Download - 1812 Overture
By Peter Tchaikovsky
1812 Overture
Napoleonic Wars• Napoleon invades Russia in 1812 after fighting against several other European countries • Russia adopts a scorched-earth policy. They retreat & burn Moscow• When Napoleon’s troops finally arrive, they find no supplies and are forced to retreat to France• Out of the 400-500,000 troops Napoleon used to invadeRussia, only around 40,000 made it back to Paris
Temperature in Russia/France during Napoleon's invasion
Showed early interest in music though he worked for the government before becoming a composer
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Most famous works include ballets such as The Nutcracker & Swan Lake Cause of death is still a mystery, though it was originally thought to be
cholera
Written as a musical “history” of the events that occurred during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia
Written for the commemoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow(commissioned by Czar Alexander I to commemorate Napoleon’s defeat in 1812)
First played in 1882There are several different sections of music
that represent different stages of the invasion & retreat
History of 1812 Overture (1880)
Caethedral of Christ the Saviour
1812 Overture's Story
Opening Hymn: Russian Orthodox Patriarch asks
people to pray
Ominous woodwinds, violin and brass : Russian
people worry & army prepares for battle
“La Marseillaise” (French national anthem):
French invasion begins
“At the gate, at Grandfather’s gate” (Russian folk song):
Russian people gather to meet the French army
Battle theme, “La Marseillaise” & Russian
folk song interwoven together: Battle between
Russian and French
Cannons & “La Marseillaise” : Peak of the
battle
Strings: Battle begins to slow & no one is sure of
the winner
"God Save the Tsar" (Russian National Anthem)
& Opening Hymn with church bells: Signaling
God saved Russia!
Stalin orders Cathedral to be destroyed in 1931. (Original took 20 years to build!)
Cathedral is rebuilt from scratch in 1995.