Calls to Police Skyrocket Over Explosions in ‘1812 Overture’

Rounds of cannon-like booms during the Glendale Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” prompted more than 100 telephone calls to police from residents worried that a major calamity was under way.

“People thought their world was blowing up,” said Sgt. Mel Barnes of the Glendale Police Department. “The calls just poured in.”

But Mayor Carl Raggio said the display was merely a measured enhancement of the conclusion of Tchaikovsky’s overture, a salute to the fallen Russian soldiers who died beating back an invasion of more than 600,000 troops led by Napoleon.

The calls started streaming in Saturday night after fireworks were set off during a pops concert by the Glendale Symphony, which was performing outside Glendale High School, Barnes said.

“The crowd was enraptured with it,” said Raggio, who attended the concert, which he said attracted about 5,000 residents. He said it was the second consecutive summer that the explosives were used during the performance of the overture.

Barnes said police were inundated with a steady stream of calls between 9:45 p.m. and about 10:20 p.m.

Rockets were fired 400 feet into the air, bursting above concert-goers at appropriate moments to imitate the noise of cannon fire, Raggio said. “It was a tremendous performance, and I suspect we’ll do it again next year,” he said.