The libretto was written by Paul Dehn and Walton,[1] based on the play of the same title by Anton Chekhov (which is also sometimes translated into English as The Boor).
Walton received a commission from the Koussevitzsky Foundation in 1958, and he dedicated the opera "to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky".
The opera is regarded as having "enjoyed more success and popularity than its larger-scale predecessor, Troilus and Cressida [......] because its witty parodies are in the manner of [Walton's 1922] Facade"[2] and the librettists' ability "to emulate Chekhov's caricatures of the three main characters" are also successful.
Smirnov and Popova begin to quarrel, to the point where both aim loaded pistols at each other.
In contrast with Walton's previous opera Troilus and Cressida, which used a large cast, full orchestra and chorus, The Bear is deliberately minimal in its vocal and instrumental forces.