Eugene Onegin (opera)
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Eugene Onegin (Евгений Онегин in Russian, Yevgeny Onegin in transliteration) is an opera in three acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a Russian libretto by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer, based on the novel of the same name by Aleksandr Pushkin. First performance: Malyi Theatre, Moscow, 1879.
Eugene Onegin is a well-known example of lyric opera; the libretto follows very closely 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. It is part of the standard operatic repertoire. There are a several recordings of it, and it is regularly performed.
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Characters
- Prinicpal roles
- Minor roles
- Olga - contralto
- Mrs. Larina, a landowner, mother of Tatyana and Olga - mezzo-soprano
- Filippyevna, her old nurse-maid - mezzo-soprano
- Prince Gremin - bass
- Captain - bass
- Zaretsky - bass
- Mr. Triquet, a Frenchman - tenor
- Other
- Gillot, valet of Onegin - mute
- Peasants, guests, officers, servants - chorus
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 grew 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 invovled 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 orignal 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.
Tchaikovsky worried whether the public would accept his opera, which lacked traditional scene changes. He believed that its perfomance required maximum simplicity and sincerity. With this in mind, he entrusted the first production to the students of the Moscow Conservatory. On March 29 1879, the conservatory students gave the first performance on the stage of the Malyi Theatre in Moscow. It moved with great success to Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1881 and Saint Petersburg's Maryinsky Theatre in 1884.
Noted arias
- "Ah, Tanya, Tanya" (Olga)
- "Were I a man whom fate intended" (Onegin)
- Letter aria (Tatyana)
- Lensky's aria (Lenski)
- Prince Gremin's aria (Gremin)
Synopsis
- Time: The 1820's.
- Place: Saint Petersburg.
Act I Scene 1. In the garden of the Larina's country estate, Tatyana and Olga sing a duet and are later joined by Larina and Filippyevna. The peasants enter, singing while they work. Finally Olga sings a romantic duet with Lensky.
Scene 2. In Tatyana's sroom, Filippyevna tells Tatyana's story in a quiet narrative manner, resisting the excited pleas of the girl. Tatyana's emotions are shown, from passion to shyness and, finally, love.
Scene 3. In another estate garden, Onegin sings the arioso, "When life by domestic circle", framed by a transparent and light chorus of girls.
Act II Scene 1. In the reception room of the estate, couples waltz at a ball. The comic couplets of the Triquet and other household episodes contrast with a quarrel; dramatic dialogue of the heroes sounds over a background of a mazurka. The Lensky's arioso, "In your house", expresses his sad memories. Tatyana, Olga, and then the excited chorus of visitors gradually join a gentle, smooth melody sung by Onegin.
Scene 2. At a rustic water mill on the banks of a wooded stream, Lensky sings the aria "Where, where you have you fled?", contrasting his happy memories with burdensome presentiments, with a sincerity of expression. The duet of Lensky and Onegin, "Enemies, enemies", imparts a air of gloomy meditation. While the orchestra plays the tragic melody from Lensky's aria, Onegin kills him in a duel.
Act III Scene 1. Years later, in a salon of a nobleman's mansion, Onegin is bored and listens to a polonaise. Gremin sings the aria "All ages are obedient to Love.". Onegin sees Tatyana. In his final arioso, the passionate melody from Tatyana's letter aria resounds, reflecting the love which has been rekindled in him.
Scene 2. In the drawing room of Prince Gremin's house, Tatyana sings an excited and emotionally contrasting duet with Onegin, ending with a prompt rise and a dramatic break-up. She is happy here with Gremin and rejects Onegin's attempts at reconciliation.
External links and references
- Summary of Eugene Onegin (http://www.math.rsu.ru/orfey/onegin.ru.html) (Russian)
- Upcoming performances at major halls (http://www.operabase.com/oplist.cgi?id=none&lang=en&is=Eugene+Onegin)de:Eugen Onegin (Oper)