Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (with cannons) // Antal Dorati

The Year 1812, festival overture in E♭ major, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture, is a concert overture written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to commemorate Russia's defence of its motherland against Napoleon's invading Grande Armée in 1812.

Beginning with the 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, the piece moves through a mixture of pastoral and martial themes portraying the increasing distress of the Russian people at the hands of the invading French. This passage includes a Russian folk dance, At the Gate, at my Gate ("U Vorot, Vorot"). At the turning point of the invasion—the Battle of Borodino—the score calls for five Russian cannon shots to counter a fragment of La Marseillaise, the French national anthem. A descending string passage represents the subsequent retreat of the French forces, followed by victory bells and a triumphant repetition of O Lord, Save Thy People as Moscow burns to deny winter quarters to the French. A musical chase scene appears, out of which emerges the anthem God Save the Tsar! thundering with eleven more precisely scored shots. The overture utilizes counterpoint to reinforce the appearance of the leitmotif that represents the Russian forces throughout the piece. A total of 16 cannon shots are written into the score of the Overture.

The music can be interpreted as a fairly literal depiction of the campaign: in June 1812, the previously undefeated French Allied Army of over half a million battle-hardened soldiers and almost 1,200 state-of-the-art guns (cannons, artillery pieces) crossed the Niemen River into Lithuania on its way to Moscow. The Holy Synod, aware that the Russian Imperial Army could field a force only a fraction of this size, inexperienced and poorly equipped, called on the people to pray for deliverance and peace. The Russian people responded en masse, gathering in churches all across the Empire and offering their heartfelt prayers for divine intervention (the opening hymn). Next we hear the ominous notes of approaching conflict and preparation for battle with a hint of desperation but great enthusiasm, followed by the distant strains of La Marseillaise as the French approach. Skirmishes follow, and the battle goes back and forth, but the French continue to advance and La Marseillaise becomes more prominent and victorious – almost invincible. The Tsar desperately appeals to the spirit of the Russian people in an eloquent plea to come forward and defend the Rodina (Motherland). As the people in their villages consider his impassioned plea, we hear traditional Russian folk music. La Marseillaise returns in force with great sounds of battle as the French reach Moscow. The Russian people now begin to stream out of their villages and towns toward Moscow to the increasing strains of folk music and, as they gather together, there is even a hint of celebration. Now, La Marseillaise is heard in counterpoint to the folk music as the great armies clash on the plains west of Moscow, and Moscow burns. Just at the moment that Moscow is occupied and all seems hopeless, the hymn O Lord, Save Thy People that opens the piece is heard again as God intervenes, bringing an unprecedented deep freeze the French cannot bear (the winter winds blow in the music). The French attempt to retreat, but their guns, stuck in the freezing ground, are captured by the Russians and turned against them. Finally, the guns are fired in celebration and church bells all across the land peal in grateful honor of their deliverance from their treacherous and cruel enemies.

[SheetMusicBoss]

This is I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. WOW. There's a bajillion "meh" recordings of the 1812 Overture but I love the one you chose! Fantastic. And it's just awesome to visualise the music in Synthesia. While it's not as detailed as a score, you can definitely visualise all of the instruments together far more easily. It's awesome! Nice work! -Andrew

[arandomperson]

Red: strings
Green: woodwinds
Orange: brass
Yellow: percussion/cannons
Purple: timpani

[isaacdavis]

Patrick: Is mayonnaise an instrument?


Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Are cannons an instrument?

[christianjavier]

“No one will forget the day, and what it meant for this country, but I will never forget the man, and what he meant to me.”

- Evey, V For Vendetta

[orinna]

Warning!

Cannons will make your dogs bark, scare your parents, make cats panic, leave your friend or neighbor dumbfounded, goosebumps or diarrhea, waking up at the night shouting at the top of your lungs that you are robbed, make your house and city exploded, blowing your ears and brain, thinking that you should go to the doctor to have a surgery, make your sisters die, among the other things.
Update: Distracts you from work or school or videogames

Remember?

[ASROMAPERSEMPRE]

"We Escaping Catacombs Whit This One"🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Noddi]

This is just life in a nutshell

This is so blissful I love this, completely unaware of what’s about to come
( 00:04 - 2:10 )

Wait.. is this not going to last?
( 2:14 - 2:54 )

Oh god I might be right I don’t want this to end
( 2:54 - 3:47 )

It’ll be fine, I’ll pull through it can’t be that bad
( 3:50 - 4:20 )

Why do I have this eerie feeling something’s about to happen
( 4:21 - 4:46 )

Oh fuck I was wrong this is shit idk what I’m doing wtf is going on
( 4:49 - 6:37 )

I fall in love, this isn’t that bad. You know, Bob Ross might have been on to something: Gotta have opposites, light and dark and dark and light, in painting. It’s like in life. Gotta have a little sadness once in awhile so you know when the good times come.»
( 6:39 - 8:55 )

Oh no I fucked up I made such a mistake I’m an idiot
( 8:57 - 10:20 )

Phew it was just a misunderstanding, it’s ok
( 10:23 - 11:32 )

It wasn’t a misunderstanding after all.. I’ll make it alone though it’s ok
( 11:35 - 12:05 )

This shit is not fine why did I end up in this situation
( 12:07 - 12:56 )

You know life, is supposed to be a little wild. That’s what makes it special. You really have to appreciate the little things
( 12:57 - 13:54 )

Never to suffer would never to have been blessed
-Edgar Allan Poe
( 14:00 )

[MattiavonSigmund]

14:11 The National anthem of the Russian Empire: God, Save the Tsar! (In Russian: Bozhe, Tsarya Khrani!)


If you want to sing along to this masterpice, here is the Lyrics in Latinized Russian and in Cyrillic Russian.

Bozhe, Tsarya khrani!
Sil'nyy, derzhavnyy,
Tsarstvuy na slavu, na slavu nam!

Tsarstvuy na strakh vragam,
Tsar' pravoslavnyy!
Bozhe, Tsarya khrani!


Боже, Царя храни!
Сильный, державный,
Царствуй на славу, на славу нам!

Царствуй на страх врагам,
Царь православный!
Боже, Царя храни!

[bolbaweng]

Red = Strings
Green = Woodwinds
Orange = Brass
Purple = Timpani
Lower Octaves Yellow = Battery Percussion
Upper Octaves Yellow = Pitched Percussion

[swiftfox]

I expected the cannons to be actually present, and I wasn't disappointed. Great job!

[RMRizalMusic]

You are waiting for 14:00, aren't you?

[auberginereverie]

Other musicians: *puts musical instruments*








Tchaikovsky: *puts cannons in the end*

[leonlinton]

I've been waiting so long for this amazing piece of music!
Thank you so much!

[mariowatson]

Red: strings
Green: woodwinds
Orange: brass
Purple: timpani
Yellow: percussion and cannons

[axelordever]

I'm kinda sad to have learned Tchaikobsky held such a low opinion of his own piece, even going as far it being an artistic failure, and hated the fact that the 1912 Overture became his most popular piece.
Notwithstanding his personal appreciation for it, I think it is an incredible piece of art, full stop.

[curlywa]

My grandparents had a player piano and about 200 or so rolls. Great family fun was had by myself and my friends, growing up with a player piano 👍💜

[GraniteStateVictoria]

The most impressive part is that you managed to capture the powerful magnitude of both the cannons and the carillon (church bells).

[tto]

11:34 the single time before the moment you've been waiting for
11:54 now it is almost the moment you've been waiting for
12:19
12:23 almost....
12:34 almost...
12:36
12:40
12:58-13:56 *IT'S TIME FOR THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!*



14:58 Preparing the KrabbyPatty!

[katieaultmanable]

I love your fantastique Berlioz, 1812, and rites of spring. I love all of your channel! I’m even trying to copy them on my piano 3-D

[suppermanLandon]

I've heard this song a million times but 12:58 to 14:01 still gives me chills