Cannons and the 1812 Overture.

Ok, I'm a little nervous, the first not science topic on the blog, but I think I can manage it. I always loved Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture; it's so lovely and dramatic. And while not everybody is familiar with the entire overture, most people are familiar with the fun part: where cannons are adopted as musical instruments.

            Cannons have been around since the middle ages, it was first developed in china shortly after the invention of gunpowder and the technology eventually migrated to Europe. 

            The ignition process of cannons is achieved by ramming a charge of gunpowder down the barrel followed by a cannon ball, followed by igniting the fuse (after accounting for trajectory, wind and distance) and running away.

Getting back to the 1812 overture, it is a common misconception that it is meant to commemorate the war of 1812 but instead to commemorate Russia’s defense from Napoleon, which was also the turning point in the Napoleonic Wars (moral of all military campaigns in Russia: never invade in the winter). The cannons were incorporated to heighten the emotional effects of the music. AC/DC also used a cannon in their song “For Those About to Rock”

And here's a link to the song with cannons because it's awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxgYlcNxE8