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The Sunday Opera: Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" from La Scala

We’re returning to La Scala for this week’s Sunday Opera (7/6 3:00 p.m.) and Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.” The libretto, based on a verse-novel by Alexander Pushkin about a jaded, cynical, and selfish Onegin whose actions disrupt the lives of just about everyone around him.

Onegin (Alexey Markov) arrives at the Larin home with his friend Lensky (Dmitry Korchak) who is fianced to one of the two Larin sisters, Olga (Elmina Hasan). Onegin can’t imagine why Lensky would favor the outgoing sister when her older and more reserved sister, Tatiana (Aida Garifullina), seems a much better prospect. Tatiana is taken with Onegin, but he rejects her and flirts with Olga in order to upset Lensky, which he does resulting in their dueling. After Onegin kills Lensky, he disappears after destroying Olga’s happiness and breaking Tatiana’s heart.

Several years later, the still self-absorbed and blasé Onegin attends a party at the home of Prince Gremin (Dmitry Ulyanov) only to be surprised that the prince’s wife is Tatiana. Onegin now realizes that he truly loves Tatiana, but Tatiana wants no part of him and rejects him, leaving Onegin to his much deserved despair.

Other members of the cast include Alisa Kolosova, Yulya Gertseva, Oleg Budaratskiy, and Yaroslav Abaimov. Timur Zangiev conducts the La Scala Chorus and Orchestra.

Stay tuned after the opera for more music of Tchaikovsky including his longest program piece, the Manfred Symphony and an arrangement of his Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Wind Quintet.

Michael is program host and host of the WWFM Sunday Opera, Sundays at 3 pm, and co-host of The Dress Circle, Sundays at 7 pm.
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