In song, life's questions echo

Published on September 29, 2007

In terms of material from which a composer might conjure up great opera, the storyline of Alexander Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" is as mundane and un-operatic as can be. Tatiana, an intense but vulnerable young woman, is spurned by Onegin, a world-weary philanderer, and he in turn is spurned by her.

In between, there is little in the way of the big, dramatic confrontations one expects in an opera, except that Onegin kills his best friend, Lensky, after he overreacts to his playful flirting with Lensky's fiancee, Tatiana's younger sister Olga.

That Tchaikovsky managed to turn Pushkin's novel in verse into a musical drama of immense power is testament to the much-loved Russian composer's great command of lyrical emotionalism.

The range and intensity of emotions engendered in the music predated Tchaikovsky's great symphonies.

The Ekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theatre, under the baton of Mikhail Granovsky delivered an intense performance last Saturday that showcased Slavic excitement at its best.

With an even-handed approach to tempi, the conductor coaxed the orchestra through quieter passages with extra plushness. His taut phrasing ensured that every instrument came through clearly and expressively, even in the busiest sections, when neurotic tensions threatened to swamp the lyrical soundscape. Meanwhile the use of extreme dynamics unleashed startling dramatic bite. 

Soprano Yulia Simonova first depicted a completely smitten Tatiana, her delicate voice-acting denoting girlish freshness, before transforming convincingly into a euphoric woman possessed by all-consuming passions and ardent hope that her love for Onegin would be reciprocated.

The romantic Tatiana is set up so that her innocence is destroyed by the patronising Onegin, who has the gall to lecture her on how to get over "a young girl's infatuation". The Onegin of Alexey Mironov, with his supple, delectable baritone, came across as a properly cynical but quite honourable member of the landed gentry.

The decent but jealous Lensky has his big moment in the exquisite aria, lamenting his youthful life about to be cut short and his love for Olga just before the fatal duel in Act 2, which was sung with panache and clarity by velvety tenor Vladimir Cheberyak.

Tatiana eventually comes to her senses and switches into self-preservation mode, conforming to social norms and going on to marry a rich, doting aristocrat.

The gloom and doom are momentarily punctuated by crowd-pleasing ballroom music - the Waltz and Mazurka in Act 2 and the Polonaise in Act 3 being the kind of infectious melodies for which Tchaikovsky is famous. However, in this opera, such revelries only reflect the decadent lifestyle of the rich, the powerful and the bored.

The virtue of a married life totally bereft of passion, as extolled by Tatiana's elderly husband, General Gremin - sung by resplendent bass Vitaly Efanov - was delivered with such earnestness that members of the audience almost forgot that such a clinical domestic arrangement is totally out of place in an opera.

By the time Onegin realises that he loves Tatiana, it is too late. Tatiana has learned the lesson all too well - that a superficial life is preferable and that social duty is her only consolation, a fatalistic theme echoed in chorus by peasants and her nanny, engagingly sung by mezzo-soprano Alexandra Kulikova.

The final duet between Tatiana and Onegin, in which he begs for forgiveness and another chance, was most affecting, as Tatiana admits that she still loves him but decides to honour her marital vow.

"Eugene Onegin" is a story about a love that is never consummated, and ends with the two protagonists' dreams of love and happiness shattered. Both must learn to live without desire.

In operatic terms, there is no worse catastrophe. It was an emotionally draining experience, as it is meant to be. But as with all great dramatic and literary works, it mirrors the familiar experiences of individuals within the confines of social conventions, and forces us into introspection. It makes us ask the really big and important questions of life.  

Saturday's performance was graciously presided over by Her Majesty the Queen.

Thana Poopat

The Nation