No one could remain seated after the passionate cries of Eugene Onegin’s protagonist reverberated through the Metropolitan Opera at the opera’s final performance on Saturday evening.
The performers’ thorough understanding of the work and skillful execution of their roles made for a moving production of Tchaikovsky’s distinctly Russian masterpiece, based on Alexander Pushkin’s verse novel of the same title.
Eugene Onegin opens with a melancholy depiction of autumn on an idyllic country estate. Despite the simply constructed set, the production managed to achieve a sense of grandeur thanks to masterful employment of lighting techniques. Rich hues of red and blue were contrasted with the tragic story of a man plagued by convention and lack of purpose.
In Act I, the innocent Tatiana (Karita Mattila) professes her love to Eugene Onegin (Thomas Hampson) in a letter of unbridled passion. The renowned “Letter scene,” in which Tatiana crosses the stage in an outpouring of melody and seething adolescent angst, proved to be the most memorable part of the evening.
Later in the opera, Onegin rejects her plea, explaining that he feels he will grow bored with marriage and that she must exercise better control of her emotions. In the final act, he realizes too late his love for Tatiana, who, despite her enduring affection for him, resolves to remain faithful to her husband.
The rapidity with which Tatiana becomes enamored of Onegin at first seems somewhat forced, but it is gradually (albeit not fully) elucidated as the story progresses. Yet whether or not the audience was immediately convinced of Tatiana and Onegin’s love for each other, it was undeniably moved by their relationship’s development throughout the opera.
Although the Met first premiered Eugene Onegin in 1920 in Italian, it presented the opera in the original Russian for the 2008-09 season. This choice greatly accentuated the lyricism of Tchaikovsky’s libretto and was an unequivocal testament to his aptitude for composing both lush melodic passages and sprightly dance scenes.
Performances of Eugene Onegin have ended for the 2008-2009 season. The Metropolitan Opera offers ongoing discounted tickets for upcoming operas, in addition to online ticket drawings for weekend performances. Students tickets cost $25 for weekday performances and $35 for Friday and Saturday performances. For more information, visit http://www.metoperafamily.org.
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