Often violent and always passionate, Russian Romanticism returns to Dallas for the 2016-2017 Season. While Tchaikovsky is best known for The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin is a story not to be missed. The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance features an international all-star cast in this bittersweet story about love, pride and, ultimately, regrets. This is the perfect show for opera newcomers and veterans alike, intertwining a dazzling storyline with world-class performances and extravagant set design. Tickets start at $19, so you have no excuse!
This much-loved opera is closely based on Russian poet Alexander Pushkin’s early nineteenth-century novel in verse, published in installments between 1825 and 1832. Born into Russian nobility, the man credited with writing the first works in Modern Russian Literature lived a life not unlike his fictional creations, even dying at the age of 37 in a duel with a French officer.
EUGENE ONEGIN will showcase the Dallas Opera Orchestra conducted by internationally renowned Emmanuel Villaume, the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director, with magnificent Ukranian baritone Andrei Bondarenko in the title role. Jean-Claude Auvray’s original production will receive revival staging by Regina Alexandrovskaya in this production from Israeli Opera Tel Aviv-Jaffa.
As we program each season, we strive to offer a variety of operas – reflecting a range of time periods, sung languages and compositional styles - including well-known operas such as Eugene Onegin. The depth of talent in our cast, orchestra, chorus, and production team are certain to create a spectacular experience for our patrons. We hope audience members will join us for this beautiful and moving production from Tel Aviv.
Keith Cerny, the Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO
-SPOILERS-
Set in 19th century Russia, a naïve young country girl, Tatyana (soprano Svetlana Aksenova in her American debut), becomes smitten with an aristocrat, Eugene Onegin. She confesses her love in a letter to the arrogant Onegin (sung by baritone Andrei Bondarenko) who rejects her affections. Pride and jealousy lead to a confrontation between Onegin and his friend Lensky (Stephen Costello), who is in love with Tatyana’s sister Olga (Kai Rüütel). Heated words escalate to a fatal duel. Years later, Onegin, attending a prominent ball alone, reflects on the emptiness of his life and his many regrets. He is captivated when a regal beauty enters the ball—it is Tatyana! Now it is Onegin who appears obsessed with the woman whose love he had scorned.
Eugene Onegin is one of the great Tchaikovsky masterpieces from a compositional viewpoint and he is said to have written the work with ‘sincere passion.’ To interpret and conduct this poignant and romantic piece will be very exciting. I hope patrons will also find it inspiring!
-Conductor Emmanuel Villaume.
Eugene Onegin opens at The Dallas Opera on Friday, October 28, with performances continuing on October 30, November 2, and November 5. Ticket prices start at $19, perfect for a date night!
For ticket information click here.
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