Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) wrote the 3-act opera MAZEPPA between 1881-1883. With a libretto by Victor Burenin, based on Pushkin’s poem Poltava, the opera takes the late 17th century historical Ukrainian figures Stepanovych Mazeppa (the Hetman of the Cossacks) and Vasyl Leontiyovych Kochubey (a Ukrainian nobleman) and tells a bloodthirsty tale of love, war, execution, and murder. The COSSACK DANCE (also HOPAK or GOPAK) occurs in the first act as entertainment when Mazeppa is being entertained at the Kochubey house, just before Mazeppa requested the hand of Kochubey’s daughter Mariya in marriage. Instrumentation: 3+Picc.2+EH.2.2: 4.2+2.3.1: Timp.Perc(3): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).