''Mrika'' (''Maria'') is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in three acts composed by Prenkë Jakova with a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

by Llazar Siliqi. It premiered (in a four-act version) in Shkoder,

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

in 1958 at the Migjeni Theatre. The revised three-act version (and the one used today) premiered in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

at the

Academy of Music and Arts of Albania The University of Arts (), formerly known as the Academy of Arts (), is a public university and the main institution that offers higher education of arts in Albania. History Founded in 1966 as the Higher Institute of Arts (), it merged three arti ...

in December 1959. The work is based on a "musical action" in two scenes, ''Dritë mbi Shqipëri'' (''Light over Albania''), a previous collaboration between Jakova and Siliqi which had premiered in Tirana in July 1952. ''Mrika'' is popularly considered to be the first Albanian opera.Prifti, Peter R., ''Socialist Albania since 1944'', Vol. 23, MIT Press, 1978, p. 124. Its first stage director was

Kristaq Antoniu Kristaq Antoniu (; 25 December 1907 – 17 March 1979), also known as Cristache Antoniu (), was an Albanian-Romanian operetta tenor, baritone, and actor. He was a People's Artist of the People's Republic of Albania. Biography Born in Bucharest ...

References

Operas 1958 operas Albanian-language operas {{opera-stub