Thoroughly studied] Tchaikovsky's "1812" Overture
Text/Jackie
1. Foreword:
In the 1980s In the early 1990s, Tchaikovsky's "1812" Overture was one of the designated pieces for Hong Kong audiophiles to try out. If you call yourself an audiophile but have never heard this overture, there are two possibilities. One is that you are very young, maybe a child born in the 1980s, and the other is that you don’t have much of a fever, at most you just have a cold.
"Overture" originally refers to the opening music of an opera, ballet or oratorio. Since the 19th century, composers have often used this genre to write independent orchestral music. Most of its structures are in sonata form, with the addition of title. The overture of "1812" is an independent orchestral piece with content.
In the eyes of music critics, the "1812" Overture is not considered Tchaikovsky's best work, even though Tchaikovsky himself wrote it to Mrs. Meck (Tchaikovsky's main sponsor). The author) also said in a letter: "This overture will be very noisy and noisy. I did not create it with much enthusiasm, so this piece may not have any artistic value."
The irony is that , the "1812" overture was already very popular when it was premiered, winning Tchaikovsky a high reputation. Later, it was performed in many cities in Russia and in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Belgium. Since then, it has become one of the most vivid, easy-to-understand, and popular works among Tchaikovsky's symphonies. This is probably because of Tchaikovsky's symphony. Fitz was unexpected.
2. The creative background of the "1812" overture.
The "1812" overture written by Tchaikovsky in 1880 is called "The Solemn Overture of 1812 for Big Band for the Inauguration Ceremony of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow." It’s long enough! If you can memorize it word for word when you go to a record store to buy a CD, then I really admire you.
This piece was composed by Tchaikovsky at the request of his teacher Nikolai Rubinstein to celebrate the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow – the church was once It was burned down during the Franco-Russian War in 1812 (another theory is that this song was written for the Moscow Art and Industrial Exposition).
3. The content of the overture of "1812".
In 1812, Napoleon led an army of 600,000 people to invade Russia, attempting to annihilate the Russian army in a short time, occupy Moscow, and force Russia to surrender. At the beginning of the war, when Napoleon's army was numerically superior, the Russian army had to gradually retreat. France was approaching Moscow. The Russian commander Kutuzov adopted the strategy of clearing the country, burning the grain and grass, and evacuated the residents, leading his army to temporarily evacuate Moscow. A month after Napoleon occupied Moscow, he was still unable to force Russia to surrender. Instead, he found himself alone in a tight siege, so he ordered the evacuation of Moscow. During the retreat, Napoleon's army was unable to adapt to the harsh Russian winter. Coupled with hunger and the Russian counterattack, it eventually collapsed. When Napoleon invaded Russia, most of his 600,000 troops were annihilated, and in the end only less than 10,000 people escaped from Russia.
The Overture of "1812" is an orchestral work written based on the above historical facts. In this overture, Tchaikovsky narrates the event in 1812 in a clear-cut manner, including the original peaceful life of the Russian people and the subsequent unrest and riots, the battle between the Russian and French armies, and the final defeat of the French army by Russia. , the carnival scene of the Russian people celebrating their victory, etc.
4. Why the "1812" Overture is used as testing equipment by audio enthusiasts.
I have mentioned above that this overture is not one of Tchaikovsky's best works, but why is it widely used by audiophiles as a test equipment? (There are many followers of Liu Hansheng from "Audio Forum" here. Let me tell you, Liu Hansheng also recommended using the "1812" overture when testing orchestral music.) The reason is very simple. In addition to using normal orchestral instruments in this overture (including three timpani, triangle , tambourines, bass drums, cymbals, etc.), extraordinary instruments such as snare drums, cannons, bells, etc. were also used. A military band was added at the end of the overture in order to achieve a lively and vivid effect.
When this overture was performed for the first time, the bells, drums and cannons roared in unison, and together with the orchestra's performance, the public attending the ceremony was greatly excited. After the modern two-channel era, recording technology has made great progress. Several companies have added real gun sounds to records, which has fascinated audiophiles. They often use real gun recording versions to test the strength, transient, and low frequency of the equipment. and other abilities.
If you are not a "big gun party", please listen to the whole song carefully and pay attention! The volume of this overture changes greatly, and there are many instruments used. You can clearly hear the strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion instruments. It can test the timbre, image positioning, strength and dynamic contrast of your equipment...
If you can't distinguish the sounds of different instruments, you can buy a music CD of "Peter and the Wolf" first. I recommend you buy the NAXOS version (Peter and the Wolf Naxos 8.554170DX), a picture book plus CD. The regular price is about 50 yuan, and the special price is more than 30 yuan (don’t blame me if I’m wrong). For all beginners of classical music and parents with children, I recommend you to buy a copy of "Peter and the Wolf". In the story of this piece, each character is played by one of the orchestra's instruments. The music is very helpful, and the children will definitely enjoy listening to it (you should listen with them!).
5. Analysis of the overture of "1812".
The version I chose for analysis is the version with Mercury Antal Dorati conducting the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. This is my preferred version. Of course, I also like the RCA version with Eugene Ormandy conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra. Why didn’t I choose the Telarc version that many netizens bought recently? Quite simply, I don't think this version is ideal. (Liu Hansheng’s followers, don’t scold me. Maybe you have bought a Telarc version after reading Mr. Liu’s recommendation). Since the interpretation of each version is slightly different, please adjust it yourself (for example, when I say when you hear certain Instruments, when you listen at home, you may find that the time may appear earlier or later. It is not that there is a problem with your speakers, it may just be that the version of the record we listen to is different.) Also, find an orchestral arrangement before listening. Take a look at the picture to understand the positioning of the instrument.
I wrote the analysis part based on Yang Minwang's "Appreciation of World Famous Music" (published by Shanghai Music Publishing House). This is the authoritative version. Many reviews in China and Taiwan are written (stolen) based on this book (with the exception of Hong Kong) , our record reviewers have extremely rich imaginations, they will create random things and talk nonsense, they are ignorant and inaccurate enough, therefore, Hong Kong people have enough material to be laughed at). If you are used to reading books as thick as dictionaries, you can buy them (two dictionaries). If you are afraid of big books, Yang Minwang has an "Introduction to Symphony Appreciation" (published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House), which is an abridged version of the previous book.
This article is mainly for beginners of classical music, so I try not to use audio terms as much as possible. If I really have to use them, please forgive me. These terms are not difficult to understand. I hope friends who don’t understand classical music at all can check the books or use their imagination. I also apologize to Fang Yazhenghe if the writing is not professional and accurate enough. (Alas! Free lunch, don’t scold me if I don’t write well!)
The music begins with a vast slow introduction: this is divided into six parts by the viola and cello (each part Two people) played the melody of an ancient hymn "Lord, save your people" (translated as "God Bless the People" in Taiwan). Its peaceful pace symbolizes the peaceful and tranquil life of the Russian people. Around (1:18), this theme is joined by woodwind instruments, and the sound is solemn, majestic and powerful.
The tense atmosphere is growing. With a timpani sound around (1:53), you will hear a panicked rhythm in the bass, which brings turbulent and exciting emotions. It symbolizes that the French invasion has broken the peaceful life of the Russian people.
At this time you can hear a soft, moving and tearful theme being delivered in turns by the oboe, flute, clarinet and bassoon (2:46). Around (2:53) and (3:01), you will hear the sound of drums and cymbals clashing, the speed of the music begins to speed up, the sound continues to increase, and the music enters a small climax.
Around (3:12), the original uneasy mood is replaced by an interlude depicting the recruitment of Russian troops, and you can hear the rapid sound of a snare drum (3:26). Against the background, woodwind instruments and French horns play a calling ensemble theme. This theme is repeated several times, followed by a short rest (around 4:25), and the music turns to the Allegro part (around 4:28). .
The music at this time is in sharp contrast with the previous music. The speed of the music at this time is extremely fast, and it begins to describe the scene of the decisive battle between the two armies. From the specially emphasized accents and syncopations of this theme, it seems that What sounded like sword strikes and horse hooves could be heard. As this theme gradually spreads throughout the band and reaches its climax, around (5:02) you will hear the drumming, and at around (5:08), the French horn and cornet play "La Marseillaise" one after another , its repeated appearance serves as a symbol of the French army's invasion of Russia.
The two melodies gradually slow down after colliding with each other (6:04), and then two Russian-style themes that are different from the theme of "Marseillaise" appear. (6:20) A smooth and vast Russian folk song appeared, telling the Russian people’s love for their motherland and their determination to not be afraid of violence and prepare to give incoming enemies a head-on attack. Pay attention to the sound of the orchestra playing the triangle at this time. You should hear enough overtones. If you can only hear a dull tone, either your record is poorly recorded or your equipment is poor.
Another theme that appears at (7:35) is the Russian wedding song "At the Gate", first played by flute and clarinet, with a passionate character, around (7:53) You'll hear the tambourine sound, which should be clear. This song fully demonstrates the Russian people's vitality and confidence in their own strength even in times of crisis. Like the Russian melody above, it soothes tense battle emotions.
The following section (8:36) is another description of the battle scene. The music shows a new round of fighting. Brass instruments and string instruments are intricately intertwined. The percussion instruments symbolize the battle of swords and swords. (9:08) begins. , you will hear the sound of drums and cymbals playing multiple times, while the "La Marseillaise" will gradually weaken and fade away in the later stages, and its fragments just speed up, intermittently, and later are set off by the somber tones of the bass string instruments. Turn down into the bass range (bassoon, bass trombone and tuba).
(10:06) Two familiar Russian-style themes appear again, pay attention to the sound of the triangle. This passage once again emphasizes the victory of the Russian people over the invading enemy. (10:52) Around again you will hear familiar Russian folk songs. Immediately after the theme of "La Marseillaise" (11:13), the speed of the music speeds up and intensifies. At (11:47), the first cannon fire appears, and five cannon fires appear in succession, and the music turns into a stormy descent. The phrase stops at (12:36), depicting the final fight and the enemy's retreat, with vivid and realistic images.
At around 12:37, it enters the end of the music, starting from the hymn theme of the introduction. At this time, the entire band and the temporarily added wind band play solemnly and magnificently with thunderous momentum. , you will hear the added bells, which, combined with the special novel colors of the tubular bells, appear more majestic and become a glorious victory hymn, symbolizing the glorious ending of the struggle. But the powerful statement of this hymn is repeatedly interrupted by some rapid phrases of the battle theme (13:40). The recurrence of these scale phrases reminds people of past battles with the enemy.
Finally, a solemn and powerful theme sounded, which is the theme of the final chorus "Ode to Glory" in Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin", around (13:52), Accompanied by the sound of eleven cannons and the ringing of church bells, it is the declaration of the final victory of the Russian people. The entire music ends with this triumphal and joyful hymn.