Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture Review

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is a classical piece that has historical roots as well as many roots in modern pop culture. Some argue that it is probably one of the most popular classical pieces of all time. Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer who specifically wrote this piece to memorialize the 1812 defense of Russia when Napoleon and his forces attacked Grande Armee in 1812. However, the piece was actually written much later in 1880 and didn't debuted until two years later.

The piece itself can be defined by different mixes of tempos and instruments that are used to represent different points in the battle that Tchaikovsky was commemorating. For example, the piece starts with a Russian melody known as the Eastern Orthodox Troparion of the Holy Cross (also known as "O Lord, Save Thy People") played by four cellos and two violas. This is meant to represent the attack of the French at which the Russian people were in distress. Each of the different phases in the piece have similar meanings and these are actually considered to be largely historically accurate.

The experience that is gained when listening to this song can be thought of in multiple sections as well. There are a series of peaks and troughs, highs and lows. In my personal experience, it is about as exhilarating as music can be if you follow closely. The dynamics among the different sounds and tempos used are broader and virtually all contemporary music I know off. This is especially true in a live performance. Although I do not listen to this work regularly, I have built an appreciation for it as well as a fondness for this piece.

Scholarly Analysis

In Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture there is a cannon and according to the score, the cannon is supposed to be fired nineteen times. This is said to ensure a series of percussive effects which cannot be missed by even the most tin eared audience member; in fact, it has been said that if deaf people were to attend a performance of the piece it is likely that they would be able to sense the percussive effects of the cannon because it is so loud as to be capable of being "heard" by one's entire body, not just the ears alone (Hendrix 2000). This serves as an extreme example of one of the dualities of music, not only is the music to be heard through the ears, but it is often the case that the vibrations of the sound also affect the body. The canons in the piece forcibly remind the audience in this performance that music can be experienced physically as well as cognitively (Hendrix 2000).

Although Tchaikovsky's work is one of the most famous pieces in classical music, however many music critics have not been entirely found of the piece in general and have especially been critical of many of the elements found within it such as the overture. It is argued that the overture is literally too intense and as such lacks any subtly to it -- it has been referred to as a "musical earthquake" by some (Hendrix 2000). The effect of this musical earthquake has been selected for many political events -- both real and fictional. One popular emergence of the piece in pop culture is in the film "V for Vendetta" in which the hero (or villain depending on the perspective) challenges the audience to consider creative possibilities as the watch a destructive act the demolitions Congress to the sound of the 1812 Overture (Williams 2006).

Discussion

Although I agree that the overture might feel like a musical earthquake to some, this is exactly the part that is the most exhilarating. It contains a full range of variety and the canon fire, or simulated canon fire, is a culmination of the piece that does entirely affect the body in a live performance. I think the appreciation for the piece is largely a matter of preference. For example, some people who like rock-n-roll prefer the softer acoustic versions while others prefer the heavy metal variety of the genre. As such, some people who are found of classical music might prefer something dramatic as the 1812 Overture, while others prefer more subtle and less dramatic pieces.