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Mavra

December 02, 2023

For other uses, see Mavra (disambiguation).

Mavra (Russian: Мавра) is a one-act comic opera composed by Igor Stravinsky, and one of the earliest works of Stravinsky's neo-classical period. The libretto, by Boris Kochno, is based on Alexander 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.[1] The dedication on the score is to the memory of Pushkin, Glinka and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.[2][3]

Mavra
Comic opera by Igor Stravinsky
Sketch of a costume by Léon Bakst
LibrettistBoris Kochno
LanguageRussian
Based onThe Little House in Kolomna
by Aleksandr Pushkin
Premiere
18 May 1922 (1922-05-18)
Théâtre de l'Opéra Paris

Mavra premiered at the Théatre national de l'Opéra in Paris on 3 June 1922, under the auspices of Sergei Diaghilev, staged and choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska, conducted by Grzegorz Fitelberg, and with Oda Slobodskaya, Stefan Belina-Skupevsky, Zoya Rozovskaya, and Yelena Sadoven in the original cast.[4][2][5] The opera was a failure at the premiere, partly because the large space of the Paris Opéra overwhelmed the small scale of the opera.[3] One critic, Émile Vuillermoz, so enraged Stravinsky that he cut the review out and pasted it onto his manuscript copy.[6][7]

Stravinsky himself thought very highly of this composition, saying once that "Mavra seems to me the best thing I've done".[8] Erik Satie praised the work after its premiere.[9] The composer reacted with hostility to people who criticized it in later years.[10]

The opera was given its United States premiere by the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia on December 28, 1934 with Maria Kurenko as Parasha and Alexander Smallens conducting. The Santa Fe Opera mounted Mavra in 1962.

The first aria of the work has been arranged for cello and piano, and recorded with Mstislav Rostropovich under the title "Russian Song".

Synopsis edit

Place: Russian village
Time: Circa 1840

Parasha is in love with her neighbour, Vassili, a young hussar, but they have difficulty in meeting. After they sing a duet, Vassili leaves, and then Parasha's mother enters. She is lamenting the difficulty of finding a new maid-servant after their prior maid-servant, Thecla, died. The mother orders her daughter to find a new maid-servant. Parasha comes up with a scheme to smuggle Vassili into her house disguised as Mavra, a female maid-servant. The ruse initially succeeds, and Parasha and Vassili are happy at being under the same roof. Parasha and her mother go out for a walk. At one moment, Vassili shaves. The ladies return, disconcerted to see their new maid-servant shaving. Vassili escapes out the window, her mother faints, the next door neighbour rushes in to try to help, and Parasha laments the loss of her young love.

Roles edit

Role Voice type Premiere cast, 3 June 1922


(Conductor: Gregor Fitelberg)

Parasha soprano Oda Slobodskaya
Her mother contralto Zoïa Rosowska
The neighbour mezzo soprano Yelena Sadoven [ru]
Vassili (Mavra) tenor Stefan Belina-Skupevsky

[11][12]

Numbers edit

  1. Overture
  2. Parasha's song
  3. Hussar's gypsy song
  4. Dialogue
  5. The mother's song
  6. Dialogue
  7. Duet
  8. Dialogue
  9. Quartet
  10. Dialogue
  11. Duet
  12. Dialogue
  13. Mavra's song
  14. Coda

Recordings edit

References edit

  1. ^ Truman, Philip, "An Aspect of Stravinsky's Russianism: Ritual" (1992). Revue belge de Musicologie/Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Muziekwetenschap, 46: pp. 225–246.
  2. ^ a b This information is from the Boosey & Hawkes 1947 reprint (copyright assigned to Boosey & Hawkes) of the 1925 Édition Russe de Musique vocal score of this work (based on a copy of this vocal score in the library of the State University of New York @ Fredonia.) B&H plate 16304.
  3. ^ a b Robinson, Harlow (1989). "The Case of the Three Russians: Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich". The Opera Quarterly. 6 (3): 59–75. doi:10.1093/oq/6.3.59.
  4. ^ Tamara Levitz, "Stravinsky and His World". Available at https://vdoc.pub/documents/stravinsky-and-his-world-1aoas6o7uueg
  5. ^ Elizabeth Forbes, "A soprano's memories" (review of Slobdoskaya by Maurice Leonard). The Musical Times , 120(1640, p. 835 (1979).
  6. ^ Vuillermoz's review in Excelsior (Paris), 12 June 1922, trans. Tamara Levitz, in Levitz, Stravinsky and His World, p. 28. Retrieved 15 February 2017
  7. ^ Levitz, p. 55, footnote 36. Retrieved 15 February 2017
  8. ^ Stuart Campbell , "The 'Mavras' of Pushkin, Kochno and Stravinsky". Music & Letters, 58(3), pp. 304–317 (July 1977).
  9. ^ Peter Dickinson, Review of The Writings of Erik Satie (translated and edited by Nigel Wilkins). Music & Letters, 63(3/4), pp. 293–295 (July–October 1982).
  10. ^ Stephen Walsh, Review of Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions: A Biography of the Works Through "Mavra" by Richard Taruskin. Music & Letters, 78(3), pp. 450–455 (August 1997).
  11. ^ Eric Walter White (1979). Stravinsky, the Composer and His Works. University of California Press. ISBN 0520039831.
  12. ^ "EL PELELE (J. Gómez) - MAVRA (I. Stravinsky)". 29 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  13. ^ Mellers, Wilfrid, Review of recording of Mavra and The Wedding (1968). The Musical Times, 109 (1500): p. 151.
  14. ^ Hecht, Rite of Spring; Mavra. American Record Guide; Jan/Feb2007, Vol. 70 Issue 1, p175-176, 2p

Further reading edit

  • Mawer, Deborah (September 2009). "Jazzing a Classic: Hylton and Stravinsky's Mavra at the Paris Opéra". Twentieth-Century Music. 6 (2): 155–182. doi:10.1017/S1478572210000150.

External links edit

December 02, 2023
mavra, other, uses, disambiguation, russian, Мавра, comic, opera, composed, igor, stravinsky, earliest, works, stravinsky, classical, period, libretto, boris, kochno, based, alexander, pushkin, little, house, kolomna, about, minutes, long, features, arias, due. For other uses see Mavra disambiguation Mavra Russian Mavra is a one act comic opera composed by Igor Stravinsky and one of the earliest works of Stravinsky s neo classical period The libretto by Boris Kochno is based on Alexander 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 1 The dedication on the score is to the memory of Pushkin Glinka and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 2 3 MavraComic opera by Igor StravinskySketch of a costume by Leon BakstLibrettistBoris KochnoLanguageRussianBased onThe Little House in Kolomnaby Aleksandr PushkinPremiere18 May 1922 1922 05 18 Theatre de l Opera ParisMavra premiered at the Theatre national de l Opera in Paris on 3 June 1922 under the auspices of Sergei Diaghilev staged and choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska conducted by Grzegorz Fitelberg and with Oda Slobodskaya Stefan Belina Skupevsky Zoya Rozovskaya and Yelena Sadoven in the original cast 4 2 5 The opera was a failure at the premiere partly because the large space of the Paris Opera overwhelmed the small scale of the opera 3 One critic Emile Vuillermoz so enraged Stravinsky that he cut the review out and pasted it onto his manuscript copy 6 7 Stravinsky himself thought very highly of this composition saying once that Mavra seems to me the best thing I ve done 8 Erik Satie praised the work after its premiere 9 The composer reacted with hostility to people who criticized it in later years 10 The opera was given its United States premiere by the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company at the Academy of Music Philadelphia on December 28 1934 with Maria Kurenko as Parasha and Alexander Smallens conducting The Santa Fe Opera mounted Mavra in 1962 The first aria of the work has been arranged for cello and piano and recorded with Mstislav Rostropovich under the title Russian Song Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Roles 3 Numbers 4 Recordings 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksSynopsis editPlace Russian village Time Circa 1840Parasha is in love with her neighbour Vassili a young hussar but they have difficulty in meeting After they sing a duet Vassili leaves and then Parasha s mother enters She is lamenting the difficulty of finding a new maid servant after their prior maid servant Thecla died The mother orders her daughter to find a new maid servant Parasha comes up with a scheme to smuggle Vassili into her house disguised as Mavra a female maid servant The ruse initially succeeds and Parasha and Vassili are happy at being under the same roof Parasha and her mother go out for a walk At one moment Vassili shaves The ladies return disconcerted to see their new maid servant shaving Vassili escapes out the window her mother faints the next door neighbour rushes in to try to help and Parasha laments the loss of her young love Roles editRole Voice type Premiere cast 3 June 1922 Conductor Gregor Fitelberg Parasha soprano Oda SlobodskayaHer mother contralto Zoia RosowskaThe neighbour mezzo soprano Yelena Sadoven ru Vassili Mavra tenor Stefan Belina Skupevsky 11 12 Numbers editOverture Parasha s song Hussar s gypsy song Dialogue The mother s song Dialogue Duet Dialogue Quartet Dialogue Duet Dialogue Mavra s song CodaRecordings editColumbia 72609 Susan Belinck Mary Simmons Patricia Rideout Stanley Kolk CBC Symphony Orchestra Igor Stravinsky conductor 13 Decca Joan Carlyle Helen Watts Monica Sinclair Kenneth Macdonald L Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Ernest Ansermet conductor Chandos CHA 9488 Tatyana Kravtsova Olga Korzhenskaya Olga Markova Mikhailenko Alexei Martynov Netherlands Wind Ensemble Thierry Fischer conductor BMC 118 Maria Fontosh Ludmila Schemtschuk Lili Paasikivi Valerij Serkin German Youth Philharmonic Gothenburg Symphony Peter Eotvos conductor 14 References edit Truman Philip An Aspect of Stravinsky s Russianism Ritual 1992 Revue belge de Musicologie Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Muziekwetenschap 46 pp 225 246 a b This information is from the Boosey amp Hawkes 1947 reprint copyright assigned to Boosey amp Hawkes of the 1925 Edition Russe de Musique vocal score of this work based on a copy of this vocal score in the library of the State University of New York Fredonia B amp H plate 16304 a b Robinson Harlow 1989 The Case of the Three Russians Stravinsky Prokofiev and Shostakovich The Opera Quarterly 6 3 59 75 doi 10 1093 oq 6 3 59 Tamara Levitz Stravinsky and His World Available at https vdoc pub documents stravinsky and his world 1aoas6o7uueg Elizabeth Forbes A soprano s memories review of Slobdoskaya by Maurice Leonard The Musical Times 120 1640 p 835 1979 Vuillermoz s review in Excelsior Paris 12 June 1922 trans Tamara Levitz in Levitz Stravinsky and His World p 28 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Levitz p 55 footnote 36 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Stuart Campbell The Mavras of Pushkin Kochno and Stravinsky Music amp Letters 58 3 pp 304 317 July 1977 Peter Dickinson Review of The Writings of Erik Satie translated and edited by Nigel Wilkins Music amp Letters 63 3 4 pp 293 295 July October 1982 Stephen Walsh Review of Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions A Biography of the Works Through Mavra by Richard Taruskin Music amp Letters 78 3 pp 450 455 August 1997 Eric Walter White 1979 Stravinsky the Composer and His Works University of California Press ISBN 0520039831 EL PELELE J Gomez MAVRA I Stravinsky 29 March 2016 Retrieved 6 March 2019 Mellers Wilfrid Review of recording of Mavra and The Wedding 1968 The Musical Times 109 1500 p 151 Hecht Rite of Spring Mavra American Record Guide Jan Feb2007 Vol 70 Issue 1 p175 176 2pFurther reading editMawer Deborah September 2009 Jazzing a Classic Hylton and Stravinsky s Mavra at the Paris Opera Twentieth Century Music 6 2 155 182 doi 10 1017 S1478572210000150 External links editMavra Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Scholten Jaroen 1999 Mavra Retrieved January 27 2006 Boosey amp Hawkes Opera Mavra Retrieved January 27 2006 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mavra amp oldid 1144498645, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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