Vakula the Smith
| Vakula the Smith | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Tchaikovsky | |
Cover of a piano reduction | |
| Native title | Russian: Кузнец Вакула |
| Librettist | Yakov Polonsky |
| Language | Russian |
| Based on | "Christmas Eve" by Gogol |
| Premiere | |
Vakula the Smith (Russian: Кузнец Вакула, romanized: Kuznets Vakula, lit. 'Smith Vakula' ⓘ), Op. 14, is a Ukrainian-themed opera in 3 acts, 8 scenes, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Yakov Polonsky and is based on Nikolai Gogol's 1832 story "Christmas Eve" (Russian: Ночь перед Рождеством, Noch péred Rozhdestvóm). It was written for composer Alexander Serov, who died in 1871 leaving only fragments of an opera on the subject.