1812 Overture by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Overture Background

1812 Overture by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Overture Background • 1880 • Czar Alexander II celebrating his 25 th anniversary on throne • Opening of the Moscow Arts and Industry Exposition • Consecrating of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, being built to commemorate the Russian liberation from Napoleon's armies in 1812

Tchaikovsky’s Attitude • Not enthusiastic • He wrote, – "Neither the jubilee of the eminent personage (for whom I have always had quite an antipathy) nor the church (which I don't like at all) offers anything that could inspire me. "

The Movements

I. God Preserve Thy People • Somber tones of a Russian church chant – Recalling declaration of war announced at Russian church • Followed by solemn chant for Russian success • Orchestral version has violas and cellos

II. Strings • Russians flee invaders • Increasing tempo

III. God Preserve the Czar • Russian people have purpose in fleeing • Don’t fight Alexander I

III. God Preserve the Czar (cont’d) • Use scorched-earth policy – Destroyed crops – Burned buildings – Dumped dead animals into wells to poison them – Destroyed bridges, signs, and roads to delay French • Drew French deeper into Russian interior

IV. Strings with cannons • More frantic • Russians flee • Sounds of battle in background – Drums – Cymbals

V. La Marseillaise • Symbolized French, although not French anthem in 1812 • Fleeing heard behind it

V. La Marseillaise (cont’d) • On June 12, 1812 Napoleon’s forces invaded Russia • “Russia has been carried off by fate, ” he said.

VI. Russian folk dances • Slowed down • Russian people would have recognized the melodies • Russians in Smolensk Napoleon had not yet reached

VII. Strings with cannons • Russians flee • Battle sounds in background are louder • French captured wellprovisioned city of Smolensk in August

VIII. La Marseillaise • Starts louder • Variations included in flight

IX. Russian folk dances • Russians in Borodino – Village on Dnieper River, less than 100 miles from Moscow

X. La Marseillaise • Battle of Borodino – September 7, 1812 – French forced Russians to retreat after fierce struggle

X. La Marseillaise (cont’d) • Skip Moscow – Russian general Kutusov reluctantly abandoned Moscow to French – Pyrrhic victory

X. La Marseillaise (cont’d) • Skip Moscow – Napoleon took a deserted Moscow • Waited in vain for Czar to surrender • Ignored warnings about severity of Russian winter • Lingered too long in illusion that surrender was imminent

XI. Strings • French fled • Snow slowed them • 422, 000 left France in summer • 40, 000 left Russia in mid-Dec. – Many of those then died of typhus – 10, 000 returned to France • Napoleon fled to Paris to control political “spin” on his “victory”

XII. God Preserve Thy People • Swirling snow sound • God helped them win with early, hard winter • God preserved His people

XIII. God Preserve the Czar • God preserved His czar Alexander I

• Marshal Ney of the French forces summed it up: – "General Famine and General Winter, rather than the Russian bullets, have conquered the Grand Army. "