'1812 Overtures'
It’s a Tchaikovsky creation, but what drew me to this wonderful opus was Erich Kunzel. Yes, the acknowledged “prince of pop” in the classical genre. On Sept. 1 this year, at age 74, Kunzel lost his battle with liver, colon and pancreatic cancer — truly a sad day for his countless fans, including your AudioFile.
And who wouldn’t be drawn to his version of 1812? The album is one of the ultimate torture tests for any sound system. The album can reveal how weak your system is, if it can’t accurately re-produce the sound of booming canons, the pealing of bells and the majestic God Save the Tsar, Russia’s national anthem during Tchaikovsky’s time.
The year 1812 was a tumultuous period in Europe. It was the time when the Napoleonic Wars or Napoleonic Follies, if you will, were at their peak. France’s Napoleon Bonaparte had opened up several war fronts — against Britain and Russia — in his bid to control Continental Europe. It was also the main cause of the US war against Britain, or what historians refer to as “The War of 1812.” The US declared war on Britain (which at that time possessed the largest armada, the Royal Navy), apparently in resentment of the latter’s curtailment of its right to trade with France. There simply cannot be a better backdrop for an opus to spring from this troubled past! Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace further attested to the significance of these wars.
It was in 1880 when Tchaikovsky was convinced by his old mentor Nicholas Rubinstein, head of the Moscow branch of the Russian musical society, to create something for the 25th anniversary celebration of Tsar Alexander II’s accession to the throne. The rest, as they say, is history.
I have never experienced ear fatigue when I play 1812 in my analog gadget. Never mind that 1812 is a 15-minute-long recording. Each listening session always feels like I was hearing it for the first time. The superbly jolting passages in the recording never fail to joggle me off my seat. Maestro Kunzel’s magic is all over the album. Sixteen cannon shots are embedded into the grooves record’s. They’re fired at intervals which you can easily predict, but they are able to still leave you breathless.
The album starts with the mournful Russian Orthodox Troparion of the Holy Cross (God Preserve Thy People) crooned by eight cellos and four violas. It then segues to a fusion of pastoral and militant themes — including the Russian folk dance At the Gate, At My Gate — which mirrors the mounting clamor of the Russian people to free themselves from the marauding French invaders. When the tipping point of the invasion came — the Battle of Borodino — five cannon shots reverberate with the boastfully repetitive segment of La Marseillaise. A fading string passage signifies the ensuing retreat of the French forces, highlighted by exultant bells and a jubilant echoing of God Preserve Thy People, as Moscow sets itself ablaze to refuse winter accommodations to the French. From a musical chase, the anthem God Save the Tsar! booms, accompanied by eleven more precisely recorded cannon shots. The overture’s usage of counterpoint to buttress the appearance of the leitmotif that symbolizes the Russian forces throughout the song was splendidly executed.
In 2006, then President George W. and Laura Bush conferred on Maestro Kunzel the National Medal of Arts in a ceremony at the Oval Office of The White House. It is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons who have made exceptional contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.
According to his official website, Maestro Kunzel has just celebrated the 50th anniversary of his professional conducting debut in the 2007-2008 Season, with his international conducting appearances and the sales of over 10 million recordings, bringing him fame that reached even the far ends of the earth.
Maestro Kunzel has recorded over 85 albums on the Telarc label with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra since 1977. More than 55 of these albums have appeared on the Top 10 Billboard Charts. In fact, he was named Billboard Magazine’s Classical Crossover Artist of the Year for an unprecedented four consecutive years. Several Grammy Awards, the distinguished Grand Prix Du Disque, and the Sony Tiffany Walkman Award for “visionary recording activities” highlight his fantastic recording career of over 125 albums.
Maestro Kunzel did justice to a Tchaikovsky masterpiece, and for that he has been amply rewarded. He may be gone, but his genius will forever be treasured and felt by music lovers worldwide.
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