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.