Cover A portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1893) by Nikolai Kutznetsov (Image: Getty Images)
A portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1893) by Nikolai Kutznetsov (Image: Getty Images)
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The arts world can be difficult to navigate. But newbies and those who want to brush up their knowledge, our performing arts series has got you covered. Our second piece looks at the story behind Russian composer Tchaikovsky’s famous creation which is a staple during celebrations and festive times
An explosive climax of cannon fire, an energetic brass fanfare and an intense, rapturous end are the signature of 19th-century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 15-minute orchestral piece The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, more widely known as 1812 Overture. While it was first played in August 1882, to this day, it’s performed as a finale at new year concerts (with the gunfire replaced by fireworks) and at the US’s Fourth of July celebrations.
This famous piece came into being when Russian music publisher Pyotr Jurgenson commissioned Tchaikovsky—who was at the height of his fame then—in 1880 to create a musical piece to commemorate any one of the three occasions: to inaugurate an arts and industry exhibition in Moscow; to celebrate the silver jubilee of the coronation of Tsar Alexander II; or to celebrate the completion of the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer, built to commemorate the success of Russia’s defence against French invasion in the winter of 1812.
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Above The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra performed “1812 Overture” as the final piece at its Swire Symphony Under the Stars concert in November 2023 (Photo: Instagram / @hkphilharmonic)
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra performed “1812 Overture” as the final piece at its Swire Symphony Under the Stars concert in November 2023 (Photo: Instagram / @hkphilharmonic)
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Tchaikovsky didn’t feel much enthusiasm for any of the three options, but finally agreed to create something for the last one. He wrote to Jurgenson in summer of 1880 that “it is impossible to tackle without repugnance this sort of music which is destined for the glorification of something that, in essence, delights me not at all.” He finished the piece within a few weeks.
Despite its popular reception when it debuted in 1882, Tchaikovsky himself had been dismissive about the artistic merit of this work, telling Nadezhda von Meck, Russian businesswoman and his patroness, in October 1880, that he wrote the piece “without warmth and love”.
Over the years, there have been different interpretations of the composition outside of Russia. Its rousing music has been thought to evoke patriotic feelings—for example, it has become an inherent part of the National Day celebrations in the US ever since American orchestra band Boston Pops Orchestra performed it in public on July 4, 1974 along the banks of the Charles River, Massachusetts.
Parts of the 1812 Overture has also been used countless times in pop culture. For instance, in 1971, director Woody Allen used it as a soundtrack to a love scene in his comedy film Bananas; in 1990, in an episode of the animated comedy series The Simpsons, Bart Simpson hummed the tune while doing a death-defying stunt on his skateboard; and in 2009, Vodafone New Zealand made an advert in which the music was recreated through the ringtones of 1,000 mobile phones. However, lately, some musical groups have decided against performing the 1812 Overture as its bellicose themes are considered insensitive and offensive during wartimes.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
