The Capriccio Italien, op. 45 is a fantasy for orchestra composed between January and May of 1880 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The Capriccio was inspired by a trip Tchaikovsky took to Rome, during which he saw the Carnival in full swing, and is reminiscent of Italian folk music and street songs. As these elements are treated rather freely initially he intended this piece to be called Italian Fantasy[citation needed]. Tchaikovsky even uses as the introduction a bugle call that he overheard from his hotel played by Italian cavalry regiment[citation needed]. Another source of inspiration for this piece are Mikhail Glinka's Spanish Pieces.
