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SIDE ONE
(with The Philharmonia Orchestra)
Band 1—Overture `1812', Op. 49
(with the Band of H.M. Royal Marines)
The Ouverture Solenelle 1812 followed closely upon the heels of the
`Serenade for Strings' and despite all the denigration to which it has
been subjected, first by the composer himself and later by others, it is
a fine piece of musical construction and far better than most pièces
d'occasion. Indeed it is not too much to claim it as the best piece of
battle music ever to be written. It was commissioned by Anton Rubinstein
for the All-Russian Exhibition of Arts and Crafts held in 1882, which
coincided with the consecration of the Cathedral of the Redeemer in the
Kremlin at Moscow which had been built to commemorate the withdrawal of
Napoleon from Russia in 1812.
It is sometimes thought that the addition of a military band to the
already large orchestra and the firing of cannon at the end, as
occasionally heard, is no more than a stunt, but in fact this is
precisely as Tchaikovsky conceived it. It was intended that the first
performance should be given in the open air, in the great square in
front of the new cathedral by these huge forces, with cannon assuming
the role of the bass drum in the great coda. The present performance is
therefore just what the composer intended, to the letter. The orchestra
and band were recorded in London's Kingsway Hall and the roar of the
cannon was superimposed, not haphazardly but exactly as marked in the
score, from recordings of the guns of the Royal Horse Artillery made at
a S.S.A.F.A. Searchlight Tattoo at the White City.
For his picture of the events of 1812 Tchaikovsky combined and interwove
two original themes with three that are borrowed, the fine Russian hymn
`God save Thy people', the Marseillaise, and a folk tune from Novgorod,
which Rimsky-Korsakov also used in his Overture on Russian Themes. At
the end, band and orchestra combine in thundering out the Russian
National Anthem, played in counterpoint with the march-like theme heard
earlier, with tubular bells to represent those of the Kremlin and the
whole punctuated with the roar of guns.
Band 2—Waltz from `Serenade in C Major', Op. 48
The `Serenade for Strings' is one of the few of his works to give
satisfaction to the composer himself. Written in 1881, it was acclaimed
at its first performance in Moscow on January 28, 1881 by both audience
and critics, and thereafter was always warmly received whenever and
wherever Tchaikovsky conducted a performance. Above all else it is
notable for a richness and piquancy of texture and colour never before
and rarely since obtained from the limited resources of strings alone.
The Waltz, which is the second of four movements, is one of the
brightest and daintiest that Tchaikovsky ever wrote. Quite Viennese in
style, two particularly happy touches are the suspense when, after the
violins in thirds quicken and then slow down and pause for a moment, one
wonders whether the tonic or the dominant key is the eventual goal; and
a charming bit of double counterpoint at the beginning of the coda. © W.
A. CHISLETT, 1963 |
