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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

AKG

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Eugene Onegin

Opera in three actsText by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky after Alexander Pushkin’sverse novelEugene OneginEnglish translation by David Lloyd-Jones

Eugene Onegin ....................................................Thomas Hampson baritoneTatyana ......................................................................Kiri Te Kanawa sopranoLensky ..........................................................................Neil Rosenshein tenorPrince Gremin ....................................................................John Connell bassA Captain /Zaretsky ....................................................Richard Van Allan bassMonsieur Triquet ..............................................................Nicolai Gedda tenorMadame Larina ..................................................Linda Finnie mezzo-sopranoFilippyevna ............................................Elizabeth Bainbridge mezzo-sopranoOlga................................................................Patricia Bardon mezzo-soprano

Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National OperaGareth Jones chorus masterSir Charles Mackerras

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Time PageNo. 5 Scene and Quartet‘Mesdames, I hope that you’ll excuse me’ 1:48 97Lensky, Onegin, Madame Larina‘Now tell me, which of them’s Tatyana?’ 1:42 97Onegin, Lensky, Tatyana, Olga

No. 6 Scene and Arioso‘How perfect, how wonderful’ 2:14 098Lensky, Olga, Onegin, Tatyana‘How I love you, I adore you, Olga’ 3:16 099Lensky, Olga

No. 7 Closing Scene‘Ah, here you are!’ 2:40 100Madame Larina, Nurse, Lensky, Onegin

Scene 2No. 8 Introducton and SceneIntroduction 1:38 101‘There! No more talk tonight’ 1:19 101‘I can’t sleep, Nanny’ 0:49 101‘Well, let me think now’ 4:55 101Nurse, Tatyana

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COMPACT DISC ONE Time Page

Act IIntroduction 2:39 92

Scene 1No. 1 Duet and Quartet‘Oh, did you hear the lovesick shepherd boy’ 5:08 92Tatyana, Olga, Madame Larina, Nurse

No. 2 Chorus and Dance of the Peasants‘My legs ache and can no longer run’ 2:39 94Leader (John Hudson), Peasants, Madame Larina‘In a cottage by the water’ 2:05 94Peasants

No. 3 Scene and Aria‘Oh, how I love to hear the people singing’ 0:58 95Tatyana, Olga‘I’m not the sort to sit in silence’ 2:35 95Olga

No. 4 Scene‘Come here, my darling Olga!’ 3:10 95Madame Larina, Nurse, Tatyana, Peasants, Olga

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COMPACT DISC TWO Time Page

Act II

Scene 1No. 13 Entr’acte, Waltz and ChorusEntr’acte and Waltz 2:38 107‘This is superb!’ 1:45 107Guests‘Certainly! But why aren’t you dancing?’ 1:03 108Captain, Guests‘So that’s their verdict!’ 2:19 108Onegin, Lensky, Guests

No. 14 Scene and Triquet’s Couplets‘How can I have deserved to be so taunted by you?’ 2:22 109Lensky, Olga, Onegin‘By chance I ’ave with me a song’ 0:44 110‘ “A cette fête conviée” ’ 2:39 110Triquet, Guests

No. 15 Mazurka and Scene‘Messieurs! Mesdames! ’ 1:13 111CaptainMazurka‘Why aren’t you dancing, Lensky?’ 3:14 111Onegin, Lensky, Guests, Madame Larina

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Time PageNo. 9 Letter Scene‘To write is foolishness, I know it’ 2:52 102‘ “I had to write” ’ 3:03 102‘No, there could never be another’ 1:52 103‘For you were always there beside me’ 0:50 103‘ “Are you an angel” ’ 2:20 103‘ “No, come what may” ’ 2:14 103Tatyana

No. 10 Scene and Duet‘Ah, night is over!’ 2:30 104‘Oh, Nanny, may I ask a favour?’ 0:25 104‘Then make your grandson go in secret’ 3:08 104Tatyana, Nurse

Scene 3No. 11 Chorus of Girls‘Dear companions, come this way’ 3:07 105Girls

No. 12 Scene and Aria‘Onegin! Here! To see me!’ 2:23 106‘You wrote a letter’ 1:47 106Tatyana, Onegin‘Were I the sort who had intended’ 3:14 106Onegin‘But try to practise self-control’ 1:02 107Onegin, Girls

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Time PageNo. 16 Finale‘Here in your house!’ 2:50 112Lensky, Onegin, Tatyana, Olga, Madame Larina, Guests‘Your challenge I accept’ 1:52 114Onegin, Lensky, Guests, Olga

Scene 2No. 17 Introduction, Scene and AriaIntroduction 1:59 115‘What’s happened? Where can your opponent be?’ 1:14 115Zaretsky, Lensky‘How far, how far away you seem now’ 6:22 115Lensky

No. 18 Duel Scene‘Ah, here they are!’ 1:55 116‘We fight to satisfy our honour’ 4:02 116Zaretsky, Onegin, Lensky

Act III

Scene OneNo. 19 Polonaise 4:19 117

No. 20 Scene and Aria‘Here, too, I’m bored!’ 2:25 117OneginEcossaise 1:50 11719

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Time Page‘The Princess Gremina!’ 2:15 119Guests, Onegin, Tatyana, Gremin

No. 20a Aria‘The gift of love is rightly treasured’ 5:41 119Gremin

No. 21 Scene and Arioso‘And now, you must be introduced to her’ 1:21 119Gremin, Tatyana, Onegin‘Is this the very same Tatyana’ 2:22 120Onegin

Scene 2No. 22 Final SceneIntroduction 1:39 120‘Why, why did he return and write this letter?’ 2:15 120Tatyana, Onegin‘Onegin, I was then far younger’ 2:15 121Tatyana‘Ah, Tatyana!’ 3:15 121‘Onegin, as a man of honour’ 2:07 122‘Onegin! Leave me, I entreat you’ 1:40 122Onegin, Tatyana

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St Petersburg ball, Act III Scene 1, from Welsh National Opera’s 1993 production of Eugene Onegin

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Kiri te Kanawa

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outset, Tchaikovsky felt that it would benecessary for him to adopt an essentiallyradical approach if the project were to besuccessful, a fact he took particular pains topoint out to Shilovsky. More than anythingelse, he wanted to avoid the stultifying operaticconventions of his day, which he felt would beunable to do justice to Pushkin’s highly-charged text. Significantly, he soon dispensedwith Shilovsky’s services altogether and himselftook over the fashioning of the libretto for awork which he was to describe, withcharacteristic precision, as a set of ‘lyricalscenes in three acts’.

Though this was not Tchaikovsky’s first opera– he had already worked on several abortiveprojects, including a setting of Pushkin’s BorisGodunov and a treatment of the Undine legend,as well as the historically based The Oprichnikand what he later called his ‘brilliant failure’,Vakula the Smith (later revised as Cherevichki) –never before had he identified so closely withany of his dramatic projects. To some extent,this may perhaps be explained by his growingrealisation that through the medium of hismusic he could provide the ideal counterpart toPushkin’s sophisticated narrative style, thatelement of the original which, unlike itsdramatic substance, could not be directly

transplanted onto the operatic stage. However,from his earliest acquaintance with the Pushkintext, he had been most deeply moved by theepisode in which Tatyana sits up throughoutthe night penning her innocent and impulsivedeclaration of love to Onegin, only to have himcruelly reject her advances when they meet thenext morning. Indeed, it was with the intentionthat this passage (part of which provides thebasis of the famous ‘Letter Scene’) shouldform the emotional focus of the opera thatTchaikovsky drafted his scenario. Soon it was totake on an even more personal significance.

Inspired as he clearly was by the figure ofthe spurned Tatyana, it is scarcely surprisingthat, having produced his scenario,Tchaikovsky should then have had cause toreconsider his reaction to an unsolicited loveletter which he had received a few weeksearlier from a young student at theConservatory. To the composer, the similaritybetween his own position and that of thecentral character in his new opera must haveseemed like the direct intervention of Fate, aforce whose warnings he was always ready toheed. Afraid of playing Onegin to herTatyana, Tchaikovsky agreed to wed AntoniaMilyukova, even though, having long agocome to terms with his homosexual

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin

How pleasant to avoid all the routinePharaohs, Ethiopian princesses, poisonedcups and all the rest of these tales aboutautomata. What poetry there is in Onegin!

Thus wrote Tchaikovsky to his brotherModest in May 1877, as he began work on hisnew opera, Eugene Onegin.

It was the singer Elizaveta Lavrovskaya whohad suggested to him at a recent party that heshould consider Pushkin’s ‘novel in verse’ as thebasis for an opera. Tchaikovsky’s initialreaction, like that of most of his friends andacquaintances, was unfavourable, and he wastempted to reject the idea of Eugene Onegin outof hand and concentrate instead on twoalternative and more promising suggestions,Shakespeare’s Othello and Alfred de Vigny’sCinq-mars. Surely Pushkin’s work was far toosubtle and much too highly regarded in literarycircles for him to dare subjecting it to anoperatic treatment, with all the adherence toartificial convention which that would involve?Moreover, at first sight it did not appear tocontain anything like enough action to sustain afull-length stage work, for the basic storyaround which Pushkin had woven his elegant

verse was extremely slight. However, over thecourse of a few days the composer was quickto change his mind and recognise thatultimately the poem’s dramatic defects could beovercome by the ‘richness of its poetry’ and its‘humanity and simplicity’. Above all, he wasconfident that he could produce an operaticversion of Eugene Onegin which would genuinelycomplement the work on which it was based,rather than destroy its essential character andthus attract the opprobrium of Pushkin’s manyadmirers. Though he was not entirely successfulin this regard – Turgenev, for instance, foundmuch to criticise in the libretto – it is generallyacknowledged today that with Eugene OneginTchaikovsky produced both his own operaticmasterpiece, as well as one of the mostenduring contributions to the nineteenth-century Russian repertoire.

Once his interest had been aroused,Tchaikovsky was eager to set to work: theentire scenario was drafted during the courseof just one sleepless night, and the followingday he presented it to his friend KonstantinShilovsky with the request that he turn it intoa libretto as quickly as possible. From the

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friend Rubinstein, the director of theConservatory, with a request that he arrangefor the staging of part of the opera, namelythe whole of the first act and the first part ofthe second. Initially, Rubinstein doubted thewisdom of this plan, fearing that it mightinflict long-term damage on Tchaikovky’sreputation: however, he eventually acquiesced,and in December 1878 a truncated versionwas given in dress rehearsal at theConservatory. On 29 March 1879, Rubinsteinconducted a performance of the full work atthe Maly Theatre using a student chorus andlargely student orchestra, and thoughTchaikovsky’s treatment of Pushkin wascensured in some quarters, in general his newopera found favour with most of the critics.Two years later, on 23 January 1881, EugeneOnegin was seen in its first fully professionalstaging at Moscow’s Bolshoy Theatre,following which it soon earned a permanentplace in the repertory of companiesthroughout Europe.

Given the trepidation with whichTchaikovsky had first approached the subjectmatter of his opera, the success of EugeneOnegin is all the more remarkable. This mayperhaps in part be attributed to its score,where the high standards of melodic

invention, colour, and lyricism which theRussian public had come to expect of him areabundantly displayed: however, Eugene Oneginalso reveals a composer with a sure dramatictouch, whose transformation of a Byronesquenarrative into an effective piece of musicaltheatre places him in the highest rank ofoperatic composers. Above all, due recognitionmust be given to Tchaikovsky’s unerring senseof what would and would not prove effectiveon the operatic stage. Choosing to frame hisopera around selected episodes from Pushkin’spoem was a strategy fraught with risk, for at astroke he had thereby changed thefundamentally narrative character of theoriginal. However, what Tchaikovsky was quickto appreciate was that this approach, in whichattention is firmly focused on the emotionalclimaxes of the story such as Onegin’srenunciation of Tatyana and Lensky’s farewellto the world, would give his opera a trulyuniversal appeal. Like the great operas ofMozart and Verdi, Eugene Onegin does far morethan merely present a series of events throughthe medium of opera: instead, its main concernis the portrayal of genuinely human characterswith whose feelings and actions the audiencemay identify closely.In this sense, Tchaikovsky surpasses even

orientation, he was unwilling to contemplateany physical relationship with his intendedbride. In the event, the marriage, dulysolemnised in July 1877, proved to be bothshort-lived and disastrous, plunging thecomposer into a serious depression fromwhich he was even forced to seek relief byattempting suicide some two months later.

The composition of Eugene Onegin thus tookplace against a backdrop of serious personaldifficulties, but though these sapped thecomposer’s energy, they never succeeded indistracting him totally from the project inhand. His recovery from nervous breakdown,when it came, owed much to his recentfriendship with the mysterious widowNadezhda von Meck who, by becoming hispatroness, was able to offer help of a materialkind, as well as vital intellectual stimulation.Their relationship, conducted entirely throughletters and never in person, was to be one ofthe most significant creative forces inTchaikovsky’s life from this point onwards andwas movingly acknowledged in the dedicationof his contemporaneous Fourth Symphony to‘My Best Friend’. Throughout 1877 and early1878, as he travelled in turn to Switzerland,France, Italy, and Austria in order torecuperate his strength, he continued work on

the opera, sending back accounts to Nadezhdavon Meck, until finally in February 1878,following a frenetic final burst of activity, hewas able to announce its completion.

Tchaikovsky now turned his energies tomaking arrangements for the staging of EugeneOnegin. Just as he had been eager to tread newpaths in his approach to the construction ofthe libretto and its setting to music, so was healso concerned to inject a new freshness andvitality into its performance. At an early stage,he was aware that ideally his score wouldrequire singers of a different calibre to thosereadily available at the Imperial Opera Houses.‘Where shall I find the Tatyana whom Pushkinimagined, and whom I have tried to illustratemusically?’, he wrote. ‘How vulgar willPushkin’s captivating portrayal be made, whenit is transferred to the stage, with itsconventions, its meaningless traditions, itsveterans of both sexes who take on, with noshame at all, the roles of sixteen-year-old girlsand beardless youths!’

A solution presented itself in the shape ofthe students of the Moscow Conservatory,who Tchaikovsky thought might be better ableto deal with his score than singers trained inthe conventional manner. Consequently, inearly November 1877 he had approached his

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Pushkin’s achievement, for much of thepoem’s subtlety may be appreciated only bythose familiar with the insidious tensionbetween city and rural society in nineteenth-century Russia, whereas the opera has anattraction which has survived down thegenerations and across many nationalities.

Though it was Tchaikovsky’s response toPushkin which determined the essentialcharacter of his opera, due acknowledgementmust be given to the many other influenceswhich also came to bear on the work. Just asin his orchestral music he remained closer tothe traditions of Western Europe than manyof his contemporaries, such as Balakirev andCui, who chose instead to follow a defiantly‘Slavophile’ path, so too in his operas did hederive much inspiration from works outsidethe Russian repertoire. For Eugene Onegin, hisencounter with Bizet’s Carmen during a visit toParis in 1876 proved seminal: Modest tells usthat it was ‘one of the most powerful musicalimpressions of his life’, and though the plotsof the two operas are very different, theyinhabit some of the same emotional world.Equally important, perhaps, was the visit toBayreuth which Tchaikovsky made in 1876 forthe first performance of Der Ring desNibelungen. Though the influence of Wagner

in his music is difficult to trace, it is perhapssignificant that Eugene Onegin makes a moreprominent and developed use of reminiscencemotives than do his earlier operas.

Undoubtedly the most important musicalinfluence on Tchaikovsky was, however, theindigenous tradition of opera which had grownup in his country over the course of thepreceding four decades, following theappearance of Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar in1836. The Russian quality of Pushkin’s poem isreflected in Tchaikovsky’s conscious adaptionof many of the features of the national style ofopera: the rustic Harvest Chorus in Act I, forexample, has many counterparts, as do thecharacteristic dances, such as the Polonaise inAct III. Nonetheless, in Tchaikovsky’s handssuch features are used to a quite different end,for Eugene Onegin is far more a realist opera inthe manner of Verdi’s La traviata than it is awork of the Nationalist school. While Russianelements contribute enormously to the vividatmosphere of the opera, its main concernremains the unfolding of the tragic love storywith a universal and timeless significance whichhas not been lost on generations ofcommentators and audiences alike.

© 1994 Ewan West

Synopsis

COMPACT DISC ONE

Act I

Introduction

Scene 1The garden of the Larin country estate on a latesummer’s evening. Madame Larina is making jam,aided by the family nurse, Filippyevna.

From outside the house, the two Larinasisters, Tatyana and Olga, are heard singing afolk song. Its tale of a lovesick shepherd boyawakens in Madame Larina memories which sheshares with Filippyevna of her own youthfullove affairs and eventual arranged marriage.

A group of peasants arrive, weary fromtheir labours in the fields. Their leader presentsa decorated sheaf of corn to Madame Larinaas a symbol that the harvest has all been safelygathered in.

At her request, the peasants celebrate byperforming a harvest dance and song. As theyrecount the tale of the miller’s daughter andhow she repulses the advances of a wealthy yetfickle farmer, Tatyana and Olga come out tolisten.

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In their reactions to the folk song, the twosisters demonstrate their different characters.For the more introspective Tatyana, the singingevokes an undefined yearning; for the extrovertOlga, however, it simply makes her want todance.

Picking up the words of the peasants, Olgasings of her carefree spirit and zest for life.

As the peasants leave, Madame Larina andFilippyevna ask Tatyana why she looks sodistressed, thinking she must be ill. She replies,however, that it is the effect of the moving lovestory which she is reading.

The young landowner Lensky, who has beencourting Olga for some time, arrives, bringingwith him a friend and new neighbour, EugeneOnegin.

While Onegin quizzes Lensky aboutTatyana, she reveals that his appearance hasawakened within her sudden desires. Olga is notslow to recognise this change in her sister’smood.

Olga and Lensky declare their love for eachother. Onegin engages Tatyana in polite andrather stilted conversation, asking how she canbe happy living in a rural environment whichoffers so few social distractions; her reply, thatshe spends her time reading and daydreaming,betrays her essentially romantic temperament.

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As Onegin and Tatyana move away, Lenskynow pours out his feelings for Olga; these areheartily reciprocated.

With night falling, Madame Larina comesout to bid her guests to supper. Onegin escortsTatyana into the house, watched byFilippyevna. The nurse thinks she detects signsthat her charge has fallen for their new visitor.

Scene 2Tatyana’s room, later that evening

IntroductionFilippyevna tells Tatyana it is bedtime.While preparing for bed, Tatyana asks

Filippyevna about the past.Was she ever in love? Once the nurse has

recounted the story of her bleak marriage,Tatyana tells of her own troubled emotions.

Left alone, Tatyana goes to the writing tableand begins to pen a letter to Onegin. After ahesitant start, she pours out her feelings forhim.

Her heart, she writes, compelled her todeclare her love. Perhaps, if she had never methim she might have, in time, married someoneelse.

Rising from the table, she realises that therenever could be anyone else.

She had always loved him.20

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11 – She resumes the letter imploringOnegin to rescue her from the tormentedstate to which she has been reduced.

As the morning breaks, the letter isfinished. Filippyevna comes to wake Tatyana.

She asks a favour of her nurse to whichFilippyevna agrees.

Tatyana gives her the declaration of loveand asks her to see that it is delivered toOnegin.

Scene 3On the Larin estate, the next day

A group of peasant girls sing as theygather berries.

Tatyana appears, distraught at the newsthat Onegin has come to see her: already sheregrets her impulsive action.

He speaks to her somewhat coldly, forthough her letter has caused old emotions tostir within him, he is surprised that she shouldwrite so openly to a comparative stranger.

Had he intended to lead a life of domesticbliss, Onegin tells her, he could not havehoped for a more worthy partner thanTatyana. However, he no longer feels himselfdestined to marry and believes that he couldnot reciprocate Tatyana’s devotion.

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2221 their joyful song, Onegin counsels Tatyana topractise self-control and to wait until a moresuitable consort appears.

COMPACT DISC TWO

Act II

Scene 1The ballroom in Madame Larina’s house, thefollowing January. It is Tatyana’s name day, and aball is being held in her honour.

A waltz is danced.The guests, many of whom are

neighbouring landowners, express their delightat the occasion, which is a welcome relieffrom their normal routine.

Onegin, who has been brought by Lensky,dances with Tatyana. This causes somecomment, for the company considers himunworthy of Tatyana on account of hisunpleasant character and notorious evilliving.

Onegin overhears their comments and,having decided to punish Lensky forpersuading him to attend the ball, insists ondancing with Olga.

Lensky, jealous at the attention Olga isgiving to Onegin, accuses her of flirting with

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him. Olga, who is merely being light-hearted,tells Lensky that he is silly to make so much ofa harmless dance, but to taunt him furtheragrees to partner Onegin once again.

– An old French tutor, Monsieur Triquet,performs some couplets he has written inhonour of Tatyana.

The next dance is announced: a mazurka.Onegin takes one turn with Olga and thenconducts her to a seat. All the while, Lenskywatches.

Lensky begins to quarrel with Onegin,accusing him of making unwelcome advancestowards Olga. Onegin attempts to calm himdown, but Lensky is beyond reason. Hechallenges Onegin to a duel. Madame Larina isshocked that this should be happening in herhouse.

Lenksy recalls the happy days he hasformerly spent in Madame Larina’s house.Tatyana is horrified that Onegin will be killedand lost to her for ever, while Olga, MadameLarina, and the assembled company upbraidyoung men for acting so blindly andimpulsively. Onegin is secretly remorseful forhis actions.

However, he accepts Lensky’s challenge inorder to teach him a lesson for so foolishlymisinterpreting innocent actions.

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Scene 2A watermill on the banks of a wooded stream. It isearly morning and the sun has only just risen.

IntroductionZaretsky, an officer and Lensky’s second,

asks where Onegin is, wondering whether heis lost.

Lensky, filled with foreboding, senses thathe is about to be killed in the duel. He recallsthe days of his youth and his love for Olga.

Onegin arrives, bringing with him only aservant as his second.

As their seconds confer, Onegin and Lenskymake one last futile attempt at reconciliation. Inthe ensuing duel, Lensky is still.

Act IIIScene 1Several years later. Prince Gremin’s house inSt Petersburg

The guests dance a polonaise and thenbreak off into groups to converse.

Onegin has returned to St Petersburg afterseveral fruitless years wandering the world,attempting to escape his past. But he stillcannot forget that he killed the only friend heever valued, whose spectre still haunts himconstantly. The other guests comment on hisgloomy presence.

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An écossaise is danced.Prince Gremin enters with his wife, who is

none other than Tatyana. Onegin recognisesher, though with difficulty, for she haschanged from being a simple provincial girlinto dignified princess. Tatyana inquires afterthe stranger, who by now is talking to herhusband, and on hearing Onegin’s namebegins secretly to tremble with emotion.

The elderly Prince Gremin tells Onegin ofthe deep love he feels for his young wife andhow it has transformed his otherwise barrenexistence.

Onegin and Tatyana are introduced to eachother by Prince Gremin and she acknowledgesfleetingly their former acquaintance.

When Tatyana leaves, Onegin reflects onthe changes which have overcome her. Nowregretful at having once rejected her, he isfilled with a new ardour and decides to declarehis love to her.

Scene 2A room in Prince Gremin’s house, the next morning

IntroductionTatyana has received a letter from Onegin

in which he has announced his feelings forher. Weeping, she recalls how she once felt forhim. Onegin arrives, imploring her pity.

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Wiping away her tears, Tatyana remindsOnegin of how they first met and how coolly,and to her cruelly, he received her adolescentexpressions of love. Now she realises how righthe then was, for she was indeed too simple andunsophisticated. Does he only love her nowbecause she is rich and well connected?

Despite Onegin’s protestations, she does notyield.

Though she is tempted to give in to the lovewhich begins to awaken anew in her heart, shemust remain faithful to her husband.

She begs Onegin to leave. As she flees fromthe room, Onegin is overwhelmed by despairand contemplates his miserable fate.

© Ewan West

Kiri Te Kanawa gained legendary status almostovernight after her sensational debut as theCountess in Le nozze di Figaro at the RoyalOpera House, Covent Garden. From then, shemoved rapidly into the front rank ofinternational opera, and has become one of themost famous sopranos in the world. At the timeof her operatic debut she was already anexperienced concert and recording artist, andequally at home in front of the cameras as onstage. Continuing to develop as a recitalist, she

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26 is now a much sought-after singer in a widevariety of musical contexts.

Kiri Te Kanawa is a familiar figure in theleading opera houses of the world – CoventGarden, the Metropolitan Opera, ChicagoLyric Opera, the Paris Opéra, Sydney OperaHouse, the Vienna State, La Scala, SanFrancisco, Munich, Cologne and the VeronaOpera. Her lyric soprano heroines include thethree major leading roles by Richard Strauss(Arabella, The Marschallin, and the Countessin Capriccio); Mozart’s Fiordiligi, Donna Elvira,Pamina and Countess Almaviva; Verdi’sVioletta, Amelia Boccanegra, Desdemona;Puccini’s Tosca, Mimì and Manon Lescaut;Johann Strauss’s Rosalinde, and Tchaikovsky’sTatyana, also Bizet’s Micaela, and Gounod’sMarguerite.

She has released a number of distinguishedrecordings including the complete DonGiovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, DieZauberflöte and Tosca, La rondine and ManonLescaut, as well as Simon Boccanegra, Arabella,Otello, La traviata, Der Rosenkavalier, Faust,Carmen, Capriccio and La bohème, along withselections of arias from French, Italian andGerman operas.

Kiri Te Kanawa was created a Dame in1982, and in the 1995 Queen’s Birthday

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Die Fledermaus. A specialist in the Frenchrepertoire, he has also been seen at the Met inthe title role of Werther and has appeared asDon José in Carmen with the Met in the Parks.He has been a guest of every major operahouse in the United States.

Neil Rosenshein’s European performanceshave taken him to The Royal Opera, CoventGarden (Lensky in Eugene Onegin, and Steva inJenuofa); the Paris Opéra and HamburgStaatsoper (Alfredo); Zurich Opera(Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail );Opéra de Lausanne (Cavaradossi andWerther); Grand Théâtre de Genève (TomRakewell in The Rake’s Progress); and theNetherlands Opera for the title roles in DonCarlo and Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg. He has alsoperformed in Essen, Bonn, Brussels, Lisbon,Lille, Nice, Marseilles, Toulouse, Lyon, andwith New Israeli Opera. In Japan, he hasperformed the role of Lensky with the PacificMusic Festival, and has sung the tenor solo inBeethoven’s Ninth Symphony in a PeaceConcert given in Hiroshima.

John Connell studied at the Royal NorthernCollege of Music with Patrick McGuigan andat the National Opera Studio. He made hisdebut at Engish National Opera as Ramphis in

Aida and the following season joined thecompany as principal bass. He sang regularlywith English National Opera as a guest artistand his roles there have included theCommendatore (Don Giovanni), Colline(La bohème), The Monk (Don Carlos), The FirstVoice (Busoni’s Doktor Faust), Ferrando(Il trovatore), Leporello (The Stone Guest), The OldConvict (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Basilio (TheBarber of Seville), Dansker (Billy Budd ), Banquo(Macbeth), Pogner (The Mastersingers) and Sarastro(The Magic Flute). He has also sung for The RoyalOpera and Opera North.

Recordings include Peter Grimes (for Chandos),Billy Budd, Elijah, Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater andVaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music. For BBCradio he has recorded a studio opera, TheBurghers of Calais. Other engagements haveincluded concert performances of Die Walkürein Spain, Sarastro with Welsh National Operaand Padre Guardiano (The Force of Destiny) withEnglish National Opera.

Nicolai Gedda is internationally acknowledgedas one of the greatest artists of our time andhas been acclaimed for his command of arepertoire which encompasses almost everystyle and period in the field of opera, oratorio,operetta, song and orchestral works.

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Honours List she was awarded the prestigiousOrder of New Zealand.

America’s leading baritone, ThomasHampson has been recognised for hisversatility and breadth of achievement inopera, song, recording and research. He enjoysan international career that has taken him toall the world’s most prestigious stages andconcert halls and has made him one of today’smost respected, innovative and sought-aftersoloists. He has furthered his commitment tothe art of song not only by teaching, but alsoby researching repertoire, and designing multi-media projects like Voices from the Heart, aperformance documentary on the music ofStephen Foster for the Hessischer Rundfunkund Arte.

Hampson’s operatic roles span a wide range,from Rossini to Verdi and Puccini, and fromMonteverdi to Britten and Henze. Among hiscelebrated recent portrayals have been the titleroles in Guillaume Tell (Vienna), Eugene Onegin(Vienna and Paris), in Ambroise Thomas’sHamlet (Monte Carlo and San Francisco) andin the rarely heard baritone version ofMassenet’s Werther (New York); Père Germontin La traviata (Zurich); the Marquis of Posa inthe original French version of Verdi’s Don

Carlos (Paris, London, Edinburgh); Wolfram inWagner’s Tannhäuser (Zürich), Busoni’s DrFaustus (Salzburg), and Szymanowski’s KingRoger (Birmingham). The 2000/2001 seasonfeatures performances ofDr Faustus (New York), Hamlet (Paris), andEugene Onegin, Guillaume Tell, Die lustige Witweand Linda di Chamounix (Vienna), as well as arole debut as Oreste in Gluck’s Iphigénie enTauride in Salzburg. Almost all of Hampson’srecordings have received the rewards of theindustry, including six Grammy nominationsand three Gramophone awards.

The versatile American tenor Neil Rosensheinis known equally for his memorable stageportrayals and his thoughtful musicianship. Heappears with equal success on the opera stageand in concert halls in repertoire by composersfrom the Baroque to the twentieth century.

In the 2000/2001 season Neil Rosensheinwill sing Herod in Salome with the MilwaukeeSymphony, and Tikhon in Káta Kabanová withHouston Grand Opera. He made hisMetropolitan Opera debut as Alfredo inLa traviata, going on to perform there the titlerole in Gounod’s Faust, the Prince in a newproduction of Rusalka, the title role in PeterGrimes, and both Alfred and Eisenstein in

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Rigoletto, La fanciulla del West and Mefistofele forthe Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, andnumerous roles for Opera North, WelshNational Opera, Scottish Opera, EnglishNational Opera and Glyndebourne. Futureengagements include appearances at theChicago Lyric Opera, the Maggio Musicalewith Zubin Mehta, the Munich Staatsoper,English National Opera and Amsterdam.

Patricia Bardon’s extensive and wide-rangingconcert repertoire has taken her to La Scala,Madrid, Brussels, Berlin, the Edinburgh andMontreux Festivals, Cincinnati and Tokyo. Herrecordings include Orlando, Elijah, Erda (TheRhinegold for Chandos/Peter MooresFoundation), Amastris (Serse), and Rigoletto.

Richard Van Allan is one of Britain’s mostdistinguished bass-baritones. He is a memberof English National Opera, appearing in manyleading roles, and has also appeared at CoventGarden, Opera North, Glyndebourne FestivalOpera, Welsh National Opera and ScottishOpera. He is also Director of the NationalOpera Studio. His operatic engagementsabroad have taken him to New York’sMetropolitan Opera, the Paris Opéra, TeatroColon in Buenos Aires, San Diego, Miamiand Seattle. Roles have included the title role

in Massenet’s Don Quixote (for EnglishNational Opera and Victoria State Opera),Theseus (The Fairy Queen), Basilio, Old Man(King Priam) for Flanders Opera and EnglishNational Opera, and Don Jerome (La Dueñafor Opera North).

Richard Van Allan’s recordings includeMozart’s Così fan tutte with Montserrat Caballé,Janet Baker and Ileana Cotrubas conducted bySir Colin Davis, Don Giovanni with BernardHaitink, Raleigh (Britten’s Gloriana) with SirCharles Mackerras, Billy Budd, and forChandos Roberto Gerhard’sLa Dueña.

Linda Finnie was born in Scotland andstudied at the Royal Scottish Academy ofMusic and Drama and the Royal Academy ofMusic. She has appeared with all the majorBritish opera companies, notably with EnglishNational Opera as Brangäne (Tristan andIsolde), Eboli (Don Carlos), Amneris (Aida),Ortrud (Lohengrin) and Ulrica (A Masked Ball ),and with The Royal Opera as Waltraute(Götterdämmerung). Abroad she has appeared inParis, Geneva, Frankfurt, Flanders, Lille, Nice,Vienna, Tokyo, Singapore, Australia, NewZealand, and at the Bayreuth Festival.

Linda Finnie’s many recordings on Chandos

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Born in Sweden of Russian–Swedishparents, he made his professional debut at theRoyal Opera, Stockholm in 1952 in Le Postillonde Longjumeau. In 1953 he made his debut at LaScala, Milan followed in 1954 by his debut atthe Paris Opéra, and in 1957 with hisMetropolitan Opera debut (in the title role ofGounod’s Faust). Since his debut with TheRoyal Opera in 1965 (as the Duke of Mantuain Verdi’s Rigoletto) he returned to singBenvenuto Cellini, Alfredo, Gustavus III inUn ballo in maschera, Nemorino and Lensky. Hecreated leading roles in Barber’s Vanessa andMenotti’s The Last Savage at the MetropolitanOpera.

His operatic triumphs have ranged from theworks of Haydn and Mozart to Stravinsky,Orff, Barber and Menotti, while in recital he isregarded as an outstanding interpreter oflieder. Nicolai Gedda has worked with almostall of the great international conductors ofthe past thirty-five years, including Beecham,Bernstein, Giulini, Klemperer, and Solti.He also has the distinction of being the mostrecorded tenor in the world with 200recordings to his credit. These includecomplete opera performances of GuillaumeTell, La bohème, Faust, Werther, Manon, Così fantutte and Benvenuto Cellini.

Nicolai Gedda recently gave a highlysuccessful concert of opera and operetta ariasat the Royal Opera House, and returned therefor a new production of Pfitzner’s Palestrina.

Dublin-born Patricia Bardon first came toprominence as a prize-winner in the inauguralCardiff Singer of the World Competition, andsince then has become established as a leadinginternational operatic and concert performer.

Her operatic roles include Arsace(Semiramide) at La Fenice, Venice; the title rolein La Cenerentola at La Monnaie, Brussels; thetitle role in Carmen for the HamburgStaatsoper, Welsh National Opera and ScottishOpera; Penelope (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria) atthe Maggio Musicale in Florence and inAthens with Trevor Pinnock; the title role inHandel’s Orlando in New York, Paris, Lyon,Strasbourg and Montpellier with WilliamChristie and Les Arts Florissants; Smeton(Anna Bolena) in San Francisco; Amastris(Serse) for the Munich Staatsoper with IvorBolton, and in Dresden and Montpellier; Juno(Semele) in Innsbruck with René Jacobs; thetitle role in Tamerlano at the Beaune Festival;Helen (King Priam) for De Vlaamse Opera,Antwerp, and Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte) inVerona; roles in Guillaume Tell, Mosè in Egitto,

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und Isolde and Parsifal with Reginald Goodall,I masnadieri, Norma, Hamlet, Ernani, AnnaBolena and Adriana Lecouvreur with RichardBonynge, Tosca with Georg Solti and Rigoletto,Faust and Un ballo in maschera with Carlo Rizzias well as The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance,The Yeomen of the Guard, Britten’s Gloriana, andJanácvek’s Osud with Mackerras. Amongconcert pieces it has recorded areSea Drift by Delius, The Vigil of Venus byGeorge Lloyd and Hiawatha by Coleridge-Taylor.

Sir Charles Mackerras was born in 1925 ofAustralian parents in the United States andstudied in Sydney and Prague. He made hisdebut as an opera conductor at Sadler’s WellsOpera, where he was instrumental in producingthe sensational first British performance ofJanácŠek’s Kát’a Kabanová, which led toJanácŠek’s becoming standard repertory in theUK. He was First Conductor of the HamburgOpera (1966–9) and Musical Director of bothSadler’s Wells (later English National Opera)(1970–77), and of Welsh National Opera(1987–91), where his notable JanácŠekproductions and many others won greatacclaim. The production and recording ofOsud were sponsored by the Peter Moores

Foundation. He is Conductor Laureate of theScottish Chamber Orchestra, ConductorEmeritus of Welsh National Opera, PrincipalGuest Conductor of the San Francisco Opera,and from the 1998/99 season Music Directorof the Orchestra of St Luke’s, New York.He has for many years been associated withThe Royal Opera, Covent Garden andconducts regularly at The Metropolitan Opera,New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras has undertaken muchresearch into performance practice of theeighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which hasprofoundly affected today’s interpretations.His vast discography includes an award-winning cycle of JanácŠek operas with theVienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten’sGloriana and DvoŠrák’s Rusalka (both of whichwon Gramophone awards), Beethoven, Brahmsand Mahler symphonies, and with EnglishNational Opera Handel’s Julius Caesar andDonizetti’s Mary Stuart (for Chandos/PeterMoores Foundation).

Sir Charles Mackerras received a CBE in1974 and was knighted for his services tomusic in 1979. He has also received TheMedal of Merit from the Czech Republic, theChopin Prize and has been made aCompanion of the Order of Australia.

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include works by Bliss, Diepenbrock, Korngoldand Respighi, as well as Mahler song-cycles,Elijah, Elgar’s Sea Pictures and The Light of Life,and Prokofiev’s Ivan the Terrible (winner of theDeutsche Schallplattenpreis).

Elizabeth Bainbridge was born in Lancashireand studied at the Guildhall School of Musicand Drama. She made her debut at The RoyalOpera, Covent Garden in Die Walküre in 1964,and joined the Company the following year.Roles include Mistress Quickly, Suzuki,Amneris, Emilia, Erda, Arvidson, Filippyevna,She-Ancient (The Midsummer Marriage),Grandmother Buryja (JenuÞfa) and Auntie (PeterGrimes). She appeared with The Royal Opera atthe Teatro alla Scala (1976), in South Koreaand Japan (1979), at the 1984 Olympic ArtsFestival, Los Angeles, and in the 1985 AthensFestival. Recordings include Norma, Les Troyens,The Cunning Little Vixen, Dido and Aeneas andThe Midsummer Marriage.

The Orchestra of Welsh National Operawas founded in 1970. Since then it hasestablished itself as one of the finest Britishorchestras, highly praised as much for itsdistinction in a wide-ranging operatic repertoireas for its concert work and recordings.

Under Richard Armstrong, the MusicalDirector from 1973 to 1986, the Orchestradeveloped a broad operatic repertoire. It wasduring this period that Reginald Goodall firstworked with the Orchestra. Sir CharlesMackerras became Musical Director in 1987and the Orchestra’s recording schedule beganto expand considerably. Previously severalcomplete operas had been recorded underRichard Bonynge, with Joan Sutherland,Montserrat Caballé and Pavarotti leadingworld-class casts. Under Mackerras theorchestra went on to record Janácvek’s Osud(CHAN 3019). Carlo Rizzi has been MusicalDirector since 1992. In 1995 the Orchestra ofWelsh National Opera won the RoyalPhilharmonic Society Music Award, in theLarge Ensemble category.

The Chorus of Welsh National Operabegan as a professional body in 1968. Thereputation of the Chorus grew quickly, and itsoperatic and concert work has won widepraise, not only in the traditional repertorysuch as Verdi, but also in twentieth-centuryworks such as Tippett’s A Midsummer Marriageand Janácvek’s From the House of the Dead. TheChorus has recorded many operas includingAndrea Chénier with Riccardo Chailly, Tristan

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ThomasHampson Simon Fowler

St Petersburg ball, Act III Scene 1,from Welsh National Opera’s 1993productionof Eugene Onegin

Cat

herin

e As

hmor

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giving financial support to various young artists, several of whom – Joan Sutherland, ColinDavis and the late Geraint Evans amongst them – were to become world-famous. In 1964 heset aside a substantial part of his inheritance to establish the Peter Moores Foundation, acharity designed to support those causes dear to his heart: to make music and the arts moreaccessible to more people; to give encouragement to the young and to improve race relations.

PETER MOORES FOUNDATIONIn the field of music, the main areas supported by the Peter Moores Foundation are:

the recording of operas from the core repertory sung in English translation; the recordingor staging of rare Italian opera from the bel canto era of the early nineteenth century(repertoire which would otherwise only be accessible to scholars); the nurturing ofpromising young opera singers; new operatic work.

The Foundation awards scholarships annually to students and post-graduates for furtheringtheir vocal studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. In addition, project awards may begiven to facilitate language tuition in the appropriate country, attendance at masterclasses orsummer courses, specialised repertoire study with an acknowledged expert in the field, orpost-graduate performance training.

The Foundation encourages new operatic work by contributing to recordings, thepublication of scores and stage productions.

Since 1964 the Foundation has supported the recording of more than forty operas, many ofthese sung in English, in translation. It has always been Peter Moores’s belief that to enjoyopera to the full, there must be no language barrier, particularly for newcomers and particularlyin the popular repertoire – hence the Opera in English series launched with Chandos in 1995.This includes many of the English language recordings funded by the Foundation in the 1970sand 1980s, and is now the largest recorded collection of operas sung in English.

PETER MOORES, CBE, DL

Peter Moores was born in Lancashire, the son of Sir John Moores, founder of the giantLittlewoods mail order, chain store and football pools group. He was educated at Eton andChrist Church, Oxford, where he read modern languages – he was already fluent in Germanand Italian. It was opera, however, which was his great love. He had worked atGlyndebourne Festival Opera before going up to university, and after Oxford he became aproduction student at the Vienna State Opera, combining this with a three-year course at theVienna Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

By the end of his third year at the Academy Moores had produced the Vienna premiere ofBritten’s The Rape of Lucretia, had worked as Assistant Producer at the San Carlo OperaHouse, Naples, the Geneva Festival and Rome Opera, and seemed set for a successfuloperatic career. At this point he received a letter from his father asking him to come home ashe was needed in the firm. Family loyalty being paramount, hereturned to Liverpool.

From 1981 to 1983 he was a Governor of the BBC, and aTrustee of the Tate Gallery from 1978 until 1985; from 1988to 1992 he was a director of Scottish Opera. He received theGold Medal of the Italian Republic in 1974, an Honorary MAfrom Christ Church, Oxford, in 1975, and was made anHonorary Member of the Royal Northern College of Musicin 1985. In May 1992 he became Deputy Lieutenant ofLancashire, and in the New Year’s Honours List for 1991, hewas made a CBE for his charitable services to the Arts.

Whilst still in his early twenties, Peter Moores had started

Chris

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Bur

ton/

PMF

Peter Moores, CBE, DL

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russischen Repertoire des neunzehntenJahrhunderts schuf.

Sobald sein Interesse geweckt worden war,ging Tschaikowsky mit Eifer an die Arbeit: imLauf einer einzigen schlaflosen Nacht entwarfer das gesamte Szenarium, und am folgendenTag legte er es seinem Freund KonstantinSchilowsky mit der Bitte vor, es so schnell wiemöglich zu einem Libretto auszuarbeiten.Tschaikowsky war von Anfang an der Ansicht,daß er einen im wesentlichen radikalen Ansatzwählen mußte, wenn das Projekt Erfolg habensollte, und er gab sich besondere Mühe,Schilowsky darauf hinzuweisen. Mehr als allesandere war ihm daran gelegen, die lähmendenOpernkonventionen seiner Zeit zu vermeiden,die seiner Meinung nach Puschkinsemotionsgeladenem Text nicht gerecht werdenkonnten. Bezeichnenderweise verzichtete erbald vollkommen auf Schilowskys Diensteund übernahm selbst die Ausarbeitung desLibrettos für ein Werk, das et mit typischerGenauigkeit als eine Folge von “lyrischenSzenen in drei Akten” beschreiben sollte.

Obwohl dies nicht Tschaikowskys ersteOper war – er hatte bereits an mehrerengescheiterten Projekten gearbeitet, daruntereine Vertonung von Puschkins Boris Godunow, eine Bearbeitung der Undine-Sage sowie die auf

historischen Tatsachen basierende OperOpric×nik (Der Leibwächter) und das Werk, daser später als seinen “gelungenen Fehlschlag”bezeichnete, Kuznec Vakula (Der SchmiedWakula, später umgearbeitet als C×erevic×ki,(Die Pantöffelchen)) –, hatte er sich nie zuvorso eng mit einem seiner Bühnenvorhabenidentifiziert. Bis zu einem gewissen Grad kanndies vielleicht mit seiner wachsendenErkenntnis erklärt werden, daß er durch seineMusik das ideale Pendant zu Puschkinsanspruchsvollem Erzählstil schaffen konnte,jenes Element des Originals, das im Gegensatzzu seinem dramatischen Gehalt nicht direkt aufdie Opernbühne verpflanzt werden konnte.Schon bei seiner frühesten Beschäftigung mitdem Puschkin-Text war er von der Episode, inder Tatjana die ganze Nacht aufbleibt und ihreunschuldige und impulsive Liebeserklärung anOnegin verfaßt, nur um bei ihremZusammentreffen am nächsten Morgengrausam von ihm abgewiesen zu werden,zutiefst bewegt gewesen. Tschaikowsky entwarfsein Szenarium sogar in der Absicht, daß diesePassage (von der ein Teil die Grundlage derberühmten “Briefszene” bildet) denemotionalen Mittelpunkt der Oper bilden sollte.Bald sollte sie eine noch persönlichereBedeutung erhalten.

Es ist ein wahres Vergnügen, von den ewigenPharaonen, äthiopischen Prinzessinnen,Giftkelchen und dergleichen Puppengeschichtenloszukommen. Wieviel Poesie findet man dochin Onegin!

So schrieb Tschaikowsky im Mai 1877, als erdie Arbeit an seiner neuen Oper Eugen Oneginaufnahm, an seinen Bruder Modest.

Es war die Sängerin Elisaweta Lawrowskaja,die ihm auf einer Gesellschaft kurz davorvorgeschlagen hatte, Puschkins “Versroman”als Grundlage für eine Oper in Erwägung zuziehen. Genauso wie seine Freunde undBekannten hielt Tschaikowsky zunächst wenigvon der Idee und war versucht, Eugen Oneginkurzerhand abzulehnen und sich stattdessenauf zwei andere, vielversprechendereVorschläge, Shakespeares Othello und Alfred deVignys Cinq-mars, zu konzentrieren. PuschkinsWerk war doch bestimmt viel zu subtil und inLiteraturkreisen viel zu hoch geschätzt, daß eres wagen konnte, es einer Opernbearbeitungunter Einhaltung aller künstlichenKonventionen, die dies mit sich brächte, zuunterziehen? Außerdem schien es auf denersten Blick bei weitem nicht genug Handlung

für ein abendfüllendes Bühnenwerk zu haben,denn die eigentliche Erzählung, um diePuschkin seine eleganten Verse gesponnenhatte, hatte extrem wenig Gehalt. Im Verlaufder nächsten paar Tage änderte derKomponist jedoch rasch seine Meinung,nachdem er erkannte, daß die dramatischenMängel des Gedichts letzten Endes durch die“Großartigkeit seiner Dichtung” sowie durchseine “Menschlichkeit und Schlichtheit”überwunden werden konnten. Er war vorallen Dingen zuversichtlich, daß er eineOpernfassung von Eugen Oneginhervorbringen konnte, die das Werk, auf demsie basierte, wirklich ergänzen und seinengrundlegenden Charakter nicht zerstörenwürde – und somit auch nicht dieSchmähungen der zahlreichen Puschkin-Bewunderer auf sich ziehen würde. Obwohler in dieser Hinsicht nicht ganz erfolgreichwar – Turgenjew beispielsweise fand amLibretto einiges auszusetzen –, herrscht heuteallgemein die Ansicht, daß Tschaikowsky mitEugen Onegin sowohl sein persönlichesMeisterwerk auf dem Gebiet der Oper alsauch einen der beständigsten Beiträge zum

Tschaikowsky: Eugen Onegin

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Die Gestalt der verschmähten Tatjanainspirierte Tschaikowsky eindeutig, und es istdaher wohl kaum überraschend, daß er,nachdem er sein Szenarium verfaßt hatte,Grund dazu haben sollte, seine Reaktion aufeinen ungebetenen Liebesbrief, der er einigeWochen zuvor von einer jungen Studentin amKonservatorium erhalten hatte, noch einmal zuüberdenken. Die Ähnlichkeit zwischen seinereigenen Lage und der der zentralen Figurseiner neuen Oper muß dem Komponisten wieein eindeutiger Wink des Schicksals erschienensein, eine Macht, deren Warnungen er immerbereitwillig Beachtung schenkte. Aus Angstden Onegin zu einer Tatjana zu spielen,erklärte Tschaikowsky sich bereit, AntoninaMiljukowa zu heiraten, obwohl er, nachdem ersich schon lange mit seiner homosexuellenVeranlagung abgefunden hatte, nicht gewilltwar, eine körperliche Beziehung mit seinerzukünftigen Gattin in Erwägung zu ziehen.Die Ehe, die im Juli 1877 vorschriftsmäßigvollzogen wurde, erwies sich schließlich alskatastrophal und von kurzer Dauer und stürtzeden Komponisten in schlimme Depressionen,die ihn etwa zwei Monate später sogar soweittrieben, daß er in einem SelbstmordversuchAusweg suchte.

Die Komponisten von Eugen Onegin erfolgte

also vor dem Hintergrund ernster persönlicherProbleme, doch obwohl diese demKomponisten die Energie nahmen, gelang esihnen nie, ihn völlig von dem Projekt, an demer arbeitete, abzulenken. Seine letztendlicheErholung von seinem Nervenzusammenbruchwar zu einem guten Teil der kurz davorgeknüpften Freundschaft mit der mysteriösenWitwe Nadeshda von Meck zu verdanken, dieihm dadurch, daß sie seine Mäzenin wurde,sowohl materielle Hilfe als auch unerläßlicheintellektuelle Stimulation bieten konnte. IhreBeziehung, die ausschließlich durch einenregen Briefwechsel gepflegt wurde –Tschaikowsky und Frau von Meck gingeneiner persönlichen Begegnung aus dem Wege–, sollte von diesem Zeitpunkt an einen derwichtigsten schöpferischen Einflüsse inTschaikowskys Leben darstellen und wurdedurch die Widmung seiner in derselbenEpoche entstandenen vierten Sinfonie an sie(“A ma meilleure amie”) ergreifend anerkannt.In der zweiten Hälfte des Jahres 1877 undAnfang 1878, während er der Reihe nach dieSchweiz, Frankreich, Italien und Österreichbereiste, um wieder zu Kräften zu gelangen,setzte er die Arbeit an der Oper fort, wobei erNadeshda von Meck über seine Fortschritteauf dem laufenden hielt, bis er schließlich im

Februar 1878 nach einem frenetischenabschließenden Ausbruch an Aktivität ihreFertigstellung bekanntgeben konnte.

Tschaikowsky setzte nun seine Energiendafür ein, Vorbereitungen für dieBühnenaufführung von Eugen Onegin zutreffen. So erpicht er darauf gewesen war, beiseinem Ansatz bezüglich des Aufbaus desLibrettos und dessen Vertonung neue Wegeeinzuschlagen, genauso war er auch darumbemüht, seine Aufführung mit neuer Frischeund Vitalität zu erfüllen. Schon sehr bald warihm bewußt geworden, daß seine Partituridealerweise Sänger von einem anderenFormat erforderte als diejenigen, die an denkaiserlichen Opernhäusern zur Verfügungstanden. “Wo finde ich eine Tatjana, wiePuschkin sie sich gedacht hat und wie ich siemusikalisch darzustellen versucht habe?”,schreib er. “Wie gemein wird sich Puschkinsberückendes Bild auf der Bühne ausnehmen –mit ihren Konventionen, ihrenbedeutungslosen Traditionen, ihren Veteranenbeider Geschlechter, die ohne jede Scham dieRollen von sechzehnjährigen Mädchen undbartlosen Jünglingen übernehmen!”

Die Lösung dieses Problems bot sich inGestalt der Studenten des MoskauerKonservatoriums, von denen Tschaikowsky

dachte, sie würden vielleict eher mit seinerPartitur zurechtkommen als Sänger, die aufherkömmliche Weise ausgebildet wordenwaren. Folglich war er Anfang November1877 an seinen Freund Rubinstein, den Leiterdes Konservatoriums, mit der Bitteherangetreten, die Bühnenaufführung einesTeils der Oper, nämlich des gesamten erstenAktes und des ersten Teils des zweiten, zuarrangieren. Rubinstein zweifelte anfangs ander Klugheit dieses Vorhabens, da erbefürchtete, es könnte TschaikowskysAnsehen langfristig Schaden zufügen:Schließlich willigte er jedoch ein, und imDezember 1878 wurde die Generalprobe einergekürzten Fassung am Konservatoriumgegeben. Am 29. März 1879 dirigierteRubinstein am Maly-Theater eine Aufführungdes gesamten Werkes mit einemStudentenchor und einem Orchester, dasweitgehend ebenfalls aus Studenten bestand,und obwohl Tschaikowskys Puschkin-Bearbeitung in gewissen Kreisen kritisiertwurde, fand seine neue Oper im allgemeinenbei den meisten Kritikern Anklang. Zwei Jahrespäter, am 23. Januar 1881, erlebte EugenOnegin am Moskauer Bolschoitheater seineerste völlig professionelle Bühnenaufführungund verdiente sich in der Folge bald einen

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Dauerplatz im Repertoire von Operntruppenin ganz Europa.

Angesichts der Beklommenheit, mit derTschaikowsky zunächst an den Stoff seinerOper heranging, ist der Erfolg von EugenOnegin um so bemerkenswerter. Dies kannzum Teil vielleicht auf die Partiturzurückgeführt werden, in der das hohe Niveauvon melodischen Einfällen, Klangfarbe undLyrik, das das einheimische Publikummittlerweile von ihm erwartete, reichlichdemonstriert wird: Eugen Onegin läßtTschaikowsky jedoch außerdem als einenKomponisten mit einer sicheren Hand fürDramatik erkennen, dessen Umarbeitung einerErzählung im Stile Byrons in einwirkungsvolles Stück Musiktheater ihn zueinem Opernkomponisten ersten Rangesmacht. Man muß vor allem Tschaikowskysuntrüglichem Gespür dafür, was sich auf derOpernbühne als wirkungsvoll erweisen würdeund was nicht, gebührende Anerkennungzollen. Die taktische Entscheidung, seine Operum ausgewählte Episoden aus PuschkinsVersroman zu konstruieren, war mit Risikenverbunden, denn er veränderte damit miteinem Schlag den dem Original imwesentlichen zugrundeliegendenErzählcharakter.

Tschaikowsky erkannte jedoch rasch, daßdieser Ansatz, bei dem sich dieAufmerksamkeit eindeutig auf dieemotionalen Höhepunkte der Geschichte –wie Onegins Zurückweisung Tatjanas undLenskis Abschied von der Welt – konzentriert,seiner Oper wahrhaft universelleAnziehungskraft verschaffen würde. So wiedie großen Opern Mozarts und Verdisvollbringt Eugen Onegin viel mehr als die bloßeDarbietung einer Kette von Ereignissen durchdas Medium der Oper: sein Hauptanliegen iststattdessen die Darstellung von wirklichmenschlichen Gestalten, mit deren Gefühlenund Handlungen sich das Publikum leichtidentifizieren kann. In dieser Hinsichtübertrifft Tschaikowsky sogar PuschkinsLeistung, denn ein Großteil der Subtilitätvon Puschkins Versen kann nur vonjemandem gewürdigt werden, der mit denheimtückischen Spannungen zwischen denstädtischen und ländlichenGesellschaftskreisen im Rußland desneunzehnten Jahrhunderts vertraut ist,während die Oper eine Anziehungskraftbesitzt, die mehrere Generationen überdauerthat und keine Grenzen kennt.

Es war zwar Tschaikowskys Reaktion aufPuschkin, die den grundlegenden Charakter

seiner Oper determinierte, doch sollte auchden zahlreichen anderen Einflüssen, die sichaußerdem auf das Werk auswirkten,gebührende Anerkennung gezollt werden.Genauso wie er sich in seiner Orchestermusikenger an westeuropäische Traditionen hielt alsviele seiner Zeitgenossen – wie beispielsweiseBalakirew und Cui, die statt dessen einentrotzig “slawophilen” Weg einschlugen –,wurde er auch bei seinen Opern stark vonWerken außerhalb des russischen Repertoiresinspiriert. Seine Begegnung mit BizetsCarmen bei einem Parisbesuch im Jahre 1876erwies sich als folgenreich: Modest berichtet,daß die Oper bei seinem Bruder “einen derstärksten musikalischen Eindrücke seinesLebens” hinterließ, und auch wenn dieHandlung der beiden Opern völligunterschiedlich ist, so bewegen sie sichteilweise doch in der gleichen Gefühlswelt.Ähnlich wichtig war vielleicht der Besuch inBayreuth, den Tschaikowsky 1876 anläßlichder Uraufführung von Der Ring des Nibelungenmachte. Der Einfluß Wagners auf seine Musikist zwar schwer feststellbar, es ist jedochvielleicht bedeutungsvoll, daß er in EugenOnegin auffallender und gezielter aufVergangenes zurückgreifende Motive einsetztals in seinen früheren Opern.

Den zweifellos bedeutendstenmusikalischen Einfluß auf Tschaikowsky übtejedoch die heimische Operntradition aus, diesich in seinem Vaterland im Verlauf dervorangegangenen vier Jahrzehnte – nach derVeröffentlichung von Glinkas Das Leben fürden Zaren im Jahre 1836 – entwickelt hatte.Das Russische von Puschkins Versen spiegeltsich in Tschaikowskys bewußter Adaptationzahlreicher Merkmale des nationalenOpernstils wider: der rustikale Erntechor im1. Akt beispielsweise hat genauso wie diecharakteristischen Tänze, z.B. die Polonaiseim 3. Akt, zahlreiche Pendants. Dennochwerden diese Merkmale in TschaikowskysHänden zu einem ganz anderen Zweckverwendet, denn Eugen Onegin ist viel ehereine realistische Oper in der Art von VerdisLa traviata als ein Werk der nationalistischenSchule. Die russischen Elemente tragen zwarenorm zur lebhaften Atmosphäre der Operbei, ihr Hauptanliegen ist jedoch dieEntwicklung der tragischen Liebesgeschichtemit ihrer allgemeingültigen und zeitlosenBedeutung, die bei Generationen vonInterpreten wie Zuschauern einen tiefenEindruck hinterlassen hat.

© Ewan West

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Inhaltsangabe

COMPACT DISC 1

Erster Akt

Orchestervorspiel

1. SzeneIm Garten des Larinschen Landgutes an einemSpätsommerabend. Frau Larina kocht Obst ein,wobei ihr die Amme Filipjewna behilflich ist.

Man hört die beiden Töchter Larinas,Tatjana und Olga, im Haus ein Volksliedsingen, das von einem liebeskranken jungenSchäfer handelt. Es erweckt in LarinaErinnerungen, und gemeinsam mit Filipjewnagedenkt sie der Romanzen ihrer Jugendjahreund der anschließenden, von den Eltern in dieWege geleiteten Ehe.

Eine Gruppe Bauern, müde von ihrerArbeit auf den Feldern, tritt aus. Ihr Anführerüberreicht Larina eine geschmückteKorngarbe zum Zeichen, daß die gesamteErnte wohlbehalten eingebracht worden ist.

Auf Larinas Bitte hin feiern die Bauern miteinem Erntetanz und Gesang. Als sie dieGeschichte von der Müllerstochter zum bestengeben, die die Annäherungsversuche eines

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reichen, jedoch treulosen Bauern zurückweist,kommen Tatjana und Olga zum Zuhörenheraus.

Das Volkslied spricht die beidencharakterlich völlig verschiedenen Schwesternauf unterschiedliche Weise an. In der ernsteren,verträumteren Tatjana weckt der Gesang eineundefinierbare Sehnsucht; die lebenslustigereOlga dagegen will einfach nur mittanzen.

Olga wiederholt die Worte der Bauern undsingt von ihrem unbekümmerten Gemüt undihrer Lebensfreude.

Als die Bauern abgehen, wollen Larina undFilipjewna wissen, warum Tatjana sobekümmert aussieht; sie befürchten, sie seikrank. Sie meint jedoch, daß die ergreifendeLiebesgeschichte, die sie gerade lese, sie nurtief beeindruckt habe.

Der junge Landbesitzer Lenski, der Olgaseit einiger Zeit den Hof macht, tritt auf. Erhat seinen Freund und neuen Gutsnachbarn,Eugen Onegin, mitgebracht.

Während Onegin Lenski über Tatjanaausfragt, wird sie sich bewußt, daß seineErscheinung in ihr unerwartete Sehnsüchtegeweckt hat. Es dauert nicht lange, bis Olgabemerkt, daß sich die Laune ihrer Schwestergeändert hat.

Olga und Lenski erklären ihre Liebe10

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füreinander. Währenddessen verwickelt OneginTatjana in ein höfliches und ziemlich gespreiztesGespräch und fragt sie, wie sie in dieserländlichen Umgebung glücklich sein könne, woes so wenig Zerstreuung und Gesellschaft gebe;ihre Antwort, daß sie ihre Zeit mit Lesen undTagträumereien verbringe, verrät, daß sie imGrunde ihres Wesens romantisch veranlagt ist.

Während sich Onegin und Tatjanaentfernen, verleiht Lenski seinen Gefühlen fürOlga beredten Ausdruck; diese werden vonHerzen erwidert.

Die Nacht bricht herein, und Larina bittetihre Gäste zum Abendessen ins Haus.Filipjewna beobachtet, wie Onegin Tatjanahineinbegleitet. Die Amme glaubt Anzeichendafür zu entdecken, daß der Besucher esihrem Schützling angetan hat.

2. SzeneTatjanas Schlafgemach, später am selben Abend

OrchestervorspielFilipjewna meint, es wäre für Tatjana Zeit,

schlafen zu gehen.Während Tatjana sich auf die Nacht

vorbereitet, fragt sie Filipjewna über dieVergangenheit aus.

War sie jemals verliebt? Nachdem dieAmme die Geschichte ihrer trostlosen Ehe

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erzählt hat, spricht Tatjana von ihren eigenenaufgewühlten Gefühlen.

Nachdem Filipjewna sich entfernt hat,begibt Tatjana sich an ihr Schreibpult undbeginnt, einen Brief an Onegin zu verfassen.Nach anfänglichem Zögern schreibt sie infliegender Hast von ihren Gefühlen für ihn.

Sie schreibt, daß ihr Herz sie dazuveranlaßte, ihm ihre Liebe zu offenbaren. Fallssie ihn nie getroffen hätte, hätte sie irgendwannvielleicht einen anderen geheiratet.

Als sie sich vom Schreibpult erhebt, wird ihrbewußt, daß es nie einen anderen geben könnte.

Sie hatte ihn immer geliebt.– Sie setzt ihren Brief damit fort, daß sie

Onegin instädig bittet, sie aus ihremaufgewühlten Zustand zu erretten.

Als der Morgen anbricht, ist der Brief fertig.Filipjewna kommt, um Tatjana zu wecken.

Diese bittet sie um einen Gefallen, zu demsich die Amme bereiterklärt.

Tatjana vertraut ihr die Liebeserklärung anund bittet sie, dafür zu sorgen, daß sie Oneginübermittelt wird.

3. SzeneAuf dem Larinschen Landgut, am nächsten Tag

Ein paar Bauernmädchen singen beimBeerenpflücken ein Lied.

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Tatjana tritt auf. Sie ist beunruhigtdarüber, daß Onegin gekommen ist, um sie zusehen: Inzwischen bereut sie ihre Impulsivitätbereits.

Er verhält sich ihr gegenüber ziemlichkühl, denn obwohl der Brief in ihm alteGefühle weckte, ist er überrascht, daß sieeinem verhältnismäßig Fremden so freiherausschreiben sollte.

Onegin meint, daß er, falls er vorgehabthätte, ein glückliches Eheleben zu führen, sichkeine würdigere Partnerin als Tatjana erhoffenhätte können. Er fühlt sich jedoch nicht mehrzur Ehe bestimmt und glaubt, daß er TatjanasLiebe nicht erwidern kann.

Während die Bauernmädchen weiterhin ihrfröhliches Lied singen, rät Onegin Tatjana,sich in Selbstbeherrschung zu üben und aufeinen passenderen Gemahl zu warten.

COMPACT DISC 2

Zweiter Akt

1. SzeneIm Ballsaal des Larinschen Hauses imdarauffolgenden Januar. Es ist Tatjanas Namenstag,und ihr zu Ehren wird ein Ball gegeben.

Man tanzt einen Walzer.1

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27 Die Gäste, viele davon Gutsnachbarn,bringen ihre Freude über das Ereignis zumAusdruck; der Ball ist eine willkommenenAbwechslung vom üblichen Alltagstrott.

Onegin, den Lenski mitgebracht hat, tanztmit Tatjana. Darüber fallen einigeBemerkungen, denn die Gesellschaft erachtetihn wegen seines unliebenswürdigen Wesensund seines berühmt-berüchtigtenLebenswandels Tatjanas unwürdig.

Onegin bekommt ihre Bemerkungen mitund beschließt, sich an Lenski dafür zu rächen,daß er ihn dazu überredet hat, den Ball zubesuchen. Er besteht darauf, mit Olga zu tanzen.

Lenski ist eifersüchtig wegen derAufmerksamkeit, die Olga Onegin schenktund beschuldigt sie, mit ihm zu flirten. Olga,die lediglich unbekümmert ist, meint, Lenskisei albern, wegen eines harmlosen Tanzes soein Theater zu machen, und willigt ein, nocheinmal mit Onegin zu tanzen, um Lenski nochmehr aufzuziehen.

– Der Franzose Triquet gibt einigeCouplets zum besten, die er Tatjana zu Ehrengeschrieben hat.

Der nächste Tanz wird angesagt: Mazurka.Onegin tanzt wieder mit Olga und geleitet siedann auf ihren Platz. Lenski beobachtet siedie ganze Zeit.

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2 Lenski beginnt mit Onegin zu streiten undbeschuldigt ihn, sich an Olga heranzumachen.Onegin versucht ihn zu beruhigen, aberLenski ist mit Vernunft nicht beizukommen.Er fordert Onegin zum Duell. Madame Larinaist empört: In ihrem Haus!

Lenski erinnert sich an die glücklichenTage, die er früher in Larinas Hausverbrachte. Tatjana ist entsetzt bei demGedanken, daß Onegin getötet werdenund für immer für sie verloren sein könnte,während Olga, Larina und die versammelteGesellschaft die jungen Männer dafürrügen, daß sie so blind und impulsivhandeln. Onegin bereut sein Vorgeheninsgeheim.

Er nimmt Lenskis Herausforderungjedoch an, um ihm eine Lehre dafür zuerteilen, daß er Harmlosigkeiten derart törichtmißdeutet.

2. SzeneEine Wassermühle am Ufer eines Waldbaches.Es ist früher Morgen, die Sonne ist gerade erstaufgegangen.

Orchestervorspiel.Saretzki, Lenskis Sekundant, wartet

ungeduldig auf Onegin und fragt sich, obdieser sich verirrt hat.

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9 Lenski ist von düsteren Vorahnungenerfüllt; er fühlt, daß er in dem Duell seinLeben lassen wird. Es gedenkt seinerJugendtage und seiner Liebe zu Olga.

Onegin erscheint mit seinem DienerWährend ihre Sekundanten sich beraten,

unternehmen Onegin und Lenski einenletzten aussichtslosen Versuch zurVersöhnung. Im darauffolgenden Duell wirdLenski getötet.

Dritter Akt

1. SzeneMehrere Jahre später. Fürst Gremins Palais inSt. Petersburg.

Die Gäste tanzen eine Polonaise undbilden dann kleinere Gruppen, um sich zuunterhalten.

Onegin ist nach mehreren Jahren ruheloserWanderfahrten, auf denen er seinerVergangenheit zu entkommen suchte, nachSt. Petersburg zurückgekehrt. Er kann jedochnoch immer nicht vergessen, daß er deneinzigen Freund tötete, den er je schätzte unddessen Bild ihn noch immer ständigheimsucht. Die anderern Gäste äußern sichüber seine düstere Erscheinung.

Ecossaise.19

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Fürst Gremin tritt mit seiner Gattin, dieniemand anderer als Tatjana ist, ein. Oneginerkennt sie, allerdings nicht ohneSchwierigkeiten, denn sie hat sich von einemeinfachen Provinzmädchen zu einer würdigenFürstin gewandelt. Tatjana erkundigt sichnach dem Fremden, der sich inzwischen mitihrem Gatten unterhält. Es gelingt ihr, ihreErregung zu verbergen, als sie OneginsNamen hört.

Der nicht mehr junge Fürst Gremin erzähltOnegin von der tiefen Liebe, die er für seinejunge Gattin empfindet, und davon wie siesein sonst unergiebiges Dasein von Grund aufveränderte.

Onegin und Tatjana werden von FürstGremin miteinander bekannt gemacht undbestätigen flüchtig ihre frühere Bekanntschaft.

Als Tatjana den Ball verläßt, sinnt Oneginüber die Veränderungen nach, die ihrwiderfahren sind. Er bereut nun, daß er sieeinmal abwies, ist von neuer Leidenschaftentflammt und beschließt, ihr seine Liebe zuoffenbaren.

2. SzeneEin Zimmer im Palais des Fürsten Gremin, amnächsten Morgen

Orchestervorspiel24

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20 Tatjana hat einen Brief von Oneginerhalten, in dem er ihr seine Gefühlefür sie offenbart. Weinend erinnert sie sichdaran, was sie einmal für ihn empfand. Onegintritt ein und erfleht ihrErbarmen.

Tatjana trocknet ihre Tränen und erinnertOnegin an ihr erstes Treffen und daran, wiekalt – und ihrer Ansicht nach grausam – erihre jugendlichen Liebeserklärungenaufgenommen hatte. Ihr ist nun bewußt, wierecht er damals hatte, denn sie war tatsächlichnaiv und simpel gewesen. Liebt er sie jetztbloß, weil sie reich ist und Beziehungen inhöheren Kreisen hat?

Trotz Onegins Beteuerungen wird sie nichtschwach.

Sie ist zwar einen Augenblick langversucht, der Liebe nachzugeben, die erneut inihrem Herzen aufzuflammen beginnt, aber siemuß ihrem Gatten die Treue halten.

Sie bittet Onegin zu gehen. Dann eilt sieaus dem Zimmer und läßt den vonVerzweiflung überwältigten Onegin übersein erbärmliches Schicksal nachgrübelndzurück.

© Ewan WestÜbersetzung: Johanna Mayr

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Mit ihrem sensationellen Debüt als Gräfin inLe nozze di Figaro am Royal Opera House,Covent Garden wurde Kiri Te Kanawapraktisch über Nacht zur Legende. Sie rückterasch an die Spitze der internationalen Operauf und gehört heute zu den berühmtestenSopranistinnen der Welt. Zum Zeitpunkt ihresersten Opernauftritts hatte sie bereitsErfahrung als eine Konzert- und Schallplatten-künstlerin gesammelt, die vor der Kameraebenso in ihrem Element war wie auf derBühne. Mit zunehmender Reife alsRecitalsängerin ist sie heute in denverschiedensten musikalischen Gattungen eineder gefragtesten Interpretinnen.

Kiri Te Kanawa ist ein gern gesehenerGast in den führenden Operhäusern derWelt – ob in London (Covent Garden), NewYork (Met), Chicago (Lyric Opera), Paris,Sydney, Wien, Mailand, San Francisco,München, Köln oder Verona. Sie verkörpertdie drei großen lyrischen Sopran-Heldinnenvon Richard Strauss (Arabella, die Marschallinund die Gräfin in Capriccio), Mozarts Fiordiligi,Donna Elvira, Pamina und Gräfin Almaviva,Verdis Violetta, Amelia Boccanegra undDesdemona, Puccinis Tosca, Mimìund Manon Lescaut, die Rosalinde von JohannStrauss und Tschaikowskys

Tatjana sowie Bizets Micaela und GounodsMarguerite.

Zu ihren vielbeachtetenSchallplattenaufnahmen gehören Gesamt-einspielungen von Don Giovanni, Le nozze diFigaro, Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte und Tosca,La rondine und Manon Lescaut sowie SimonBoccanegra, Arabella, Otello, La traviata, DerRosenkavalier, Faust, Carmen, Capriccio und Labohème, aber auch Sammlungen von Arien ausdem französischen, italienischen unddeutschen Opernrepertoire.

Kiri Te Kanawa wurde 1982 als Dame Kiriin den britischen Adelsstand erhoben und1995 in der Queens Birthday Honours Listmit dem begehrten Order of New Zealandausgezeichnet.

Die Vielseitigkeit und das breiteLeistungsspektrum des amerikanischenStarbaritons Thomas Hampson im Bereichvon Oper und Lied, Studioarbeit undMusikwissenschaft sind unumstritten. Seineinternationale Karriere hat ihn auf dieberühmtesten Opern- und Konzertbühnen derWelt geführt und zu einem der angesehensten,innovativsten und begehrtesten Solistenunserer Zeit gemacht. Seine Liebe zum Liedfindet nicht nur in seiner Lehrtätigkeit

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Rosenshein nach Covent Garden (Lenski inEugen Onegin und Steva in Jenuofa), an die PariserOpéra und die Hamburger Staatsoper(Alfredo), nach Zürich (Belmonte in DieEntführung aus dem Serail ), an die Opéra deLausanne (Cavaradossi und Werther), dasGrand Théâtre de Genève (Tom Rakewell inThe Rake's Progress) und die NiederländischeOper (Titelrollen in Don Carlos undZemlinskys Der Zwerg) geführt. Außerdem ister in Essen, Bonn, Brüssel, Lissabon, Lille,Nizza, Marseilles, Toulouse, Lyon und an derNew Israeli Opera aufgetreten. In Japan hat erden Lenski beim Pacific Music Festival undden Solotenor in Beethovens Neunter beieinem Friedenskonzert in Hiroshimagesungen.

John Connell studierte am Royal NorthernCollege of Music bei Patrick McGuigan undam National Opera Studio. Er debütierte ander English National Opera als Ramphis inAida und sang im Jahr darauf als Erster Baßdes Ensembles. Inzwischen tritt er regelmäßigals Gastsänger an der English National Operaauf, wo man ihn als Commendatore (DonGiovanni), Colline (La bohème), Mönch (DonCarlos), Erste Stimme (Busonis Doktor Faust),Ferrando (Il trovatore), Leporello (The Stone

Guest), Alter Sträfling (Lady Macbeth vonMtsensk), Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Dansker(Billy Budd ), Banquo (Macbeth), Pogner (DieMeistersinger) und Sarastro(Die Zauberflöte) erlebt hat. Er hat auchfür die Royal Opera und Opera Northgesungen.

Zu seinen Schallplattenaufnahmen gehörenPeter Grimes (für Chandos), Billy Budd, Elijah,Szymanowskis Stabat Mater und VaughanWilliams’ Serenade to Music. Für die BBC hat eran einer Rundfunkaufnahme der StudiooperThe Burghers of Calais mitgewirkt. Er hat inKonzertaufführungen von der Walküre inSpanien, Sarastro mit der Welsh NationalOpera und Padre Guardiano (La forza deldestino) mit der English National Operagesungen.

Nicolai Gedda gilt international als einer dergrößten Sänger unserer Zeit. Er beherrscht einweit gespanntes Repertoire, in dem fast alleStilrichtungen und Epochen von Oper undOratorium, Operette, Lied und Orchesterwerkvertreten sind.

Der gebürtige Schwede (er entstammt einerrussisch-schwedischen Famile) debütierte 1952an der Königlichen Oper in Stockholm inLe Postillon de Longjumeau. 1953 trat er erstmals

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Ausdruck, sondern auch in seinerRepertoireforschung und der Entwicklung vonMultimediaprojekten, wie Voices from the Heart,einer Performance-Dokumentation über dieMusik von Stephen Foster für den HessischenRundfunk und Arte.

Die Opernrollen Hampsons sind breitgefächert – von Rossini über Verdi bis Pucciniund von Monteverdi über Britten bis Henze.Großen Anklang fand er in neuerer Zeit mitden Titelrollen in Guillaume Tell (Wien), EugenOnegin (Wien und Paris), Hamlet von AmbroiseThomas (Monte Carlo und San Francisco) undin der selten gehörten Baritonversion vonMassenets Werther (New York); er überzeugteals Père Germont in La traviata (Zürich), alsRodrigue, Marquis von Posa, in derfranzösischen Originalversion von Verdis DonCarlos (Paris, London, Edinburgh), alsWolfram in Wagners Tannhäuser (Zürich), alsBusonis Doktor Faust (Salzburg) undSzymanowskis König Roger (Birmingham). Fürdie Saison 2000/2001 standen für ihn DoktorFaust (New York), Hamlet (Paris) sowie EugenOnegin, Guillaume Tell, Die lustige Witwe undLinda di Chamounix (Wien) und – zumerstenmal überhaupt – Oreste in GlucksIphigénie en Tauride in Salzburg auf demProgramm. Fast alle Schallplattenaufnahmen

Hampsons sind mit Auszeichnungengewürdigt worden, darunter sechs Grammy-Nominierungen und drei Gramophone Awards.

Der vielseitige amerikanische Tenor NeilRosenshein ist für seine unvergesslichenBühnendarstellungen ebenso bekannt wie fürseine intelligente Musikalität. Der Erfolgbegleitet ihn in Opernhäusern undKonzertsälen, mit einem Repertoire vonKomponisten des Barock bis in das20. Jahrhundert.

In der Saison 2000/2001 singt NeilRosenshein den Herodes in Salome mit derMilwaukee Symphony und Tichon in KatjaKabanowa an der Houston Grand Opera.Sein Debüt an der Met gab er als Alfredo inLa traviata, bevor er dort die Titelrolle inGounods Faust, den Prinzen in einerNeuinszenierung von Rusalka, die Titelrolle inPeter Grimes und sowohl Alfred als auchEisenstein in der Fledermaus sang. AlsSpezialisten im französischen Repertoire hatman ihn an der Met in der Titelrolle vonWerther erlebt, und als Don José ist er mit derMet in the Parks in Carmen aufgetreten. Er hatan allen namhaften Opernhäusern derVereinigten Staaten gastiert.

Seine Europaverpflichtungen haben Neil

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Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera,English National Opera und in Glyndebourneerlebt. In ihrem Terminkalender stehenkünftige Auftritte an der Chicago Lyric Opera,dem Maggio Musicale mit Zubin Mehta, derMünchner Staatsoper, der English NationalOpera und in Amsterdam.

Mit ihrem umfangreichen und weitgespannten Konzertrepertoire ist PatriciaBardon an der Scala, in Madrid, Brüssel,Berlin, bei den Festspielen von Edinburgh undMontreux, in Cincinnati und Tokioaufgetreten. Unter ihren Schallplatten-aufnahmen sind Orlando, Elijah, Erda (DasRheingold für Chandos/Peter MooresFoundation), Amastris (Serse), und Rigolettohervorzuheben.

Richard Van Allan ist einer derherausragenden Baßbaritone Großbritanniens.Als Mitglied der English National Opera hater dort viele berühmte Rollen gesungen undist darüber hinaus in Covent Garden, an derOpera North, Glyndebourne Festival Opera,Welsh National Opera und Scottish Operaaufgetreten. Außerdem ist er Leiter desNational Opera Studio. SeineAuslandsverpflichtungen haben ihn an dieNew Yorker Met, die Pariser Opéra, das

Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, nach SanDiego, Miami und Seattle geführt. Nebenvielen anderen Rollen hat er Massenets DonQuichotte (English National Opera und VictoriaState Opera), Theseus (The Fairy Queen),Basilio, Alter Mann (King Priam, Oper vonFlandern und ENO) sowie Don Jerome (LaDueña, Opera North) gesungen.

Richard Van Allan hat zahlreicheSchallplatten vorgelegt, u.a. Mozarts Così fantutte mit Montserrat Caballé, Janet Baker undIleana Cotrubas unter der Leitung vonSir Colin Davis, Don Giovanni mit BernardHaitink, Raleigh (Brittens Gloriana) mitSir Charles Mackerras, Billy Budd und –fürChandos – Roberto Gerhards La Dueña.

Linda Finnie wurde in Schottland geborenund studierte an der Royal Scottish Academyof Music and Drama und an der RoyalAcademy of Music. Sie hat für alle namhaftenbritischen Operngesellschaften gesungen – sofür die English National Opera die Brangäne(Tristan und Isolde), Eboli (Don Carlos), Amneris(Aida), Ortrud (Lohengrin) und Ulrica (Un balloin maschera) und für die Royal Opera, CoventGarden die Waltraute (Götterdämmerung).Außerdem ist sie in Paris, Genf, Frankfurt,Flandern, Lille, Nizza,

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an der Mailänder Scala auf, 1954 an der PariserOpéra und 1957 an der Met (in der Titelrollevon Gounods Faust). In Covent Garden, wo er1965 als Herzog von Mantua in Verdis Rigolettodebütierte, sang er später auch BenvenutoCellini, Alfredo, Gustavo III. in derOriginalfassung von Un ballo in maschera,Nemorino und Lenski. Er schuf Hauptrollenin Barbers Vanessa und Menottis The LastSavage an der Metropolitan Opera.

Seine Operntriumphe reichen von der WeltHaydns und Mozarts bis zu Strawinski, Orff,Barber und Menotti; zugleich gilt er alsherausragender Liedinterpret. Nicolai Geddahat mit fast allen großen internationalenDirigenten der letzten 35 Jahrezusammengearbeitet, darunter Beecham,Bernstein, Giulini, Klemperer und Solti. Mit200 Schallplattenaufnahmen verfügt er auchüber die umfangreichste Diskographie einesTenors. Hierzu zählen Gesamteinspielungenvon Guillaume Tell, La bohème, Faust, Werther,Manon, Così fan tutte und Benvenuto Cellini.

Nicolai Gedda gastierte vor kurzem miteinem hocherfolgreichen Opern- undOperettenabend am Royal Opera House undkehrte wenig später mit einer Neuinszenierungvon Pfitzners Palestrina nach Covent Gardenzurück.

Die in Dublin geborene Patricia Bardonmachte auf sich aufmerksam, als sie aus demersten internationalen Sängerwettbewerb“Singer of the World” in Cardiff siegreichhervorging. Seitdem hat sie sich als Opern-und Konzertsängerin in aller Welt etabliert.

Sie hat die Arsace (Semiramide) in La Fenicein Venedig gesungen, die Titelrolle inLa Cenerentola an der Monnaie in Brüssel, dieTitelrolle in Carmen an der HamburgerStaatsoper, Welsh National Opera undScottish Opera, die Penelope (Il ritornod'Ulisse in patria) am Maggio Musicale inFlorenz und in Athen mit Trevor Pinnock,die Titelrolle in Händels Orlando in NewYork, Paris, Lyon, Straßburg und Montpelliermit William Christie und Les ArtsFlorissants, Smeton (Anna Bolena) in SanFrancisco, Amastris (Serse) an der MünchnerStaatsoper mit Ivor Bolton sowie in Dresdenund Montpellier, Juno (Semele) in Innsbruckmit René Jacobs, die Titelrolle in Tamerlanobei den Festspielen von Beaune, Helen (KingPriam) an der Vlaamse Oper in Antwerpenund die Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte) inVerona. Außerdem hat man sie in GuillaumeTell, Mosè in Egitto, Rigoletto, La fanciulla delWest und Mefistofele in Covent Garden sowiein zahlreichen Rollen an der Opera North,

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einen Namen und fand mit seinen Opern-und Konzertdarbietungen breiten Anklang,nicht nur im traditionellen Repertoire, wieVerdi, sondern auch mit Werken des20. Jahrhunderts, wie Tippetts A MidsummerMarriage und Janácveks Aus einem Totenhaus. DerChor hat viele Opern aufgenommen, darunterAndrea Chénier mit RiccardoChailly, Tristan und Isolde und Parsifal mitReginald Goodall, I masnadieri, Norma, Hamlet,Ernani, Anna Bolena und Adriana Lecouvreurmit Richard Bonynge, Tosca mit Georg Soltiund Rigoletto, Faust undUn ballo in maschera mit Carlo Rizzi sowie TheMikado, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeomen ofthe Guard, Brittens Gloriana und Janácveks Osudmit Mackerras. Unter den aufgenommenenKonzertstücken sind Sea Drift von Delius, TheVigil of Venus von George Lloyd undHiawatha von Coleridge-Taylorhervorzuheben.

Sir Charles Mackerras wurde 1925 als Kindaustralischer Eltern in den USA geboren undstudierte in Sydney und Prag. Sein Debüt als Operndirigent feierte er in Sadler’s WellsOpera, wo er wesentlichen Anteil an derProduktion der sensationellen britischenErstaufführung von JanácŠeks Katja Kabanowa

hatte, die dazu führte, daß JanácŠeks Werkeihren Weg ins britische Standardrepertoirefanden. Er war Chefdirigent an der HamburgerOper (1966–69) und Musikdirektor an derOper von Sadler’s Wells, der nachmaligenEnglish National Opera (1970–77) sowie derWelsh National Opera (1987–91), wo unteranderem seine bemerkenswerten JanácŠek-Inszenierungen große Beachtung fanden. DieInszenierung und Einspielung von Osudwurden von der Peter Moores Foundationgefördert. Sir Charles Mackerras istEhrendirigent des Scottish ChamberOrchestra, Emeritus-Dirigent der WelshNational Opera, erster Gastdirigent derSan Francisco Opera und seit der Spielzeit1998/99 Musikdirektor des Orchestra of StLuke’s in New York. Er arbeitet seit vielenJahren mit der Royal Opera, Covent Gardenzusammen und dirigiert regelmäßigAufführungen an der Metropolitan Opera,New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras hat sich intensiv mitder Aufführungspraxis des 18. und19. Jahrhunderts befaßt, was seinemusikalischen Interpretationen wesentlichbeeinflußte. Seine beeindruckendeDiskographie umfaßt den preisgekröntenZyklus der Opern JanácŠeks mit den Wiener

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Wien, Tokio, Singapur, Australien, Neuseelandund bei den Bayreuther Festspielenaufgetreten.

Linda Finnie hat zahlreiche Schallplatten-aufnahmen für Chandos gemacht, darunterWerke von Bliss, Diepenbrock, Korngold undRespighi sowie Zyklen von Mahler-Liedern,Elijah, Elgars Sea Pictures und The Light of Lifesowie Prokofjews Iwan der Schreckliche(ausgezeichnet mit dem DeutschenSchallplattenpreis).

Elizabeth Bainbridge wurde in Lancashiregeboren und hat an der Guildhall School ofMusic and Drama studiert. Sie gab 1964 ihrRoyal Opera Covent Garden Debüt in derWalküre und trat im folgenden Jahr dort insEnsemble ein. Zu ihren Partien gehörenMistress Quickly, Suzuki, Amneris, Emilia,Erda, Arvidson, Filipjewna, She-Ancient(The Midsummer Marriage), die alte Buryjovká(JenuÞfa) und Auntie (Peter Grimes). Sie hat mitder Royal Opera am Teatro alla Scala gastiert(1976), außerdem in Südkorea und Japan(1979), beim Olympic Arts Festival in LosAngeles (1984) und beim Athener Festival1985. Zu ihren Aufnahmen zählen Norma, LesTroyens, Das schlaue Füchslein, Dido and Aeneasund The Midsummer Marriage.

Das Orchester der Welsh National Operawurde 1970 gegründet. Seitdem hat es sich zueinem der besten Orchester Großbritanniensentwickelt, das für seine herausragendeLeistung in einem breiten Opernrepertoireebenso berühmt ist wie für seineKonzertauftritte und Schallplattenaufnahmen.

Unter der musikalischen Leitung vonRichard Armstrong (1973 bis 1986) bautedas Orchester ein vielseitiges Opernrepertoireauf. Auf diese Zeit geht auch dieZusammenarbeit mit Reginald Goodallzurück. 1987 übernahm Sir Charles Mackerrasdie musikalische Leitung, und das Orchesterwidmete sich verstärkt der Studioarbeit. Zuvorhatte man bereits unter der Leitung vonRichard Bonynge mehrere Operngesamt-aufnahmen mit Joan Sutherland, MontserratCaballé, Pavarotti und anderen weltberühmtenSängern eingespielt. Mit Mackerras nahm dasOrchester Janácveks Osud (CHAN 3019) auf.Seit 1992 liegt die musikalische Leitung beiCarlo Rizzi. 1995 wurde das Orchester derWelsh National Opera in der KategorieGroßes Ensemble mit dem Musikpreis derRoyal Philharmonic Society ausgezeichnet.

Der Chor der Welsh National Operaexistiert seit 1968. Er machte sich schnell

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Philharmonikern, Brittens Gloriana undDvoŠráks Rusalka (beide ausgezeichnet miteinem Gramophone award), die Sinfonien vonBeethoven, Brahms und Mahler sowieHandels Giulio Cesare und Donizetti’s MariaStuarda mit der English National Opera (fürChandos/Peter Moores Foundation).

Sir Charles Mackerras wurde 1974 mit demCBE ausgezeichnet und 1979 für seineVerdienste um die Musik geadelt. Außerdemerhielt er die Verdienstmedaille derTschechischen Republik, den Chopin-Preisund wurde zum Mitglied des Order ofAustralia ernannt.

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Alexander Pushkin

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St Petersburg: The Winter Palace (1856) by A.H. Payne

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Tchaïkovski: Eugène Onéguine

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Comme il est agréable d’éviter la routine de tousces pharaons, princesses éthiopiennes, coupesempoisonnées et tout le restant de ces histoiresd’automates. Il y a tant de poésie dans Onéguine !

Voici ce qu’écrivit Tchaïkovski à son frèreModeste en Mai 1877, tandis que lecompositeur commençait à travailler à sonnouvel opéra, Eugène Onéguine.

C’était la chanteuse Elizaveta Lavrovskaïaqui lui avait récemment suggéré au coursd’une réception d’envisager de baser un opérasur le “roman en vers” de Pouchkine. Laréaction initiale de Tchaïkovski, comme cellede la plupart de ses amis et connaissances, futd’abord défavorable et il fut tenté de rejetersur le champ l’idée d’Eugène Onéguine pour seconcentrer plutôt sur deux autres suggestionsplus prometteuses, Othello de Shakespeare etCinq-mars d’Alfred de Vigny. L’œuvre dePouchkine était assurément bien trop subtile etjouissait d’une considération bien trop élevéedans les cercles littéraires pour qu’il osât luifaire subir un traitement d’opéra,particulièrement du fait de tout le respect desconventions artificielles que cela supposerait.De plus, à première vue, l’œuvre ne semblait

en aucun cas contenir une action suffisantepour soutenir une œuvre théâtrale complète,car l’histoire sur laquelle Pouchkine avait bâtises vers élégants était ténue. Néanmoins, enl’espace de quelques jours, le compositeur futprompt à changer d’avis et à reconnaître qu’endéfinitive, le manque de qualités dramatiquesdu poème pouvait être surmonté par la“richesse de sa poésie” à laquelle s’ajoutaientson “humanité” et sa “simplicité”. Il étaitavant tout sûr de pouvoir produire à l’opéraune version d’Eugène Onéguine qui compléteraitvéritablement l’œuvre sur laquelle elle étaitbasée, plutôt que d’en détruire le caractèreessentiel, s’attirant ainsi l’opprobre desnombreux admirateurs de Pouchkine. Bienqu’il ne réussît pas entièrement sur ce plan –Tourgueniev, par exemple, trouva beaucoup àcritiquer dans le libretto – on reconnaîtgénéralement de nos jours que, avec EugèneOnéguine, Tchaïkovski produisit à la fois sonpropre chef d’œuvre à l’opéra et une descontributions les plus durables apportées aurépertoire russe du dix-neuvième siècle.

Une fois que son intérêt fut éveillé,Tchaïkovski fut impatient de se mettre au

travail: une seule nuit blanche lui suffit poureffectuer l’ébauche de scénario complet qu’ilprésenta le lendemain à son ami ConstantinChilovski, lui demandant d’en faire un librettoaussi rapidement que possible. Dès le début,Tchaïkovski sentit qu’il lui faudrait adopterune démarche essentiellement radicale si leprojet devait réussir, fait qu’il prit un soinparticulier à expliquer à Chilovski. Plus quetoute autre chose, il voulait éviter lesconventions déshumanisantes régissant l’opérade son époque, qui, lui semblait-il, nepourraient faire valoir la fécondité du texte dePouchkine. Fait révélateur, il se dispensabientôt complètement des services deChilovski, prenant lui-même en main la miseen forme du libretto afin d’obtenir une œuvrequ’il devait décrire, avec une précisioncaractéristique, comme un ensemble de“scènes lyriques en trois actes”.

Bien que ce ne fût pas le premier opéra deTchaïkovski – il avait déjà travaillé à plusieursprojets qui n’avaient pas abouti, y compris unemise en musique de Boris Godounov dePouchkine, un traitement de la légended’Ondine, sans oublier un opéra historiqueOpritchnik, et ce qu’il appela plus tard son“brillant échec”, Vakoula le forgeron (révisé plustard sous le nom de Tchérévitchki) – il ne s’était

jusqu’alors jamais identifié si étroitement avecaucun de ses projets dramatiques. Dans unecertaine mesure, il est peut-être possibled’expliquer ce fait par la prise de consciencecroissante qui fut la sienne que sa musiqueserait le véhicule qui lui permettrait de fournirle pendant idéal du style narratif sophistiquéde Pouchkine, cet élément de l’original, qui,contrairement à la substance dramatique, nepouvait être directement transplanté sur lascène d’opéra. Néanmoins, dès ses premièreslectures du texte de Pouchkine, il avait été trèsprofondément touché par l’épisode danslequel Tatiana passe la nuit assise à écrire unedéclaration d’amour aussi impulsivequ’innocente à Onéguine pour voir sesavances cruellement rejetées lors de leurrencontre du matin suivant. C’est en effet avecl’intention de faire de ce passage (dont unepartie fournit la base de la célèbre “scène de lalettre”) le centre d’où jaillissent les émotionsde l’opéra que Tchaïkovski ébaucha sonscénario. Le passage devait bientôt prendreune signification bien plus personnelle.

Inspiré comme il l’était manifestement parl’image de Tatiana, amoureuse éconduite, il està peine surprenant que, après avoir produitson scénario, Tchaïkovski eût lieu dereconsidérer sa réaction vis à vis d’une lettre

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d’amour non sollicitée qu’il avait reçuequelques semaines plus tôt d’une jeuneétudiante du conservatoire. Pour lecompositeur, la similarité existant entre sapropre position et celle du personnage centralde son nouvel opéra sembla probablememtune intervention directe du destin, force dontil était toujours prêt à prendre en compte lesavertissements. Craignant de jouer le rôled’Onéguine repoussant Tatiana, Tchaïkovskiaccepta d’épouser Antonio Milioukova, bienque, ayant depuis longtemps accepté sespenchants homosexuels, il refusât d’envisagertoutes relations physiques avec sa futureépouse. En l’occurrence, le mariage qui futdûment célébré en juillet 1877 s’avéra à la foisbref et désastreux, plongeant le compositeurdans une dépression dont la gravité le poussamême à chercher la délivrance en tentant de sesuicider, quelques deux mois plus tard.

La compositon d’Eugène Onéguine prit doncplace avec, à l’arrière plan, de graves difficultéspersonnelles qui, bien que minant l’énergie ducompositeur, ne parvinrent jamais à ledétourner totalement du projet en cours. Saguérison, lorsqu’elle survint, fut en grandepartie due à l’amitié récente qui l’unissait àNadezhda von Meck, la mystérieuse veuve quien devenant sa protectrice, fut en mesure de

Dès le début, il savait qu’idéalement sapartition exigerait des chanteurs affichant uncalibre différent de celui qui était facilementtrouvé dans les opéras de l’empire. “Oùtrouverai-je la Tatiana que Pouchkine aimaginée et que j’ai essayée de dépeindre enmusique?” écrivit-il. “Avec quelle vulgarité leportrait captivant dépeint par Pouchkine sera-t-il rendu, quand il sera transféré à la scène,avec ses conventions, ses traditions dénuées desens, ses vétérans des deux sexes qui acceptentsans la moindre honte des rôles dejouvencelles de seize ans et de petits jeunets.”

Une solution se présenta avec les élèves duConservatoire de Moscou qui, le pensaitTchaïkovski, seraient peut-être plus aptes à secharger de sa partition que les chanteurs deformation conventionnelle. En conséquence,il s’était mis en contact avec son amiRubinstein, le directeur du Conservatoire, audébut du mois de novembre 1877, pour luidemander d’organiser la mise en scène d’unepartie de l’opéra, à savoir la totalité du premieracte et la première partie du second.Rubinstein qui douta initialement de la sagessede ce plan, craignant qu’il ne porte unpréjudice durable à la carrière de Tchaïkovski,finit néanmoins par accepter et la répétitiongénérale d’une version tronquée eut lieu au

conservatoire en décembre 1878. Le 29 mars1879, Rubinstein dirigea la représentation de latotalité de l’œuvre au théâtre Mali, avec parmiles effectifs, un chœur d’étudiants et unorchestre qui en était aussi constitué en grandepartie. Bien que le traitement donné parTchaïkovski à l’œuvre de Pouchkine fût décriédans certains milieux, son nouvel opéra gagnal’approbation de la majorité des critiques.Deux années plus tard, le 23 janvier 1881,Eugène Onéguine reçut sa première mise enscène entièrement professionnelle au théâtreBolchoï de Moscou. A la suite de cela, il gagnabientôt une place permanente au sein durépertoire des compagnies de l’Europe entière.

Si l’on prend en considération l’agitationavec laquelle Tchaïkovski aborda d’abord lesujet de son opéra, le succès d’Eugène Onéguineparaît encore plus remarquable. Il est peut-êtrepossible d’attribuer ceci en partie à sapartition, qui montre avec abondance le niveauélevé d’invention mélodique, couleur etlyrisme, auquel le public russe avait fini pars’attendre de la part du compositeur.Néanmoins, Eugène Onéguine révèle aussi lesens dramatique certain de son compositeur:sa transformation d’un récit byronien en unepièce de théâtre musical pleine d’effet luiconfère une place au premier rang des

lui apporter à la fois une aide matérielle et lastimulation intellectuelle qui lui était vitale.Leurs relations qui furent entièrement menéespar voie épistolaire et ne donnèrent jamais lieuà une rencontre devaient à partir de cemoment-là devenir une des forces créatricesles plus importantes de la vie de Tchaïkovski,fait qu’il reconnut de manière touchante dansla dédicace qu’il donna à la Symphonie no 4datant de cette époque, qui porte la mention“A ma meilleure amie”. Pendant tout le coursde l’année 1877 et le début de l’année 1878,tandis qu’il voyageait tour à tour en Suisse, enFrance, en Italie et un Autriche afin dereprendre des forces, il continua à travailler àl’opéra, tenant Nadezhda von Meck aucourant de ses progrès, jusqu’à ce quefinalement, en février 1878, à la suite d’undernier débordement d’activité fiévreuse, il futen mesure d’annoncer l’achèvement decelui-ci.

Tchaïkovski consacra alors son énergie àfaire les arrangements nécessaires à la mise enscène d’Eugène Onéguine. De même qu’il avaitmanifesté le désir ardent d’ouvrir de nouvellesvoies par la façon dont il avait abordé laconstruction du libretto et sa mise en musique,il avait aussi à tâche d’insuffler une vitalité etune fraîcheur nouvelles à sa représentation.

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compositeurs d’opéra. Il faut avant toutrendre dûment justice au don infailliblequ’avait Tchaïkovski de savoir ce qui allait ounon faire de l’effet sur scène. Le fait d’avoirchoisi d’articuler la composition de son opéraautour d’un certain nombre d’épisodes qu’ilavait sélectionnés dans le poème dePouchkine s’avérait une stratégie pleine derisques, car il avait par cela changé d’un seulcoup le caractère fondamentalement narratifde l’original. Néanmoins, ce que Tchaïkovskise montra prompt à voir, fut que cettemanière de procéder, grâce à laquellel’attention se trouve fermement centrée surles moments de l’histoire où les sentimentsatteignent leur comble, comme le rejet deTatiana par Onéguine et les adieux de Lenskiau monde, allait donner à son opéra un attraitvraiment universel. Tout comme les grandsopéras de Mozart et de Verdi, Eugène Onéguinefait bien plus que de se contenter de neprésenter qu’une série d’événements par lesvoies de l’opéra: au lieu de cela, il s’attachesurtout à dépeindre des personnages vraimenthumains faisant preuve d’actions et desentiments avec lesquels le public est enmesure de s’identifier étroitement. En ce sens,Tchaïkovski surpasse même ce que Pouchkineparvient à accomplir, car une grande partie de

la subtilité du poème ne peut être appréciéeque par ceux qui sont au courant de latension insidieuse qui existait entre sociétéurbaine et société rurale dans la Russie dudix-neuvième siècle, tandis que l’opéra a unattrait qui a survécu au fil des générations eta su traverser les barrières nationales.

Bien que ce fût la réaction de Tchaïkovskivis à vis de l’œuvre de Pouchkine quidétermina le caractère essentiel de son opéra,il faut aussi mentionner à juste titre lesnombreuses autres influences qui vinrentpeser sur l’œuvre. Tout comme dans samusique orchestrale, il resta plus proche destraditions de l’Europe occidentale quebeaucoup de ces contemporains, tels queBalakirev et Cui, qui choisirent au contrairede suivre une ligne “slavophile” pleine dedéfi. Ainsi, dans ses opéras, une grande partiede l’inspiration se trouve puisée dans desœuvres extérieures au répertoire russe. En cequi concerne Eugène Onéguine, la découvertequ’il fit de Carmen de Bizet lors d’une visite àParis en 1876 s’avéra très féconde: Modestenous dit que l’opéra fut “une des impressionsmusicales les plus fortes de sa vie”, en bienque les deux opéras aient des intrigues trèsdifférentes, ils appartiennent aux mêmessphères du monde des émotions. Toute aussi

importante peut-être fut la visite queTchaïkovski fit à Bayreuth en 1876 à l’occasionde la première de Der Ring des Nibelungen. Bienque l’influence qu’ait eu Wagner sur sa musiquesoit difficile à retracer, il est peut-êtresignificatif qu’Eugène Onéguine fasse uneutilisation plus marquante des motifs deréminiscence que ne le font ses opéras plusanciens.

Sans aucun doute, l’influence musicale la plusimportante à marquer Tchaïkovski futnéanmoins celle de l’opéra de tradition indigènequi s’était développé dans le pays au cours desquatre décennies qui avaient précédé, à la suitede la présentation d’Une Vie pour le tsar deGlinka en 1836. Le caractère russe du poèmede Pouchkine se trouve rendu par l’adaptationconsciente que fait Tchaïkovski d’un grandnombre de caractéristiques propres à l’opéra destyle national: le chœur rustique desmoissonneurs de l’Acte I a par exemple denombreux pendants, tout comme les dansescaractéristiques comme la polonaise del’Acte III. Néanmoins, entre les mains deTchaïkovski, ces traits particuliers sont utilisés àdes fins bien différentes, car Eugène Onéguine estbien davantage un opéra réaliste à la manière deLa traviata de Verdi, qu’il n’est une œuvre del’Ecole nationaliste. Tandis que les éléments

russes apportent une contribution énorme à lavitalité de l’opéra, le but essentiel de ce dernierreste néanmoins de retracer le développementd’une histoire d’amour tragique dont lasignification a une portée aussi universellequ’éternelle, une signification quecommentateurs et public n’ont cessée decomprendre depuis des générations.

© Ewan West

L’argument

COMPACT DISC 1

Premier acte

Introduction

Scène 1La campagne, le jardin de la propriété de la familleLarin, un soir vers la fin de l’été. Madame Larina faitdes confitures avec l’aide de Filipievna, nourrice de lafamille.

Venant de la maison, en entend les voix desdeux sœurs Larina, Tatiana et Olga, qui chantentun chant folklorique racontant l’histoire d’unberger amoureux. Ceci réveille chez MadameLarina des souvenirs dont elle fait part à

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Filipievna, ceux de ses amours de jeunesse etcelui de son mariage qui fut finalementarrangé par sa famille.

Un groupe de paysans arrive, épuisés parleur labeur dans les champs. Leur chef offreune gerbe de blé décorée à Madame Larinapour symboliser la bonne fin de la récolte.

A la demande de celle-ci, les paysansmarquent l’occasion en exécutant une danseaccompagnée d’un chant célébrant la moisson.Alors qu’ils racontent l’histoire de la fille d’unmeunier et la manière dont elle a repoussé lesavances d’un fermier riche mais volage,Tatiana et Olga sortent pour les écouter.

Les réactions manifestées par les deuxsœurs vis à vis du chant folklorique montrentleur différence de caractère. Pour la plusintrovertie, Tatiana, le chant évoque desaspirations indéterminées, tandis qu’il donnetout simplement envie de danser à Olga, laplus extravertie.

Reprenant les paroles des paysans, Olgachante son insouciance et son appétit effrénépour la vie.

Tandis que les paysans s’en vont, MadameLarina et Filipievna demandent à Tatianapourquoi elle a l’air si bouleversé, pensant quela jeune fille doit être malade. Elle leur répondnéanmoins que c’est l’émouvante histoire

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d’amour qu’elle est en train de lire qui lui faitcet effet.

Lenski, le jeune propriétaire terrien quicourtise Olga depuis quelque temps arrive encompagnie d’un nouveau voisin, son amiEugène Onéguine.

Tandis qu’Onéguine questionne Lenski ausujet de Tatiana, elle révèle que son arrivé aéveillé en elle des désirs soudains. Olga n’estpas lente à s’apercevoir du changementd’humeur de sa sœur.

Olga et Lenski se déclarent leur amour.Onéguine engage une conversation polie etplutôt empruntée avec Tatiana, lui demandantcomment elle peut être heureuse dans ce milieurural qui offre si peu de distractionsmondaines. Elle lui répond qu’elle passe sontemps à lire et à rêver, ce qui révèle la natureessentiellement romantique de sontempérament.

Tandis qu’Onéguine et Tatiana s’éloignent,Lenski donne libre cours à ses sentiments pourOlga qui lui rend la pareille avec effusion.

A la tombée de la nuit, Madame Larina sortpour inviter les jeunes gens à souper. Onéguineescorte Tatiana dans la maison sous le regard deFilipievna. La nourrice pense déceler que lajeune fille dont elle a la charge est tombéeamoureuse de leur nouveau visiteur.

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Scène 2La chambre de Tatiana plus tard ce soir-là

Introduction.Filipievna dit à Tatiana que c’est l’heure de

se coucher.Tout en se préparant pour la nuit, Tatiana

questionne Filipievna sur son passé.A-t-elle jamais été amoureuse? Une fois

que la nourrice lui a raconté l’histoire de sonlugubre mariage, Tatiana lui fait part de sesémotions tumultueuses.

Demeurée seule, Tatiana va s’asseoir à sonbureau et commence à écrire une lettre àOnéguine. Après des débuts hésitants, elledonne libre cours aux sentiments qu’elleéprouve pour lui.

C’est son cœur, écrit-elle qui l’a poussée àdéclarer son amour. Si elle n’avait jamaisrencontré le jeune homme, elle aurait peut-êtrepu un jour en épouser un autre.

Se levant de son bureau, elle se rendcompte qu’il ne pourra jamais y en avoir unautre.

Elle l’a toujours aimé.– Elle se remet à sa lettre implorant

Onéguine de la délivrer du tourment auquelelle se trouve réduite.

Au point du jour, la lettre est terminée.Filipievna vient réveiller Tatiana.

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La jeune fille demande à la nourrice de luiaccorder une faveur, ce que cette dernièreaccepte.

Tatiana lui confie sa déclaration d’amouren lui demandant de veiller à ce qu’elle soitremise à Onéguine.

Scène 3Les terres de la famille Larin, le jour suivant

Un groupe de jeunes paysannes chantenten ramassant des baies.

Tatiana paraît très émue à la nouvellequ’Onéguine soit venu la voir: elle regrettedéjà son action impulsive.

Il lui parle avec quelque froideur, car, bienque sa lettre ait réveillé en lui des émotionsanciennes, il se montre surpris qu’elle écrive siouvertement à quelqu’un qu’elle ne connaîtque relativement peu.

Onéquine lui dit que s’il avait eu l’intentionde mener une vie consacrée au bonheurdomestique, il n’aurait pu espérer trouverpartenaire plus digne que Tatiana. Il ne se sentnéanmoins plus destiné à se marier et se croitincapable de payer de retour la dévotion de lajeune fille.

Tandis que les jeunes paysannes continuentde chanter leur air joyeux, Onéguine conseilleà Tatiana de maîtriser ses sentiments et

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d’attendre la venue d’un époux plusindiqué.

COMPACT DISC 2

Deuxième acte

Scène 1La salle de bal de la demeure de Madame Larina, aumois de janvier suivant. Un bal est donné en l’honneurde Tatiana dont c’est la fête.

On joue une valse.Les invités, dont beaucoup sont des

propriétaires terriens voisins, expriment legrand plaisir qu’ils éprouvent à cette occasionque amène un agréable changement à leurroutine normale.

Onéguine, que Lenski a amené, danse avecTatiana. Ce qui donne lieu à descommentaires, car la compagnie le jugeindigne de Tatiana du fait de sa personnalitédéplaisante et de mauvaise vie notoire.

Onéguine, qui entend leurs commentaires,décide de punir Lenski de l’avoir persuadéd’assister au bal et se met en tête de danseravec Olga.

Lenski, jaloux de l’attention qu’Olgaaccorde à Onéguine, accuse cette dernière deflirter avec lui. Olga, qui ne se montre

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qu’enjouée, dit à Lenski qu’il est ridicule defaire tant d’histoires à propos d’une danseinnocente, mais, cherchant à le provoquerdavantage, elle accepte encore une fois dedanser avec Onéguine.

– Monsieur Triquet, le Français, chantequelques couplets qu’il a écrits en l’honneur deTatiana.

On annonce la danse suivante: unemazurka. Onéguine danse une fois avecTatiana avant de la reconduire à sa place, etpendant tout ce temps là, Lenski ne les perdpas du regard.

Lenski commence à sa quereller avecOnéguine, l’accusant de faire des avancesdéplacées à Olga. Onéguine tente de le calmer,mais Lenski est hors de lui. Il provoqueOnéguine en duel. Madame Larina estconsternée de voir une telle chose arriver chezelle.

Lenski se remémore les journées heureusesqu’il a passées dans la demeure de MadameLarina. Tatiana est horrifée à l’idéequ’Onéguine puisse se faire tuer et à l’idée dele perdre à jamais, tandis qu’Olga, MadameLarina et la compagnie assemblée reprochentaux jeunes gens d’agir avec tant d’aveuglementet de manière si impulsive. Onéguine regrettesecrètement d’avoir agi ainsi.

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Il accepte néanmoins le défi di Lenski,pensant lui donner une leçon pour s’êtremépris d’une façon si ridicule sur ses actionsinnocentes.

Scène 2Un moulin situé sur les bords d’une rivière au milieudes bois. Il est tôt le matin et le soleil vient seulementde se lever.

IntroductionZaretski, le témoin de Lenski, demande où

se trouve Onéguine, le pensant perdu.Lenski, plein de pressentiments, sent qu’il

va être tué au cours de ce duel. Il se remémoresa jeunesse et son amour pour Olga.

Onéguine arrive, n’amenant pour témoinqu’un serviteur.

Tandis que le témoins s’entretiennent,Onéguine et Lenski font une dernière vainetentative de réconciliation. Dans le duel quis’ensuit, Lenski est tué.

Troisième acte

Scène 1Plusieurs années plus tard, la demeure du princeGremine à Saint-Pétersbourg

Les invités dansent une polonaise, avant dese séparer pour converser en petits groupes.

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EcossaiseLe prince Gremine entre accompagné de sa

femme, qui n’est autre que Tatiana. Onéguinela reconnaît, bien qu’avec difficulté, car elle achangé, la jeune provinciale s’est transforméeen digne princesse. Tatiana s’enquière del’étranger qui est maintenant en train de parlerà son époux et, en entendant le nomd’Onéguine, commence à trembler d’émotion.

Le prince Gremine qui est assez âgé faitpart à Onéguine de l’amour profond qu’ilressent pour la jeune femme qu’il anouvellement épousée, et lui dit à quel pointce sentiment a transformé son exisenceautrement sans intérêt.

Onéguine et Tatiana que le prince Gremineprésente l’un à l’autre font pendant un courtinstant allusion au fait qu’ils se sont autrefoisconnus.

Lorsque Tatiana se retire, Onéguine méditesur les changements qui l’ont transformée.

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(Arabella, la Maréchale et la Comtesse dansCapriccio), les rôles mozartiens de Fiordiligi,Donna Elvira, Pamina et de la ComtesseAlmaviva; les rôles de Violetta, Amelia etDesdémone chez Verdi, ceux de Tosca, Mimìet Manon Lescaut chez Puccini; elle a été laRosalinde de Johann Strauss, la Tatiana deTchaïkovski, la Micaëla de Bizet et laMarguerite de Gounod.

On lui doit plusieurs enregistrementsillustres, entre autres d’opéras complets: DonGiovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, LaFlûte enchantée et Tosca, La rondine, Manon Lescautainsi que Simon Boccanegra, Arabella, Othello, Latraviata, Le Chevalier à la rose, Faust, Carmen,Capriccio et La bohème. Elle a aussi enregistrédes anthologies d’arias d’opéras français,italiens et allemands.

Kiri Te Kanawa s’est vue conférer le titre deDame en 1982 et a reçu en 1995 l’Ordre deNouvelle-Zélande.

Thomas Hampson, le plus grand barytonaméricain du moment, doit sa réputation à ladiversité et l’ampleur de ses succès à l’opéra,en récital, au disque et dans le domaine de larecherche. Sa carrière internationale l’a conduitdans les théâtres et les salles de concert lesplus prestigieux du monde et il est l’un des

solistes les plus respectés, les plus innovateurset les plus demandés de sa génération. Sapassion du chant l’a poussé non seulement àenseigner mais aussi à explorer le répertoire età concevoir des projets multimédia commeVoices from the Heart, un spectacledocumentaire sur la musique de StephenFoster pour Hessischer Rundfunk und Arte.

Le répertoire lyrique de Hampson estextrêmement varié et va de Rossini à Verdi etPuccini, de Monteverdi à Britten et Henze. Il arécemment triomphé dans les rôles-titres deGuillaume Tell (Vienne), d’Eugène Onéguine(Vienne et Paris), de Hamlet d’AmbroiseThomas (Monte Carlo et San Francisco) etdans une version pour baryton rarementmontée du Werther de Massenet (New York). Ila également été Giorgio Germont dansLa traviata (Zürich), le marquis de Posa dans laversion française originale de Don Carlos deVerdi (Paris, Londres, Edinbourg), Wolframdans Tannhäuser de Wagner (Zürich) et chantédans Le Docteur Faust de Busoni (Salzbourg) etLe Roi Roger de Szymanowski (Birmingham).Au programme de sa saison 2000/2001, onretrouve entre autres Le Docteur Faust (NewYork), Hamlet (Paris) ainsi qu’Eugène Onéguine,Guillaume Tell, La Veuve joyeuse et Linda diChamounix à Vienne et pour la première fois le

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Regrettant maintenant de l’avoir autrefoisrejetée, il est rempli d’une ardeur nouvelle etdécide de lui déclarer son amour.

Scène 2Une pièce de la demeure de prince Gremine,le matin suivant

IntroductionTatiana a reçu une lettre d’Onéguine dans

laquelle il lui fait part des sentiments qu’iléprouve à son égard. En sanglots, elle seremémore ce qu’elle ressentait autrefois pourlui. Onéguine arrive implorant sa pitié.

Essuyant ses larmes, Tatiana rappelle àOnéguine leur première rencontre et avecquelle froideur – une froideur qu’elle ressentitcomme cruelle – il reçut les témoignagesd’amour de l’adolescente qu’elle était. Elle serend maintenant compte à quel point il avaitraison, car elle était en effet trop naïve etsimple. L’aime-t-il maintenant à cause de sarichesse et de sa position sociale?

Malgré les protestations d’Onéguine,Tatiana ne faiblit pas.

Bien qu’elle soit tentée de céder à l’amourqui commence à se réveiller dans son cœur,elle doit rester fidèle à son mari.

Elle supplie Onéguine de partir. Tandisqu’elle s’enfuit de la pièce, Onéguine,

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submergé par le désespoir, contemple latristesse de son destin.

© Ewan WestTraduction: Marianne Fernée

Kiri Te Kanawa devint célèbre presque dujour au lendemain après ses débutssensationnels dans le rôle de la Comtesse dansLe nozze di Figaro au Royal Opera House,Covent Garden. Elle se retrouva vite parmil’élite de l’opéra international et devint l’unedes sopranos les plus célèbres dans le monde.A l’époque de ses débuts lyriques, elle avaitdéjà beaucoup travaillé en concert et en studioet se sentait tout aussi à l’aise devant lescaméras que sur la scène. Aujourd’hui, alorsqu’elle continue de développer sa carrièred’artiste de récital, elle reste très demandéedans les contextes musicaux les plus variés.

Kiri Te Kanawa se produit fréquemmentdans les plus grands théâtres lyriques dumonde – Covent Garden, le MetropolitanOpera, le Chicago Lyric Opera, l’Opéra deParis, le Sydney Opera House, l’Opéra d’étatde Vienne, La Scala, les opéras de SanFrancisco, Munich, Cologne et de Vérone. Sonrépertoire de soprano lyrique comprend lestrois grandes héroïnes de Richard Strauss

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l’English National Opera où il fut entre autresle Commandeur (Don Giovanni), Colline(La bohème), le moine (Don Carlos), la Premièrevoix (Le Docteur Faust de Busoni), Ferrando(Le Trouvère), Leporello (L’Invité de pierre), levieux forçat (Lady Macbeth de Mtsensk), DonBasile (Le Barbier de Séville), Dansker (Billy Budd),Banquo (Macbeth), Pogner (Les Maîtres-chanteurs)et Sarastro (La Flûte enchantée). Il a égalementchanté pour le Royal Opera et Opera North.

Il a enregistré entre autres Peter Grimes (pourChandos), Billy Budd, Elijah, le Stabat Mater deSzymanowski et Serenade to Music de VaughanWilliams. Pour BBC Radio, il a enregistré unopéra studio, Les Bourgeois de Calais. JohnConnell a également participé à une version deconcert de La Walkyrie en Espagne, tenu lerôle de Sarastro avec le Welsh National Operaet celui du Père Guardiano (La Force du destin)avec l’English National Opera.

Nicolaï Gedda est reconnu dans le mondeentier comme l’un des plus grands artistes denotre temps. Il maîtrise un répertoirerecouvrant presque tous les styles de musique ettoutes les époques, qu’il s’agisse d’opéra,d’oratorio, de mélodies ou d’œuvresorchestrales.

Né en Suède de père russe et de mère

suédoise, il fit ses débuts professionnels àl’Opéra royal de Stockholm en 1952 dansLe Postillon de Longjumeau. Il chanta pour lapremière fois à La Scala de Milan en 1953, àl’Opéra de Paris en 1954 et au MetropolitanOpera (dans le rôle-titre du Faust de Gounod)en 1957. Depuis ses débuts avec le RoyalOpera en 1965 (dans le rôle du Duc deMantoue dans Rigoletto de Verdi), il a incarnésur cette scène Benvenuto Cellini, Alfredo,Gustave III dans Un Bal masqué, Nemorino etLensky. Il créa les rôles principaux de Vanessade Barber et du Dernier sauvage de Menotti auMetropolitan Opera.

Ses triomphes lyriques vont de Haydn etMozart jusqu’à Stravinsky, Orff, Barber etMenotti, tandis qu’en récital il est réputé pourson interprétation remarquable des Lieder.Nicolaï Gedda a travaillé avec la plupart desgrands chefs d’orchestre du monde durant lestrente-cinq dernières années, commeBeecham, Bernstein, Giulini, Klemperer etSolti. Il peut aussi se vanter d’être le ténor leplus enregistré au monde, avec deux centsenregistrements à son actif. Parmi ceux-ci,notons l’intégrale de Guillaume Tell, La bohème,Faust, Werther, Manon, Così fan tutte et BenvenutoCellini.

Nicolai Gedda a récemment triomphé au

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rôle d’Oreste dans Iphigénie en Tauride deGluck à Salzbourg.

La plupart des enregistrements deHampson ont été primés, méritant entreautres six nominations aux Grammy Awards ettrois Gramophone Awards.

Le ténor américain Neil Rosenshein estréputé autant pour la diversité de ses talents,ses représentations mémorables sur la scèneque pour sa maturité musicale. Aussi à l’aisesur la scène lyrique que dans la salle deconcert, il possède un répertoire allant dubaroque au XXe siècle.

Au programme de sa saison 2000/2001,Neil Rosenshein a inscrit Hérode dans Saloméavec le Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ainsique Tikhon dans Katia Kabanova avec leHouston Grand Opera. Il fit ses débuts auMetropolitan Opera dans le rôle d’Alfredodans La traviata et retrouva cette scène dans lerôle-titre du Faust de Gounod, sous les traitsdu Prince dans une nouvelle mise en scène deRoussalka, dans le rôle-titre de Peter Grimesainsi qu’en tant qu’Alfred et Eisenstein dansLa Chauve-souris. Spécialiste du répertoirefrançais, il a également tenu au Met le rôle-titre de Werther et interprété Don José dansCarmen dans le cadre des concerts en plein air

du Met (Met in the Parks). Il a été invité àchanter sur les plus grandes scènes lyriquesdes Etats-Unis.

En Europe, Neil Rosenshein a chanté auRoyal Opera, Covent Garden (Lenski dansEugène Onéguine et Steva dans Jenuofa), à l’Opérade Paris et à l’Opéra d’état de Hambourg(Alfredo), à l’Opéra de Zürich (Belmont dansL’Enlèvement au sérail), à l’Opéra de Lausanne(Cavaradossi et Werther), au Grand Théâtre deGenève (Tom Rakewell dans Le Libertin) et auNetherlands Opera dans les rôles-titres de DonCarlo et de Der Zwerg de Zemlinsky. Il s’estégalement produit à Essen, Bonn, Bruxelles,Lisbonne, Lille, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse,Lyon ainsi qu’avec le New Israeli Opera. AuJapon, il a été Lenski avec le Pacific MusicFestival, interprétant par ailleurs la partie deténor solo dans la Neuvième Symphonie deBeethoven lors d’un Concert pour la Paixdonné à Hiroshima.

John Connell fit ses études au Royal NorthernCollege of Music avec Patrick McGuigan ainsiqu’au National Opera Studio. Il fit ses débutsavec l’English National Opera dans le rôle deRamfis dans Aïda avant de devenir premièrebasse de la compagnie l’année suivante. Il a étérégulièrement invité à chanter en soliste avec

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Studio. Sa carrière lyrique internationale l'amené au Metropolitan Opera à New York, àl'Opéra de Paris, au Teatro Colon à BuenosAires, à San Diego, Miami et Seattle. Il achanté entre autres le rôle-titre de DonQuichotte de Massenet (pour l'EnglishNational Opera et le Victoria State Opera) etles rôles de Thésée (La Reine des fées), DonBasile, le vieil homme (Le Roi Priam pourl'Opéra des Flandres et l'English NationalOpera) et Don Jérôme (La Duègne pourOpera North).

Parmi les enregistrements de Richard VanAllan, notons Così fan tutte avec MontserratCaballé, Janet Baker et Ileana Cotrubas sousla direction de Sir Colin Davis, Don Giovanniavec Bernard Haitink, Gloriana de Briiten (oùil tient le rôle de Raleigh) avec Sir CharlesMackerras, Billy Budd et, pour Chandos,La Duègne de Roberto Gerhard.

Originaire d’Ecosse, Linda Finnie fit sesétudes à la Royal Scottish Academy of Musicand Drama et à la Royal Academy of Music.Elle s’est produite avec toutes les grandescompagnies lyriques de Grande-Bretagne,notamment avec l’English National Operadans les rôles de Brangäne (Tristan et Isolde),Eboli (Don Carlos), Amnéris (Aïda), Ortrud

(Lohengrin) et Ulrica (Un Bal masqué) ainsiqu’avec le Royal Opera dans celui deWaltraute (Le Crépuscule des Dieux). Sa carrièreinternationale l’a menée à Paris, Genève,Francfort, dans les Flandres, à Lille, Nice,Vienne, Tokyo, Singapour ainsi qu’enAustralie, en Nouvelle-Zélande et au Festivalde Bayreuth.

Linda Finnie a réalisé de nombreuxenregistrements pour Chandos, entreautres d’œuvres de Bliss, Diepenbrock,Korngold et Respighi, ainsi que des cycles demélodies de Mahler, Elijah, Sea Pictures etThe Light of Life d’Elgar sans oublier Ivan leTerrible de Prokofiev (qui fut primé enAllemagne).

Elizabeth Bainbridge est née dans le comtéde Lancashire, et a fait ses études à laGuildhall School of Music and Drama deLondres. Elle fit ses débuts au Royal OperaCovent Garden dans Die Walküre en 1964, etentra dans la compagnie l’année suivante. Sesrôles furent Mistress Quickly, Suzuki,Amneris, Emilia, Erda, Arvidson, Filipievna,une Ancienne (The Midsummer Marriage),Grand-mère Buryja (JenuÞfa) et Auntie (PeterGrimes). Elle s’est produite avec le RoyalOpera au Teatro alla Scala de Milan en 1976,

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Royal Opera House dans un concert d’airsd’opéra et d’opérette ainsi que dans unenouvelle mise en scène de Palestrina dePfitzner.

Native de Dublin, Patricia Bardon marqua lemonde musical lorsqu’elle fut primée au toutpremier Concours international de chant deCardiff. Elle est considéré aujourd’hui commel’une des plus grandes interprètesinternationales à l’opéra et en concert.

Sur la scène lyrique, elle a été Arsace(Sémiramis) à La Fenice à Venise, a tenu lerôle-titre de Cendrillon au Théâtre de laMonnaie à Bruxelles, celui de Carmen pourl’Opéra d’état de Hambourg, le WelshNational Opera et Scottish Opera, Pénélope(Le Retour d’Ulysse) au Mai Musical deFlorence ainsi qu’à Athènes avec TrevorPinnock, le rôle-titre d’Orlando de Haendel àNew York, Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg etMontpellier avec William Christie et Les ArtsFlorissants, Smeton (Anne Boleyn) à SanFrancisco, Amastre (Xerxès) pour l’Opérad’état de Munich avec Ivor Bolton ainsi qu’àDresde et Montpellier, Junon (Sémélé) àInnsbruck avec René Jacobs, le rôle-titre deTamerlan au Festival de Beaune, Hélène (LeRoi Priam) pour Der Vlaamse Oper à Anvers

et la Troisième Dame de la nuit (La Flûteenchantée) à Vérone. Elle a aussi chanté dansGuillaume Tell, Moïse en Egypte, Rigoletto, La Filledu far-west et Méphistophélès pour le RoyalOpera House, Covent Garden aisni que denombreux rôles pour Opera North, le WelshNational Opera, Scottish Opera, l’EnglishNational Opera et Glyndebourne. Elle doitprochainement se produire au Chicago LyricOpera, au Mai musical de Florence avecZubin Mehta, avec l’Opéra d’état de Munich,l’English National Opera et à Amsterdam.

Patricia Bardon a un vaste répertoire deconcert qu’elle a interprété à La Scala, àMadrid, Bruxelles, Berlin, aux Festivalsd’Edinbourg et de Montreux, à Cincinnati età Tokyo. Parmi ses enregistrements, notonsOrlando, Elijah, Erda (L’Or du Rhin pourChandos en collaboration avec la FondationPeter Moores), Amastre (Xerxès) et Rigoletto.

Richard Van Allan est l'un des barytons-basses les plus éminents de Grande-Bretagne.Membre de l'English National Opera, il atenu de nombreux rôles principaux et s'estproduit à Covent Garden, avec Opera North,le Glyndebourne Festival Opera, le WelshNational Opera et Scottish Opera. Il estégalement directeur du National Opera

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Sir Charles Mackerras naquit en 1925 auxEtats-Unis de parents australiens et fit sesétudes à Sydney et Prague. Il fit ses débuts dechef lyrique au Sadler’s Wells Opera, où ilcontribua à la première britannique de KatyaKabanova de JanácŠek, une créationsensationnelle qui assura à JanácŠek de figurerau répertoire des troupes britanniques. Il futChef d’orchestre principal de l’Opéra deHambourg (1966–1969) et directeur musicaldu Sadler’s Wells Opera (qui deviendraitl’English National Opera) entre 1970 et 1977et du Welsh National Opera entre 1987 et1991, où ses productions remarquables deJanácŠek entre autres furent accueillies avecenthousiasme. La production etl’enregistrement d’Osud ont été financés par laPeter Moores Foundation. Il est Chefd’orchestre honoraire du Scottish ChamberOrchestra et du Welsh National Opera, l’un deschefs réguliers de San Francisco Opera et,depuis la saison 1998–1999, directeur del’Orchestra of St Luke’s à New York. Il estassocié depuis de nombreuses années avec le

Royal Opera de Covent Garden à Londres, etdirige régulièrement au Metropolitan Operade New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras a fait des recherchespoussées sur l’interprétation aux XVIIIe etXIXe siècles qui ont profondément influencéla façon dont il aborde le répertoireaujourd’hui. Sa vaste discographie comprendun cycle primé des opéras de JanácŠekavec la Philharmonie de Vienne, Gloriana deBritten et Rusalka de DvoŠrák (primés tous lesdeux par la revue Gramophone), dessymphonies de Beethoven, Brahms et Mahler,et avec l’English National Opera GiulioCesare de Handel et Maria Stuarda deDonizetti (pour Chandos/Peter MooresFoundation).

Sir Charles Mackerras est Commander ofthe British Empire (CBE) depuis 1974 et aété anobli en 1979 pour services rendus à lamusique. Il s’est vu également décerner laMédaille du mérite de la République tchèque,le Prix Chopin et le titre de Companion ofthe Order of Australia.

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en Corée du Sud et le Japon en 1979, àl’Olympic Arts Festival de Los Angeles en1984, et au festival d’Athènes en 1985. Parmises enregistrements figurent Norma, LesTroyens, Le Petit renard rusé, Dido and Aeneas etThe Midsummer Marriage.

L’Orchestre du Welsh National Opera futfondé en 1970. Il figure parmi les meilleursorchestres britanniques, apprécié nonseulement pour ses interprétations superbesdans un vaste répertoire lyrique mais aussipour son travail en concert et sesenregistrements.

Sous la direction de Richard Armstrong,directeur musical de 1973 à 1986, l’orchestredéveloppa un large répertoire lyrique. C’est àcette époque que Reginald Goodall travaillapour la première fois avec l’ensemble. SirCharles Mackerras devint directeur musicalen 1987 et développa considérablement leprogramme d’enregistrements de l’orchestre.Avant 1987, plusieurs intégrales d’opérasavaient été gravées sous la direction deRichard Bonynge, avec Joan Sutherland,Montserrat Caballé et Pavarotti à la tête dedistributions de carrure internationale. SousMackerras, l’orchestre enregistra Osud deJanácvek (CHAN 3019). Carlo Rizzi est

directeur musical depuis 1992. En 1995,l’Orchestre du Welsh National Operaremporta le Prix de musique de la RoyalPhilharmonic Society, dans la catégorie“Grands ensembles”.

Le Chœur du Welsh National Operacommença sa carrière professionnelle en1968. Sa réputation crut rapidement etl’ensemble est salué dans le monde entierpour son travail à l’opéra et en concert, nonseulement dans le répertoire traditionnelcomme Verdi mais aussi dans celui du XXesiècle avec des œuvres comme Le Mariage de lami-été de Tippett et Souvenirs de la maison desMorts de Janácvek. Le Chœur a enregistré denombreux opéras dont Andrea Chénier avecRiccardo Chailly, Tristan et Isolde et Parsifal avecReginald Goodall, Les Brigands, Norma, Hamlet,Hernani, Anne Boleyn et Adrienne Lecouvreuravec Richard Bonynge, Tosca avec Georg Soltiet Rigoletto, Faust et Un Bal masqué avec CarloRizzi. Le Chœur a aussi enregistré The Mikado,The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeomen of the Guard,Gloriana de Britten et Osud de Janácvek avecMackerras. Parmi les pièces de concert, il aenregistré Sea Drift de Delius, The Vigil ofVenus de George Lloyd et Hiawatha deColeridge-Taylor.

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Cvajkovskij: Eugenio Onieghin

Che piacere non avere a che fare con i noiosiFaraoni, le principesse etiopi, i calici avvelenati etutti i racconti sulle bambole automatiche.Quanta poesia c’è in Onieghin!

Così scriveva Cvajkovskij a suo fratello Modest

nel maggio del 1877, mentre iniziava alavorare alla sua nuova opera, Eugenio Onieghin.

Era stata la cantante Elizaveta Lavrovskaya,nel corso di una festa, a suggerirgli diprendere in considerazione il “poemanarrativo” di Pusvkin come base per un’opera.All’inizio C

vajkovskij reagì negativamente,

come la maggiore parte dei suoi amici econoscenti, e fu tentato di respingeresommariamente l’idea di Eugenio Onieghin econcentrarsi invece su due alternative piùpromettenti: l’Otello di Shakespeare e Cinq-marsdi Alfred de Vigny. L’opera di Pusvkin eratroppo raffinata e godeva di grandissimorispetto nei circoli letterari perché egli osassesottoporla a un trattamento operistico, contutta l’aderenza alle artificiali convenzioni checiò avrebbe comportato. Inoltre, a prima vistala trama appariva troppo debole per sostenereun’opera teatrale completa, perché la vicendadi base intorno alla quale Pusvkin aveva

intessuto i suoi versi eleganti eraestremamente tenue. Nel giro di qualchegiorno, però, il compositore cambiò idea eammise che i difetti drammatici del poemapotevano essere superati attraverso la“ricchezza della poesia” e la sua “umanità esemplicità”. Soprattutto, C

vajkovskij era certo

di poter realizzare una versione operisticadell’Eugenio Onieghin che veramentecompletasse il testo a cui si ispirava, piuttostoche distruggerne il carattere essenziale,suscitando in tal modo le ire dei tantiammiratori di Pusvkin. L’operazione non riuscìcompletamente da questo punto di vista –Turgenev, per esempio, trovò molto da ridiresul libretto – però oggi per ammissionegenerale Eugenio Onieghin rappresenta ilcapolavoro lirico di C

vajkovskij e uno dei più

duraturi contributi al repertorio russoottocentesco.

Una volta risvegliato il suo interesse,Cvajkovskij non vide l’ora di mettersi al lavoro:

l’intero canovaccio venne abbozzato duranteun’unica notte insonne e il giorno dopo vennepresentato all’amico Konstantin Shilovskyperché venisse trasformato in un libretto al

più presto possibile. Fin dall’inizio, Cvajkovskij

si era convinto che sarebbe stato necessarioadottare un approccio radicale di base perchéil progetto avesse successo, e cercò disottolinearlo in maniera particolare conShilovsky. Più che altro voleva evitare leconvenzioni operistiche alienanti dei suoitempi, che non avrebbero reso giustizia allepagine piene di significato di Pusvkin. Benpresto fece a meno dei servigi di Shilovskycompletamente e iniziò di persona a costruireil libretto per un’opera che avrebbe poidescritto, con caratteristica precisione, “sceneliriche in tre atti”.

Non si trattava della prima opera diCvajkovskij; il compositore aveva già lavorato a

diversi progetti rimasti incompiuti, compresele musiche per il Boris Godunov di Pusvkin e unalettura della leggenda Undine, oltre allo storicoOprichnik e quello che più tardi definì il suo“brillante insuccesso”, Vakula il fabbro (inseguito riveduto per Cherevichki). Ma non si eramai prima identificato tanto da vicino con unodei suoi progetti drammatici. Questo sipotrebbe spiegare fino a un certo punto con lasua crescente consapevolezza di essere ingrado di fornire, attraverso la sua musica, lacontroparte ideale al sofisticato stile narrativodi Pusvkin, quell’elemento dell’originale che, a

differenza della sua sostanza drammatica, nonsi poteva direttamente trapiantare sulla scenaoperistica. Tuttavia al suo primo contatto conil testo di Pusvkin era rimasto profondamentecolpito dall’episodio in cui Tatiana rimanealzata per tutta la notte a scrivere la suainnocente e impulsiva dichiarazione d’amore aOnieghin, per vedere crudelmente respinte lesue proposte al loro incontro la mattina dopo.Cvajkovskij abbozzò il suo canovaccio con

l’intenzione che questo brano (parzialmenteutilizzato come base della famosa “Scena dellalettera”) costituisse il nucleo emotivodell’opera. Ben presto esso avrebbe assunto unsignificato ancora più personale.

Poiché era stato talmente ispirato dallafigura della disprezzata Tatiana, dopo avercreato il suo canovaccio, C

vajkovskij ebbe

motivo di rivedere una sua reazione a unalettera d’amore spontanea che gli aveva inviatoqualche settimana prima una giovanestudentessa del Conservatorio. La somiglianzatra la propria posizione e quella delprotagonista della sua nuova opera assumevacosì l’aspetto di un intervento diretto deldestino, e il compositore era sempre dispostoa seguire i suoi ammonimenti. Nel timore dicomportarsi come Onieghin nei confronti diTatiana, C

vajkovskij accettò di sposare Antonia

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Miljakova anche se, avendo molto prima presocoscienza delle proprie tendenze omosessuali,non era disposto a prendere in considerazionealcun rapporto fisico con la futura sposa. Ilmatrimonio, doverosamente celebrato nelluglio del 1877, si rivelò disastroso e di brevedurata, e fece piombare il compositore in unagrave depressione da cui si sentì costretto acercare sollievo con un tentativo di suicidiocirca due mesi dopo.

La composizione di Eugenio Onieghin quindisi colloca su uno sfondo di gravi difficoltàpersonali; per quanto le due cose assorbironol’energia del compositore, non riuscirono maia distoglierlo completamente dal progetto. Laguarigione dall’esaurimento nervoso, quandovenne, fu dovuta in gran parte alla recenteamicizia con la misteriosa vedova Nadezvdavon Meck che divenne sua protettrice e riuscìad offrirgli aiuto materiale, oltre che stimolointellettuale. Il loro rapporto, sempreepistolare e mai personale, sarebbe stato daallora in poi una delle forze creative piùsignificative della vita di C

vajkovskij, come

testimonia la commovente Quarta sinfonia,composta nello stesso periodo e dedicata alla“Mia migliore amica”. Per tutto il 1877 eall’inizio del 1878, durante i suoi spostamentiin Svizzera, Francia, Italia e Austria per

recuperare le forze, il compositore continuò alavorare all’opera, inviando dei resoconti aNadezvda von Meck, finché nel febbraio del1878, in seguito a un ultimo sforzo freneticodi attività, fu in grado di annunciare che erastata terminata.

Adesso Cvajkovskij rivolse le proprie energie

ad organizzare l’allestimento teatraledell’Eugenio Onieghin. Come era stato ansioso diimboccare nuovi sentieri nel suo approccio allacostruzione del libretto e al processo permusicarlo, così si preoccupò di infondere allasua esecuzione una nuova freschezza e vitalità.Fin dall’inizio sapeva che idealmente la suapartitura avrebbe richiesto cantanti di calibrodiverso rispetto a quelli facilmente disponibilinei teatri lirici imperiali. “Dove troverò laTatiana ideata da Pusvkin e che ho cercato didescrivere in musica?”, scrisse. “Come saràvolgare l’affascinante ritratto di Pusvkin quandosarà trasferito nel teatro con le sueconvenzioni, le sue tradizioni senza significato,i suoi veterani di entrambi i sessi cheassumono, senza alcuna vergogna, il ruolo difanciulle sedicenni e giovanotti imberbi!”

La soluzione prese le forme degli studentidel Conservatorio di Mosca, che secondoCvajkovskij sarebbero stati meglio in grado di

affrontare la partitura rispetto ai cantanti con

una preparazione tradizionale. Così, all’iniziodel novembre 1877, il compositore si rivolse alsuo amico Rubinstein, direttore delConservatorio, chiedendogli di organizzare unallestimento parziale dell’opera, cioè tutto ilprimo atto e la prima parte del secondo.Inizialmente, Rubinstein pensò che il progettofosse poco saggio, temendo che avrebbepotuto danneggiare a lungo la reputazione diCvajkovskij. Alla fine comunque acconsentì e

nel dicembre del 1878 fu rappresentata inprova generale una versione ridotta alConservatorio. Il 29 marzo 1879, Rubinsteindiresse una rappresentazione dell’operacompleta al teatro Maly utilizzando un coro distudenti e un’orchestra formataprevalentemente da studenti; anche se iltrattamento di Pusvkin da parte di C

vajkovskij fu

censurato in alcuni quartieri, in generale lanuova opera incontrò il favore della maggiorparte dei critici. Due anni dopo, il 23 gennaio1881, si svolgeva il primo allestimentoprofessionale dell’Eugenio Onieghin al Bolsh’ojdi Mosca, dopo di che ben presto si conquistòun posto fisso nel repertorio delle compagniein tutta Europa.

Considerata la trepidazione con cuiCvajkovskij si era accostato per la prima volta al

soggetto di quest’opera, il successo di Eugenio

Onieghin è ancora più notevole. Il fenomeno sipotrebbe forse attribuire in parte alla partitura,che riunisce gli elevati standard dell’invenzionemelodica, il colore e il lirismo che ormai ilpubblico russo si attendeva dal compositore;però l’Eugenio Onieghin rivela anche uncompositore dal tocco drammatico sicuro, ingrado di trasformare una narrazione di saporebyroniano in un efficace brano di teatromusicale che lo colloca tra i maggioricompositori operistici. Soprattutto, bisognadoverosamente riconoscere il senso infallibiledi C

vajkovskij in merito a quanto avrebbe avuto

il dovuto effetto sulle scene. La scelta diimperniare la sua opera intorno ad alcuniepisodi scelti del poema di Pusvkinrappresentava una strategia rischiosa; in questomodo, con un sol colpo veniva modificato ilcarattere fondamentalmente narrativodell’originale. Tuttavia, C

vajkovskij si rese

contro ben presto che questo approccio, cheferma saldamente l’attenzione sui momentiemotivi culminanti della storia, come larinuncia a Tatiana da parte di Onieghin el’addio di Lenski al mondo, avrebbe dato allasua opera un respiro veramente universale.Come le grandi opere di Mozart e Verdi,Eugenio Onieghin non si limita a presentare unaserie di eventi attraverso il mezzo dell’opera,

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preoccupazione principale rimane losvolgimento della tragica storia d’amore dalsignificato eterno e universale che non èandato perduto per le varie generazioni deicritici e del pubblico.

© Ewan West

Argomento

COMPACT DISC ONE

Atto I

Introduzione

Scena primaIl giardino della tenuta di campagna Larin, una seradi fine estate. La Làrina sta preparando lamarmellata, con l’auto della nutrice, Filippievna.

Si sentono, da fuori, le due figlie dellapossidente Làrina, Tatiana e Olga, che cantanoun motivo popolare. È la storia di unpastorello che soffre d’amore e questo faricordare alla Làrina alcune sue storie d’amoregiovanili precedenti al suo matrimoniocombinato, di cui parla con Filippievna.

Arriva un gruppo di contadini, stanchidelle fatiche sui campi. Il loro capo offre un

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fascio di grano alla signora Làrina comesimbolo che il raccolto è stato finalmentecompletato.

Dietro sua richiesta, i contadini festeggianocon una danza e un canto della mietitura.Mentre raccontano la storia della figlia delmugnaio che respinge le profferte di un ricco eincostante agricoltore, Tatiana e Olga esconoad ascoltare.

Le due sorelle manifestano la diversità delproprio carattere nelle loro reazioni. PerTatiana, più introspettiva, il canto evoca undesiderio indefinito; l’estroversa Olga, invece, sisente spinta a ballare.

Riprendendo le parole dei contadini, Olgacanta del suo spirito spensierato e del suoamore per la vita.

Mentre i contadini escono, la Làrina eFilippievna chiedono a Tatiana il perché del suoaspetto infelice, temendo che si senta pocobene. La fanciulla risponde che è l’effetto dellacommovente storia d’amore che sta leggendo.

Arriva Lenski, giovane proprietario terrieroche corteggia Olga da qualche tempo, e portacon sé un amico e nuovo vicino: EugenioOnieghin.

Mentre Onieghin fa domande a Lenski suTatiana, la fanciulla rivela che la suaapparizione ha risvegliato in lei improvvisi

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ma fa molto di più: la sua preoccupazioneprincipale è ritrarre alcuni personaggi reali,alcuni sentimenti e azioni con cui il pubblicopuò identificarsi da vicino. In questo senso,Cvajkovskij supera persino le vette di Pusvkin,

perché gran parte delle sfumature del poemapossono essere apprezzate solo da chi conoscela tensione insidiosa tra la città e la societàrurale nella Russia dell’Ottocento, mentrel’opera ha una portata che supera i confinigeografici e temporali.

Sebbene a determinare il carattere essenzialedell’opera fosse stata la reazione di C

vajkovskij

nei confronti di Pusvkin, bisogna riconoscere letante altre influenze di cui risentì l’opera.Come nella sua musica orchestrale, in cui ilcompositore rimase vicino alle tradizionidell’Europa occidentale più di tanti altricontemporanei, per esempio Balakirev e Cui,che invece scelsero di seguireprovocatoriamente un sentiero filo-slavo, cosìnelle sue opere egli trasse grande ispirazioneda opere estranee al repertorio russo. PerEugenio Onieghin, il suo incontro con la Carmendi Bizet durante una visita a Parigi nel 1876 sirivelò fondamentale: Modest ci dice che fu“una delle più potenti impressioni musicalidella sua vita”, e sebbene le trame delle dueopere siano molto diverse, alcuni panorami

emotivi sono simili. Altrettanto importante,forse, fu la visita di C

vajkovskij a Bayreuth nel

1876 per la prima rappresentazione diDer Ring des Nibelungen. Sebbene sia difficile darintracciare l’influenza di Wagner nella suamusica, forse è significativo che EugenioOnieghin faccia un uso più cospicuo esviluppato dei motivi del ricordo rispetto allesue opere precedenti.

Indubbiamente, l’influenza musicale piùimportante su C

vajkovskij fu, comunque, la

tradizione nazionale dell’opera che si erasviluppata nel suo paese nel corso deiprecedenti quarant’anni, in seguitoall’apparizione di Una vita per lo zar di Glinkanel 1836. La qualità russa del poema di Pusvkinsi rispecchia nell’adattamento consapevole diCvajkovskij di molte delle caratteristiche dello

stile nazionale dell’opera: il rustico Coro delRaccolto nell’Atto I, per esempio, ha moltecontroparti, come le caratteristiche danze,come la polacca dell’Atto III. Tuttavia, nellemani di C

vajkovskij, tali caratteristiche vengono

utilizzate per un fine molto diverso, perchéEugenio Onieghin è un’opera molto più realisticaalla maniera della Traviata di Verdi cheun’opera della scuola nazionalistica. Mentre glielementi russi danno un enorme contributoalla vivace atmosfera dell’opera, la sua

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desideri. Olga riconosce ben presto ilcambiamento d’umore della sorella.

Olga e Lenski si dichiarano reciprocamenteamore. Onieghin impegna Tatiana in unaconversazione educata e piuttosto artificiale.Le chiede come fa ad essere felice incampagna, un ambiente che offre così pochedistrazioni sociali; lei risponde che passa iltempo a leggere e sognare, tradendo il suotemperamento essenzialmente romantico.

Mentre Onieghin e Tatiana si allontanano,Lenski manifesta i suoi sentimenti per Olga,che sono caldamente ricambiati.

Al cadere della sera, la Làrina esce perchiamare i suoi ospiti a tavola. Onieghinaccompagna Tatiana a casa, osservato daFilippievna. La nutrice crede di intuire daalcuni indizi che la sua pupilla si è innamoratadel nuovo visitatore.

Scena secondaLa camera da letto di Tatiana, più tardi, la stessasera

IntroduzioneFilippievna dice a Tatiana che è ora di

andare a letto.Mentre si prepara, Tatiana chiede a

Filippievna di parlarle del passato.È mai stata innamorata? Quando la nutrice16

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le racconta la storia del proprio tristematrimonio, Tatiana le parla dei suoisentimenti e dei suoi turbamenti.

Rimasta sola, Tatiana si avvicina alloscrittoio e inizia a scrivere una lettera aOnieghin. Dopo qualche esitazione iniziale, glirivela i suoi sentimenti per lui.

Il suo cuore la obbliga a dichiarargli il suoamore, scrive. Forse, se non l’avesse maiincontrato, con il tempo avrebbe sposato unaltro uomo.

Alzandosi dallo scrittoio, si rende contoche non può esserci nessun altro.

L’ha sempre amato. – Riprende a scrivere la lettera,

implorando Onieghin di salvarla dal tormentoa cui si è ridotta.

Alle prime luci dell’alba la lettera è finita.Filippievna viene a svegliare Tatiana.

La fanciulla le chiede un favore, eFilippievna acconsente.

Tatiana le consegna la sua dichiarazioned’amore e le chiede di consegnarla a Onieghin.

Scena terzaLa proprietà dei Larin il giorno dopo

Un gruppo di contadine canta mentreraccoglie more.

Appare Tatiana, preoccupata alla notizia27

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2221

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che Onieghin è venuto a trovarla: rimpiangegià la sua azione impulsiva.

L’uomo le parla piuttosto freddamente,perché nonostante la lettera abbia riacceso inlui alcuni vecchi sentimenti, lo ha sorpreso lafranchezza con cui la fanciulla si è rivolta auna persona relativamente sconosciuta.

Se avesse deciso di condurre una vita difelicità domestica, le dice, non avrebbe potutosperare di avere una compagna migliore diTatiana. Ma non si sente più destinato almatrimonio e non pensa di poter ricambiarel’affetto di Tatiana.

Mentre le contadine continuano a cantare illoro allegro motivo, Onieghin consiglia aTatiana di esercitare maggiore autocontrolloe attendere che arrivi un consorte più adeguato.

COMPACT DISC DUE

Atto II

Scena prima La sala da ballo nella casa della signora Làrina, ilgennaio successivo. È l’onomastico di Tatiana e in suoonore si svolge un ballo.

Si inizia con un valzer.Gli ospiti, molti dei quali sono dei

possidenti, esprimono il loro piacere per2

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quest’occasione, un gradevole cambiamentorispetto alle normali abitudini.

Onieghin, che è arrivato con Lenski, danzacon Tatiana. Questo suscita alcuni commenti:il gruppo lo considera indegno di Tatiana acausa del suo carattere sgradevole e le suefamigerate cattive abitudini.

Onieghin sente i loro commenti e, avendodeciso di punire Lenski per averlo trascinato alballo, insiste per ballare con Olga.

Geloso dell’attenzione rivolta da Olga aOnieghin, Lenski l’accusa di flirtare con lui.Olga, che invece si diverte, dice a Lenski che èsciocco da parte sua dare tanta importanza aun innocuo ballo, ma per indispettirlo accettadi ballare nuovamente con Onieghin.

– Un vecchio insegnante francese,Monsieur Triquet, declama alcuni versi che hacomposto in onore di Tatiana.

Viene annunciata la danza successiva: sitratta di una mazurka. Onieghin fa un giro conOlga e poi la accompagna a sedersi. Lenskinon gli stacca gli occhi di dosso.

Lenski inizia a litigare con Onieghin,accusandolo di fare delle avances indesideratea Olga. Onieghin tenta di calmarlo, ma Lenskiha perso il lume della ragione. Sfida Onieghina duello. La Làrina è scandalizzata che tuttoquesto possa accadere sotto il suo tetto.

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Il principe Gremin presenta Onieghin aTatiana; la donna ammette di averloconosciuto brevemente in passato.

Quando Tatiana esce, Onieghin medita suicambiamenti che sono sopravvenuti su di lei.Adesso rimpiange di averla respinta ed è pienodi nuovo ardore. Decide di dichiararle ilproprio amore.

Scena secondaUna stanza in casa del principe Gremin,la mattina dopo

IntroduzioneTatiana ha ricevuto una lettera da Onieghin

in cui l’uomo le dichiara i propri sentimenti.Tra le lacrime, ricorda il suo amore di un tempoper lui. Arriva Onieghin, che implora la suapietà.

Asciugandosi le lacrime, Tatiana gli ricordail loro primo incontro e la freddezza e lacrudeltà con cui aveva reagito alle sueespressioni adolescenziali d’amore. Adesso sirende conto che lui aveva ragione; allora eratroppo semplice e poco sofisticata. Forse ilsuo amore di oggi dipende dal fatto di averlaritrovata ricca e ben imparentata?

Nonostante le proteste di Onieghin, rimaneinflessibile.

Per quanto sia tentata di cedere all’amore28

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22 che comincia a risvegliarsi nel suo cuore, deverimanere fedele a suo marito.

Chiede a Onieghin di andarsene e corre viadalla stanza. Sopraffatto dalla disperazione,Onieghin medita sul suo triste destino.

© Ewan WestTraduzione: Emanuela Guastella

Kiri Te Kanawa si è conquistata una famaleggendaria quasi da un giorno all’altro, dopoil suo sensazionale esordio nelle Nozze diFigaro, in cui interpretava il ruolo dellaContessa, alla Royal Opera House, CoventGarden. Da allora, ha rapidamente raggiuntoun posto di prima linea nella liricainternazionale, diventando uno dei più famosisoprano del mondo. All’epoca del suo esordiooperistico aveva già acquisito notevoleesperienza nei concerti e nelle registrazioni e sitrovava a proprio agio sia sotto le telecameresia in teatro. Ha continuato a perfezionarsi neirecital e oggi è un’artista molto ricercata inmolti contesti musicali diversi.

Kiri Te Kanawa è una figura nota neiprincipali teatri lirici del mondo: CoventGarden, Metropolitan Opera, Chicago LyricOpera, Opéra di Parigi, Sydney Opera House,Opera di Vienna, La Scala, San Francisco,

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Lenski ricorda i giorni felici da luitrascorsi nella casa della Làrina. Tatiana èinorridita al pensiero che Onieghin possarimanere ucciso e perduto per sempre perlei, mentre Olga, la Làrina e gli invitatibiasimano i giovani che agiscono inmaniera così impulsiva e cieca. Onieghinprova segretamente rimorso per le proprieazioni.

Tuttavia accetta la sfida di Lenski perdargli una lezione e per aver interpretato maledelle azioni innocenti.

Scena secondaUn mulino ad acqua sulle rive di un ruscello in unbosco. È mattina presto, il sole si è appena levato.

IntroduzioneZaretsky, ufficiale e padrino di Lenski,

cerca Onieghin, chiedendosi se si sia perso. Oppresso dai presentimenti, Lenski sente

che sarà ucciso nel duello. Ricorda i giornidella sua giovinezza e il suo amore per Olga.

Arriva Onieghin, accompagnato solo daun servitore come padrino.

Mentre i due padrini si accordano,Onieghin e Lenski fanno un ultimo, inutiletentativo di riconciliazione. Nel duello chesegue, Lenski rimane ucciso.

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10 Atto III

Scena primaDiversi anni dopo. La casa del principe Gremin aSan Pietroburgo

Gli ospiti danzano una polacca e poi sidividono in gruppi di conversazione.

Onieghin ha fatto ritorno a SanPietroburgo dopo diversi anni trascorsi aviaggiare senza meta, nel tentativo di sfuggireal suo passato. Ma non riesce ancora adimenticare di aver ucciso l’unico amico di cuiavesse stima; il suo fantasma lo ossessionaancora costantemente. Gli altri ospitiaccennano solo alla sua presenza cupa.

Si balla una scozzese.Entra il principe Gremin con sua moglie,

che altri non è che Tatiana. Onieghin lariconosce, anche se con difficoltà, perché ladonna è cambiata; non è più una fanciulla diprovincia, ma una principessa dignitosa.Tatiana chiede chi sia lo sconosciuto cheadesso sta parlando con suo marito e sentendoil nome Onieghin comincia a tremareinternamente d’emozione.

L’anziano principe Gremin descrive aOnieghin il suo profondo amore per la suagiovane sposa, che ha trasformato la suaesistenza arida.

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Monaco, Colonia e Verona. È un sopranolirico e tra le sue interpretazioni vannoricordati tre importanti ruoli per il repertoriodi Richard Strauss (Arabella, la Marschallin,e la Contessa in Capriccio), Fiordiligi, DonnaElvira, Pamina e la Contessa Almaviva peril repertorio mozartiano; Violetta, AmeliaBoccanegra, Desdemona per il repertorioverdiano; Tosca, Mimì e Manon Lescaut peril repertorio pucciniano; Rosalinde di JohannStrauss, Tatiana di C

vajkovskij, Micaela di Bizet

e Marguerite di Gounod. L’artista ha al proprio attivo tutta una serie

di registrazioni di prestigio, tra cui unaversione integrale di Don Giovanni, Le nozzedi Figaro, Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte e Tosca,La rondine e Manon Lescaut, Simon Boccanegra,Arabella, Otello, La traviata, Der Rosenkavalier,Faust, Carmen, Capriccio e La bohème, oltre adantologie di arie tratte dal repertorio liricofrancese, italiano e tedesco.

Nel 1982, Kiri Te Kanawa è stata nominataDame, e nel 1995 ha ricevuto l’Order of NewZealand, una prestigiosa onorificenza dellaRegina.

Il grande baritono americano ThomasHampson, è apprezzato per la sua versatilità ei notevoli risultati conseguiti nel repertorio

operistico e liederistico, oltre che nel campodella registrazione e della ricerca. La suacarriera internazionale l’ha portato acomparire nei teatri e nelle sale da concertopiù prestigiose del mondo, facendo di lui unodei solisti più rispettati, innovativi e ricercati.L’artista sottolinea il suo impegno per l’artedella lirica non solo attraverso l’insegnamento,ma anche attraverso la ricerca del repertorio ela creazione di progetti multimediali comeVoices from the Heart, un documentario sullamusica di Stephen Foster per la HessischerRundfunk und Arte.

Thomas Hampson ha interpretato unanotevole varietà di ruoli in un repertoriooperistico che va da Rossini a Verdi e Puccini,e da Monteverdi a Britten e Henze. Tra le sueultime interpretazioni più apprezzate vannoricordati i ruoli di protagonista in GuillaumeTell (Vienna), Eugenio Onieghin (Vienna eParigi), Hamlet di Ambroise Thomas(Montecarlo e San Francisco) e nella versioneper baritono del Werther di Massenetraramente eseguita (New York); il baritono èstato père Germont ne La traviata (Zurigo);il marchese di Posa nella versione originale infrancese del Don Carlos di Verdi (Parigi,Londra, Edimburgo); Wolfram nel Tannhäuserdi Wagner (Zurigo), Dr Faustus di Busoni

(Salisburgo), e King Roger di Szymanowski(Birmingham). La stagione 2000/2001comprende apparizioni in Dr Faustus (NewYork), Hamlet (Parigi), Eugenio Onieghin,Guillaume Tell, Die lustige Witwe e Linda diChamounix (Vienna) oltre all’esordio nel ruolodi Oreste in Iphigénie en Tauride di Gluck aSalisburgo. Quasi tutte le registrazioni diThomas Hampson sono state premiate (seicandidature a un Grammy e tre premiGramophone).

Il versatile tenore americano Neil Rosensheinè noto per le sue memorabili interpretazioni inteatro e per la sua arte musicale. Compare conaltrettanto successo nei teatri lirici e nelle saleda concerto in un repertorio che va dal generebarocco a quello contemporaneo.

Durante la stagione 2000/2001, NeilRosenshein sarà Erode in Salome con laMilwaukee Symphony, e Tikhon in KatyaKabanova con la Grand Opera di Houston. Haesordito al Metropolitan con il ruolo diAlfredo ne La traviata, poi ha interpretato ilruolo di protagonista nel Faust di Gounod, ilPrincipe in un nuovo allestimento di Rusalka, ilprotagonista di Peter Grimes, e i ruoli di Alfrede Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Specialista delrepertorio francese, ha interpretato al

Metropolitan anche il ruolo di protagonista diWerther ed è comparso nelle vesti di Don Josénella Carmen per la serie Met in the Parks. Èstato ospite di tutti i principali teatri lirici degliStati Uniti.

In Europa, Neil Rosenshein ha lavorato allaRoyal Opera, Covent Garden (Lenski inEugenio Onieghin e Steva in Jenuofa); all’Opéra diParigi e all’Opera di Amburgo (Alfredo);all’Opera di Zurigo (Belmonte in DieEntführung aus dem Serail ); all’Opéra deLausanne (Cavaradossi e Werther); al GrandThéâtre de Genève (Tom Rakewell in TheRake’s Progress); e all’Opera dei Paesi Bassicome protagonista di Don Carlo e Der Zwerg diZemlinsky. Si è esibito inoltre a Essen, Bonn,Bruxelles, Lisbona, Lille, Nizza, Marsiglia,Toulouse, Lione, e con la New Israeli Opera.In Giappone ha interpretato il ruolo di Lenskicon il Pacific Music Festival e la parte solisticaper tenore della Nona sinfonia di Beethovenin un Concerto per la Pace che si è svolto aHiroshima.

John Connell ha studiato presso il RoyalNorthern College of Music con PatrickMcGuigan e presso il National Opera Studio.Ha esordito con la Engish National Opera nelruolo di Ramphis in Aida e la stagione

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Recentemente Nicolai Gedda è comparso inun concerto di arie tratte da opere e operetteche ha riscosso grande successo presso laRoyal Opera House e ha fatto ritorno qui perun nuovo allestimento del Palestrina di Pfitzner.

Patricia Bardon, di Dublino, si è messa inluce per la prima volta vincendo il primoconcorso mondiale per voci di Cardiff; daallora è diventata un’importante interpreteinternazionale di opere e concerti.

I suoi ruoli operistici comprendono Arsace(Semiramide) alla Fenice di Venezia; il ruolo diprotagonista nella Cenerentola al teatro LaMonnaie di Bruxelles; il ruolo di protagonistadi Carmen per l’Opera di Amburgo, la WelshNational Opera e Scottish Opera; Penelope(Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria) al Maggio MusicaleFiorentino e ad Atene con Trevor Pinnock; ilruolo di protagonista nell’Orlando di Handel aNew York, Parigi, Lione, Strasburgo eMontpellier con William Christie e Les ArtsFlorissants; Smeton (Anna Bolena) a SanFrancisco; Amastris (Serse) con Ivor Boltonper l’Opera di Monaco, a Dresda eMontpellier; Juno (Semele) a Innsbruck conRené Jacobs; il ruolo di protagonista inTamerlano al festival di Beaune; Helen (KingPriam) per De Vlaamse Opera, Anversa, e la

terza damigella (Die Zauberflöte) a Verona; ruoliin Guillaume Tell, Mosè in Egitto, Rigoletto, Lafanciulla del West e Mefistofele per la Royal OperaHouse, Covent Garden, e numerosi ruoli perOpera North, Welsh National Opera, ScottishOpera, English National Opera eGlyndebourne. Futuri impegni prevedonoapparizioni alla Lyric Opera di Chicago, ilMaggio Musicale con Zubin Mehta, l’Opera diMonaco, la English National Opera eAmsterdam.

Patricia Bardon ha un repertorioconcertistico vasto e completo, che l’ha vistacomparire alla Scala, Madrid, Bruxelles,Berlino, ai festival di Edimburgo e Montreux,Cincinnati, Tokio. Le sue registrazionicomprendono Orlando, Elijah, Erda(Das Rhinegold per Chandos/Peter MooresFoundation), Amastris (Serse) e Rigoletto.

Richard Van Allan è un baritono basso tra ipiù illustri della Gran Bretagna. È membrodella English National Opera e compare innumerosi ruoli di protagonista; ha cantatoinoltre al Covent Garden, Opera North,Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Welsh NationalOpera e Scottish Opera. Dirige il NationalOpera Studio. I suoi impegni lirici all’estero lohanno portato al Metropolitan di New York,

successiva entrava a fare parte della compagniacome basso solista. Ha cantato regolarmentecon la English National Opera come ospite,interpretando, tra l’altro, il ruolo delCommendatore (Don Giovanni), Colline(La bohème), il monaco (Don Carlos), la primavoce (Doktor Faust di Busoni), Ferrando(Il trovatore), Leporello (Il convitato di pietra), ilvecchio detenuto (Lady Macbeth di Mtsensk),Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Dansker (BillyBudd ), Banquo (Macbeth), Pogner (I maestricantori) e Sarastro (Il flauto magico). Ha cantatoinoltre per la Royal Opera e Opera North.

Le registrazioni comprendono Peter Grimes(per Chandos), Billy Budd, Elijah, Stabat Materdi Szymanowski e Serenade to Music di VaughanWilliams. Per la BBC ha effettuato unaregistrazione radiofonica di un’opera in studio,The Burghers of Calais. Tra i suoi altri impegnivanno ricordate le interpretazioni in concertodi Die Walküre in Spagna, il ruolo di Sarastrocon la Welsh National Opera e il padreGuardiano (La forza del destino) con la EnglishNational Opera.

Nicolai Gedda è uno dei più grandi artisti delnostro tempo ed è apprezzato per la suapadronanza di un repertorio che abbracciaquasi tutti gli stili e le epoche nel campo

dell’opera, oratorio, operetta, lied ocomposizioni per orchestra.

Nato in Svezia da genitori russi e svedesi, haesordito come professionista alla Royal Operadi Stoccolma nel 1952 in Le Postillon deLongjumeau. Nel 1953 esordiva alla Scala diMilano, nel 1954 all’Opéra di Parigi e nel 1957con il Metropolitan (nel ruolo di protagonistadel Faust di Gounod). Dal suo esordio con laRoyal Opera nel 1965 (come duca di Mantovanel Rigoletto di Verdi) vi ha fatto ritorno percantare Benvenuto Cellini, Alfredo, GustavoIII in Un ballo in maschera, Nemorino e Lenski.Ha creato ruoli di protagonista in Vanessa diBarber e The Last Savage di Menotti alMetropolitan.

I suoi trionfi operistici vanno dalle opere diHaydn e Mozart a Stravinskij, Orff, Barber eMenotti, mentre in recital viene consideratouno straordinario interprete di lieder. NicolaiGedda ha lavorato con quasi tutti i più grandidirettori degli ultimi trentacinque anni, tra cuiBeecham, Bernstein, Giulini, Klemperer eSolti. Inoltre è uno dei tenori con ladiscografia più ricca del mondo: ha al suoattivo 200 registrazioni, che comprendonoversioni integrali delle opere Guillaume Tell,La bohème, Faust, Werther, Manon, Così fan tutte eBenvenuto Cellini.

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all'Opéra di Parigi, al Teatro Colôn di BuenosAires, a San Diego, Miami e Seattle. Hainterpretato, tra l'altro, il ruolo di protagonistanel Don Quichotte di Massenet (EnglishNational Opera e Victoria State Opera),Theseus (The Fairy Queen), Basilio, Old Man(King Priam) per la Flanders Opera e l'ENOe Don Jerome (La Dueña per Opera North).

Le registrazioni di Richard Van Allancomprendono Così fan tutte di Mozart conMontserrat Caballé, Janet Baker e IleanaCotrubas per la direzione di Sir Colin Davis,Don Giovanni con Bernard Haitink, il ruolo diRaleigh (Gloriana di Britten) con Sir CharlesMackerras, Billy Budd, e per ChandosLa Dueña di Roberto Gerhard.

Linda Finnie è nata in Scozia e ha studiatopresso la Royal Scottish Academy of Musicand Drama e la Royal Academy of Music. Ècomparsa con tutte le principali compagnieoperistiche britanniche, in particolare con laEnglish National Opera nel ruolo di Brangäne(Tristano e Isotta), Eboli (Don Carlos), Amneris(Aida), Ortrud (Lohengrin) e Ulrica (Un ballo inmaschera), e con la Royal Opera nel ruolo diWaltraute (Götterdämmerung). Al di fuori delRegno Unito è comparsa a Parigi, Ginevra,Francoforte, in Fiandra, a Lille, Nizza, Vienna,

Tokio, Singapore, in Australia, Nuova Zelandae al festival di Bayreuth.

Le numerose registrazioni di Linda Finnieper Chandos includono opere di Bliss,Diepenbrock, Korngold e Respighi, oltre aicicli di lieder di Mahler, Elijah, Sea Pictures diElgar e The Light of Life, e Ivan the Terrible diProkof ’ev (vincitore del premio DeutscheSchallplatten).

Nata nella contea inglese di Lancashire,Elizabeth Bainbridge effettuò gli studi alconservatorio londinese Guildhall School ofMusic and Drama. Nel 1964 fece il suodebutto al Royal Opera Covent Garden conDie Walküre e l’anno successivo entrò a farparte della compagnia omonima. Hasostenuto, tra l’altro, la parte di Quickly,Suzuki, Amneris, Emilia, Erda, Arvidson,Filipyevna, della Vecchia (ne The MidsummerMarriage), Nonna Buryja (in JenuÞfa) e dellaZietta (in Peter Grimes). La Bainbridge si èesibita con la Royal Opera al Teatro alla Scalanel 1976, nella Corea del sud et nel Giapponenel 1979, all’Olympic Arts Festival 1984 di LosAngeles e al Festival d’Atene 1985. Le sueregistrazioni discografiche includono Norma,Les Troyens, L’astuta piccola volpe, Dido and Aenease The Midsummer Marriage.

reputazione è cresciuta rapidamente e il suolavoro operistico e concertistico ha riscossograndi apprezzamenti non solo nel repertoriotradizionale, per esempio quello verdiano, maanche nelle opere del ventesimo secolo, peresempio A Midsummer Marriage di Tippett e Dauna casa di morti di Janácvek. Il Coro ha registratonumerose opere, tra cui Andrea Chénier conRiccardo Chailly, Tristan und Isolde e Parsifal conReginald Goodall,I masnadieri, Norma, Hamlet, Ernani,Anna Bolena e Adriana Lecouvreur conRichard Bonynge, Tosca con Georg Solti,Rigoletto, Faust e Un ballo in maschera con CarloRizzi, oltre a The Mikado, The Piratesof Penzance, The Yeomen of the Guard,Gloriana di Britten e Osud di Janácvek conMackerras. Tra i brani concertistici, il coro haregistrato Sea Drift di Delius, The Vigil of Venusdi George Lloyd e Hiawatha di Coleridge-Taylor.

Sir Charles Mackerras è nato nel 1925 negliStati Uniti da genitori australiani ed ha studiatoa Sydney e a Praga. In opera ha debuttatocome direttore al Sadler’s Wells Opera dovediresse la sensazionale prima esecuzionebritannica della Kát’a Kabanová di JanácŠek,rappresentazione che inserì JanácŠek nel

L’Orchestra della Welsh National Opera,fondata nel 1970, è considerata una dellemigliori orchestre britanniche, moltoapprezzata per il un vasto repertoriooperistico e anche per i concerti e leregistrazioni.

Dal 1973 al 1986, sotto la guida del suodirettore musicale Richard Armstrong,l’orchestra ha sviluppato un vasto repertoriooperistico. A questo periodo risale la primacollaborazione di Reginald Goodall conl’orchestra. Nel 1987 la carica di Direttoremusicale passava a Sir Charles Mackerras e gliimpegni di registrazione dell’orchestracominciavano ad ampliarsi notevolmente. Inprecedenza erano state registrate diverse operein versione integrale con Richard Bonynge eJoan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé eLuciano Pavarotti alla testa di cast diprim’ordine. Con Mackerras l’orchestra haregistrato Osud di Janácvek (CHAN 3019).Carlo Rizzi è Direttore musicale dal 1992. Nel1995 l’Orchestra della Welsh National Operasi è aggiudicata il premio della RoyalPhilharmonic Society Music, nella categoriaLarge Ensemble.

Il Coro della Welsh National Opera è natocome gruppo professionale nel 1968. La sua

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corrente repertorio britannico. È statodirettore stabile dell’opera di Amburgo dal1966 al 1969 e direttore artistico del Sadler’sWells (poi English National Opera) dal 1970 al1977 e della Welsh National Opera dal 1987 al1991 per la quale diresse, fra l’altro, di nuovoJanácŠek con grande successo. L’allestimento ela registrazione di Osud vennero sponsorizzatidalla Peter Moores Foundation. Sir CharlesMackerras è direttore ad honoris della ScottishChamber Orchestra, direttore emeritus dellaWelsh National Opera, direttore principalidella San Francisco Opera e dalla stagione1998/99 direttore artistico dell’Orchestra ofSt Luke’s di New York. Da molti annicollabora con la Royal Opera, Covent Garden,e dirige regolarmente alla Metropolitan Operadi New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras ha intrapreso estese

ricerche nella pratica esecutiva della musicadel Settecento e Ottocento esercitandoprofonda influenza nell’interpretazione deinostri giorni. La sua vasta discografia includeun assai premiato ciclo di opere di JanácŠekcon l’Orchestra Filarmonica di Vienna,Gloriana di Britten e Rusalka di DvoŠrák (chehanno vinto i premi Gramophone) e con laEnglish National Opera il Giulio Cesare diHandel e Maria Stuarda di Donizetti (per laChandos/Peter Moores Foundation).

Sir Charles Mackerras ha ricevutol’onorificenza di Commendatore (CBE) nel1974 e il titolo di Sir per la sua attività dimusicista nel 1979. Gli è stata inoltreconferita la medaglia al merito dellaRepubblica Ceca, il premio Chopin ed è statonominato “Companion of the Order ofAustralia”.

Page from the manuscript score of Eugene Onegin

AKG

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Neil Rosenshein as Lenskyin Welsh National Opera’s

1993 production ofEugene Onegin

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Neil Rosenshein as Lensky inWelsh National Opera’s 1993production of Eugene Onegin

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Peasants’ harvest dance, Act I Scene 1, from Welsh National Opera’s 1993 production of Eugene Onegin

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COMPACT DISC ONE

Act I

Introduction

Scene 1

The garden of the Larin country estate. On the left, ahouse with a terrace; on the right, a shady tree with aflower bed nearby. In the background, a dilapidatedwooden fence beyond which the village and church arevisible through the thick foliage. It is early evening.Madame Larina sits under the tree making jam;Filippyevna is standing near her and helping. The doorsleading from the house onto the terrace are open, andsinging can be heard coming from within.

No. 1 Duet and Quartet

Tatyana and Olga‘Oh, did you hear the lovesick shepherd boywho sings of woe and sadness never-ending?The morning silence with him softly

blending,as he pours out his plaintive song of love.Oh, did you hear the shepherd boyas he pours out his silent love?Within the grove each daythe shepherd sings his plaintive song of love.Oh, did you hear at break of day the shepherd

boywho sings of love?’

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Madame LarinaI know that song and I rememberhow in those long-forgotten dayswhen I was young, I also sang it.

NurseAh, that was many years ago.

Tatyana and Olga‘And did you sigh to hear its melody,his song of love and sadness never-ending,and see his grief, all other grief transcending,as in distress he vowed that he would die?’And did you sigh to hear him vowthat he would die?In his distress the shepherd boy looked downand vowed that he would die.

Madame LarinaHow I adored those English novels!

NurseYes, that was many years ago.

Madame LarinaNot that I read them for myself.No, it was just because my cousin –Princess Aline who lived in Moscow –would talk of Richardson all day.Ah, Grandison! Ah, Richardson!

NurseYes, I remember.You’d only just become engaged!But I knew it wasn’t a love-match!

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Madame LarinaAt first I woke each morning crying,and even longed to run away.But household duties soon beganand gradually I grew contented.

Madame Larina and NurseGod sends us habit from abovein place of happiness and love.The proverb’s true!

Madame LarinaAnd so romance, Princess Aline,and books of sentimental versewere all forgotten.

NurseAnd you soon preferred to dress in something

simpler;instead of crinoline and wrap…

Madame Larina and NurseAh! I/You wear a quilted gown and cap.God sends us habit from abovein place of happiness and love.The proverb’s true!

Madame LarinaAnd yet my husband loved me blindlyand always treated me so kindly.

NurseAnd yet the master loved you blindlyand always treated you so kindly.

For you had set your heart on someonemore romantically inclined,and dreamt you might elope together.

Madame LarinaAh, so I had! Ah, so I had!He took my heart away,that dashing ensign in the Guards!

NurseAll that seems many years ago.

Madame LarinaI was so elegant in those days…

NurseYes, you looked lovely…

Madame Larina…And wore each fashion à la mode.

Nurse…And wore each fashion of the day.

Madame LarinaBut father chose a husband for me.

NurseThen you were married straight away;no wonder you were so unhappy.But soon you said goodbye to Moscow;your noble master brought you here,and when your household duties startedyou grew contented.

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Fa la la la, etc.,‘I’m a gentleman of breeding.’

‘You have said the same to Sasha;broke your promise to Parasha!’Fa la la la, etc.,‘broke your promise to Parasha!’

‘Don’t believe that harridan Parasha,when I see her next I swear I’ll thrash her!Don’t believe Parasha,who’s been gossiping with Masha;if we meet again I’ll thrash her!’

But the miller’s pretty daughtershouted back across the water,Fa la la la, etc.,shouted back across the water.

‘Though you’ve got your fascination,I must keep my reputation,so I’ll be at your disposalwhen you make me a proposal!’

Fa la la la! etc.

No. 3 Scene and Aria

Tatyana (with book in hand )Oh, how I love to hear the people singing,for music makes me lose myselfin endless dreaming and yearning far away.

(Olga and Tatyana come down from the balconyand join their mother.)

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OlgaAh, Tanya, Tanya, you dream the whole day long!I’m not like you at all; when I hear songsthey always set me dancing.(She dances.)‘In a cottage by the waterlived a miller with his daughter.’(Olga embraces her mother and then moves down-stage to sing. Madame Larina, the Nurse andTatyana gather round her.)I’m not the sort to sit in silence,at night I never stay awakeand watch the moonlight at my window,or sigh and sigh and sighas if my heart would break!So why be sad? Behave as I doand lead a life that’s always gay;for when you’re cheerful and fond of laughterthe heart grows younger every day.Never give way to sorrow or despair;each morning calls anew to pleasure!My love of life is past all measure,that’s why my heart is free from care!

No. 4 SceneMadame LarinaCome here, my darling Olga!I love to see you happy and contented.You’d really like to spend the whole day dancing,I’m sure of it!(Tatyana and the Nurse walk away from the others.)

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Madame Larina and NurseYes, God is good, he knows what’s best,and all who trust in him surely will find rest.

(The singing of peasants is heard off-stage,gradually coming nearer.)

No. 2 Chorus and Dance of the Peasants

LeaderMy legs ache and can no longer run,now the day is done.

PeasantsMy poor legs are aching and cannot run.

LeaderMy hands both are sore from binding cornsince the break of morn.

PeasantsMy sore hands are aching from binding corn.My heart is grieving from bitter sorrowand never-ending care;my spirit is sorefor I’ll see my love no more.My legs ache, etc.(The peasants enter, carrying before them adecorated sheaf of corn.)Health and wealth to your ladyship,years of plenty and fellowship!Doubtless you know why we come to youbearing a sheaf as we always do;harvest is finished at last!

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Madame LarinaThank you, good people, I’m delighted.You’re welcome here.Let’s celebrate the harvest with a song!

PeasantsWhy, that’s a pleasure, ma’am.Sing for her ladyship,and take your places, dancers.Come on now, are you ready?(During the song the girls dance with the sheaf andTatyana and Olga come out onto the balcony.)In a cottage by the waterlived a miller with his daughter.Fa la la la, etc.,lived a miller with his daughter.

Came a farmer on the ferry,rich and ruddy as a cherry.Fa la la la, etc.,rich and ruddy as a cherry.

Saw the miller’s pretty daughter,started then and there to court her.Fa la la la, etc.,started then and there to court her.

Thought he’d manage to persuade herif he came to serenade her.Fa la la la, etc.,if he came to serenade her.

‘Won’t you listen to my pleading?I’m a gentleman of breeding.’

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TatyanaOh, in that case I must go!(She wants to run away; Madame Larina restrainsher.)Madame LarinaWhat nonsense, Tanya! They’ll be offended.Heavens above! My cap is on all askew!

(The Nurse arranges Tatyana’s dress and then goesout, motioning to her not to be afraid.)

Olga (to Madame Larina)Why don’t you ask them in?

Madame Larina (to the coachman)Invite them to come in!

(The coachman runs out. In great excitement theyall prepare to receive the guests. Enter Onegin andLensky. Lensky goes up to Madame Larina, kissesher hand and bows to the girls courteously.)

No. 5 Scene and QuartetLenskyMesdames, I hope that you’ll excuse me,I’ve brought a visitor. This is Onegin,my neighbour and my friend.

OneginI’m greatly honoured.

Madame Larina (flustered )No really, sir, it’s we who are honoured.Be seated and meet my daughters.

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OneginI find them charming, ma’am.Madame LarinaLet’s go inside to talk,or, if you would prefer it,we could remain here in the garden.I beg you, don’t stand on ceremony;we are neighbours, so do exactly as you please.Lensky (to Onegin)I love it here! There’s nowhere else that’s quite

so peacefulor secluded. It’s just delightful!

Madame LarinaStay here then!But I must go indoors to see about the supper.My girls will entertain you. A bientôt !(She goes out, motioning to Tatyana not to be shy.Lensky and Onegin walk over to the right. Tatyanaand Olga stand on the opposite side.)

Onegin (to Lensky)Now tell me, which of them’s Tatyana?I’m really interested to know.

LenskyThe older one who’s looking sad,with eyes cast downwards so demurely.

OneginI’m most surprised you’ve chosen Olga.

LenskyAnd why?

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NurseTanyusha, what’s the matter? Tell me, child;perhaps you’re feeling ill.

TatyanaNo, Nanny, please don’t worry.

Madame Larina (turning to the peasants)Good people, let me thank you for your

singing.You must be thirsty now.Filippyevna, arrange for wine before they leave.My friends, God bless you!

PeasantsGoodbye, and thank you, ma’am!

(The Nurse goes out with the peasants. Tatyana sits down on the terrace steps and becomes engrossed in her book.)

OlgaOh, mother, what’s the matter with Tatyana?

Madame LarinaDear, dear! Indeed, you look quite pale, my

darling.

TatyanaBut no more than usual.You’re far too anxious, mother!Can’t you see I’m busy reading my novel?

Madame LarinaAh, clearly that’s the reason!

TatyanaIt’s such a moving tale of two young people;they’re both in love yet so unhappy,and I’m sorry for them.Oh, how they had to suffer!

Madame LarinaTanya darling, when I was young I, too,would get upset from reading these romances.They’re all made up, my child!As time went by I came to realise that in lifethere are no heroes or heroines.

OlgaYou try to sound so worldly, but all the timeforget you’re in your apron!Think what a sight you’d look if Lensky came!(Olga laughs; Madame Larina hastily takes off herapron.)Hush, there’s a carriage coming!Here he is!

Madame LarinaHe’s very early!

Tatyana (looking down from the terrace)He’s not alone.

Madame LarinaWho can it be?

(The Nurse enters in haste with a coachman.)

NurseYour ladyship, he says it’s Mister Lensky;Mister Onegin’s with him.

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(Lensky and Olga walk away. Onegin and Tatyanacome forward. He talks to her with coolpoliteness.)

OneginBut tell me, though,do you not find it rather boringliving so cut off?It’s very quaint but somewhat rustic;there’s nothing here to offer youdistraction or give amusement.

TatyanaWell, I’m fond of reading.

OneginReally! It’s true that books can give us pleasure;I enjoy them also,but even reading surely has its limits!

TatyanaI daydream as I wander through the garden.

OneginWhat is it that you dream about?

TatyanaMy greatest joy is meditation,and has been since I was a child.

OneginI see that you’re incurably romantic;I, too, once used to be the same.

(Onegin and Tatyana move away to the oppositeside of the garden while Lensky and Olga return.)

Lensky (to Olga with passionate ardour)How I love you, I adore you, Olga,with the hopeless longing of a poet’s fervour,as only he is doomed to love!My heart is ruled by one emotion,one constant yearning for devotion,for you’re my goddess and my muse.While still a boy my heart was captured:your voice would haunt me night and day.I watched your innocence, enraptured,and heard you laughing at your play.We lived not caring for the morrow,sharing each childish joy and sorrow.Ah!How I worship you, how I worship you,with the hopeless love known only to a poet!You are all my inspiration,you alone are all my gladness,all my happiness and sadness!How I love you, I adore you,and there’s no power on earth,no time or distance that could keep us both

apart,or ever cool the ardourof my pure desire,for love has warmed it with eternal fire!

OlgaOur days of childhood were sereneamid this quiet rural scene.

LenskyFor I worship you!

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OneginFor I’d prefer the otherwere I a poet just like you.Your Olga’s features have no life,no special character or poetry.I’ll grant she has a pretty face,but like the moon it lacks all grace;yes, like the moon it’s vacant and prosaic.LenskyClearly there is a gulf between us;for prose and verseor fire and wateraren’t more unlike than you and I!Ah, yes! There is a gulf, etc.…Are not more different then you and I!Tatyana (to herself )Now, now at last my eyes are open,my heart assures me it is he!And now I know his precious imagewill haunt me for the rest of life.I’ll dream each night of my beloved.His coming has aroused within methe magic feeling of desire,and set my loving soul on fire.His coming’s filled we with desire,and straightway set my soul on fire!Olga (to herself )I always knew that when Onegin came herehis elegance and easy social gracewould make a deep impression.The gossips will begin to talk

and make their scandalous conclusions.Slyly, they’ll call him eligiblethough also hint that he’s depraved.I knew that when Onegin came herehis charm would make a deep impression.The village gossips now will start to whisperand link Tatyana’s name with his.The people here will start to gossip and whisper,linking Tanya’s name with his.

(Lensky goes up to Olga. Onegin looks nonchalantlyat Tatyana who stands with downcast eyes. He thengoes up to her and engages her in conversation.)

No. 6 Scene and Arioso

Lensky (ardently, to Olga)How perfect, how wonderful,to be once more together!

OlgaI thought we met here only yesterday.

LenskyI know, but that is ages.One whole day of separation –it seemed endless!

OlgaEndless! You make it sound so terrible!Don’t exaggerate!

LenskyThe word was strong, Olga,even as my love for you!

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No. 8 Introduction and Scene

IntroductionNurseThere! No more talk tonight.It’s bedtime, Tanya.You must be up in time for church tomorrow.Now sleep, my child.

(Tatyana rises listlessly and sits on the bed.The Nurse caresses her.)

TatyanaI can’t sleep, Nanny. It’s so sultry.Open the window and sit by me.

(The Nurse opens the window and sits on a chairbeside Tatyana.)

NurseTanya, what’s wrong with you?

TatyanaI’m restless,so tell me more about the past.

NurseWell, let me think now. In the old daysmy head was full of any numberof fairy stories and children’s tales,of ancient legends and romance.Today, though, my poor memory’s failing;those tales are quite forgotten.Ah! My mind grows weaker every day.Yes, truly!

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TatyanaTell me something else, then.When you were just a girl like me,did you not fall in love at all?

NurseNow really, Tanya! What a question!No one in those days spoke of love,and if I’d used that word my husband’s motherwould have sent me packing!

TatyanaThen why did you get married, Nanny?

NurseGod willed it so, and so it happened,when I was only just thirteen.Vanya was even younger still.The match was settled by our parents,my dowry fixed, and then one daymy father blessed me with a kiss.I cried, and no one could console me.Weeping, my friends unbound my braidsand led me solemnly to church.And so I went to live with strangers…But you’re not listening to me, child!

(Tatyana embraces the Nurse with passionateemotion.)

TatyanaOh, Nanny, Nanny, I’m so wretched, so unhappy,I feel like bursting into tears and sobbing,for my heart is breaking.

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OlgaOur parents watched us as we grewand knew that I would marry you.

LenskyYes, I worship you and only you!

(Madame Larina and the Nurse come out onto theterrace. It grows darker; by the end of the scene it isnight.)

No. 7 Closing SceneMadame LarinaAh, here you are! But what’s become of Tanya?

NurseI saw her with your guest down by the lakeside.I’ll go at once and call her.

Madame LarinaYes, and say to hershe should be in by now. Our guests are hungry,and soon it will be supper-time.(to Lensky)So meanwhile, let’s go indoors.

LenskyWe’ll follow you, ma’am.

(The Nurse goes out. Onegin and Tatyana enter.The Nurse re-enters behind them, trying tooverhear their conversation. Onegin walks calmlyacross the stage and by the end of his speech hasreached the terrace. Tatyana still shows signs ofembarrassment.)

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Onegin (to Tatyana)My uncle wrote that he was ailingand so I called on him down here.Thank God, he died a few weeks laterand earned my gratitude, I fear,for he had left me quite a fortune!But, Lord above, I found it tediousto sit beside him night and day,just waiting till he passed away!

(They go into the house.)

NurseMy poor Tanyusha! She looks so timid,her eyes cast meekly down, and never speaking.How pale she’s looking and how shy!Can that young gentleman have caught my

darling’s fancy?

(She goes off pensively, shaking her head.)

Scene 2

Tatyana’s room, very simply furnished with old-fashioned white wooden chairs covered with chintz,and window curtains of the same material. A bed,over which is a bookshelf. A chest of drawers,covered with a cloth, and on it a mirror on a stand.Vases of flowers. At the window, a table withwriting materials. As the curtain rises, Tatyana,wearing a white nightdress, is sitting before hermirror very much lost in thought. The Nurse isstanding near her.

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‘Whatever brought you to this lonely place?For since I live here in seclusionI never would have seen your face,or would have known such bitter torment.My heart would soon have grown contentedand then as time went by, who knows,I might have chanced to find another,agreed to honour and respect him,and made a faithful, loving wife…’(She becomes lost in thought, then rises suddenly.)But no!No, there could never be anotherto whom I’d give my love!My life is bound to yours for ever;this is decreed by heaven above.Now my existence has a meaning,that noble soul for which I sigh.I know that God above has sent youto guard and to love me till I die!Often I’d seen you in my dreaming;your face and form had long been dear.Nightly you whispered in my ear;your words disturbed me with their meaning.And then… that dream of mine came true.For when we met, I straightway knew you,and in that instant, beating wildly,my heart cried out to me: ‘Love him, love him!’For you were always there beside mewhen, sick at heart, I knelt in prayer.Your noble presence seemed to guide mewhen I would help the poor andneedy in charity.

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Yes, it is your beloved visionthat comes in this moment of decisionto stand beside me as I write,and fill my heart with new emotion,with whispered promise of devotion,that brings me comfort and delight.(She goes to the table and sits down again to write.)‘Are you an angel sent to guard me,or will you tempt and then discard me?Resolve these doubts I can’t dispel.Could all my dreams be self-delusion?Am I too innocent to tell?Has Fate prepared its own conclusion?’(She again rises and walks about pensively.)‘No, come what may, I’m now resolvedto lay my worthless life before you.Pity my burning tears and grant meyour protection, I implore you,I implore you!Imagine, I am all alone;there’s no one here who understands me.(She comes down-stage.)I fear my reason will desert me;to find release I’d gladly die.I long for you,I long for you to be my saviour;one word can set my heart on fireor simply stifle my desire,to leave me desolate and wretched!’(She goes quickly to the table and hurriedly finishesthe letter. Then she stands up and seals it.)It’s finished! Dare I read it through?

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NurseThere, there, my child, you must be ill.But God will cure you, you shall see.Come, let me sprinkle holy water on you.You’re all on fire.

Tatyana (hesitantly)I am not ill;I’ll tell you, Nanny, I’m… I’m in love!So leave me now, please leave me now,for I’m in love!

NurseBut Tanya…

TatyanaI beg you, leave me here alone.First bring my table with some paper,my pen as well. I’ll go to bed then.Good night!

Nurse (doing what she is told )Good night; sleep soundly, Tanya!

(She goes out.)

No. 9 Letter Scene(Tatyana remains for a long time lost in thought.Then she rises, very agitated and with an expressionof resolute determination.)

TatyanaTo write is foolishness, I know it,but as I love him, I must show it.And though I languish evermore,

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I’ll learn what rapture lies in store!Desire has poisoned me with longing;all day I only think of him.For though I hide in my despair,my fatal tempter finds me there;my tempter haunts my footsteps everywhere!(She goes to the writing table, sits down and writes,then pauses.)No, that won’t do! I’ll start another.(She tears up the letter.)What’s wrong with me? I’m all on fire.I can’t think how to start.(She writes again, then pauses and reads over whatshe has written.)‘I had to write, my heart compelled me;what is there more that I need say?Henceforth I know that you’ll disdain mefor acting rashly in this way.But if you’d only show compassionand think how wretched I must be,you’ll surely not abandon me!At first I meant to hide my secret;believe me, I had hoped that you would never

know it;never know, never know!’(She lays the letter aside.)Oh, yes, I’d sworn that I would hide my love,and not betray this madness that consumes me.But now I can’t subdue my passion any more;fate will decide whatever lies in store.I shall declare myself and trust in my confession!(She writes again.)

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TatyanaOh, Nanny, what does all that matter?I tell you that my letter is forthe neighbour who was here the other day.

NurseI understand now.

TatyanaIt must be taken to Onegin’s house.

NursePlease don’t be angry that my mind’s astray,I’m growing older every day.

TatyanaOnegin’s house!

NurseI understand now.

TatyanaOnegin’s house!

NurseI understand!

TatyanaSo send your grandson with my letter to

Onegin.

NursePlease don’t be angry that my mind’s astray.I’m growing older every day.But Tanya, why have you turned paler?

TatyanaTruly, there’s no cause for dismay;just send your grandson on his way!

(The Nurse takes the letter, but stands as if still indoubt. Tatyana motions to her to go. The Nurse goes tothe door, stands there a moment considering, then comesback again. Finally she signifies that she understandsand leaves the room. Tatyana sits down at the tableand, resting her elbows on it, again becomes lost inthought.)

Scene 3

Another part of the Larin estate. Thick lilac andacacia bushes, untidy flower beds and an old bench. Inthe background, peasant girls are gathering berriesamong the bushes, and singing.

No. 11 Chorus of Girls

GirlsDear companions, come this way,join us in the games we play.Choose a happy melodysuited to our revelry.Sing our favourite roundelay/carolfor the harvest holiday.If a handsome lad comes near,let us try to lure him here.When he’s seen us from afarhe’ll discover where we are.If he follows in pursuit,

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For shame and terror now assail me.But since his honour is my pledgeI boldly trust he will not fail me!

No. 10 Scene and Duet

(Tatyana goes to the window and draws thecurtains. Daylight quickly fills the room.)

Ah, night is over!The rising sunawakes another day.(She sits by the window.)There goes the shepherd;the world’s at peace.But I’m not, I’m not!

(She becomes lost in thought. The door opensquietly and the Nurse enters. At first she does notnotice Tatyana.)

NurseIt’s time to dress, my dear. Wake up!(She sees Tatyana.)Why, what is this? You’re up already!You must have risen with the lark.Last night I feared that you were ill,but, thank the Lord, that’s over now and done

with.You’re quite your cheerful self again.Your cheeks have got their colour back.

(Tatyana comes from the window and picks up theletter.)

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TatyanaOh, Nanny, may I ask a favour?

NurseOf course, my darling, tell me what.

TatyanaDon’t think that… really… or suspect that…Just promise, promise that you’ll do it!

NurseThere, there, I’ll give my word of honour.

TatyanaThen make your grandson go in secretto take this note to him – you know –that gentleman who lives nearby,and make him promise that he’ll never revealwho wrote it or from whom it came.

NurseTo whom? I didn’t catch the name.I’m growing slow of understanding.We’ve got so many neighbours here,I cannot know them all, I fear.Speak up, now, and tell me as plainly as you can.

Tatyana (impatiently)Nanny, how can you be so stupid!

NurseMy dear, I must be getting old,my wits have started to forsake me.But once they were as bright as goldand that’s why the master put you into my

keeping.

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Hymen might scatter in our way,who knows, perhaps for many a day!My soul was destined to discoverit sought no other;that Fate decrees for good or ill.I’ll always love you as a brother,yes, as a brother,or yet, who knows, more dearly still.I promise you, maybe more dearly still.I beg you not to feel rejected;your confidence will be respected.Believe me, all I say is true.But try to practise self-control;for some men, unlike me,abuse such youthful innocence as yours.

Girls (in the distance)Dear companions, come this way,join us in the games we play.Choose a happy melodysuited to our revelry.If a handsome lad comes near,let us try to lure him here.If he follows in pursuit,pelt him gaily with your fruit.See that he is teased, and say,‘Never come again to spyon the girlish games we play!’

(As the song gradually becomes more distant, Oneginoffers his arm to Tatyana; she gives him a long,imploring look, then rises mechanically and goes outmeekly, leaning on his arm.)

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COMPACT DISC TWO

Act II

Scene 1

A brightly illuminated ballroom in MadameLarina’s house. In the centre a chandelier; on thewalls, sconces with lighted tallow candles. Guests, invery old-fashioned evening dress, and among themofficers, dressed in the military uniform of the1820s, are dancing a waltz. The older men sit ingroups and watch the dancing admiringly. The olderwomen, who are carrying reticules, occupy chairsplaced along the walls. Onegin is dancing withTatyana and Lensky with Olga. Madame Larinamoves about continually with the air of a solicitoushostess.

No. 13 Entr’acte, Waltz and Chorus

Entr’acte and Waltz

GuestsThis is superb!We never had expectedsuch splendid companyand dancing to a band!We seldom see partiessuch as this one.What glorious food! What glorious wine!So tasteful, so well planned.

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pelt him gaily with your fruit:all the berries you can find,summer fruit of every kind.As the lad is chased awaysee that he is teased, and say,‘Never come again to spyon the girlish games we play!’

No. 12 Scene and Aria(Tatyana enters, running quickly, and throwsherself, exhausted, on the bench.)

TatyanaOnegin! Here! To see me!Oh, heavens, what must he think of me?What will his answer be?Why did I write and yield to love so easily?What foolishness took hold of meand made me send him such a letter?It’s certain now! My heart foretells me;the fatal tempter I adorewill now despise me evermore!O God above, I’m so unhappy,I’m so forlorn!He’s here, I know it!Yes, it is he! It is he!

(Onegin enters. Tatyana jumps to her feet and Oneginapproaches her. She lowers her head. He speaks withdignity, calmly and somewhat coldly.)

OneginYou wrote a letter –28

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do not deny it!What I read displayed your innocence and feeling,the wealth of love your heart’s concealing,and I was touched by what you said.It stirred within me once againan old and sensitive emotion.Yet I must ask you to reflect;surely it can’t be thought correctto write so frankly to a stranger.So hear what I now have to say,then you can judge me as you may.

TatyanaOh, heavens! How distressing and how painful!

(She sinks down on the bench.)

OneginWere I the sort who had intendedto lead a calm domestic life;if lasting happiness dependedon seeking out a perfect wife,then doubtless I’d agreethat only you could share my life with me.But I’m not made for warm affection,and as for wedlock, even less;and though I value your perfectionI fear I’d cause you much distress.In fact, and this I’ve now decided,to marry you would be misguided.At first my love would be untold,but time would make it soon grow cold.Imagine, then, the thorny roses

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(He dances with Olga.)

LenskyShe’s smiling at him!I must be dreaming! Olga!What’s come over you?

GuestsSuch a party!Such a surprise!What delightful dancing!How delightful!The party’s at its height.This is superb!We never had expectedsuch splendid companyand dancing to a band!

Not for years have we seen such a party;this is truly perfection! Beyond all expectation!Hail to music, hail to song!We’ll dance and feast the whole night long!Hail to pleasure, to feasting, and dancing!We’ll dance and we’ll feast the whole night long!

No. 14 Scene and Triquet’s Couplets

(Lensky goes up to Olga, who has just finisheddancing with Onegin.)

LenskyHow can I have deserved to be so taunted by you?Ah, Olga, must you torture me like this?What have I done?

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OlgaI can’t imagine what you’re referring to!

LenskyThroughout the evening your waltzes,yes, all of them, were with Onegin!And yet when I asked, you just ignored me.

OlgaVladimir, this is foolish;don’t let a dance upset you so.

LenskyWhat! Don’t you think I care?Am I supposed to watch quite indifferentlywhile you make eyes at him and flirt like some

coquette!He held you far too closelyand pressed your hand in his.I saw it all!

OlgaOh, this is stupid jealousy and pure imagination!I only talked to him,he has such charm.

LenskySo, it’s charm!Ah, Olga, you no longer love me.

OlgaDon’t be so silly!

LenskyNo, you do not love me.

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Not for years have we seen such a party.Everyone should enjoy it while they can.Yes, it’s splendid! Simply delightful!What a party, what a party!We have never been more surprised!

Elderly GentlemenHere in the country we live in seclusion;festive occasions and dancing are rare.Hunting is usually our only diversion;makes a nice change from the hounds and the

hare!

Elderly LadiesThat’s all our men-folk consider amusing,just shooting and fishing and up with the sun;and then in the evening they’re always exhausted,yet we who’ve been working could do with some

fun!

(A group of young girls surrounds the Captain.)

Young GirlsOh, Captain Petrovich,we beg you to tell usthe name of your regiment!

CaptainCertainly! But why aren’t you dancing?

Young GirlsWell, no one has asked us to.

CaptainIn that case, dear ladies, the pleasure is mine!

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(Onegin is dancing with Tatyana. The others stopdancing and everyone watches them.)

Elderly LadiesLook at them! Now what could be plainer?She must find a husband. That’s him, for sure!How sad for Tatyana, for once they are married,she’ll find he’s a tyrant. He gambles, what’s more!(Onegin quietly passes by them, trying to overheartheir conversation.)He’s most discourteous and conceited;the things he says can’t be repeated!He’s a freemason, so they say,and ends up drunk on wine each day.

OneginSo that’s their verdict! No more of this!I’m tired of hearing their dreary gossip.Serves me right, though, for coming.Whatever brought me here to this confounded

ball?Yes, what! I can’t forgive Vladimir for persuading meto come, so I’ll dance again with Olga,for that will make him jealous.(At this moment, Olga passes by, followed by Lensky.)Here she is.(to Olga)Allow me!

Lensky (to Olga)But you had promised me this dance!

Onegin (to Lensky)You’re mistaken there, my friend!

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GuestsBravo, bravo, bravo, Monsieur Triquet!Your singing is delightful;a fitting tribute for the day!(Monsieur Triquet bows his acknowledgements andthen, on his knees, offers the song to theembarrassed Tatyana.)

No. 15 Mazurka and SceneCaptainMessieurs! Mesdames!I beg you, take your partners,for now we have the cotillon.(to Tatyana)Allow me, pray!Mazurka(They lead off the dance. The guests pair off anddance. Onegin and Olga sit down towards the frontof the stage. Lensky stands, lost in thought behindthem. After dancing a turn with Olga, Oneginconducts her to her seat and then turns to Lensky asif he had only just noticed him.)

OneginWhy aren’t you dancing, Lensky?Even Hamlet was not as gloomy!What’s wrong with you?LenskyWhat’s wrong! Can’t you see?I’m trying to admirethe way you show your friendship!

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OneginIs that so?I had expected quite a different answer.Why are you sulking then?

(Lensky at first answers quietly, but gradually histone becomes more and more embittered and angry.)

LenskyWhat nonsense! I’m not sulking.I’ve watched with fascination how you lurethese unsuspecting girls with flattering

complimentsand, trifling with their feelings, humiliate them.(The guests gradually stop dancing as they becomeaware of the conversation between Onegin andLensky.)First you break the heart of poor Tatyana;then you pick on Olgaand amuse yourself by compromising her.You’ll quickly turn her headand make your conquest, then laugh at her.What a man of honour!

Onegin (with a sneer, but calmly)Come, you’ve lost your senses, Lensky!

LenskyOh, thank you! I’m first of all insultedand then openly declared a lunatic!

(Everybody stops dancing.)

GuestsWhat’s he saying? What’s the matter?

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(Onegin approaches them.)Will you dance the cotillon with me?OneginNo, with me!For I shall hold you to your promise.OlgaAnd I mean to keep it.(to Lensky)Let this be your lesson for being so jealous!LenskyOlga!

OlgaThat’s enough!(Monsieur Triquet is seen in the background,surrounded by a group of girls.)Just look how all the girlsare gathering round Monsieur Triquet.

OneginWho’s he?

OlgaA Frenchman who lives here in the village.

GirlsMonsieur Triquet! Monsieur Triquet!Chantez de grâce un couplet !

TriquetBy chance I ’ave with me a song.But first, where is the Mademoiselle?Without she ’ere I cannot start,car le couplet est fait pour elle !

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GirlsHere she is! Here she is!

TriquetAha, voilà ze lovely birthday queen!Mesdames, I’m ready to commence;remarquez bien ma French nuance !(All the guests form a circle and Tatyana is placed inthe middle. Triquet addresses the following couplets toher; she is embarrassed and wants to escape but isprevented from doing so. He sings with greatexpression.)‘A cette fête conviée,de celle dont le jour est fêté,contemplons le charme et la beauté.Son aspect doux et enchanteurrépand sur nous tous sa lueur;de la voir quel plaisir, quel bonheur!Brillez, brillez toujours, belle Tatiana!’

GuestsBravo, bravo, bravo, Monsieur Triquet!Your singing is delightful;a fitting tribute for the day!

Triquet‘Que le sort comble ses désirs,que la joie, les jeux, les plaisirsfixent sur ses lèvres le sourire!Que sur le ciel de ce pays,étoile qui toujours brille et luit,elle éclaire nos jours et nos nuits!Brillez, brillez toujours, belle Tatiana!’

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OneginDeep in my heart I must concedethat I have acted foolishly.What made me do so?Sadly now I can realise that for Lenskylove is something poetic,and that passions, when they’re sincere,must not be trifled with.By taunting him in front of OlgaI’ve earned the hatred of my friend.

TatyanaWhat I have seen has made me wretched,and I’m oppressed with jealous anguish;for such behaviour I cannot understand.Jealous anguish gives way to despair,yes, my anguish gives way to despair,as if an icy hand had gripped my heart in

torment!

Olga and Madame LarinaThe evening may well end in horrorif they should really fight a duel!

GuestsPoor young Lensky! What a tragedy!

OneginI’m punished for my thoughtless conduct!LenskyOnce I loved what I thought was perfection,like an angel, as fair as the day.Now I know it was purely deception,for by nature she’s a devil who’ll cheat and betray!

TatyanaAll is over now, no further hope is left!Yet death because of him is welcome,and sweeter than living without him!Yes, death is now certain, my heart has foretold it.I shall die, and yet I don’t complain.Hereafter no foolish illusions remain.I realise that nothing can bring us together,and death is now certain to part us for ever!

OlgaWhy must all men behave the sameand think of duels as a game?They’re far too quick to pick a quarrel.Why do Onegin and Lensky act like foolsand think that honour’s made of rules?Vladimir’s jealousy will choke him,yet I’ve done nothing to provoke him, not I.How like a man to fly into a passion.They’re foolish, impulsive, they argue and quarrel,but never a moment consider what fighting may

lead to.

Madame LarinaWhy must all men behave the sameand think of duels as a game?They’re far too quick to pick a quarrel.Why do Onegin and Lensky act like foolsand think that honour’s made of rules?The evening may well end in horror,if they should really fight a duel.Oh, the shame of it is cruel!Why are the young always the same?

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(The guests leave their places and surround thequarrelling men.)LenskyOnegin, you are no more my friend!I hereby sever all ties of friendship with you,for you are beneath contempt!

GuestsHow did this quarrel come about,what’s more, at such a splendid party?Let us hope it won’t turn into something

serious!

Onegin (drawing Lensky slightly to one side)Now, Lensky, listen; you’re distraught!Don’t let us cause all this fuss and quarrel over

nothing.I never wanted to embarrass youand must protest, had no such base intention.You are my friend.

Lensky (with increasing passion)If that is so, why did you press her hand,and whisper something?She blushed as she answered you.What was it you suggested?

OneginEnough, now! Don’t be foolish;the guests are listening.

Lensky (beside himself )What is that to me? You publicly insult me,so I insist on satisfaction!

GuestsWhat is it? What’s the matter?Who can tell us what has happened?

LenskyI can!So hear me now.I simply asked Oneginwhat was the reason for his conduct,and he refused to answer me.I therefore say to him, accept my challenge!

(Madame Larina pushes her way through thecrowd and addresses Lensky.)

Madame LarinaA challenge! Oh, have pity!Do not quarrel here in my house!

No. 16 Finale

LenskyHere in your house! Here in your house!(with great feeling)It was here in these peaceful surroundingsthat my leisure was spent as a child;it was here that I first learnt the meaningof a love that was tender and mild.But this evening I’ve lost my illusionsand discovered that life’s not a dream,and that honour is just a delusion.Even friendship that seemed so fraternalcan be shattered to ruins and grossly betrayed!

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runs after Lensky but falls fainting. Everyone rushesto help her.)

Scene 2

A rustic watermill on the banks of a wooded stream.Early morning; the sun has barely risen. It is winter.When the curtain rises Lensky and Zaretsky are alreadyon stage. Lensky sits under a tree, lost in thought.Zaretsky walks up and down impatiently.

No. 17 Introduction, Scene and Aria

Introduction

ZaretskyWhat’s happened? Where can your opponent be?Is he coming?

LenskyYes, I’m sure he’ll come.

ZaretskyWell, nonetheless, I find it most discourteous!He should be here, it’s after six.I wonder if he’s lost his way?

(Zaretsky walks over to the mill and enters intoconversation with the miller, who has just appearedin the background. The miller shows him thewheel, millstones, etc. Lensky continues to sit andmeditate.)

LenskyHow far, how far away you seem now,14

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oh happy days when I was young!(He rises and comes forward.)Shall I survive the day that’s dawning?I vainly try to read its warning.It shrouds itself in mystery!No matter, this is Fate’s decree.My rival’s shot may well dispatch meor miss its mark and pass me by.So be it; death will come to claim meat the moment of her choosing.Welcome the day when sorrow calls;welcome the night when silence falls.Tomorrow’s sky will stretch unclouded;mankind will start another day.But I, by that time, may be shroudedand lie interred within my grave.As Lethe slowly bears me downwardmy name will cease to be remembered,and fade from memory… save yours, Olga!(with great feeling)Will you then come, my angel, my beloved,to shed a tear where I am lyingand say there: ‘Once we were in love,but now he watches from aboveas I lament his early dying’?Ah, Olga, once we were in love!To you alone I have devoteda poet’s feeling and emotion.Ah, Olga, once we were in love!Beloved friend, my promised bride,I wait for you! Your bridegroom waitsto greet his chosen bride. Oh, come!

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So foolish, impulsive, they argue and quarrel,but never a moment consider what fighting may

lead to.

GuestsOh, what a shame! It’s really cruelto spoil our party with their duel!Young men today are all the same;they’ve only got themselves to blame!Yes, only got themselves to blame.Why are the young always the same?So foolish, impulsive; they argue and quarrel,but never a moment consider what fighting may

lead to.

OneginDeep in my heart I must concedethat I have acted foolishly.What made me do so? Now I realisethat Lensky’s love was too poetic;that passions, when they are sincere,are never to be trifled with.But taunting him in front of OlgaI’ve merely succeeded in rousingthe anger and hatred of one I loved.Now it’s too late to make amends;I’m honour bound to answer for my action.

LenskyAh, Olga, you never were to blame,so forgive me, my angel, my darling!The fault was Onegin’s for acting so basely,and he shall be punished!

Onegin (to Lensky)Your challenge I accept. So be it.Everything you’ve said is ludicrous, yes, ludicrous,and you deserve a lesson for such folly!

LenskyWe’ll see tomorrow exactlywho deserved the lesson!Perhaps I am a fool, but you…you… lack honour, you seducer!

OneginHold your tongue, sir, or I shall kill you!

(Madame Larina, Olga and some guests holdLensky back. Tatyana is in tears. Onegin throwshimself at Lensky; they are separated. Onegin goesto one side and turns his back on Lensky.)

GuestsWhat a disgrace! Fighting a duel!It must be prevented; we shall not allow it!Until they are calmer we’ll stop them from

leaving!Otherwise there’ll surely be a scandal!

OlgaVladimir, stop your quarrel, I implore you!

LenskyAh, Olga, Olga, farewell for ever!

GuestsNow for bloodshed!

(Lensky rushes out. Onegin also leaves quickly. Olga

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ZaretskyAnd now, draw closer!(He claps his hands three times. The adversaries,who have not yet taken aim, take four stepsforward. Onegin, as he advances, raises his pistol.As he does so, Lensky begins to take aim. Oneginfires; Lensky staggers, falls and drops his pistol.Zaretsky runs to him and examines him intently.Onegin also rushes towards his dying adversary.)Onegin (in a stifled voice)He’s dead?ZaretskyHe’s dead.(Aghast, Onegin clasps his head in his hands.)

Act IIIScene 1

One of the side-rooms in the house of a richnobleman in St Petersburg.

No. 19 Polonaise

Polonaise(Guests dance; at the end they sit down.Others form groups and converse.)

No. 20 Scene and AriaOneginHere, too, I’m bored!Bored by all this worldly ostentation.

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Nothing can extinguish the anguish of mysoul!

I’ve killed the only friend I valuedand, though I’ve property and wealth,I’m growing weary with myself.I’m tired of indolence and leisure;I’ve drifted without aim in lifeand have no family or wife.Boredom began to make me restless;each day brought discontent and spleen,until the langour of my spiritsimpelled me to a change of scene.I left behind, in disillusion,the countryside, with its seclusion,where I now saw at every bendthe spectre of my murdered friend!And so I set out on my travelsand started wandering without aim.But soon I realised, in despair,that travel, too, was just as boring!So I returned here, paid a call,and joined them at this tedious ball!

Ecossaise

(The guests dance an Ecossaise. As they finish,Prince Gremin enters with Tatyana on hisarm.)

GuestsThe Princess Gremina! Make way there.

(Guests of both sexes come up to Tatyana and greether with deference.)

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Oh, come to me, my chosen bride!Oh, come, oh, come, be at my side!How far, how far away you seem now,oh happy days when I was young!

No. 18 Duel Scene(Zaretsky comes forward and speaks to Lensky.)

ZaretskyAh, here they are!But who’s your friend brought with him?I can’t make out.

(Onegin enters with his servant Guillot, whocarries the pistols. Onegin bows to the other two.)

OneginI trust you’ll both excuse me;clearly I’ve kept you waiting.

ZaretskyNo matter! Where, sir, is your second?In my view duels are an artand must, as such, be fought correctly.Therefore I see to it that no one meets his endjust anyhow, but by the code, and circumspectly.Established custom is the best.

OneginSir, I am suitably impressed.Where is my second?Here he is – Monsieur Guillot.As you may see, he’s just my servant;but you’ve no reason to object:

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he doesn’t know the code duello,but he’s a worthy, honest fellow.(Guillot bows deeply; Zaretsky returns his bowcoldly.)Well, shall we start?

LenskyWhy, yes, I’m ready.

(Zaretsky and Guillot step aside to discuss theconditions of the duel. Lensky and Onegin standwaiting, not looking at each other.)

Lensky and OneginWe fight to satisfy our honourand thirst to shed each other’s blood.Yet formerly we shared as brotherwith brother in everything we could,for such is friendship. Now, in anger,like deadly rivals bent on vengeance,each of us silently preparesto kill his adversary if need be.Ah!Why can’t we stop our anger’s floodbefore our hands are stained with blood,and leave together reunited!No! No! No! No!

(Zaretsky and Guillot have loaded the pistols andmeasured the distance. Zaretsky separates theadversaries and hands them the pistols. Everythingis done in silence. Guillot, in embarrassment, hidesbehind a tree.)

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GreminYou must have met.

OneginYes, we were neighbours.

No. 20a AriaGremin (dignified and calm, but with warmth)The gift of love is rightly treasured;its countless blessings can’t be measured.It brings its warming potencyto callow youths when hearts are free;or to the warrior, old and grey,whom Fate has tempered in the fray.Thus I, a simple man of action,now love Tatyana to distraction.A wasted, melancholy lifeis what I led until my wifelike sun at last on darkest oceanawoke my heart to new emotion.Amid this turmoil and dissension,this world of ignorance and hate,where hypocrites can win attentionand cowards patronise and prate;among coquettes who swear devotionand fawning fops who court promotion,amid morality’s decayand friends who’d cheat you and betray;in all our hollow show of fashion,this endless, futile, social roundwhere scarce an honest man is foundwho’ll keep his word or show compassion,

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Tatyana’s virtue seemed to shinewith pure devotion, long denied me,as if some power that was divinehad sent an angel down to guide me.The gift of love, etc.

No. 21 Scene and AriosoAnd now, you must be introduced to her.(Prince Gremin leads Onegin over to Tatyana.)My dear, allow me to present youto my good friend and relative,Onegin.(Onegin bows deeply. Tatyana returns his greetingwith utter simplicity, as if in no way embarrassed.)

TatyanaI’m pleased to meet you;indeed I think we’ve met before.

OneginIn the country… yes… we met.

TatyanaDo tell me,have you been living there since then?

OneginOh, no! I’ve just got back herefrom foreign travels.TatyanaWhen was that?OneginThis morning.

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Some MenWhich is she, though?Why, there she is!

WomenThe one who’s standing by the Prince.

MenWhat simple elegance she has!

Onegin (looking intently at Tatyana)Is that Tatyana? Surely… no!What, from that dull provincial village?It cannot be! And how composed,how unaffected, and how noble!Her dignity would grace a queen!

(Tatyana turns to those near her, indicating with alook that she is referring to Onegin, whom PrinceGremin has just approached.)

TatyanaWho is that person there, the tall onebeside the Prince?

MenOh, he’s an odd one,a misanthrope and somewhat mad.He’s been abroad, we hear,but now he’s back again; his name’s Onegin.

TatyanaOnegin?

MenDo you know him, then?

TatyanaWe met each other long ago.(aside)Oh, heaven! Let me not betraythat I am trembling with emotion!

Onegin (to Gremin)I seem to know that lady there,the one who’s in the crimson turban;the Spanish envoy’s at her side.

GreminAha! It seems that you’re a stranger!You must be introduced to her.

OneginWho is she, though?

GreminMy wife, of course!

OneginI never knew that you were married.Since when, though?

GreminJust about two years.

OneginTo whom?

GreminThe Larin girl.

OneginTatyana!

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(Tatyana wipes away her tears and motions toOnegin not to interrupt.)

TatyanaOnegin, I was then far youngerand better looking, it may be.I fell in love with you, but tell me,what was your answer to my plea?You scorned my love with formal coldnessand made me suffer for my boldness.You said I should be more controlled.And, heavens, how my blood runs coldwhen I recall your lack of feelingand how you lectured me!Yet you were not to blame.Now I can realise that you acted quite

correctly;all that you said to me was true.For then you found me far too simple;cut off from all this social worldyou had no use for me. So tell me,what makes you tolerate me now?Perhaps I know why you pursue meand wrote that fervent letter to me.I think the reason must be this:you flatter me because I’m richand wife of one who, for his valour,lives in the favour of the court.For what a conquest it would seemif I should yield to your persuasion!The world would echo with your fame,adding new lustre to your name!

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OneginAh, Tatyana! Oh, howcan you believe in such deceptionor think I’d ever stoop so low?It’s clear that you have no conceptionof what I’m willing to forego.If you but realised how intenselyI feel the agony of love;how every moment I must stiflethe burning ardour of my heartwhich sets me longing to embrace youwith all the fervour I possess,to worship you and beg forgivenessfor ever causing you distress!

TatyanaI’m weeping!

OneginWeep, then! Tears from your eyesare precious jewels that I treasure!

Tatyana and OneginAh, happiness was once so near us,so near us, so near us!TatyanaDestiny has willed that we should part;there’s no returning.For I am married, so I beg,yes, I beseech you now to leave me.OneginTo leave you? To leave you? Am I to leave you?No! No, I have only one desire

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Tatyana (to Gremin)Dearest, I’m tired now.

(Tatyana leaves on Gremin’s arm, returning thegreetings of the guests. Onegin follows her with hiseyes.)

OneginIs this the very same Tatyana,the selfsame timid country girlwhose touching innocence and loveI once so heartlessly rejectedwith such a moralising lecture?Yes, she it was, whose youthful passionI dismissed with such presumption.How is it she can now appearso condescending and austere?What’s wrong with me? I’m in a trance.What is this feeling that has stirredmy frigid heart to new emotion?Resentment? Jealousy? Regret?Or can it be that I’m in love?Yes, there’s no doubt at all, I love her,and all my life will never love another!It seems I once again recapturethe former joy of youthful rapture.Desire has poisoned me with longing;henceforth I’ll only think of her.She shall be mine for evermore;this I shall beg her and implore.I swear I’ll die to win her love once more!

(He rushes out. The Ecossaise begins again.)

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Scene 2

A reception room in Prince Gremin’s house.

No. 22 Final Scene

Introduction(Tatyana enters in an elegant morning dress andwith a letter in her hand.)

TatyanaWhy, why did he return and write this letter?He comes again like some relentless ghost to

haunt me!Ah, how that look of his disturbed my peaceful

mind,stirring the memories of passions left behind!As long ago now, young and tender-hearted,he set my loving soul on fire, until we parted.(She weeps. Onegin appears at the door. He standsfor a moment looking passionately at the weepingTatyana. Then he hurries to her and falls kneelingat her feet. She looks at him without surprise oranger and then motions to him to rise.)I beg you, rise, and attend,for I must speak to you quite plainly.Onegin, how can you forget that long agoour paths were crossed by destiny,and with what meeknessI heard the lesson that you taught.

OneginHave pity! Show me some compassion.I was mistaken, and now I’m punished.

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(aside)Although I’m trembling with elation,I must not yield to this temptation.My heart is his, and his alone.But duty and honour command me.I’ll be true for evermore.

OneginNo,for I have sworn I’ll not renounce you.In the cause of love all duty must surrender.Forsake your home and come away,for now there is no other way!Oh, leave your home and come with me.You love me, I know it,and destiny has shown that you belongto me for evermore!

(Onegin tries to draw Tatyana to him; highlyoverwrought, she struggles to free herself from hisembrace, but her strength fails her.)

TatyanaNow I must leave you.

OneginNo, you must stay!

TatyanaOnegin!

OneginStay, I beg you, do not go!

TatyanaI’m deaf to all persuasion.

OneginI love you, I love you!

TatyanaDon’t torture me!

OneginI worship you!

TatyanaFarewell for ever!

(Tatyana leaves the room. Onegin stands for amoment, overcome with doubt and despair.)

OneginDisgraced and shamed;now only death remains!

(He rushes out.)

English translation by David Lloyd-JonesReprinted by permission of

Richard Schauer Music Publishers, London

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and must remain with you for ever.Those eyes of yours, that lovely smile,these are the visions none can sever.To live without you and yet knowhow near you are would be to perish.I’d gladly suffer torment for your sakeor even die, yes, die, Tatyana, die!For you are all to me, yes, all I cherish!

(With growing passion, Onegin again falls on hisknees before her and seizes her hand. Somewhatfrightened, she withdraws it.)

TatyanaOnegin, as a man of honour,you will surely grant my wish!

OneginNo, no, I cannot leave you now!

TatyanaYevgeny, I not only askbut beg of you to leave me!

OneginHave pity!

TatyanaThen learn the truth, I can’t conceal it –ah, I love you still!

(Tatyana, overwhelmed by her confession, sinks onOnegin’s breast. He takes her in his arms but she,recovering her senses quickly, frees herself from hisembrace.)

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OneginYou love me still!What is this magic you have spoken?What heaven, ecstasy!For this is how I knew Tatyana!

TatyanaNo, no! Former days cannot return.The die is cast; I have a husbandand mean to keep the vow I swore.I shall be his for evermore.

(She tries to leave but sits down, overcome. Oneginkneels down before her, wildly impassioned.)

OneginYou have confessed that you still love meso I’m resolved in my design.Why waste your days in loveless duty?Fate has decreed that you are mine.We were intended for each other;our lives were guided from on high,for now I know that God has sent meto guard and love you till I die.Then let the world henceforth discoverthat we belong to one another.Forget your home and come away;with love this is the only way!

Tatyana (standing up)Onegin! Leave me, I entreat you;my husband must not find you here.I honour and shall never fail him.I mean to keep the vow I gave.

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You can now purchase Chandos CDs directly from us. For further details pleasetelephone +44 (0) 1206 225225 for Chandos Direct. Fax: +44 (0) 1206 225201.Chandos Records Ltd, Chandos House, Commerce Way, Colchester, Essex CO28HQ, UKE-mail: chandosdirect@chandos.net Website: www.chandos.net

Any requests to license tracks from this or any other Chandos disc should be madedirectly tothe Copyright Administrator, Chandos Records Ltd, at the above address.

Assistant to Sir Charles Mackerras: Julian SmithRehearsal pianist: Michael PollockProduction assistant: Clare Powell

Recording producer John FraserSound engineer Mark VigarsAssistant engineer Mark RogersEditors Matthew Cocker & Bob WhitneyRecording venue Brangwyn Hall, Swansea; 29 June–6 July 1992Front cover Photo of Kiri Te Kanawa and Thomas Hampson by Sheila RockBack cover Photo of Sir Charles Mackerras by Zoë DominicDesign Cass CassidyBooklet typeset by Dave PartridgeBooklet editor Kara Reedp 2001 Chandos Records Ltd from a p 1994 recording c 2001 Chandos Records LtdChandos Records Ltd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HQ, EnglandPrinted in the EU

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