass includes the cannon shots as originally written.https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570726 Symphonic Brass Naxos.com 19 August 2017 1 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211201012136/https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570726 live The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, and the Don Cossacks Choir recorded the piece in 1967 for Deutsche Grammophon.https://www.discogs.com/Peter-Tchaikovsky-Don-Cossack-Choir-Serge-Jaroff-Berlin-Philharmonic-Orchestra-Herbert-von-Karajan-O/master/107645 Peter Tchaikovsky*, Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff*, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra*, Herbert von Karajan – Overture 1812 • Marche Slave • Romeo And Juliet 1967 discogs en 26 September 2017 25 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201125061835/https://www.discogs.com/Peter-Tchaikovsky-Don-Cossack-Choir-Serge-Jaroff-Berlin-Philharmonic-Orchestra-Herbert-von-Karajan-O/master/107645 live In 1971, CBS released a recordinghttps://www.discogs.com/es/Eugene-Ormandy-Philadelphia-Orchestra-Mormon-Tabernacle-Choir-Valley-Forge-Military-Academy-Band-Tch/release/4708762 Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra*, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Valley Forge Military Academy Band – Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture 1971 discogs 15 August 2016 19 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190319144746/https://www.discogs.com/es/Eugene-Ormandy-Philadelphia-Orchestra-Mormon-Tabernacle-Choir-Valley-Forge-Military-Academy-Band-Tch/release/4708762 live with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy, also featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Valley Forge Military Academy band and real artillery shots. British rock drummer Cozy Powell sampled the overture at the end of the track "Over The Top" in his eponymous 1979 studio album. The first digital recording occurred in 1979 by Telarc with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra headlining under the leadership of Erich Kunzel. The Kiev Symphony Chorus was secured and brought stateside for the express purpose of this recording, while the Children's Choir of Greater Cincinnati (presently doing business as the Cincinnati Youth Choir), a regular Symphony and Pops collaborator to this day, supplied the children's voices. The recording features the tones of the Emery Memorial Carillon (in adjacent Mariemont, Ohio) alongside high-definition cannon shots using full-sized 19th century military cannons, also specially recorded locally. In addition to becoming Telarc's best-selling record and helping to establish them as a company, the record soon became a popular and well-known method for testing hifi record-playing equipment and related setups. Only the best and most fine-tuned allowed the cannon shots to be played properly (an accompanying warning for users not to destroy their audio equipment was included with the record).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwJYYrEOePU https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/fwJYYrEOePU 2021-12-12 live Bob Woods on Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and the History of Telarc YouTube Robert Woods 5 October 2018https://www.stereophile.com/content/recording-october-1979-telarc-1812-overture Recording of October 1979: The Telarc 1812 Overture Stereophile Margaret Graham, J. Gordon Holt 29 August 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20191029232004/https://www.stereophile.com/content/recording-october-1979-telarc-1812-overture 29 October 2019https://www.vinylgourmet.com/en/music/1540-tchaikovsky-1812-overture-lp-180g-vinyl-cincinnati-symphony-orchestra-erich-kunzel-telarc-records-usa.html Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture LP 180g Vinyl Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Erich Kunzel Telarc Records USA Vinylgourmet Erich Kunzel, (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conductor) 30 October 2019 17 October 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211017101720/https://www.vinylgourmet.com/en/music/1540-tchaikovsky-1812-overture-lp-180g-vinyl-cincinnati-symphony-orchestra-erich-kunzel-telarc-records-usa.html live In 1989, the Swingle Singers recorded an a cappella version of the overture as part of an album whose title is 1812. http://www.allmusic.com/album/1812-mw0000637775 1812 – The Swingle Singers AllMusic 15 August 2014 11 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211211090207/https://www.allmusic.com/album/1812-mw0000637775 live In 1990, during a worldwide celebration of the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth, the Overture was recorded in the city of his youth by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra using 16 muzzleloading cannons fired live as written in the 1880 score. That recording was done within earshot of the composer's grave. The festival was televised for the first time in the United States on 9 March 1991.Americans Do Tchaikovsky in Russia by Daniel CariagaReview/Television; Soviet Concert Honors a Favorite Son https://web.archive.org/web/20211129194910/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/09/arts/review-television-soviet-concert-honors-a-favorite-son.html 29 November 2021 By James R. Oestreich The Texan band "The Invincible Czars" released a rock version of 1812 Overture for the bicentennial of the Battle of Borodino in September 2012.Napoleon's 1812 Bicentennial Indoor Picnic https://web.archive.org/web/20130927215613/http://www.zvents.com/fairhope_al/events/show/279359987-napoleons-1812-bicentennial-indoor-picnic-russia-vs-france-a-battle-of-the-classics 27 September 2013 The band had already debuted their arrangement of the piece at the 20th annual OK Mozart classical music festival at Bartlesville, Oklahoma, with professional orchestra musicians, in June 2009, complete with fireworks at the finale.OKMozart! https://web.archive.org/web/20120807210234/https://www.okmozart.com/ 7 August 2012 References 30em External links 1812_Overture%2C_Op.49_(Tchaikovsky%2C_Pyotr_Ilyich) 1812 Overture Tchaikovsky Research Article from 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on how "1812" has become a piece of patriotic Americana https://web.archive.org/web/20080610061727/http://www.postgazette.com/ae/20030704overtureae3.asp 10 June 2008 Interview with J. Paul Barnett about the 1812 Overture by Bruce Duffie, 20 November 1999 Classical Music Overture Category:1880 compositions Category:American patriotic songs Category:British patriotic songs Category:Compositions for symphony orchestra Category:Compositions in E-flat major Category:Concert band pieces Category:Concert overtures Category:God Save the Tsar! Category:La Marseillaise Category:Orchestral compositions with chorus Category:Overtures by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Category:Russian patriotic songs Category:Works about the French invasion of Russia