Eugene Onegin (opera)

"Eugene Onegin" ( _ru. "Евгений Онегин", "Yevgény Onégin" is an opera ("lyrical scenes"), Opus 24, in 3 acts, 7 scenes, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the (brother of the) composer, and is based on the novel in verse by Aleksandr Pushkin.

"Eugene Onegin" is a well-known example of lyric opera; the libretto very closely follows Pushkin's original, retaining much of his poetry, to which Tchaikovsky adds music of a dramatic nature. The story concerns a selfish hero who lives to regret his blasé rejection of a young woman's love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend.

The opera was first performed in Moscow in 1879. There are several recordings of it, and it is regularly performed. The work's title refers to the protagonist.

Composition history

In May 1877, the opera singer Lavrovskaya recommended creating an opera based on the plot of "Eugene Onegin" to Tchaikovsky. At first this idea seemed wild to the composer, according to his memoirs, however he was soon growing excited about the idea and created the scenarios in one night before starting the composition of the music.

Tchaikovsky used the original verses from Pushkin's novel and chose scenes that involved the emotional world and fortunes of his heroes, calling the opera "lyrical scenes." The opera is episodic; there is no continuous story, just selected highlights of Onegin's life. Since the original story was so well known, Tchaikovsky knew his audience could easily fill in any details that he omitted. A similar treatment is found in Puccini's "La bohème". The composer had finished the opera by January 1878.

Performance history

Tchaikovsky worried whether the public would accept his opera, which lacked traditional scene changes. He believed that its performance required maximum simplicity and sincerity. With this in mind, he entrusted the first production to the students of the Moscow Conservatory:

The Moscow Premiere took place on 29 March (17 March O.S.) 1879 at the Maly Theatre in Moscow conducted Nikolai Rubinstein, with set designs by Karl Valts (Waltz).

Two years later the first performance at the Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow took place on 23 January (11 January O.S.) 1881 with conductor Enrico Bevignani.

The first performance outside Russia took place on 6 December 1888 in Prague conducted by Tchaikovsky himself. It was sung in Czech and translated by Marie Červinková-Riegrová.

The first performance in England took place on 17 October 1892 at the Olympic Theatre in London with Henry Wood conducting. This performance was translated into English by H. S. Edwards and sung in English.

At the Metropolitan Opera in New York the US premiere was given on 24 March 1920. The opera was sung in Italian.

Other notable performances included one in Hamburg conducted by Gustav Mahler on 19 January 1892.

Roles

Instrumentation

Source: [http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/ www.tchaikovsky-research.net]
*"Strings": Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses, Harp
*"Woodwinds": Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (A, B-flat), 2 Bassoons
*"Brass": 4 Horns (F), 2 Trumpets (F), 3 Trombones
*"Percussion": Timpani

ynopsis

"Note": This synopsis by Simon Holledge was first published on [http://www.operajaponica.org Opera Japonica] and appears here by permission.

"Time": The 1820s

"Place": In the country, and in St. Petersburg

Act 1

"Scene 1: The garden of the Larin country estate"

Madame Larina (mezzo-soprano) and the nurse (mezzo-soprano) are sitting outside: her two daughters, Tatyana (soprano) and younger sister Olga (contralto), can be heard from inside the house. A group of peasants sing a comic song about the serenading of a miller's daughter. Tatyana is reading a romantic novel but her mother tells her that real life is different. Visitors arrive: Olga's fiancé Lensky (tenor), a young poet, and his friend Eugene Onegin (baritone), a world-weary St Petersburg 'drawing-room automaton' (Nabokov). Lensky introduces Onegin to the Larin family. Onegin is initially surprised that Lensky has chosen the extrovert Olga rather than her romantic elder sister. Tatyana for her part is immediately and strongly attracted to Onegin.

"Scene 2: Tatyana's room"

Tatyana confesses to her nurse that she is in love. Left alone she writes a letter to Onegin driven by the realization that she is fatally and irreversibly drawn to him (the celebrated 'Letter Scene'). When the old woman returns Tatyana asks her to arrange for the letter to be sent to Onegin.

"Scene 3: Another part of the estate"

Onegin arrives to see Tatyana and give her his answer to her letter. He explains, not unkindly, that he is not a man who loves easily and is unsuited to marriage. Tatyana is crushed and unable to reply.

Act 2

"Scene 1: The ballroom of the Larin house"

Tatyana's name-day party. Onegin is irritated with the country people who gossip about him and Tatyana, and with Lensky for persuading him to come. He decides to revenge himself by dancing and flirting with Olga. Lensky becomes extremely jealous. Olga is insensitive to her fiancé and apparently attracted to Onegin. There is a diversion, while a French neighbour called Monsieur Triquet (tenor) sings some couplets in honour of Tatyana, after which the quarrel becomes more intense. Lensky renounces his friendship with Onegin in front of all the guests, and challenges Onegin to a duel, which the latter is forced, with many misgivings, to accept. "Scene 2: On the banks of a wooded stream, early morning"

Lensky is waiting for Onegin, and sings of his uncertain fate and his love for Olga. Onegin arrives. They are both reluctant to go ahead with the duel but lack the power to stop it. Onegin shoots Lensky dead.

Act 3

"Scene 1: At a ball in the house of a rich nobleman in St Petersburg"

Some years have passed. Onegin reflects on the emptiness of his life and his remorse over the death of Lensky. Prince Gremin (bass) enters with his wife, Tatyana now transformed into a grand, aristocratic beauty. Gremin sings of his great happiness with Tatyana, and introduces Onegin to her. Onegin is deeply impressed by Tatyana, and is fired by a desperate longing to regain her love. "Scene 2: Reception room in Prince Gremin's house"

Tatyana has received a letter from Onegin. Onegin enters and begs for her love and her pity. Tatyana wonders why he is now attracted to her. Is it because of her social position? Onegin is adamant that his passion is real and absolute. Tatyana, moved to tears, reflects how near they once were to happiness but nevertheless asks him to leave. She admits she still loves him, but will remain faithful to her husband. Onegin implores her, but she finally leaves him alone in his despair.

Principal arias and numbers

Act 1
:Aria: "Ah, Tanya, Tanya" (Olga):Aria: "Were I a man whom fate intended" (Onegin):Aria: Letter Aria "Let me die, but first..." , Сцена письма: «Пускай погибну я, но прежде…» (Tatyana)Act 2
:Dance: Waltz:Aria: «Куда, куда вы удалились, весны моей златые дни» (Lensky)Act 3
:Dance: Polonaise:Aria: «Любви все возрасты покорны» (Gremin):Scene: Finale (Onegin, Tatyana)

tructure

Source: [http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/ www.tchaikovsky-research.net] :Introduction Act I:No.1— Duet & Quartet:No.2— Chorus & Peasants' Dance:No.3— Scena & Olga's Arioso:No.4— Scena:No.5— Scena & Quartet:No.6— Scena:No.6a- Lensky's Arioso:No.7— Closing Scena:No.8— Introduction & Scena with the Nurse:No.9— Letter Scena:No.10– Scena & Duet:No.11– Chorus of Maidens:No.12– Scena:No.12a Onegin's AriaAct II:No.13– Entr'acte & Waltz:No.14– Scena & Triquet's Couplets:No.15– Mazurka & Scena:No.16– Finale:No.17– Scena:No.17a Lensky's Aria:No.18– Duel ScenaAct III:No.19– Polonaise:No.20– Scena & Ecossaise:No.20a Prince Gremin's Aria:No.21– Scena:No.21a Onegin's Arioso:No.22– Closing Scena

elected recordings

Source: [http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/ http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/]

*1936, Vasiliy Nebolsin (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Panteleimon Nortsov (Onegin), Sergey Lemeshev (Lensky), Lavira Zhukovskaya (Tatyana), Bronislava Zlatogorova (Olga), Maria Botienina (Larina), Konkordiya Antarova (Filippyevna), Aleksandr Pirogov (Gremin), I. Kovalenko (Triquet)

*1948, Aleksandr Orlov (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Andrey Ivanov (Onegin), Ivan Kozlovsky (Lensky), Yelena Kruglikova (Tatyana), Maria Maksakova (Olga), B. Amborskaya (Larina), Fayina Petrova (Filippyevna), Mark Reyzen (Gremin), I. Kovalenko (Triquet)

*1956, Boris Khaikin (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Yevgeniy Belov (Onegin), Sergey Lemeshev (Lensky), Galina Vishnevskaya (Tatyana), Larissa Avdeyeva (Olga), Valentina Petrova (Larina), Yevgeniya Verbitskaya (Filippyevna), Ivan Petrov (Gremin), Andrey Sokolov (Triquet), Igor Mikhaylov (Zaretsky)

*2007 Valery Gergiev (conductor), The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Onegin), Ramon Vargas (Lenski), Renee Fleming (Tatiana), Elena Zaremba (Olga), Svetlana Volkova (Larina), Larisa Shevchenko (Filippyevna), Sergei Aleksashkin (Gremin), Jean-Paul Fouchecourt (Triquet), Richard Bernstein (Zaretski), Keith Miller (A captain) (DVD recording)

External links and references

*
*Libretto
** [http://home.tiscali.cz:8080/ist987/libreta/onegin.html Russian libretto in HTML]
** [http://www.ceo.spb.ru/libretto/classic/posle_glinki/eugeny_onegin.zip Russian libretto in zip file for Word]
** [http://www.opera-guide.ch/libretto.php?id=373&uilang=en&lang=en English translation of libretto]
* [http://www.operabase.com/oplist.cgi?id=none&lang=en&is=Eugene+Onegin Upcoming performances at major halls]