'Eugene Onegin' contains some of the most gorgeous music in all opera, searing dramatic and emotional conflicts between characters and the beautiful and poignantly tragic story of Pushkin's verse novel is one of the great Russian stories. So to me 'Eugene Onegin' is a masterwork and one of my favourites from Tchaikovsky.
Found myself intrigued but also perplexed by this production, and while there are many fantastic merits there was the feeling of disappointment. It is musically near-perfect and the staging does have some good moments, but not all of it convinces and it doesn't completely come together. As far as the DVD competition goes, which is mostly solid with some outstanding productions, it's one of my least favourites though none of them are bad.
Visually, in terms of how the production looks and is designed, it works. The sets are a little too stark and bare for my liking and fitted within the concept well, while the costumes are colourful and sumptuous and the lighting atmospheric and sometimes haunting like in the Act 2 duel. The production is very well shot, doing justice to some striking surrealist touches, and the sound is excellent.
The staging doesn't completely come together as said, nor is it a complete disaster. It is mostly very coherent and rarely dull, with an intensely moving final scene, understated staging of Lensky's "Kuda, Kuda" and Gremin's "Lyubi Vsye Vozrasti Pokorni", the relationship between Onegin and Lensky was interesting and clearly intended to be a parallel from interpretation of Tchaikovsky's own homosexuality and the awkwardness between Tatiana and Onegin is convincing.
Some of it however is bizarre and fights the music and text. The constant presence of O, a version of Onegin, didn't seem necessary and did distract too much (the main example of the production sometimes fighting against the music and text), it also wasn't always clear what the character was trying to symbolise. The letter scene's staging is a little aimless and unimaginative, and the choreography for the dances is pretty limp.
Musically, the production is near-perfect. The orchestral playing has vigour but also delivers the sumptuousness, complex emotions and subtle poetry of the score. The chorus are very well balanced and individual in their acting, and Omar Meir Wellber's conducting is sympathetic yet also alert.
Kristine Opolais is a superb Tatiana, one of her best performances seen from her. It's a beautiful sound she makes, that is a good balance of the youthful and the mature that suits the character's growth very convincingly. Dramatically, it's an impassioned and nuanced portrayal that really grows. Dmitry Korchak's Lensky is ardent and affecting, with a tear-jerking account of "Kuda Kuda", his voice rings out with little strain or forcing.
Lena Belkina is a charming Olga, matched by the dignified Larina of Helene Schneiderman and the sympathetic Filipyevna of Margarita Nekrasova. The Gremin of Günther Groissböck very nearly steals the show, a poignant and wistful performance and beautifully sung too.
Artur Rucinski doesn't fare as well as Onegin. His voice is of handsome velvet, if not large, but he could have brought out Onegin's boorishness, arrogance and regret much more, he seemed a bit wooden. Emilio Sanchez's Monsieur Le Triquet, even for a comedic character, was for personal tastes a little hammy.
In conclusion, intrigues and mostly impresses but should have been more consistent. 6/10 Bethany Cox
