Yevgeni Onegin

I'm a long-time fan of the great Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" and the great Tchaikovsky's opera with the same title. And I always wanted to see a good film adaptation of "Eugene Onegin".

So, I've been watching 1988 Decca's screen version of the opera, 1999 British screen version of the novel...and I didn't like it. I almost despaired, but I was thinking: "There are no Russian screen version of "Onegin"? It can't be!" And I was right! There are Russian screen version. And WHAT A VERSION! This 1958 Soviet film is just perfect film adaptation of the story + amazing Tchaikovsky's music + singing of the Bolshoi Theatre stars. But that's not all! Beautiful locations, costumes, ball scenes...And what a beautiful Russian actors..! Vadim Medvedev (Onegin) is incredibly handsome, red-haired (Oh,red-haired Onegin is something special!) man with an aristocratic face, majestic posture and eloquent face expressions (love his haughty, puffed-up mien and these curved eyebrows...), and he is amazing as arrogant and selfish dandy Eugene Onegin, Igor Ozerov is good as young and naive poet Vladimir Lensky, and Ariadna Shengelaya makes a lovely Tatiana, a shy landowner's daughter...

Galina Vishnevskaya (Tatiana's voice) is the world famous Russian soprano and her singing is outstanding. Yevgeni Kibkalo (Onegin's voice) is a lyric baritone of truly beautiful timbre, and Anton Grygoriev (Lensky's voice) is expressive lyric tenor.

So, I can't say a single bad word about this film. Everything is perfect: singing, acting, direction, camera work, costumes...just everything. This tastefully made film is another proof of the greatness of the Soviet cinema and true pleasure for all the film and opera lovers.

P.S. Try also a Soviet film "Queen of Spades" ("Pikovaya dama"), 1960 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054183/). This is screen version of another Tchaikovsky's opera, directed by the same director (Roman Tikhomirov) and also starring Vadim Medvedev. A beautifully made opera film.

This is an earlier opera by Tchaikovsky written 12 years before "Queen of Spades" and very different from it, although also by Pushkin. This was Roman Tikhomirov's first great opera screening, many consider it his best, and although consummate, there are problems, especially concerning the story. Eugene Onegin is not a sympathetic character, he is no hero but rather an intolerable cynic who behaves outrageously, and the story is rather sordid. Prince Lensky (tenor) brings his older friend Onegin to visit a family in the country with two lovely daughters, Lensky loves one of them and thinks Onegin would suit the other (Tatiana), who immediately falls desperately in love with Onegin and writes him a passionate love letter. Onegin answers insultingly with condescending arrogance, while he flirts with the sister, which outrages Lensky, who feels compelled to challenge his best friend Onegin to a duel. The less said about the rest, the better.

Vadim Medvedev is not quite convincing as Onegin. He is to polished and lacks that demonic attraction which hooks Tatiana. On the other hand, Igor Ozerov is perfect as Lensky, and all sympathy and compassion must be with him and Tatiana. Why didn't Tatiana take him on instead?

Tatiana is the leading character, she dominates the whole opera, her love letter scene is a centerpiece together with the two magnificent ballroom scenes, very different and excelling each other. These three scenes are the main outstanding credits of the film. Ariadna Shengelaya as Tatiana couldn't be better, she is the character that changes and develops, and every scene with her is adorable, especially in the beginning, when everything is still idyllic in pastoral bliss, wonderfully photographed mainly outside.

"Eugene Onegin" is less dramatic than "Queen of Spades", its story is more like a novel than like a drama, but the psychology of Pushkin is the main thing, making the book an everlasting classic in consummate verse all through, and the film matches it, no matter how little you can care for the rogue Onegin.

Eugene Onegin is one of the great Russian operas, and is amazing as an opera in general too. It is involving and touching with some of the most beautiful music Tchaikovsky ever wrote. This film from 1958 is outstanding in all regards, Petr Weigl's 1988 film is also a masterpiece- the Hvorostovsky/Fleming Met production I thoroughly enjoyed as well- but I marginally prefer this one. The locations are really colourful and striking and the costumes are wonderfully opulent, enhanced by the skillful photography. The lip-sync has in some opera films been a problem, but it isn't here. How everything is acted out and staged is not as spontaneous as when you see an opera live, but this doesn't matter when everything is so movingly done with never a dull moment.

The dancing really does give you the impression that you are at a ball, Lensky and Gremin's aria are heart-wrenching and the Letter scene shows Tatyana's vulnerability wonderfully. The orchestral playing is rousing in the Polanaise, lush and soaring in the Letter scene and sensitive and expressive in Lensky's aria. The conducting show authority and nuances, while the chorus are animated and beautifully balanced. The singing couldn't have been more perfect, Galina Vishnevskaya sings powerfully but also perfectly conveying Tatyana's shyness and vulnerability. Yevgeni Kibkalo's timbre is beautiful and full of virility, while Anton Grygoriev's singing is full of expressive lyricism, while Larissa Avdeyeva sings Olga with a full mezzo and I love equally Gremin's resonant bass.

As for the acting that is just as superb, and in perfect sync with the voices, with Vadim Medvedev's Onegin in particular arrogance and eloquence personified. Ariadna Shengelaya is a touching Tatyana, while Igor Ozerov plays the young poet Lensky with charm. Svetlana Nemolyaeva and Ivan Petrov give commanding performances respectively as Olga and Gremin. All in all, an amazing film. I will see Queen of Spades and Prince Igor by the same director but I do doubt they will be better than this Eugene Onegin. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is a superb film. The photography, the acting, the sets and costumes are very artistically done. There are not enough opera films set in real locations as this one is. Some people may object to the singers' voices being dubbed over non-operatic actors, but the lead actors are so beautiful and convincing that their presence adds greatly to the romantic atmosphere -- this film would not be the same without them. If you love Tchaikovsky's music then you will love this film. Roman Tikhominov directed two other excellent opera films set in real locations (not stage performances): Queen of Spades (1960) and Prince Igor (1970), but Eugene Onegin (1958) is the best of all.

I saw this film when first released -- I was still at school in Perth, Western Australia. (Perth WA may have been one of the most isolated cities in the world but it worked at bringing the world to us, including the university's summer film festival of the latest movies from everywhere -- and it still is, and still actively connects with the world.) The film made an indelible impression, I've loved opera ever since. And I love the reviews here.

Travelling around the world in 1968, straight after university, I was taken to Glyndbourne, and the opera I saw was Onegin!

I loved the outright romanticism of the film, the music of course, the singing, everything. I knew at the time that it was highly stylised (including the rich colours) but I loved that too.

And now, returning to singing lessons as an aging amateur tenor, I am working on M. Triquet's couplets -- I remembered them from the film over 60 years ago!