1812 Overture Essays

1812 Overture Essays 1812 Overture Paper 1812 Overture Paper The 1812 Overture, composed by Peter Tchaikovsky is the most widely regonized piece of classical music. The 1812 Overture was written to commerate the victory of Russia in the Napoleonic War in 1812. The defeat of this battle marked the start of the long and disastrous retreat that destroyed Napoleon and his army. In 1880, the Russian composer Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write an uplifting and patriotic piece to immortalize Napoleons defeat and celebrate the liberation of the Russians. Cannons would have been used during the actual conflict, they are very significant in the piece. Its first performance was in Moscow in 1882. Tchaikovsky was a respected musician of his time and was well-suited to accomplish this task. His sensitivity and excitable temperament, was so freely expressed in his music. By the age of 23, he had devoted himself entirely to music up until now. Living in poverty, he worked so hard that he suffered greatly from, depression and insomnia, with frequent nightmares. His great gift for melody, brilliant orchestral colour and strong emotional expression, delighted audiences. The 1812 Overture represents various aspects of the Russian involvement in the Napoleonic war. The composition is arranged to reflect specific battles and victories during this time. It calmly opens with an introduction of a Russian Church chant, recalling the declaration of war that was announced at church services. The introduction of the horns represent the marching armies. There is a section of this piece where the French national anthem is embedded and this is to represent the French victory in the war and the capture of Moscow. In the next section of this piece there is an overtone of a Russian folk dance theme, this is to commerate the Russian army battle beating back Napoleon. The music becomes noticably softer, this is used to reflect the retreat from Moscow by the French. The famous cannons are symbolic to reflect the Russian army advancing to the French border. This piece ends with a victorious Russian National anthem. The Russian anthem is to symbolic counterpoint the French anthem earlier in the piece. Tchaikovsky had successfully captured all the drama and emotions of war, from the battles to the victory, in this piece, which today has become one of the most recognized classical pieces.

The Antacid Rocket Experiment

The Antacid Rocket Experiment If your child has tried the Naked Egg Experiment, he has seen how the chemical reaction between calcium carbonate and vinegar can remove an eggshell. If he’s tried The Exploding Sandwich Bag Experiment, then he knows a little bit about acid-base reactions. Now he can harness that reaction create a flying object in this Antacid Rocket Experiment. With some open space outdoors and a little caution your child can send a homemade rocket into the air by the power of a fizzy reaction. Note: The Antacid Rocket Experiment used to be called the Film Canister Rockets, but with digital cameras taking over the market, it’s become harder and harder to find empty film canisters. If you can film canisters, that’s great, but this experiment recommends you use mini MM tubular containers or clean, empty glue stick containers instead. What Your Child Will Learn (or Practice): Scientific inquiryObserving chemical reactionsThe Scientific Method Materials Needed: Mini MMs tube, a clean used-up glue stick container or a film canisterHeavy paper/card stockTapeMarkersScissorsBaking sodaVinegarTissuesAntacid tablets (Alka-Seltzer or a generic brand)Soda (optional) Tissues are not a necessity for this experiment, but using tissue can help to delay the chemical reaction long enough to give your child some time to get out of the way. Make Baking Soda and Vinegar Rockets Have your child sketch out and decorate a small rocket on a piece of heavy paper. Ask her to cut out the rocket and set it to the side.Help your child cut the â€Å"hinge† holding the cover to the MMs tube so it comes on and off. This will be the bottom of the rocket.Give her another piece of heavy paper and have her roll it around the tube, making sure the bottom of the rocket is easily accessible. Then, have her tape it tightly in place. (She may need to cut the paper to make it fit better).Glue the rocket she drew and cut out to the front of the tube to make the whole thing look more like a real rocket.Move outside to a clear, open area and open the containerFill it one-quarter full with vinegar.Wrap 1 teaspoon of baking soda in small piece of tissue.Warning: You must act quickly in this step! Stuff the folded tissue in the tube, snap it shut and stand it up (with the lid down) on the ground. Move away!Watch the rocket pop right up into the air after the tissue dissolves in the vinegar. Make an Antacid Rocket Use the same rocket from the baking soda and vinegar experiment, making sure to clean it thoroughly first.Take off the cover and put an antacid tablet into the tube. You may have to break it into pieces to get it all to fit. You can use generic antacid tablets but Alka-Seltzer works better than generic brands.Add a teaspoon of water to the tube, snap on the cover and put the rocket - lid down - on the ground.Watch what happens once the water dissolves the antacid tablet. What’s Going On Both rockets are working under the same principle. A baking soda and vinegar mixture and the water and antacid combination create an acid-base chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas. The gas fills the tube and the the air pressure builds to a point where it is too great to be contained. That’s when the lid pops off and the rocket flies up into the air. Extend the Learning Experiment with different types of paper and how much baking soda and vinegar you use. It may help make the rocket fly higher, faster, or even be coordinated to a countdown.Ask your child compare how the different rockets worked. Which worked better?Substitute soda for water in the antacid rocket and see if it works differently.