This is classic Christmas music, and features the well known "Troika" which is used extensively around the Festive season, its musical harmonies and use of sleighbells conjuring up images of travelling through the snow on a horse and sleigh. Its joyous music, and uplifing in its simplicity. The entire piece is based on a satire, written by the Soviet author Yury Tynyanov, on the bureaucracy of Emperor Paul 1 of Russia. In each setting, the Emperor’s subjects faithfully go through the motions to follow his orders, yet fail miserably. Prokofiev scored it in 1933, and it was subsequently also performed for ballet by the Bolshoi. It’s great Christmas music !