© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
© SLT / Tobias Witzgall
Eugene Onegin
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
In Russian with German and English surtitles
Lyrical scenes in three acts · Libretto by Konstantin S. Shilovsky
Synopsis
A sceptical, bored and indecisive young man and an idealistic, sensitive and passionate young woman who always meet at the wrong time and in the wrong place – this is the story of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s opera “Eugene Onegin”. The young Tatyana is in love with Eugene, who, however, considers love insignificant and rejects her. At a ball, he flirts with Tatyana’s sister Olga, which leads to a duel with her fiancé Lensky—a duel Lensky does not survive. Jaded by life’s disappointments, Onegin returns to the country years later, where he encounters Tatyana, who is married by now and has grown into a much-admired lady of society. Onegin realises that he loves her, but it is too late. Tatyana decidedly refuses Onegin’s advances and remains faithful to her husband.
In this deeply emotional opera full of melodic beauty, Tchaikovsky combines popular Russian melodies with classical European traditions, thus creating a unique musical idiom. The oppositions between the characters’ inner conflicts and the external expectations of society make “Eugene Onegin” a profound work that explores both personal and universal themes, such as love, regret and human fallibility.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) began working on “Eugene Onegin” (based on the eponymous novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin) in 1877. Following the success of his ballets “The Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake”, he also wanted to make a name for himself as an opera composer and was under much pressure to live up to public expectations. The opera’s first performance in front of a large audience took place on 23 January 1881 at the Bolshoi Theatre and was enthusiastically received.
Together with her tried and tested team of stage designer Philip Rubner and costume designer Su Bühler, director Alexandra Liedtke is tackling this grand work of Russian opera. Relying on their combined experience in Austria and abroad, the team have repeatedly presented productions at the Salzburg State Theatre. Their staging of the opera explores the complex psychological processes in Tchaikovsky’s work.
Duration: 2 h 45 min / one intermission
We offer introductory talks 45 and 30 minutes ahead of each performance.
Reviews
Die Solisten sind der Trumpf der Produktion, allen voran Tatev Baroyan, [...] als Tatjana entfaltet sie ihre Leuchtkraft in der Höhe und ihre samtene Mittellage über knapp drei Stunden mühelos. [...] George Humphreys ist in der Rolle des Onegin so ernsthaft wie selten zu erleben, seine Bühnenpräsenz entwickelt er aus stimmlich sehr nuancierter Rollengestaltung heraus. Haustenor Luke Sinclair zeigt als Lenski seine baritonale Seite, sein „Kuda Kuda“ ist ein Höhepunkt des Abends. Einige Stockwerke tiefer glänzt Daniele Macciantelli als sonorer Fürst Gremin in seiner großen Arie. All das fügt sich zu einer überzeugenden Opernproduktion, die das Premierenpublikum am Samstag zu Recht bejubelte.
Eine sehr überzeugende musikalische Gesamtleistung. Dirigent Leslie Suganadarajah befeuerte das Orchester mit typisch russischer Sentimentalität. [...] Den größten Beifall verdiente der schottische Tenor Luke Sinclair als melancholischer Lenski, gerade weil er nicht von Anfang an den verschatteten Charakter gab, sondern als fröhlicher Kindskopf begann und eine hochtragische Entwicklung durchmachte.
Performances
Audio introduction
von Friederike Bernau und Jonathan Unterweger
Cast
Musical Director
Leslie Suganandarajah
Conducting
Leslie Suganandarajah (02/28, 03/06, 03/13, 03/15, 04/05, 04/08, 04/21, 05/02, 06/05)
Tobias Meichsner (03/19, 03/25, 03/29)
Director
Alexandra Liedtke
State Design
Philip Rubner
Costume Design
Su Bühler
Choreography
Louis Stiens
Lighting Design
Richard Schlager
Musical Preparation
Wolfgang Götz
Tobias Meichsner
Aleksandra Borodulina
Chorus Preparation
Mario El Fakih
Dramaturgy
Friederike Bernau
Assistant to the Director
Ann-Kathrin Meyler
Alessia Cancian
Larina, Landowner
Maria Bulgakova
Tatjana, Larina's Daughter
Tatev Baroyan (02/28, 03/13, 03/15, 03/19, 03/29, 04/05, 04/08, 04/21, 05/02, 06/05)
Nicole Lubinger (03/06, 03/25)
Olga, Larina's Daughter
Therese Troyer
Filipjewna, called Njinja, Nurse
Mona Akinola
Eugen Onegin
George Humphreys (02/28, 03/06, 03/13, 03/25, 04/05, 04/21, 05/02, 06/05)
Yevheniy Kapitula (03/15, 03/19, 03/29, 04/08)
Lenski, Poet, His Friend
Luke Sinclair (02/28, 03/13, 03/19, 03/25, 03/29, 04/08, 04/21, 05/02, 06/05)
Ilia Skvirskii (03/06, 03/15, 04/05)
Prince Gremin
Daniele Macciantelli
A Captain
Michael Schober
Saretzki
Robert Glyndwr Garland
Triquet, a Frenchman
Grégoire Fedorenko (02/28, 03/13, 03/19, 03/29, 04/08, 05/02)
Alexander Hüttner (03/06, 03/15, 03/25, 04/05, 04/21, 06/05)
Guillot, Valet
Kay Heles
Chorus Leader
Vesselin Hristov
Tatiana And Onegin From The Book, Dancers
Ana Đorđević
Yannick Neuffer
Tatiana as a child
Marta Grabovac (02/28, 03/19, 04/08, 06/05)
Paulina Korobko (03/13, 03/25, 03/29, 04/21)
Amaya Morocutti (03/06, 03/15, 04/05, 05/02)
Chorus
Chor des Salzburger Landestheaters
Orchestra Mozarteumorchester Salzburg