''Russian Overture'', Op. 72, ( rus, Русская увертюра, Russkaya yvertyura, p=rˈuskəjə ʊvʲɪrtʲˈʉrə) is an

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overt ...

composed in 1936 by Sergei Prokofiev. In 1936 Prokofiev returned permanently to the USSR. He showed sketches of the overture to

Eugen Szenkar Eugen Szenkar (Hungarian: Szenkár Jenő; 9 April 189125 March 1977) was a Hungarian-born German-Brazilian conductor who made an international career in Austria, Germany, Russia, and Brazil. He promoted the stage works of Bela Bartók and other ...

, who accepted it for his orchestra. Prokofiev used a large orchestra, as he had previously in the '' Scythian Suite'' and ''

Seven, They are Seven ''Seven, They Are Seven'' (russian: Семеро их, italic=yes) (op. 30) is a cantata by Sergei Prokofiev composed in 1917 for large orchestra, chorus, and dramatic tenor soloist. It was composed in Yessentuki and Kislovodsk, and the words are t ...

''. The overture was completed on 25 September 1936 and premiered on 29 October in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory by Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Szenkar, who subsequently performed it in Paris and elsewhere in Europe. After the premiere, Prokofiev reorchestrated the piece on the advice of Szenkar, reducing the number of brass, woodwind and percussion players. On 15 October 1937, it was given its American premiere by the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...

under

Serge Koussevitzky Sergei Alexandrovich KoussevitzkyKoussevitzky's original Russian forename is usually transliterated into English as either "Sergei" or "Sergey"; however, he himself adopted the French spelling "Serge", using it in his signature. (SeThe Koussevit ...

. According to Prokofiev's biographer, Simon Morrison, the overture "includes motives derived from Russian folkdance, salon song and liturgical chant."

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Overture Overtures Compositions by Sergei Prokofiev 1936 compositions