Molieben on the Borodino Field (Egor Zaitsev, 2000-2002) click to enlarge
As we approach July 4th, we will, as we do every year, be hearing a lot of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. So, with that in mind, here is a quiz for my readers:
What does the 1812 Overture have to do with American independence?
As we approach July 4th, we will, as we do every year, be hearing a lot of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. So, with that in mind, here is a quiz for my readers:
What does the 1812 Overture have to do with American independence?
a) It celebrates our victory over the British in the War of 1812
b) It was written to commemorate the death of the last signer of the Declaration of Independence.
c) Absolutely nothing whatsoever...but it has cannons!!!
The correct answer, of course, is "c." The 1812 Overture (also known as Торжественная увертюра 1812-ого года) was written to commemorate Russia's successful defense of Moscow from the invading French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte in September of 1812, which culminated in the Battle of Borodino. This battle, according to Wikipedia, "was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French invasion of Russia, involving more than 250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties." The battle ended in a draw, but damaged the resources and morale of the French forces, who were further deflated when they headed to Moscow in search of winter quarters only to find the city burned down by the retreating Russian army. Napoleon and this troops were forced to head home, encountering well-deserved hardship and misery the entire way. By the time they reached Poland, Napoleon's Grande Armée had lost ninety percent of its total force.
Tsar Alexander II commissioned the piece in 1880, and two years later it premiered in the plaza in front of Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. Then in May 1891, Tchaikovsky conducted the New York Philharmonic in their performance of the piece at the dedication of Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.
Tchaikovsky, an Orthodox Christian, based the intro of the piece on the Troparion of the Cross, which is a hymn that we have sung many, many times in church:
O Lord, save Thy people,
and bless Thine inheritance!
Grant victory to Orthodox Christians
over their adversaries,
and by virtue of Thy Cross,
preserve Thy habitation.
Spasi Gospodi, lyudi tvoya
I blagoslovi dostoyanie tvoye.
Pobedi pravoslavnim khristianom
Na soprotivniya daruya;
I tvoyei sokhranyaya
Krestom tvoim zhitel'stvo.
Here is an abbreviated version of the 1812 Overture with chorus, but without cannons...sorry:
b) It was written to commemorate the death of the last signer of the Declaration of Independence.
c) Absolutely nothing whatsoever...but it has cannons!!!
The correct answer, of course, is "c." The 1812 Overture (also known as Торжественная увертюра 1812-ого года) was written to commemorate Russia's successful defense of Moscow from the invading French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte in September of 1812, which culminated in the Battle of Borodino. This battle, according to Wikipedia, "was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French invasion of Russia, involving more than 250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties." The battle ended in a draw, but damaged the resources and morale of the French forces, who were further deflated when they headed to Moscow in search of winter quarters only to find the city burned down by the retreating Russian army. Napoleon and this troops were forced to head home, encountering well-deserved hardship and misery the entire way. By the time they reached Poland, Napoleon's Grande Armée had lost ninety percent of its total force.
Tsar Alexander II commissioned the piece in 1880, and two years later it premiered in the plaza in front of Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. Then in May 1891, Tchaikovsky conducted the New York Philharmonic in their performance of the piece at the dedication of Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.
Tchaikovsky, an Orthodox Christian, based the intro of the piece on the Troparion of the Cross, which is a hymn that we have sung many, many times in church:
O Lord, save Thy people,
and bless Thine inheritance!
Grant victory to Orthodox Christians
over their adversaries,
and by virtue of Thy Cross,
preserve Thy habitation.
Spasi Gospodi, lyudi tvoya
I blagoslovi dostoyanie tvoye.
Pobedi pravoslavnim khristianom
Na soprotivniya daruya;
I tvoyei sokhranyaya
Krestom tvoim zhitel'stvo.
Here is an abbreviated version of the 1812 Overture with chorus, but without cannons...sorry:
See also:
"How a rousing Russian tune took over our July 4th"
Full score of 1812 Overture
3 comments:
Thanks for the song, and the history, and the words ... which were wonderful. The bells throughout and at the end have significance now. What a masterpiece!!!
Oh, one more thing ... I got the quiz right. Purty smart a' me, huh?
Can you imagine what the bells must have sounded like--tolling from every church in and around Moscow (and there were thousands)--as Napoleon's army departed?
Another interesting thing I learned is that Tchaikovsky hated his 1812 Overture. But then, he hated most of his music.
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