The Mikhailovsky Theatre, a historic gem in the heart of Saint Petersburg since 1833, has long been a home to artists trained in the city’s renowned conservatories, many of whom have also graced the Mariinsky stage. This season, the theatre presents Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky’s masterful opera of love, regret, and social intrigue. With soaring arias, rich orchestration, and emotionally charged duets, the production brings Pushkin’s timeless characters vividly to life, offering audiences an intimate yet grand experience of Russian operatic genius.
Libretto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Konstantin Shilovsky after the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin
“Eugene Onegin” has returned to the Mikhailovsky Theatre, with the famous “lyrical scenes” taken on by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato. Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” marks his second opera production. The elegant imagery and refined neoclassical style characteristic of all the master’s works serve to highlight the beauty of the great music and the depth of its characters.
Working alongside Nacho Duato on this production were his longtime collaborators: set designer Jaffar Chalabi and costume designer Angelina Atlagić, who approached the rendition of Pushkin’s story with a delicate touch. Musical director of the production — Alexander Soloviev.
Critics note that while the production meticulously follows the libretto, Nacho Duato’s directorial decisions — a constant reminder that this is staged by a world-renowned choreographer — offer pleasant surprises for the audience.
Synopsis
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 and quite absorbed by it, but her mother tells her that real life is very different from such stories. Visitors arrive: Olga's fiancй Lensky (tenor), a young 18 year-old poet, and his friend Eugene Onegin (baritone), a 23 year-old 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 avenge himself by dancing and flirting with Olga. Lensky becomes extremely jealous. Olga is insensitive to her fiancй and apparently attracted to Onegin. There is a diversion while the elderly French tutor Monsieur Triquet sings some couplets in honour of Tatyana, after which the quarrel between Lensky and Onegin 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
Three years have passed. After traveling extensively all around Europe, 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 re-introduces Onegin to her. Onegin is deeply impressed by Tatyana, and is suddenly injected with life and realizing that he is also in love with her.
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 that their union can never be realized, as she is now married. Despite her unhappiness about her marriage and lack of passion for her husband, she will remain faithful to him. Onegin implores her, but she finally leaves him alone in his despair.
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