In February the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre invites all the classical music lovers to a premiere! On February 3 and 4, our theatre introduces the new version of the Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” opera. The performance opens the IX international festival “Stars Parade in the Opera”, dedicated to Dmitri Hvorostovsky.

“Eugene Onegin” is a classical work that needs no intro. Being the most famous Russian opera it has frequently been performed not only in Russia, but abroad as well. Outstanding opera singers paid their homage to the composer of genius, singing “Onegin” arias in their native languages as well as in Russian. Quite a few arias of the opera are well-known to those who has never been to an opera theatre.

There is an interesting story behind the opera. Tchaikovsky had been cherishing an idea of composing a lyric opera for quite a long time but he couldn’t find an appropriate plot for it. When maestro singer Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya spoke to Tchaikovsky about creating an opera based on the plot of Pushkin's verse novel “Eugene Onegin”, this idea seemed wild to him. He said: “Onegin” is a sacred book, and I never dare to “touch” its plot with my hands”. Soon enough however, Tchaikovsky came to embrace the idea. He was soon growing excited about the suggestion and created the scenarios in one night before starting the composition of the music.

It took him a bit more than a year to compose the whole opera. Right after opening performances throughout the world, the opera achieved a triumphant success. This masterpiece is still considered to be one of the most popular operas in the world and Tchaikovsky’s crowning achievement.

The team under the direction of the principal director of the theatre Neeme Kuningas is working on the opera’s new version: production designer Ervin Iuunapuu (Estonia) and costume director Anna Kontek (Finland) - our theatre’s spectators know the latter by the last season’s premiere - “The Prisoner of the Caucasus” opera.

Neeme Kuningas already directs “Eugene Onegin” for the third time but for the first time on a Russian stage.

The new version’s peculiarities are introduced according the director’s representation. It implies the idea that the performance is about how difficult, nearly impossible it is to change things - before taking a decision, one ought to weigh up the pros and cons and to be ready to bear responsibility for any decision taken.

The spectators will be co-creators of the performance - they will choose the paths the story goes along and how it’s going to end.

And the scenography of the new performance is unusual: laconic and minimalistic - on the stage there are the only things necessary for the plot. “One of the “Onegin” peculiarities is a lighting solution for the performance”, - Neeme Kuningas says, - “The duel scene - an empty space, the only colours are black and white. The ball is a white space, as well. The final act visually resembles a duel. The basic metaphor of the performance is a swing seat hanging on the stage - it’s up to spectators to decide whether it is “ups and downs”, fate’s pendulum or something else.

Another unusual trick in the performance is a kind of “picture-freeze”. “In crowd scenes the extras freeze still and the leading character carries on moving”, - Neeme Kuningas says, -  “Thus, the emotional tension is amped up and dramatic effect is emphasized”.

Specially for “Eugene Onegin” more than 300 costumes are sewn in the theatre workshop - they all are in a Pushkin epoch style.