Genius, Explained: One Bombastic Masterpiece

That the 1812 Overture became America's birthday theme song would surprise no one more than Tchaikovsky himself. Not because of its Russian heritage (that particular irony would have been lost on the pre–Cold War composer), but because the score was a logistical nightmare. The church bells it calls for were difficult to corral, and old-fashioned cannon fuses made timing the 16 shots near impossible. In fact, Tchaikovsky never heard the piece performed as written.

The 1812 might have languished in obscurity but for the pluck of one David Mugar a century later. In 1973 the Boston philanthropist convinced Pops maestro Arthur Fiedler to tackle the ungainly thing in hopes that such a spectacle might renew interest in Esplanade concerts. Though Mugar made quick work of rounding up the artillery, chimes, and fireworks, coordinating them all was dicier, requiring everything from walkie-talkies to union negotiations. The hassle, it seems, was worth it, resulting in such a perfect expression of patriotism that hundreds of communities now perform the 1812 annually.

Today, conductor Keith Lockhart says even he can't tell you how everything comes off. "There are so many moving parts, you're kind of on a need-to-know basis," he says. "As long as it's working, I don't want to know—I can be just as amazed as everyone else."

ENLISTMENT
For the 1812's cannon fire, Mugar called the one place he figured knew heavy artillery: the Pentagon. A general referred him to the Massachusetts Army National Guard, which volunteered its howitzers. Properly pitched bells he found at Beacon Hill's Church of the Advent. And the fireworks? "I looked in the Yellow Pages—under 'F.'"

DEPLOYMENT
Fiedler's son, Peter, originally signaled the cannons by walkie-talkie from a rooftop. To avoid the several-beat delay, he switched to standing beside them.

COORDINATION
Only union musicians may cue the cannons. Violinist James Orent signals Fiedler, who signals the battery commander, who orders his soldiers to fire. Across Storrow, the bell ringers tune a radio to the concert and time their entrance by ear.

UNIFICATION
Mugar's solution to the 1812 was distinctly American in sensibility: Instead of one conductor micromanaging the chaos (inefficient, too tsarist), the sprawling forces operate under their own authority. Individual states, if you will, united in a common cause.