SÃÂvitri is a chamber opera in one act with music composed by Gustav Holst in 1908, his Opus 25, to his own libretto. The story is based on the episode of Savitri and Satyavan from the MahÃÂbhÃÂrata, which was also included in Specimens of Old Indian Poetry (Ralph Griffith) and Idylls from the Sanskrit. The opera features three solo singers, a wordless female chorus, and a chamber orchestra of 12 musicians (consisting of 2 flutes, a cor anglais, 2 string quartets and a double bass). Holst had made at least six earlier attempts at composing opera before arriving at SÃÂvitri.
The opera was first given in an amateur performance at Wellington Hall, London, on 5 December 1916. Holst had intended the work to be performed "in the open air, or else in a small building". Its first professional performance, conducted by Arthur Bliss, was staged on 23 June 1921 at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith with Dorothy Silk in the title role, Steuart Wilson as Satyavan, and Clive Carey as Death.
Holst's friend and fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams noted Holst's use of modal style in the opera. John Warrack has commented on Holst's use of bitonality at the opening of the opera, representing the distinct yet subtly connected realms of SÃÂvitri and Death. Donald Mitchell, in his highly critical comments on the opera, noted the influence of Richard Wagner in the vocal style, even as Holst had nominally renounced the epic scale of Wagner's operas in terms of size of musical forces. Byron Adams has described the opera's characters as more "archetypes" than people. By contrast, Andrew Clements has written highly of how well the opera combines 'Eastern' culture into a 'Western' music format.
SÃÂvitri, wife of the woodman SatyavÃÂn, hears the voice of Death calling to her. He has come to claim her husband. SatyavÃÂn arrives to find his wife in distress, but assures SÃÂvitri that her fears are but MÃÂyÃÂ (illusion): "All is unreal, all is MÃÂyÃÂ." Even so, at the arrival of Death, all strength leaves him and he falls to the ground. SÃÂvitri, now alone and desolate, welcomes Death. The latter, moved to compassion by her greeting, offers her a boon of anything but the return of SatyavÃÂn. SÃÂvitri asks for life in all its fullness. After Death grants her request, she informs him that such a life is impossible without SatyavÃÂn. Death, defeated, leaves her. SatyavÃÂn awakens. Even "Death is MÃÂyÃÂ".