Carnaval

Alexander Glazunov's Carnival Overture Op. 45 was composed in 1892 during the golden age of the Russian national school and demonstrates the composer at the peak of his orchestral mastery. The work combines Glazunov's characteristically brilliant virtuoso orchestration with the richly colored musical language of Russian Romanticism as shaped by his teachers Rimsky-Korsakov and Balakirev.

The overture breathes the festive spirit of carnival while displaying that melodic inventiveness and rhythmic vitality that distinguish Glazunov's output. His mastery in handling the large orchestral forces – here expanded to include organ – manifests itself in brilliant brass fanfares and sumptuously crafted string passages. The composer remains true to his aesthetic of fusing Western European formal tradition with Russian folklore.

As one of the last representatives of "The Five," Glazunov stands with this work between two worlds: on one hand rooted in Russian national romanticism, on the other already facing toward the 20th century. The Carnival Overture is considered exemplary of his mature orchestral style and is said to number among his most popular works with audiences.