The composer's last opera Zolotoy petushok or The Golden Cockerel is a "dramatized fable" (nebïlitsa v litsakh), based on a imitation folk tale in verse by Pushkin. The work was prevented from being performed by the censor until after the composer's death. The materials in question were the character of a lazy autocrat involved in harebrained conflicts with invading neighboring countries, and lines in the libretto such as the mention of "a new dawn...without the Tsar" (which, nevertheless, had already appeared years before in Pushkin's published text). Because of the restriction, only the "Introduction and Wedding Procession" (Introduction et Cortège de Noces) were performed during the composer's lifetime. These excepts were premiered at a Russian Symphony Concert presented under the auspices of the Belayev publishing house in February 1908.

These excerpts are masterpieces of timbral color and the artful evocation of imagery. Entering unaccompanied, two trumpets with mutes perform a fortissimo call, and are joined by two oboes in unison in their high register, creating an exotic timbre suggesting something akin to a Middle-Eastern army band. A violin diminuendo on the sustained tone leads into a new subtle atmosphere. Muted cellos enter with a gradually descending figure. The full orchestra then unfolds a velvety impressionist landscape filled with descending high woodwinds doubled by celeste and fluttering (tremolo) violins, as the harp and bass clarinet perform ascending punctuations, a cymbal rolls, and everyone else quietly sustains low rich harmonies. The clarinets, other woodwinds, and violins exchange runs in non-Western scales underscored with harp glissandi and low string tremolos and pizzicati.

The next change in atmosphere combines the tubular bells and very high harp notes in octaves arpeggiating an unusual progression. This is punctuated by solo winds, and played in contrary motion against ascending cellos and bassoon in major and whole tone scales. The effect is plaintive and eerie, yet in a way religious. The music crescendos and suddenly breaks forth in a new setting of the trumpet call, answered in imitation by the woodwinds, and surrounded with quickly arpeggiated violins and lower strings in sul ponticello and then regular tremolo. The Introduction then closes on a powerful sustained unison.

"In the street, the triumphal procession begins. The king's militia come first with their important airs and bragging; next, the Queen of Chémakha's retinue; a promenade from an oriental fairy tale: certain persons that only have one eye in the middle of their forehead, others have horns, others the heads of dogs. Large and small Ethiopians, veiled slaves carry caskets and precious vessels. This strange pomp dissipates the people's anger for a moment. They are amused like children." Against drones, odd bassoon and cello pulses, bright modal melodies with sliding chromatics, sonorous brass, and gradually amassing percussion, the procession moves to a brilliant end when the king and queen finally appear.

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