Highlights from "1812 Overture"

Peter I Tchaikovsky

Pytor Ilyich Tschaikowsky (arr. Paul Hanna)

General Info

Year: 1878 / 1997
Duration:
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: TBQ Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $20.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone
Tuba
Percussion (optional)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Written in 1880, this overture is intended to be descriptive of the invasion of Russia in 1812, by the French under Napoleon, and their final defeat. After his victory of Borodino, the army of Napoleon marched into Moscow and took possession of the Kremlin. Thereupon the patriotic Russians set fire to their city, forcing the French to retreat.

The theme of the introduction is drawn from a Russian hymn, God, Preserve Thy People, and this is soon succeeded by the vividly picturesque "battle music." The fight begins, and the French at first have matters all their own way. High above the tumult are heard fragments of La Marseillaise, but soon a theme of obvious Russian extraction appears, a folk song from the government of Novgorod, the two motifs alternating as the fight gives advantage first on one side and then on the other. As time goes on, the Russian theme become more and more predominant, and La Marseillaise dies gradually away. Napoleon is beaten, and his army is in retreat. The victorious Russians give themselves up to rejoicing, the famous bells of Moscow peal forth gloriously in honor of Russian victory, and the fine rhythmic melody of the national hymn is heard triumphantly thundered out.

- Program Note by Richard Franko Goldman, in Program Notes for Band

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Stuart (Fla.) Community Concert Band (Jim LeBon, conductor) - 27 October 2019

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Douce Rêverie (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vernay) (1878/2020)
• Scenes from "Swan Lake" (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1876/2016)
• Themes from "1812 Overture" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1891/2008)
• Themes from "The Nutcracker" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1891/1999/2010)

All Wind Works

• The 3-Minute Nutcracker (arr. Conley) (1891/2010)
• 1812 Overture (arr. Lake) (1880)
• 1812 Overture (arr. Kimura) (1880)
• 1812 Overture (arr. Mol) (1880)
• 1812 Overture (arr. Laurendeau; ed. Schissel) (1880/1904/2010)
• 1812 Overture (arr. Whitcomb) (1880)
• 1812 Overture (arr. Williams) (1880/1997)
• 1812 Overture (tr. Patterson) (1880)
• Andante Cantabile (arr. Safranek) (/1913)
• Capriccio Italien (tr. Hindsley) (1880/1984)
• Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite" (tr. Rogan; ed. McAllster and Reed)
• Cossak Dance (tr. Bourgeois) (2008)
• Dance of the Jesters (arr. Cramer) (1873/1997)
• Dance of the Reed Flutes (arr. Cook) (1892/1990)
• Dance of the Reed Flutes (arr. Schwalbe) (1892/2015?)
• Dances from The Oprichnik (tr. Bourgeois) (1872/2008)
• Dances des mirlitons (arr. Buitenhuis) (1892/)
• Douce Rêverie (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vernay) (1878/2020)
• Entry March from "Swan Lake" (tr. Billis) (1877/1996)
• Faeries (arr. Davis; adapt. Longfield) (1891/)
• Fantasy on "March Slav" (arr. Bobrowitz) (1876/2019)
• Festive Overture on the Danish National Anthem (arr. Godfrey) (1908)
• Final Scene from "Swan Lake," Act IV (1876) (arr. Lienhart) (1876/2012)
• Finale from "Concerto for Violin" (arr. Howey) (1878/2008)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Balent). See: Finale from Symphony No. 4
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Brooks) (1878/)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (tr. Hindsley) (1878/197-?)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No 4 (arr. Safranek; ed. Ragsdale) (1878/1912/2004)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Sato) (1878/2014)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Singleton) (1878/1912/2003)
• Finale from Symphony No. 2 (arr. Williams) (1872/1880/2002)
• Finale from Symphony No. 4 (arr. Balent) (1878/2005)
• Gems of Tchaikovsky (arr. Clark) (1917)
• Highlights from "1812 Overture" (arr. Hanna) (1880/1997)
• Jurisprudence (arr. Godfrey) (1885/1909)
• Le Lac des Cygnes: Act I, Scene 1 (arr. Nefs) (1876/)
• Mad Russian's Christmas, A (arr. Phillips and Megaw) (1891/1996/2015)
• March from "The Sleeping Beauty" (arr. Bourgeois) (1890/2018)
• March Slav (tr. Daehn) (1876/1994)
• March Slav (orch. Simpson) (1876/2000)
• Marche Slav (arr. Laurendeau) (1876/1906)
• Marche Slave (arr. Godfrey) (1876/1917)
• Miniature Overture from "Suite from 'The Nutcracker'" (tr. Rogan; ed. McAlister and Reed) (1892/2001)
• Nutcracker Fantasy, The (ad. Yo Goto)
• Nutcracker Suite (arr. Lake) (1891/1924)
• Nutcracker Suite (arr. Curnow) (1891/1987)
• Nutcracker Suite (arr. Lavender) (1891/1999)
• Nutcracker Sweets (arr. Corwell) (1891/2010)
• Polonaise from "Third Suite" (arr. Godfrey) (1884/1916)
• Romeo and Juliet (trans. Hindsley) (1870/?)
• Romeo and Juliet (trans. Holcombe) (1870/1981)
• Scenes from "Swan Lake" (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1876/2016)
• Scenes from "The Nutcracker" (arr. Story) (1884/2010)
• Selections from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Hartman) (1884/2013)
• Selections from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Longfield) (1884/1992)
• Sleeping Beauty, The (arr. Bennett) (1960)
• Sleeping Beauty: Waltz (arr. Eilhardt) (1889)
• Suite from "Swan Lake" (tr. Yodo) (1876/)
• Suite from the Ballet "The Swan Lake" (arr. Godfrey) (1876/1911)
• Symphony No. 4 Finale (arr. Fyffe) (1878/2000)
• Symphony No. 6: Third Movement Finale (arr. Daehn) (1893/2007)
• Symphony No. 6 (arr. Hindsley)
  • Symphony No. 6 -- First Movement (arr. Hindsley) (1893/197-?)
  • Symphony No. 6 -- Third Movement (arr. Hindsley) (1893/197-?)
• Tchaikovsky Ballet Suite (arr. Bourgeois) (2012)
• Tchaikovskyana (arr. Daehn) (1979/2015)
• Tchaikovsky's Greatest Hits (arr. Moss) (2003)
• Theme and Variations from "Suite in G Major" (arr. Winterbottom) (1884/1937)
• Themes from "1812 Overture" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1891/2008)
• Themes from "The Nutcracker" (arr. Huckeby) (1891/2010/2013)
• Themes from "The Nutcracker" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1891/1999/2010)
• Themes from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Johnson) (1891/1952)
• Three Chorales for Band (with Handel and Pasquini; arr. Thornton) (1992/2004)
• Three Dances from "The Maid of Orleans" (tr. Bourgeois) (1879/2007)
• Violin Concerto in D Major (trans. Lane) (1878/2020)
• Waltz from "Sleeping Beauty" (tr. Lake) (1889/1937)
• Waltz of the Flowers (tr. Lake) (1892/1919)

Resources

• Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 583.
• Tchaikovsky, P.; Hanna, P. (1997). 1812 Overture, op. 49 : Highlights [score]. TBQ Press: Tallahassee, Fla.