1812 Overature

[Bigjake]

Anybody got a copy they could link or email me?

I'm not sure how this piece of music, composed by a Russian, became standard fair for the 4th of July, but I'd like to have that as background noise for the fireworks display this evening 

[Regolith]

The biggest problem is finding a piece that has decent cannon in the background.  All of the copies I've managed to get my hands on make the cannon sound like firecrackers, or perhaps small caliber rifles.  I've only heard one that had the booming thunder of a proper cannon, and I don't know where it got off to. 

[Bigjake]

I know what you're saying man.  Some of the best versions of that song that I've heard have been completely ruined at the end with a wimpy cannon/and or improper timing.

I had a really good copy of it, but I'm pretty sure I got lost last time my PC's motherboard bit the dust.

[The Annoyed Man]

There is a version on produced by Telarc featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1983. It has actual cannon shots digitally recorded at very high levels. It carries a warning on the label that it can destroy stereo equipment. I can verify this personally as my copy has a set of Bose 901 speakers, a pair of Cerwin Vega D9's, and a Nakamichi amp under its belt. When we blew out the D9's, the living room window bowed out visibly with each cannon shot and the police showed up in tac-gear. It seems somebody a couple of blocks away reported gunfire!

However, on most systems the cannons just sound like a fuzzy pop. The cannon shots are so much louder than the rest of the music that an average amp simply can't reproduce it.

[yesitsloaded]

The sound doesn't quite make it, but from the video I know I would have paid good money to have been there.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hw3OqXqm5Nw&feature=related

[RaspberrySurprise]

Cannons always make me warm and fuzzy inside.

[Manedwolf]

Anybody got a copy they could link or email me?

I'm not sure how this piece of music, composed by a Russian, became standard fair for the 4th of July, but I'd like to have that as background noise for the fireworks display this evening 

No iTunes?

[Bigjake]

Anybody got a copy they could link or email me?

I'm not sure how this piece of music, composed by a Russian, became standard fair for the 4th of July, but I'd like to have that as background noise for the fireworks display this evening 

No iTunes?

No gots.

[Mabs2]

www.skreemr.com is a pretty handy website for finding mp3s.
http://media.vad1.com/temporary_url_20070929kldcg/tchaikovsky-1812-overture-op49-finale-oslo_philharmonic_orchestra.mp3
There you go.
I thought it was by Tchaikovsky.

[zahc]

I now have 5 different recordings of the 1812 on vinyl and one (the Telarc) on CD. A bit overkill but everytime I'm out record hunting and find yet a different recording I can't help but pick it up for overkill's sake.

It's a bit weird, the differences between versions, in that you don't have any way to know which is the 'correct' version. There are no recordings of an 'original' and the composers probably didn't even conduct their own symphony. So it's i bit weird to me.

[K Frame]

There should be copies readily available of the 4th of July Concerts by the Boston Pops.

IIRC the Massachusetts National Guard provides the cannon fire using 105mm gun-howitzers.

[Manedwolf]

There should be copies readily available of the 4th of July Concerts by the Boston Pops.

IIRC the Massachusetts National Guard provides the cannon fire using 105mm gun-howitzers.

I just wish when they did colonial re-enactment around here, they'd use a full service charge instead of the tiny fractional charge they usually use. I don't think the weak "crack" really gives people an idea of the "roar of the cannons". Granted, they'd need to be further back because of the decibel levels, but the sound of an entire line of field pieces fired with full service charge...

[MechAg94]

Speaking of that, did anyone see the fireworks display in Washington D.C. on TV?  I forget which band they had playing.  I thought it was a Marine Corps band, but they were wearing red jackets (red jackets and white slacks).  My Dad and I had been watching Revolutionary War stuff on the Military Channel earlier and all I could think of was "What's the deal with the redcoats?"  I don't remember ever seeing a US military uniform that was all red like that. 

[lupinus]

my biggest peeve isn't firecracker cannons its when then try and do it with percussion sections.

My friend got to go to it one year with some civil war reenactor buddies who pulled out the big guns.  Lucky bastard, he said it was awesome.

[wmenorr67]

Speaking of that, did anyone see the fireworks display in Washington D.C. on TV?  I forget which band they had playing.  I thought it was a Marine Corps band, but they were wearing red jackets (red jackets and white slacks).  My Dad and I had been watching Revolutionary War stuff on the Military Channel earlier and all I could think of was "What's the deal with the redcoats?"  I don't remember ever seeing a US military uniform that was all red like that. 

I do believe that the one of the Marine bands does in fact wear that "uniform."

[K Frame]

That particular band is called "The President's Own."

It was established by act of Congress in 1798 specifically to provide music for Presidential and State functions.

For you conspiracy freaks out there, the Red uniform jackets means that the band, and by extension, the President, is owned and controlled by the Queen of England.