▁on ▁a ▁Farm ▁Near ▁D ik anka , ▁by ▁Nikol ai ▁G og ol . ▁The ▁opera ▁is ▁a ▁revision ▁of ▁T cha ik ov sky ' s ▁earlier ▁opera ▁V ak ula ▁the ▁Smith . ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁in ▁Moscow . ▁ ▁Com position ▁history ▁ ▁The ▁opera ▁was ▁composed ▁between ▁February ▁and ▁April ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁at ▁Ma idan ovo . ▁Both ▁V ak ula ▁the ▁Smith ▁and ▁Ch ere v ich ki ▁were ▁set ▁to ▁Pol ons ky ' s ▁libre tto , ▁which ▁was ▁originally ▁intended ▁for ▁Alexander ▁Ser ov , ▁but ▁had ▁remained ▁un used ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁his ▁death . ▁Add itions ▁and ▁revis ions ▁for ▁this ▁second ▁version ▁were ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁composer ▁and ▁Nikol ay ▁Ch ay ev . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁them atic ▁material ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁opera ▁is ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁in ▁V ak ula ▁the ▁Smith . ▁The ▁alter ations ▁were ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁wish ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁opera ▁" out ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁of ▁ob liv ion " ▁( letter ▁by ▁T cha ik ov sky ▁of ▁ 4 ▁March ▁ 1 8 8 5 ). ▁The ▁editing ▁primarily ▁simplified ▁some ▁elements ▁of ▁musical ▁texture . ▁The ▁ly ric ▁sphere ▁of ▁the ▁opera ▁was ▁deep ened ▁by ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁aria ▁inserted ▁for ▁V ak ula : ▁... ▁( Who ▁knows , ▁my ▁girl , ▁if ▁your ▁heart ▁can ▁feel ▁my ▁pain ... ). ▁But ▁the