I figger, why not, instead of hundreds of topics, create a single little topic for musical type questions. Got a musical type question? Ask it.

My question:

How many cannons are called for in the 1812 overture? I hear eleven shots during the ending, but I don't know if they reload the earlier ones or just use unfired ones. Or is the number of cannons left up to the conductor?

E# or F ?

Who gives a fu#k

Fat guy post Taco Bell lunch works too!!


Semper Fi

What does it mean when your drummer is drooling out of both sides of his mouth?
Drum riser's level.

Quoted: I figger, why not, instead of hundreds of topics, create a single little topic for musical type questions. Got a musical type question? Ask it. My question: How many cannons are called for in the 1812 overture? I hear eleven shots during the ending, but I don't know if they reload the earlier ones or just use unfired ones. Or is the number of cannons left up to the conductor?

You don't understand...EVERYTHING is up to the conductor.

What's the difference between God and a conductor?
God knows He's not a conductor.

What do do with a horn player that can't play?
Give him two sticks, put him in the back, and call him a percussionist.
What do you do if he can't do that?
Take away one of the sticks, put him up front, and call him a conductor.


I don't believe that in Tchaikovsky's time self-loading artillery had been invented yet.  I doubt it's spelled out in the score (just like there's no specification of how many of each instruments to have, so long as each part is covered and can be heard).  It's probably one cannon per shot, unless there's a long enough break between some shots to allow reloading.  OTOH, it's a blank charge (don't need cannonballs sailing into the audience), so it might not take that much time to load.

If I was the conductor, I'd ask the guys with the cannons,

"Can you fire this many shots in this time?  If not, can we get more cannons?"

Wait, that's wrong.  I wouldn't ask that.
I'd ask, "Can we get a battleship in here?"  More big boom.

MORE COW BELL DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!

Quoted: E# or F ?

Um, these are the same note, unless you're going to get temperamental.  

TJ, if you have a MP3 of that I would LOVE to have it!


SGtar15

You failed to ask how much musketry is need for the grand finale.  At the very end of the composition, you need muskets not for a volley but for a massed fire-at-will.  And it has to be smooth-bore muskets.  

I've actually worked a small cannon for this before - both as a loader and lanyard puller.  If you use small cannons (like the 70mm pack howizers most often used for ceremonial purposes) with a short breach throw and quick to load, blank rounds - it can be done with just one.  Your crew has to have their shit together, though - one fumble and you fuck up the song.   Using larger artillery, the breach movement takes longer and you may need a big guy to heave the powder and you may also have to place a primer - I don't know it it would be feasible.

Now, if we had that Crusader - no problem.

Quoted: I actually still have the album and only recall this cause when I lived in an apartment and my beach boy neighbors would crank up their music I would return the favor in kind at about 90 decibles.

See, what you SHOULD have done is set up several cannons and performed along.