Although Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture was written to include cannons firing and cathedral bells, synchronising them with an orchestra proved all but impossible. It wasn’t until 1954 that composer Antal Doráti mixed a studio recording with cannons and bells, finally playing it as intended.

The 1812 Overture: the hit that Tchaikovsky hated Though he loathed it, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture won him fans the world over and made him a household name. In 1962, a Don Draper-like advertising executive decided to market the oaty goodness of an up-and-coming brand of breakfast cereal by detonating bowls of it from a cannon […]

Although Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture was written to include cannons firing and cathedral bells, synchronising them with an orchestra proved all but impossible. It wasn’t until 1954 that composer Antal Doráti mixed a studio recording with cannons and bells, finally playing it as intended. Read More »