Mavra

Mavra is a one-act opera buffa composed by Igor Stravinsky, and one of the earliest works of Stravinsky's 'neo-classical' period. The libretto of the opera, by Boris Kochno, is based on Aleksandr Pushkin's The Little House in Kolomna. Mavra is about 25 minutes long, and features two arias, a duet, and a quartet performed by its cast of four characters. The opera has been characterised as both an homage to Russian writers, and a satire of bourgeoi... more

Mavra is a one-act opera buffa composed by Igor Stravinsky, and one of the earliest works of Stravinsky's 'neo-classical' period. The libretto of the opera, by Boris Kochno, is based on Aleksandr Pushkin's The Little House in Kolomna. Mavra is about 25 minutes long, and features two arias, a duet, and a quartet performed by its cast of four characters. The opera has been characterised as both an homage to Russian writers, and a satire of bourgeois manners and the Romeo and Juliet subgenre of romance. Philip Truman has also described the music as satirising 19th century comic opera. The dedication on the score is to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Mavra premiered in Paris on June 3, 1922, staged under the auspices of Sergei Diaghilev, with Oda Slobdoskaya among the original cast. The opera was a failure at the premiere, partly because the large space of the Paris Opéra overwhelmed the small scale of the opera. Stravinsky himself thought very highly of this composition, saying once that ... less