Happy 4th of July (Americans only)

[lisa needs braces]

Every 4th of July I hear the 1812 Overture on the radio. I really wonder how America came to appropriate this Russian piece for our Holiday...

[PerfectWagnerite]

Isn't our country great? 

The best !

[mn dave]

Why, indeed it is--despite the government. Thank you.

[lisa needs braces]

Why, indeed it is--despite the government. Thank you.

[lisa needs braces]

Every 4th of July I hear the 1812 Overture on the radio. I really wonder how America came to appropriate this Russian piece for our Holiday...

[M forever]

Dunno either. Probably because of the final section with the cannon shots, that lends itself particularly well to enhancing it by fireworks. I guess "Musick for the Royal Fireworks" just wouldn't be fitting, given the anti-British-crown-revolutionary nature of the event...
What you are hearing on the radio is probably the Boston Pops fireworks thing by the river. We wanted to go to that, by the girlfirend doesn't feel so well today, not well enough in any case to take the trip down there on public transport along with another 1/2 million people...so we are just staying in. Maybe next year. Or maybe not. Where we are isn't too far from where the concert is, so it may still be possible to see the fireworks. Or maybe not. We will see (or maybe not).

Why, indeed it is--despite the government. Thank you.

Yes, ironic, isn't it? The whole point of the revolution was to get rid of a bad monarchic government, now you kind of have that again, with the dimwitted son of a former ruler in power (at least pro forma) and all that. Maybe it's time for another revolution!

[Gurn Blanston]

Yes, ironic, isn't it? The whole point of the revolution was to get rid of a bad monarchic government, now you kind of have that again, with the dimwitted son of a former ruler in power (at least pro forma) and all that. Maybe it's time for another revolution!

Well yes, that's precisely what we're having right now. We just don't call it that.   I like that about us. We can screw up and still fix it with minimal bloodshed.

I watched that Pops Esplanade event for many years on A & E network, but this year they aren't having it.   Pity really, their rendition of the Ouverture Solemnelle is usually very rousing.






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Listening to:
Fennell Conducts Sousa - Eastman Wind Ensemble (Fennell) - The LIberty Bell

[M forever]

Well yes, that's precisely what we're having right now. We just don't call it that.   I like that about us. We can screw up and still fix it with minimal bloodshed.

I guess I lost you there. What do you mean by "and fix it with minimal bloodshed"? Vietnam? Iraq? And where is the new revolution happening right now? I must have totally missed that!

[Gurn Blanston]

I guess I lost you there. What do you mean by "and fix it with minimal bloodshed"? Vietnam? Iraq? And where is the new revolution happening right now? I must have totally missed that!

Oh, we call it an election. Out with the old, in with the new. Things won't change dramatically, but we'll feel better about ourselves until we realize that the new schmuck is a lot like the old schmuck.



----------------
Listening to:
Fennell Conducts Sousa - Eastman Wind Ensemble (Fennell) - The Black Horse Troop

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Yeah, well it's still better than Canada, where licking British ass is the national pastime (along with America-bashing). Sure, there's plenty wrong with America, but it's just sad that every time Canadians start talking about their national identity (or lack thereof), the occasion always devolves very rapidly into America-bashing. For a country its size (ie. population) Canada does have a lot to be proud of. Maybe it would help instill a sense of national identity and pride if they would let the America-bashing subside, and if they would stop naming every town, street, school, and urinal after some long-dead, swishy, inbred British monarch. Why not start naming (and re-naming) some things after great Canadians? And forget politicians! Screw Trudeau and Pearson; Let's name an airport after Glenn Gould! 

[Lethevich]

I want to have a happy 4th of july as well

[Bonehelm]

I want to have a happy 4th of july as well

What prevents you from having one?

[Que]

The best !

Not trying to deflate US national pride, but I'm sure there are some other nice countries as well.
Take a peek at the chart of UN research on the general well being all over the world.

I guess that the Danes and the Swiss must be the happiest people on the planet! 

And belated congratulations with your day of independence. The Netherlands were the first nation to formally recognize US independence.

Nation      SWLS Score
   
DENMARK                     273
SWITZERLAND              273
AUSTRIA                     260
ICELAND                     260
BAHAMAS                    257
FINLAND                      257
SWEDEN                      257
BHUTAN                      253
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM    253
CANADA                      253
IRELAND                      253
LUXEMBOURG               253
COSTA RICA                 250
MALTA                         250
NETHERLANDS              250
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA247
MALAYSIA                    247
NEW ZEALAND              247
NORWAY                      247
SEYCHELLES                 247
ST KITTS AND NEVIS     247
UAE                            247
USA                                 247

[Lethevich]

What prevents you from having one?

(Americans only)

BTW, shouldn't the title be "July 4"? The English dating order was much better - there is still time to revert back to it!

[mn dave]

[Opus106]

Use for United States Independence Day

The United States, itself somewhat short of patriotic hymns, had through the 19th century developed an affinity for Tchaikovsky. The Overture began to be used occasionally for the country's Independence Day starting with Chicago's Grant Park Orchestra performance in 1935, though this usage was sporadic over the years. It wasn't until 1974 when Arthur Fiedler elected to have the Boston Pops play it with accompanying fireworks, real cannons and a coordinated steeple-bell choir to increase attendance that the work become a staple of the holiday. The performance was broadcast across the country, and the 1812 Overture, not widely known by Cold War-era Americas to be a Russian victory piece, became associated with the Fourth of July.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_overture#Use_for_United_States_Independence_Day

[scarpia]

Use for United States Independence Day

The United States, itself somewhat short of patriotic hymns, had through the 19th century developed an affinity for Tchaikovsky. The Overture began to be used occasionally for the country's Independence Day starting with Chicago's Grant Park Orchestra performance in 1935, though this usage was sporadic over the years. It wasn't until 1974 when Arthur Fiedler elected to have the Boston Pops play it with accompanying fireworks, real cannons and a coordinated steeple-bell choir to increase attendance that the work become a staple of the holiday. The performance was broadcast across the country, and the 1812 Overture, not widely known by Cold War-era Americas to be a Russian victory piece, became associated with the Fourth of July.

Plus, the US had a "War of 1812" so must Americans probably assume that Tchaikovsky was American.

[Opus106]

Plus, the US had a "War of 1812"

Yes, I had that in mind also, having read about it when I first heard the 1812 over two years ago, but I couldn't find anything - in Wikipedia at least - to support the claim.  0:)

[scarpia]

Yes, I had that in mind also, having read about it when I first heard the 1812 over two years ago, but I couldn't find anything - in Wikipedia at least - to support the claim.  0:)

You couldn't find anything in Wikipedia to substantiate the claim that the US had a war in 1812?

[PerfectWagnerite]

You couldn't find anything in Wikipedia to substantiate the claim that the US had a war in 1812?

Is that the one where the Redcoats marched into DC and burned down half the place including some of the White House?