1812 Overture

1812 Overture
1812 Overture
Concert overture by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
	A performance, with cannon fire, at the 2005 Classical Spectacular in Melbourne, Australia
Key	E♭ major
Opus	49
Occasion	Commemoration of the 1812 Russian defense against Napoleon's invading Grande Armée
Composed	1880
Premiere
Date	20 August 1882
Location	Moscow
Conductor	Ippolit Al'tani

The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture,^[1] is a concert overture in E♭ major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The piece commemorates Russia's successful defense against the French invasion of the country by Napoleon in 1812.

The overture debuted in Moscow on 20 August [O.S. 8 August] 1882,^[2] conducted by Ippolit Al'tani under a tent near the then-almost-finished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which also memorialised the 1812 defense of Russia.^[3]

The fifteen-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.^[4] 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.^[5]

^ "Tchaikovsky Research: The Year 1812, Op. 49 (TH 49)". Retrieved 21 June 2015.
^ Lax, Roger; Smith, Frederick (1989). The Great Song Thesaurus. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-19-505408-8.
^ Felsenfeld, Daniel. Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide, p. 54. Amadeus Press, 2006.
^ Hernández, Javier C. (3 July 2022). "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". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
^ Robinson, Harlow (2012). Rzhevsky, Nicholas (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Modern Russian Culture. Cambridge University Press. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-107-00252-4.

[1] "Tchaikovsky Research: The Year 1812, Op. 49 (TH 49)". Retrieved 21 June 2015.

[2] Lax, Roger; Smith, Frederick (1989). The Great Song Thesaurus. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-19-505408-8.

[Tchaikovsky:_A_Listener's_Guide-3] Felsenfeld, Daniel. Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide, p. 54. Amadeus Press, 2006.

[NYT-20220703-4] Hernández, Javier C. (3 July 2022). "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". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2022.

[5] Robinson, Harlow (2012). Rzhevsky, Nicholas (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Modern Russian Culture. Cambridge University Press. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-107-00252-4.

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