1. 1812 Overture by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

3. 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

4. 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."

5. The Movements

6. 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

7. II. Strings Russians flee invaders Increasing tempo

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

9. 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

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

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

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

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

14. VII.Strings with cannons Russians flee Battle sounds in background are louder French captured well- provisioned city of Smolensk in August

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

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

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

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

19. 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 X.La Marseillaise (cont ’ d)

20. 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 ”

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

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

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