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The good news for the San Francisco Opera’s premiere of Robert Carsen’s famous Tchaikovsky production Eugene Onegin is that it marks the return of Russian repertoire after a 14-year hiatus company.
As far as I know, no company leadership has explained why it hasn’t been a big part of Opera’s appeal for so long, but it’s definitely missed.
Peter McClintock’s revival features several recommended performances of “Onegin” – an 1879 work considered Russia’s most popular opera inspired by Pushkin’s poem of the same name Fiction – will continue on October 14th at the War Memorial Opera House.
The better news is that American tenor Evan Leroy Johnson brightly and earnestly sings Onegin’s friend Lensky, who was swept up in the duel between the two in the second act. Killed because of jealousy.
In the aria before the deadly gentleman’s shootout, Johnson stands alone on stage, and in the somber intro, he stands on Michael Levine’s minimalist set, which is nothing more than a white, three-sided, 50-foot-tall The hanging plastic pendant – singing about his past and carefree youth. His voice is at times full of regret, full of charming lyricism, and full of anxiety over the loss of his girlfriend Olga, full of pathos.
He won the loudest applause of the afternoon when conductor Vassilis Christopoulos paused (his American debut) during his nearly three-hour easy stand on the podium to make the most of Chai Kowski’s score, the score is known for its psychological penetration and emotional impact, and it speaks naturally. In short, it has been loved by the masses for 140 years.
Johnson also sings about his youthful enthusiasm for life and Olga in the first act aria, but his well-developed artistry doesn’t leave a noticeable mark until the scene before the duel.
Also notable is the Russian soprano Evgenia Muraveva as Tatyana, who at first glance (hey, it’s opera) falls in love with Onegin, an unhappy big-city man in Tatyana’s bourgeois rural setting outside of St. Petersburg , almost emotionless, ruthless.
Alone on stage in Act 1, on the huge stage with artificial leaves surrounding her bed, her “Letters Scene” aria, she writes a long love letter to Onegin but dares not reread it , Muraveva’s voice becomes lyrical and introspective with the music, inspired by the flavors of flute, clarinet, trumpet and harp. At one point, she was completely mesmerized, dancing merrily in the moonlight in her pajamas, tossing leaves, imagining a true, lasting love with Onegin.
Naturally, Canadian baritone Gordon Bintner’s vocal range is perfect for his character’s calm and aloof demeanor, dressed in well-tailored outfits and sometimes a top hat. In a few stanzas, he shatters the dreams of the nerdy and immature Tatyana, only to survive a duel and reunite with her a few years later at a ball in St. Petersburg, where she marries the Italian depicted Prince Greming Bass Ferruccio Franeto.
It was his singing in the aria telling Onegin how much beauty and love Tatyana had brought into his life, which elicited the second biggest round of applause of the afternoon. Dressed in full uniform and variety of costumes, Furlanetto subtly expresses his love for his wife while looking regal on stage.
It wasn’t long before Bintner’s Onegin confessed his love for Tatyana, but while expressing his still lingering attraction to Onegin, telling him that she would not betray her husband.
The curtain falls on the lonely Onegin, distraught and deeply regretful of his initial rejection of her love, and he pays dearly for his actions.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the delicate and powerful vocals of American mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller as Tatyana’s nurse Filipyevna. The same smooth rendering and dramatic punch are delivered by Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, who plays Tatyana’s sister Olga.
if you go
“Eugene Onegin” will be at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, Saturday and October 6th at 7:30pm, October 9th at 2pm, and October 11th and 14th at 7:30pm Go on with the show. Tickets range from $10 (standing space) to $408, call (415) 864-3330 or visit sfopera.com. During the San Francisco Opera Company’s centennial celebration, Opera by the Bay tickets are also available for $10 each. Make a phone call or go online.
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