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Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky wrote many pieces of music but found his love in soft classical pieces. Although he lived a life that was not always classical, such as his homosexuality and his ill-fated marriage, he did make classical music come to life. The 1812 Overture was not his favorite piece but it is one of the most famous works that is associated with him. In his life, the elements, and the meaning of the piece, the listener can get a better insight of how Tchaikovsky came to get his fame.
Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky was a brilliant composer, composing such pieces as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and 1812 Overture. Tchaikovsky grew up in Russia and was the second child of six. There is some controversy at to what age Tchaikovsky began music lessons but there is no dispute that he was a great composer. For the 1812 Overture, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior commissioned Tchaikovsky by order of Tsar Alexander II for the celebration of 70th Anniversary of Napoleon being defeated by Russia. Tchaikovsky worked on this piece for only six weeks. After it was done Tchaikovsky was not fond of the work and was not enthusiastic when working on it. He thought the piece was "very loud and noisy" (Lampson, 1996). Although Tchaikovsky did not like the piece that he wrote, it has become one of his most recognized and famous works.
Tchaikovsky’s, 1812 Overture, starts out with a soft dynamic giving the feeling of peaceful, almost sleepy, feeling to the piece. With the slow tempo and the strings of the orchestra playing quietly, the listener sees the texture as being loose and light. As the piece plays the rhythm and tempo start to move faster. This relates that something is impending is happening and the suspense is building. Since we know that the piece of music was written for the anniversary of Russia’s victory over Napoleon, we can assume that this part is a battle happening, possibly even the worry of war about to happen. As the horns ring in and the...