Concert review: Tchaikovsky Spectacular booms at Verizon. The Orange County Register, August 8, 2010. Click here to read my review.
I’d like to suggest an alternative program for some future Tchaikovsky Spectacular.
- “Islamey” (Balakirev)
- Piano Concerto (Rimsky-Korsakov)
- Selections from “Sleeping Beauty” (Tchaikovsky)
- “Circus Polka” (Stravinsky)
- Finale of Sixth Symphony (Tchaikovsky), with cannon and fireworks.
OK, just kidding about that last one. Any suggestions for something other than the “1812,” given that fireworks are an imperative?
Classical Life 
Wellington’s Victory…but that’s even more banal tha 1812.
How about Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks.”
Well, yes, but not very Tchaikovsky-ish.
Perhaps the Coronation Scene from Boris Godonov or Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite would work with fireworks. Or, um, do the whole Leningrad Symphony and re-enact WWII.
Excellent!
I think the version of the 1812 Overture with an actual chorus singing the chorales is completely awesome and does not get performed nearly enough—would love to see the Pacific Symphony & Chorale give it a shot (sorry).
If it has to be Russian, then the final few minutes from Mussorgsky’s Pictures or from Stravinsky’s Firebird can work quite well.
Very good, MarK!
Unless you were being ironic, I presume you meant the THIRD movement of Tchaikovsky Six. But I think the finale of the Fourth Symphony might actually work!
Also, Marche slave could be pretty fireworks friendly.
Please, Dennis, Tim doesn’t make mistakes like that! You must have missed what he wrote immediately after his silly suggestion.
Another possibility: the final part of Shostakovich’s Fifth, if tempo is on a slower side, may be bombastic enough to work too.
Yes, I meant the finale and I was joking. It’s nice to be understood. But wouldn’t that be a hoot!
Um, Stravinsky’s Fireworks?
David…I like it!
Others beat me to the punch on Stravinsky (Firebird, Fireworks), though I would recommend going with “Infernal Dance” from Firebird; everyone wants to applaud at the end of that section anyways, you might as well give them every reason to do it.
Alternately, how about the last movement to the Prokofiev 5th Symphony as the finale (complete with ample opportunity to make use of the USC Marching Band) ? And the Shostokovich violin concerto to be played earlier in the evening if you need a piece with a soloist . . .
How about the finale of “The Pines of Rome”? It doesn’t fit in with Tchaikovsky theme, but musically it works.
If it’s an Open Season, then Ravel’s Bolero could work quite well too.
An enthusiastic seconding for the Rimsky piano concerto to be played anywhere! I don’t know why it’s not more popular, it’s better than a lot of pieces which get played a lot more often. As a finale I was thinking of Berlioz’ workout on La Marseillaise,which made me reckon “is there no American work with a canon and fireworks finale?” Isn’t that supposed to be our kind of thing? You would think even the 4th of July royalties alone would be a motivator.