The next production from The Met in the current Live in HD season, acclaimed English director Deborah Warner’s production of Tchaikovsky’s romantic tragedy Eugene Onegin, releases at Nouveau and select Ster-Kinekor cinemas from Saturday, 20 May.
Soprano Anna Netrebko reprises one of her most acclaimed roles as Tatiana, the naïve heroine of Tchaikovsky’s opera, which the composer adapted from Pushkin’s classic verse novel. Peter Mattei stars opposite her as the self-confident title character, Eugene Onegin, who rejects Tatiana’s love until it’s too late. Other lead roles in the opera are sung by Alexey Dolgov as Onegin’s friend-turned-rival, Lenski, with Elena Maximova as Tatiana’s sister, Olga, and Štefan Kocán as Prince Gremin.
Conducted by Robin Ticciati
The opera, a revival of acclaimed English director Deborah Warner’s staging that opened the Met’s 2013-14 season, is conducted by Robin Ticciati, music director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Russian mezzo-soprano Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya suggested Alexander Pushkin’s popular Russian work, Eugene Onegin, to Tchaikovsky as the basis of an opera. The composer originally felt the plot was not strong enough to sustain an opera. However, he kept thinking about the story as an opera and ultimately felt that if he used original verses from Pushkin’s novel, the opera could be a success.
Since this story was well-known, Tchaikovsky reckoned the audience could fill in any details that were not included in the actual opera, similar to Puccini’s La Bohème.
Eugene Onegin premiered at the Moscow Conservatory in 1879. The opera became popular in Russia but was slow to gain popularity outside the country. The first performance in the US was at the Met in 1920. The premiere was initially sung in Italian; however, today’s productions are sung in its original Russian.
Preview: Anna Netrebko sings an excerpt from Tatiana’s Letter Scene, Act I
What: Eugene Onegin, The Met: Live in HD – 2016-17
Where: Nouveau – Rosebank Mall, JHB; Brooklyn Mall, PTA; SK Gateway Commercial, DBN; and V&A Waterfront, CT and select Ster-Kinekor cinemas
When: 20 May at 5pm, 21 May, 2.30pm; 23, 31 May 11.30am, 30 May at 6pm
Running time: 3 hrs and 45 mins, two intervals. Intermission programme/interviews hosted by soprano Renée Fleming
Tickets: Discounts for Ster-Kinekor loyalty programmes members, SK Club, Discovery Vitality, Edgars Club
Book: www.sterkinekor.com
Info: Ticketline on 0861-Movies (668 437)
Social media: Twitter @nouveaubuzz, Facebook Cinema Nouveau
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