Song of the Day 10/19: The Philadelphia Orchestra, “1812 Overture”

H/t Ben, who requested this last month.

It was 210 years ago today that Napoleon began his devastating retreat from Moscow, an anniversary not observed by the French. Seventy years later Pyotr Tchaikovsky debuted this commemorative piece, scored for orchestra and artillery, for the dedication of a church that celebrated Russia’s victory, which was achieved mainly by burning down Moscow after Napoleon occupied it.

Tchaikovsky’s heart wasn’t really in the task, which took him six weeks. Before its debut he said privately that it would be “”very loud and noisy, but I wrote it with no warm feeling of love, and therefore there will probably be no artistic merits in it.” Of course it became one of his best-loved, most-performed compositions, and it made him rich.

As Ben noted, it has nothing to do with America’s War of 1812 with Britain — Tchaikovsky’s employment of Russian folk songs, “La Marseilles” and “God Save the Tsar” should be tip-offs, but most Americans are familiar only with the closing fanfare.

People might make that association because it’s been a popular accompaniment to Independence Day fireworks displays for nearly 50 years. In 1974, Arthur Fiedler conducted it at the Boston Pops July 4th concert, and the practice spread quickly. This past summer, though, bands in some cities dropped it from the program because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Personally, the piece’s strongest association is with Puffed Rice, a result of too many Saturday mornings in front of the boob tube. The commercials showed the cereal being shot from cannons, and with that accompaniment you couldn’t ignore them.