Tuesday, July 04, 2006
It's July Fourth: Celebrate Russia!!
My one and only Fourth of July pet peeve: the pervasive performance of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" during fireworks shows.
The only reason it has become so popular for Independence Day has got to be the fact that it features cannon fire, so it goes with other things that go boom.
See, anyone who knows anything about the "1812 Overture" knows that it is a tribute to Mother Russia and her victory over Napoleon in 1812. Go Russia, go! Die, France, die! That's what this song is about. Why are we performing it when we're supposed to be celebrating America?
It features the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, as a prominent theme, portraying the actions of Napoleon's army. That last great spectacular part, when the cannon go wild, would make both a Frenchman and a Russian stand up, but why force it on Americans?
Play John Philip Sousa (to their credit, most fireworks shows do). Play Gershwin, play Copland, play Ellington, play Aerosmith. But leave the Russian patriotic music for the Russians. Or at least for a non-patriotic concert.
The only reason it has become so popular for Independence Day has got to be the fact that it features cannon fire, so it goes with other things that go boom.
See, anyone who knows anything about the "1812 Overture" knows that it is a tribute to Mother Russia and her victory over Napoleon in 1812. Go Russia, go! Die, France, die! That's what this song is about. Why are we performing it when we're supposed to be celebrating America?
It features the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, as a prominent theme, portraying the actions of Napoleon's army. That last great spectacular part, when the cannon go wild, would make both a Frenchman and a Russian stand up, but why force it on Americans?
Play John Philip Sousa (to their credit, most fireworks shows do). Play Gershwin, play Copland, play Ellington, play Aerosmith. But leave the Russian patriotic music for the Russians. Or at least for a non-patriotic concert.
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