Lyrical scenes in three acts; libretto by P. I. Tchaikovsky and K. S. Shilovsky based on the novel of the same name in verse by A. S. Pushkin.
First production: Moscow, Maly Theatre, March 29, 1879. Official premiere: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, January 23, 1881.

Characters:

Tatiana (soprano), Olga (contralto), Larina (mezzo-soprano), Filippevna (mezzo-soprano), Evgeny Onegin (baritone), Lensky (tenor), Prince Gremin (bass), company commander (bass), Zaretsky (bass) , Triquet (tenor), Guillot (no speeches); peasants, guests, landowners, officers.

The action takes place on a village estate and in St. Petersburg in the 1820s.

Act one. Scene one

Garden at the Larins' estate. The singing of the daughters, Tatiana and Olga, can be heard from the house (“Did you hear the voice of the night behind the grove”). Larina, listening to them, remembers her youth, and Nanny Filipievna joins her (quartet “They Sing, and I Sang”). After the end of the harvest, the peasants come to honor the mistress, presenting her, as usual, with a sheaf decorated with ribbons and flowers (“My little feet hurt”). Lensky, who is caring for Olga, and with him, for the first time, Onegin, come to the house. Tatyana is shocked: it’s about him, about Onegin, she dreamed of it, she was waiting for him. Evgeniy also notices to a friend that Tatyana is the more attractive of the two sisters (quartet “Tell me, which is Tatyana?”). Lensky confesses his love to Olga (“I love you, I love you, Olga”). Onegin talks somewhat aloofly with Tatyana.

Scene two

Tatiana's room. The girl is deep in thought, she can’t sleep, and she asks the nanny to tell her something, for example, whether she was in love. Left alone, Tatyana writes a love letter to Onegin (“Let me die, but first”).

Scene three

In the Larins' garden, girls pick berries (“Maids, Beauties”). Tatyana runs in and sinks exhaustedly onto the bench. Onegin has just arrived, and the girl is confused. They meet in the garden. Onegin appreciates her frankness, but with the same frankness he disappoints her: he feels affection for her, but he is not the person she dreams of (“When would life be in the home circle”).

Act two. Scene one

Hall in the Larins' house. Guests dance at Tatiana's name day. Onegin hears various gossip about himself and feels disgusted by everything: Lensky did him a good service by inviting such people into the circle, he needs to teach him a lesson. Onegin, to spite his friend, begins to court Olga. The Frenchman Triquet gives Tatiana the couplets he composed (“What a beautiful day this is”). The dancing resumes, Onegin is still dancing with Olga, while Lensky stands sullenly aside. Finally, Lensky, in a fit of jealousy, insults his friend and challenges him (duet “Are you not dancing, Lensky?”). Those present try to calm him down, but he again insults Onegin and runs away from the house (finale “In Your House”).

Scene two

Early in the morning at the mill, Lensky and his second Zaretsky are waiting for the enemy (Lensky’s aria “Where, where, where have you gone”). Onegin appears. The rivals are almost ready to forget their grievances, but considerations of honor take precedence (“Enemies! How long have they been for each other”). Onegin shoots first and kills Lensky.

Act three. Scene one

A ball in one of the St. Petersburg palaces. Among the guests is Onegin, haunted by painful memories of the murder of a friend, loneliness and remorse (“And here I’m bored!”). Prince Gremin's wife enters the hall: this is Tatyana. She also recognizes Onegin, but does not show her excitement. The prince tells Onegin about his happiness (“All ages are submissive to love”). Onegin is amazed, he is overcome by love for Tatyana (“Is it really the same Tatyana?”).

Scene two

A room in Gremin's house. Tatiana, crying, reads Onegin's letter. He silently enters and throws himself at her feet. But it’s too late: she swore allegiance to Gremin (“Onegin, I’m younger then”). Onegin is doomed to eternal loneliness.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

EUGENE ONEGIN - lyrical scenes by P. Tchaikovsky in 3 days (7 parts), libretto by the composer with the participation of K. Shilovsky based on the novel of the same name in verse by A. Pushkin. Premieres of the first productions: Moscow, Maly Theater, March 17, 1879, by students of the Moscow Conservatory under the direction of N. Rubinstein; Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, January 11, 1881, under the direction of E. Bevignani (P. Khokhlov - Onegin, D. Usatov - Lensky); Petersburg, Musical and Dramatic Club, April 22, 1883; Mariinsky Theater, October 19, 1884, under the direction of E. Napravnik (E. Pavlovskaya - Tatyana, M. Slavina - Olga, A. Bichurina - Nanny, I. Pryanishnikov - Onegin, M. Mikhailov - Lensky, M. Koryakin - Gremin). Since the 90s XIX century the opera is included in the repertoire of all Russians opera scenes and many theaters around the world.

The composer wrote to his brother Modest Ilyich on May 18, 1877:
“Last week I once visited Lavrovskaya (opera artist and teacher - A.G.). The conversation turned to subjects for the opera.<...>Lizaveta Andreevna... suddenly said: “What about Eugene Onegin?” “The idea seemed wild to me, and I didn’t answer anything. Then, while having lunch... odin, I remembered “Onegin,” I thought about it, then I began to find Lavrovskaya’s idea possible, then I got carried away and by the end of dinner I made up my mind. He immediately ran to look for Pushkin. I found it with difficulty, went home, re-read it with delight and spent a completely sleepless night, the result of which was the script for a delightful opera with a text by Pushkin.<...>

What an abyss of poetry there is in Onegin. I am not mistaken; I know that there will be little stage effects and movement in this opera. But the overall poetry, humanity, and simplicity of the plot, combined with a brilliant text, more than replaces these shortcomings.”

The idea that captivated Tchaikovsky was met with skepticism by those close to him. They tried in vain to dissuade him, emphasizing the non-stage nature of the future opera, the lack of external action and effects in it. But the composer, in the name of psychological truth, consciously abandoned false drama. He wrote to his brother Modest: “Even if my opera is not stagey, even if there is little action in it, but I am in love with the image of Tatiana, I am fascinated by Pushkin’s poems...” Another letter addressed to N. von Meck says: “.. .those for whom the first condition of opera is stage movement will not be satisfied with it. The same ones who are able to search in the opera music playback far from tragedy, from theatricality - ordinary, simple, universal feelings, they can (I hope) remain satisfied with my opera.” To S. Taneyev, who, having highly appreciated the music, nevertheless, like others, expressed doubts about the scenic quality of the work, Tchaikovsky replied: “I wrote this opera because one fine day I, with an inexpressible force, wanted to set to music everything in “ Onegin" asks to be set to music. I did it as best I could. I worked with indescribable passion and pleasure, caring little about whether there was movement, effects, etc. And what effects are.<.. .>...I need people, not dolls: I will willingly take on any opera where, although without strong and unexpected effects, creatures like me experience sensations that I have also experienced and understood.”

Tchaikovsky's statements testify to the composer's innovation: rejection of external action and focus on revealing spiritual world heroes were a largely new phenomenon in the operatic (and not only operatic) art of that time. “Eugene Onegin” is a high achievement of Russian psychological opera. The task of transferring a brilliant novel to the stage of musical theater was immensely difficult. Although Tchaikovsky defined the genre of Onegin as lyrical scenes, he did not follow the path of the masters of French lyric opera, who calmly laid out Procrustean bed their genre of tragedy by Shakespeare or Goethe, reducing them to a banal love affair. Of course, it was impossible to fit into the framework of the performance all the eventful, philosophical, lyrical content of Pushkin’s masterpiece. In many ways, the composer departed from the original. Pushkin ironically characterized Lensky's dying poems (they are “full of love nonsense... he [Lensky] wrote darkly and sluggishly”) - music gives them a deeply lyrical and dramatic embodiment. Rethinking the novel in the context of Tchaikovsky’s contemporary art phenomena, first of all fiction, was not arbitrary, but a natural act, marking a new creative interpretation of a work from another era. In terms of mood and general atmosphere, the opera is close to Turgenev’s novels and stories - “ Noble nest" or "Ace". These writings, reflecting new stage spiritual life of Russia, developed the traditions of Pushkin. Dostoevsky rightly compared the images of Tatyana Larina and Liza Kalitina.

The idea of ​​the opera interested the largest figures of Russian literature. L. Tolstoy asked Turgenev in a letter: “What is Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin? I haven’t heard it yet, but I’m very interested.” Turgenev in his response letter spoke enthusiastically about the music and negatively about the libretto. He wrote: “Undoubtedly wonderful music, especially the lyrical and melodic passages are good.”

Initially, the composer gave a different ending than Pushkin’s last meeting heroes. The draft script says: “After an explanation, Tatiana succumbs to the feeling of love for Evgeniy and fights. He begs her. The husband appears." According to the testimony of Modest Tchaikovsky, the composer’s brother and biographer, “keeping both in the arrangement of scenes and in the verses as close as possible to the original and allowing themselves only in rare places to insert their own work, the librettists made one major deviation from the model, forcing Tatyana to fall into the arms of the last scene of the opera Onegin... But in the fall of 1880, before the performance of the opera at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, P.I. brought the end of the opera into the form in which we know it now.” Thus, the composer removed the only concession he had made to the operatic template.

The novelty of the musical dramaturgy of Eugene Onegin, the principles of which sharply diverged from generally accepted canons, required a different approach on the part of the theater. The music revealed the inner world of the characters (and above all Tatiana, Lensky, Onegin), the atmosphere of their lives and required sensitive listening from the orchestra, choir, conductor, director and artist. The state theater could not provide anything like this. Tchaikovsky understood this perfectly. He was afraid of staging an opera on the state stage, preferring students to the conservatory opera artists. The composer wrote to K. Albrecht:

“I will never give this opera to the Directorate of Theaters before it goes to the Conservatory. I wrote it for the conservatory because what I need here is not a big stage with its routine, convention, with its mediocre directors, meaningless, albeit luxurious staging, with its waving machines instead of a bandmaster, etc., etc. For Onegin I need this: 1) singers of average quality, but well trained and firm, 2) singers who, at the same time, will play simply but well, 3) I need a production that is not luxurious, but very strictly in keeping with the times; costumes must certainly be of the time in which the opera takes place (20s), 4) the choirs must not be a flock of sheep, as on the imperial stage, but people taking part in the action of the opera, 5) the bandmaster must not be a machine. ..<...>I will not give Onegin up for any benefit to either the St. Petersburg or Moscow directors, and if it [the opera] is not destined to go to the Conservatory, then it will not go anywhere.” The following people participated in the creation of the conservatory performance: prominent figures Russian art, like N. Rubinstein, K. Albrecht, I. Samarin. Among the performers were those who were just starting out creative activity talented artists M. Klimentova and M. Medvedev, a small orchestra - 32 musicians, a choir of 48 people.

The production was not a great success, but the significance of what happened was the birth of a masterpiece that opened new way in art, was clear to many. At the same time, the shortcomings of the performance were also obvious: the absence of a number of suitable performers, a small orchestra, and the poverty of the situation. A test on the professional stage was needed. It was a production at the Bolshoi Theater. Much of it was unsuccessful and routine, but at the same time, the opera’s score was performed for the first time by a large orchestra. Finally, in this performance almost best performer Onegin roles - P. Khokhlov, on for many years defining the tradition of its interpretation. The opera was staged with even greater success in St. Petersburg. The coldness and wariness that greeted her gradually dissipated, she won more and more new admirers, entering the repertoire of the overwhelming number of musical theaters. Onegin was also generally well received by critics. Only Ts. Cui had a sharply negative attitude towards him.

For the production in 1885 at the Mariinsky Theater, Tchaikovsky wrote an ecosaise in the ball scene (6th stage), which has since been included in the score. In 1888, Onegin was staged in Prague, and Tchaikovsky was amazed by the performance of the part of Tatiana by the artist B. Förster-Lauterer. “I could never even dream of such a Tatyana. There was no end to the ovation,” he wrote. The opera aroused the admiration of A. Dvorak, and even earlier - the high praise of C. Saint-Saëns. In 1892 it was staged in Hamburg, in 1894 - in Darmstadt, in 1897 - in Vienna (as in Hamburg, under the direction of G. Mahler), in 1898 - in Berlin, in 1899 - in Warsaw (S. Krushelnitskaya - Tatiana, M. Batgistini - Onegin), in 1900 - in Milan, at La Scala, under the direction of A. Toscanini (E. Giraldoni - Onegin), etc. To this At that time, there was not a single major opera house in Russia that did not have Onegin in its repertoire. His main roles were played by greatest masters Russian stage: M. Klimentova, N. Salina, E. Mravina, M. Figner, M. Kuznetsova, A. Nezhdanova, N. Figner, I. Ershov, L. Sobinov, P. Khokhlov, L. Yakovlev, I. Tartakov , I. Pryanishnikov, F. Chaliapin (Onegin and Gremin), etc. At the beginning of the 20th century. many private enterprises working in Russia, mainly Italian, turned to the production of Onegin. Remarkable vocal images of the opera's heroes were created by M. Battistini and E. Giraldoni (Onegin), A. Masini and G. Anselmi (Lensky).

The tradition of performing opera did not develop immediately. This applies primarily to Lensky's party. Many, even talented singers late XIX- beginning of the 20th century were powerless to embody his image. The performers at that time did not have youth, poetic lyricism, reverent dreams or even the desire to convey appearance hero. Thus, the best of the Lensky 90s, the talented singer and artist N. Figner did not want to part with his mustache and goatee. The first real Lensky was L. Sobinov, who remained an unsurpassed interpreter of the party. Unlike all his predecessors, who dramatized the image, deprived him of youth and freshness of feelings, emphasizing his spiritual brokenness, Sobinov was young, pure, and inspired. This was perhaps the most poetic phenomenon of Russian musical theater. “Sobinov superbly captured the whole essence of Tchaikovsky’s lyrics, its enormous sincerity and quiet sadness, everything the finest shades this lyric... Everything in the artist’s performance perfectly corresponded to the image created by the poet and composer... His entire appearance, his slender figure, his light, lively gait and all his movements, full of simplicity, natural grace and vitality, and finally, his face , an infinitely attractive face, clear, outlined by clean, soft lines and shaded by a frame of curly dark curls - all this was completely flawless from a purely plastic point of view, from the point of view of the external picture of the image,” wrote Siegfried (E. Starck). The great singer-artist came from Pushkin - Tchaikovsky. Sobinov showed other performers the key not only to the image of Lensky, but to the entire opera. Such outstanding artists as A. Nezhdanova - Tatyana, F. Chaliapin - Gremin followed this path in the pre-revolutionary theater. But still, there was no integrity in all elements of the performance, equally thought out in the musical and stage design. Attempt at Theater musical drama(1912) to free the opera from the layers of stage cliches was unsuccessful, since the production was characterized by everyday mundaneness, everyday life, despite the fact that the performance had beautiful Tatiana- M. Briand.

The credit for creating a production that corresponds to the nature of Tchaikovsky’s music belongs to Stanislavsky, who staged “Eugene Onegin” in the studio he directed (1922). It was an intimate, chamber performance. In the opera, with the exception of the 4th and 6th scenes (Tatiana's name day and the ball), all the action took place in the circle of several characters. The director focused his attention on them, showed close up their inner world revealed the intensity and effectiveness of the process taking place in their souls. The heroes were not isolated from the outside world, but, on the contrary, their dependence on the environment was shown. Onegin, who rejects Tatiana's love, is a prisoner of a secular prison. In the last picture, Tatyana sacrifices her personal happiness to duty. In solving scenes and images, Stanislavsky followed the music, finding a truthful, clear and poetic solution. Sobinov's interpretation of Lensky was close to the approach of the great director. It turned out to be alive and enriched when performed by I. Kozlovsky, S. Lemeshev and other masters of our opera.

“Eugene Onegin” does not leave the stages of the world. In 1954 he was placed in Milan theater"La Scala" (E. Bastianini - Onegin), the most interesting performances performed at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1994 and under the direction of G. Rozhdestvensky in 1996. The production in Moscow at the Novaya Opera (conductor E. Kolobov) also dates back to 1996, and at the Bolshoi Theater to 2000 (director B. Pokrovsky). Among the outstanding performers of the part of Onegin are M. Bocharov, V. Slivinsky, S. Migai, P. Nortsov, Al. Ivanov, Y. Mazurok, S. Leiferkus, E. Bastianini, D. Fischer-Dieskau; Tatiana - E. Katulskaya, N. Shpiller, E. Kruglikova, G. Vishnevskaya, K. Malfitano, D. Voight; Lensky - I. Kozlovsky, S. Lemeshev, J. Björling, F. Wunderlich, A. Dermot, N. Gedda.

The opera was filmed at Lenfilm (1959, director R. Tikhomirov).

"Onegin" is the pearl of Russian opera. Until the end of Tchaikovsky's life, the opera remained one of his favorite creations. The composer wrote:

I wrote this opera because one fine day I had an indescribable desire to set to music everything that is asked to be set to music in Onegin. I did this as best I could.

Story

First foreign production in, conductor - author. production in , conductor.

The first production on the Soviet stage in the Maly Opera House. In 1921 production at the Bolshoi Theater.

The opera was originally conceived as a chamber opera, but later Tchaikovsky created a new version specifically for productions on the stage of the Imperial Opera. Already in Soviet era The original version, "lyrical scenes", was recreated through the efforts of . Currently, both editions of the opera are used.

The first studio recording of “Onegin” took place in. The orchestra, choir and soloists of the Bolshoi Theater took part in it: P. Nortsov, G. Zhukovskaya, S. Lemeshev, A. Pirogov. . A year later, another version was recorded, this time with I. Kozlovsky in the role of Lensky.

Famous performers

Parts from the opera have entered the golden repertoire of the best singers in the world.

• Onegin: P. G. Lisitsian, P. M. Nortsov
• Lensky: , L. V. Sobinov, I. S. Kozlovsky,
• Tatiana: M. I. Figner, E. D. Kruglikova,
• Gremin: , A. S. Pirogov, M. O. Reizen

Characters

• Larina, landowner (mezzo-soprano)
• Tatiana (soprano)
• Olga (contralto)
• Filipevna, nanny (mezzo-soprano)
• Evgeny Onegin (baritone)
• Lensky (tenor)
• Prince Gremin (bass)
• Company (bass)
• Zaretsky (bass)
• Triquet, French (tenor)
• Guillot, valet (no speeches)

Peasants, peasant women, guests at the ball, landowners and landowners, officers.

Summary

The action takes place in the village and in St. Petersburg in the 20s of the XIX century.

Act one

Picture one. Summer evening, garden at the Larins' estate. Tatiana and Olga sing a romance. Their mother Larina and nanny Filippevna recall the times of their youth. Peasants appear. Their songs occupy the girls - thoughtful, dreamy Tatyana and carefree, playful Olga. Olga's fiancé, the landowner-neighbor Vladimir Lensky, arrives, accompanied by Onegin, a young nobleman who recently arrived from St. Petersburg. Tatyana is deeply excited by the meeting with Onegin.

Picture two. Tatiana's room, late evening. The girl is in the grip of disturbing thoughts. She cannot sleep and asks the nanny to tell her about her youth. Tatyana barely listens: her thoughts are absorbed in Onegin. Seized by a new feeling unknown to her, she writes a letter to Onegin, declaring her love. She sees her chosen one in him... It’s getting light. The nanny, at Tatiana's request, sends her grandson with a letter to Onegin.

Picture three. In the Larins' garden, girls are picking berries with songs. Tatyana runs in in confusion: Onegin has arrived, he will be here now. What will he answer to her letter? Onegin is polite and reserved. He is touched by Tatiana's sincerity, but cannot respond to her love. The shocked girl listens to moral teachings with bitterness.

Act two

Picture one. Ball at the Larins' house. Many guests came to Tatyana's name day. The guests dance and play cards. A provincial ball with gossip and gossip makes Onegin severely bored. To take revenge on Lensky, who brought him here, he begins to court Olga. Lensky is outraged by the behavior of his friend and the frivolity of his bride. He challenges Onegin to a duel. Guests and hosts unsuccessfully try to reconcile friends.

Picture two. Early winter morning. Lensky and his second Zaretsky are waiting for Onegin at the place of the duel. The young poet’s thoughts are turned to Olga and his own destiny. The belated Onegin appears. Opponents hesitate, remember past friendship. But all routes to retreat are cut off. The duelists stand towards the barrier. A shot is fired, and Lensky falls, struck to death.

Act three

Picture one. The St. Petersburg nobility gathered in a rich mansion. Among the guests is Onegin, who has recently returned from his travels. Neither travel nor social pleasures can dispel his melancholy. Prince Gremin and his wife appear, in whom Onegin is surprised to recognize Tatyana. Prince Gremin says that his wife made his life happy. Captivated by sudden love for Tatyana, Onegin decides to get a date.

Picture two. In her living room, Tatyana reads Onegin’s letter in excitement. She still loves him. Suddenly Onegin enters. His words contain recognition and repentance. Tatyana remembers their first meeting, when happiness was still possible. But you can't bring back the past. Appealing to Onegin’s honor and pride, Tatyana asks to leave her. She is unshakable in the consciousness of duty and marital fidelity. Onegin is left alone.

Musical numbers

1. Introduction
2. « Have you heard the voice of the night behind the grove... They sing..." - Tatiana, Olga, Larina, nanny.
3. « My little legs hurt... It’s like crossing a bridge..." - peasant choir, Larina.
4. « How I love the sounds of these songs... It’s like walking across a bridge..." - Tatyana, Olga.
5. « Well, my darling..." - Larina, nanny, Tatiana, Olga, choir.
6. « Mesdames! I took the liberty of bringing a friend..." - Lensky, Onegin, Larina, Tatyana, Olga.
7. « How happy, how happy I am!.. I love you!.." - Lensky, Olga, Onegin, Tatyana.
8. « Ah, here you are!...My uncle is the most fair rules...My dove!.." - Larina, nanny, Lensky, Onegin.
9. « Well, I started chatting!..I ​​can’t sleep, nanny..." - nanny, Tatyana.
10. « Let me die, but first..." - Tatiana (“Letter Scene”).
11. « Ah, the night has passed..." - Tatyana, nanny.
12. « Beautiful girls..." - chorus of peasants.
13. « Here he is, here he is, Evgeniy!.. You wrote to me..." - Tatiana, Onegin.
14. « What a surprise!.." - guest choir, company, Onegin, Lensky.
15. « Do I really deserve this ridicule from you?.." - Lensky, Olga, Onegin, choir, Triquet.
16. « Messieurs, mesdames, please take your seats!.. Aren't you dancing, Lensky?.." - company commander, Onegin, Lensky, choir, Larina.
17. « In your home! In your home!.." - Lensky, Onegin, Tatiana, choir, Larina, Olga.
18. « Well?.. Where, where, where did you go..." - Zaretsky, Lensky.
19. « Ah, here they are!.." - Zaretsky, Onegin, Lensky.
20. Polonaise
21. « And here I’m bored!.. Princess Gremina! Look!.." - Onegin, choir, Tatiana, Gremin.
22. « All ages are submissive to love..." - Gremin.
23. « So, let's go... Is it really the same Tatyana?.." - Gremin, Tatiana, Onegin.
24. « ABOUT! how hard it is for me!.. Onegin! I was younger then..." - Tatiana, Onegin.

Literature

• Dombaev G. The work of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in materials and documents. - M., 1958

P.I. Tchaikovsky opera "Eugene Onegin"

In the musical work “Eugene Onegin,” Tchaikovsky sang the heights of feelings and the poetry of the soul of Pushkin’s Tatiana. While preserving the original characteristics of the main characters, the composer portrayed them somewhat differently. Thus, Lensky’s operatic appearance becomes a reproduction of sincerity and enthusiasm of feelings, uniting in spiritual kinship with the image of Tatyana. General characteristics lyrical characters, as well as their destinies, are closely intertwined in this drama. The scenes organically depict emotional experiences lyrical heroes, emphasize the depth of their feelings and emotions.The music seems to complete the understatement of the words and is a continuation of the speech of the characters. It must be said that the operatic interpretation Pushkin's novel literally charmed the audience and marked the beginning of a new stage in the genre of lyrical opera.

Characters		Description
Tatiana	soprano	lyrical heroine in love with Onegin
Olga	contralto	Tatiana's sister
Larina	mezzo-soprano	lady, mistress of the estate
	baritone	a young man from St. Petersburg, tired of social life
Lensky	tenor	friend of Onegin, admirer of Olga Larina
Filippovna	mezzo-soprano	nanny
Prince Gremin	bass	Tatiana's husband

Summary

Events begin at the Larins' estate. Here you can hear the girlish melodies of young beauties - Tatyana and Olga. The girls' mother and nanny Filippovna recall their youth with nostalgia. Peasants approach the estate with songs and gifts on the occasion of the end of the harvest.

A neighbor’s youth and Olga’s admirer, Lensky, drives up to the Larins’ house. The guest is accompanied by his friend, Onegin, who came from the capital. A freedom-loving guy feels terrible boredom in the wilderness and doesn’t know how to entertain himself. Sentimental Tatiana falls in love with mannered Onegin at first sight.
After meeting Onegin, Tatyana finds no peace. Trying to distract herself, the girl asks the nanny to tell her something about her youth. However, the conversation with Filippovna does not bring peace, and Tatyana decides to write a letter to her lover. Throughout the night, Larina describes her feelings and by morning asks the nanny to secretly deliver a love message.

Tatiana anxiously awaits an answer from her lover. The girl hopes for reciprocity, but Onegin’s answer disappointed her. The young man thanks his fan for her sincerity, but restrainedly reports that he is not ready for a serious relationship and marriage. The moral teachings of the secular guest leave a bitter aftertaste in Tatiana’s soul.

Tatiana's name day. The guests are having fun and congratulating the hero of the occasion, among them are Lensky and Onegin. The guest from St. Petersburg is terribly bored; provincial gossip and empty talk at the ball are alien to him. To dispel the melancholy and take revenge on Lensky for the boring evening, Onegin decided to court Olga. The frivolous coquette accepts advances and spends the entire evening dancing with her admirer's friend. Lensky is offended by the actions of his fiancee and comrade. During the next dance, the friends quarrel and Lensky, in a fit of anger, challenges Onegin to a duel. No amount of persuasion can pacify young people. Challenge accepted.
Winter morning. Lensky arrived at the appointed place of the duel. All his thoughts and reasoning are dedicated to Olga. Onegin appears and the duelists take their positions. The battle becomes deadly for Lensky.

Onegin returns to St. Petersburg and suddenly meets Tatyana at a ball in the capital. However, now the girl is not free. Prince Gremin enthusiastically introduces Onegin to his beloved wife. Seized by sudden feelings, Onegin seeks to meet Tatyana alone.

Tatiana reads the confession of the lover Onegin. Love for him is still alive, but now it has no power. Onegin enters, he pronounces words of love and repentance. Disturbed Tatiana recalls the past, her confessions and rejected love. However, now she is a faithful wife and her pride does not allow her to commit rash acts or give in to passionate feelings. Tatyana appeals to Onegin's honor and asks him to leave. Loneliness becomes the eternal companion of the main character, who loses a friend, a loved one and hope for reciprocity.

Duration of the performance
Act I	Act II	III Act
70 min.	45 min.	35 min.

Photo:

Interesting facts

• When writing the opera, the book plot of “Eugene Onegin” underwent a number of changes. So, for example, Tchaikovsky described Lensky's challenge to Onegin differently. According to Pushkin's original, the purpose of the duel between friends was secret, and in the opera the quarrel took place in the presence of the guests of the ball. The people commented on the quarrel and tried to reason with their comrades, but in vain. Tchaikovsky also portrays Tatiana in love somewhat differently. Unlike Pushkin’s heroine, the “opera” Tatiana regrets the written confession even before her conversation with Onegin. This change in events contributes to some rethinking of the images of the main characters.
• The first productions of the opera “Eugene Onegin” ended with the tender embrace of Tatiana and Onegin, as well as the sudden appearance of Tatiana’s husband, Gremin. This outcome caused public dissatisfaction, so the composer had to bring the musical work as close as possible to the original.
• The play “Eugene Onegin” is a new stage of development opera art, since it was the first piece of music created under the direction of Stanislavski.
• After the opera was staged in Hamburg and Vienna under the direction of conductor Mahler, the performance was highly appreciated by Tchaikovsky thanks to the high conducting art of the talented Austrian composer.
• To some extent, work on “Eugene Onegin” influenced the author’s personal life. While actively working on sketches for the opera, in the spring of 1877, the composer learned about Milyukova’s passionate love. A young student, like Tatyana, writes a love letter to Tchaikovsky. The musician cannot reciprocate and hardly remembers the girl, so, by analogy with Pushkin’s hero, he writes a polite refusal. However, after some time, another message comes from Antonina. frank letter. Tchaikovsky is puzzled, he goes to the girl in love to see her. Acquaintance and communication with a persistent fan led to the composer’s marriage in the summer of 1877. There is an opinion that Tchaikovsky tried to avoid repeating Onegin’s mistake, but, in fact, he himself committed a rash act. The sudden marriage did not bring happiness and three weeks after the wedding the composer left his young wife.
• Initially, a chamber performance of the opera was planned, but after some time Tchaikovsky created a new edition of the work. During times Soviet Union K.S. Stanislavsky initiated the reconstruction of the original version of the opera. Now the viewer has the opportunity to see both editions.
• Recognition of the opera by the public occurred gradually. The work received high marks after changes in scenes from production to production. Thus, the musical work was transformed into a performance intended for the big stage. Tchaikovsky's favorite creation was highly appreciated by both Russian and European audiences.
• Pushkin's novel was staged on the Russian stage even before Tchaikovsky. The first production was created by composer A.S. Verstovsky, and the other - A.F. Lvov. It is interesting that the dramatizations contained only some scenes of the work.
• Some printed responses to “Eugene Onegin” described the weakness of the image of the main character. Of course, Onegin did not evoke the same sympathy and approval from Tchaikovsky as Lensky and Tatyana, however, his role in the opera is depicted quite clearly. The first picture describes the secular mannerisms and cold restraint of the St. Petersburg guest, and the two latest paintings present Onegin in a completely different light. Particular drama can be seen in the final scene of the opera, when the capital’s young man confesses his passionate love to Tatyana.
• No matter what contradictory opinions were published by critics in the press, the Russian public accepted the opera “Eugene Onegin” with its soul. The musical and dramatic work became the most popular in Russia and went through 16 productions.

“Eugene Onegin” is rightfully considered one of the best operas. In this work, the poems of the great poet are naturally in harmony with the music, which carries soulfulness and drama. Through melodies, the talented composer showed in the best light national traits Russian person, conveyed the sublimity of feelings, morality and moral stability of the main character.

As the Russian composer noted and music critic Asafiev, integrity musical composition“Eugene Onegin” is a series of arches and sound arches, a kind of overlap from one point of events to another. The musical fabric consists of formalized themes, small motifs and modal turns.

The performance consists of a variety of solo numbers and duets, but crowd scenes are not shown so widely here. A large ensemble occurs in the opera only once - in the finale of the fourth scene, during the scandal at the Larins' festive ball. Only once does a small quartet sound in that part of the opera when, against the background of Lensky and Onegin’s communication, Tatiana’s excited voice, full of passion and curiosity, is heard.

Numerous duets help reveal the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the opera. The duet of the Larin sisters shows the character of the dreamy Tatiana and flirtatious Olga, and the ensemble of Onegin and Lensky before the duel emphasizes the full drama of the circumstances that happened, which became an obstacle for the former friends. Even the chosen form of presentation for the duet only reinforces this.

There are few arias in a musical work. In fact, arias can only be called final scene Lensky during the duel, as well as an episode with Gremin at the ball. Onegin's response to Tatyana's confession was initially also called an aria, but the lack of contrasts and the comparative brevity of the music brings it closer to an arioso.

P.I. Tchaikovsky - "Eugene Onegin"

EVGENY ONEGIN Evgeny Onegin - Panteleimon Nortsov (baritone) Tatyana Larina - Glafira Zhukovskaya (soprano) Vladimir Lensky - Sergei Lemeshev (tenor) Olga - Bronislava Zlatogorova (contralto) Larina - Maria Butenina (mezzo-soprano) Filipevna - Concordia Antarova (contralto) Prince Gremin - Alexander Pirogov (bass) Triquet - Ivan Kovalenko (tenor) Zaretsky - Anatoly Yakhontov (bass) Rotny - Igor Manchavin (bass) Choir and orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR. Conductor Vasily Nebolsin 1936 recording

EVGENY ONEGIN -

opera (lyrical scenes) in three acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a libretto by composer K. Shilovsky, based on the novel of the same name in verse by A.S. Pushkin.

Time of action: 20s of the XIX century.
Setting: village and St. Petersburg.
First performance: Moscow, March 17 (29), 1879.

In March 1877, singer Elizaveta Lavrovskaya advised P.I. Tchaikovsky to take A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” as a plot for an opera. At first this idea seemed absurd to Tchaikovsky. He declares that Onegin is a “holy book” that he would not even dare to touch in his dreams. But soon this idea captures him.

“In Eugene Onegin” the heroine, Tatyana, writes a letter to Eugene in which she confesses her love to him. Evgeniy tells her that he cannot answer mutual love, can't get married. The result is a tragedy.

That same spring of 1877, Tchaikovsky received passionate love letters from a certain Antonina Milyukova, a twenty-four-year-old student at the conservatory, whom Tchaikovsky could hardly remember having ever met. Tchaikovsky has absolutely no love for his real correspondent, and he does the same thing as Onegin did: he writes a polite, cold answer that he cannot respond with mutual love. But another letter comes from her, full of passionate feelings, and Tchaikovsky goes to Antonina Milyukova to look at her. He marries her (July 6, 1877). The result is tragedy (three weeks later he flees his marriage).

The scene of Tatiana's letter was written first. Tatyana Larina and Antonina Milyukova unite in the painfully excited consciousness of the composer, giving birth to the wondrous sound of the orchestra and the melody of Tatyana’s confession: “...It’s destined in the highest council, / Then the will of heaven: I’m yours!”

Despite the fact that the libretto of the opera significantly simplified the content of A.S. Pushkin’s novel, its language and style as a whole cause less protest than is the case in similar cases references to other Pushkin works. In most cases, librettists “straightened” Pushkin’s text, that is, they transferred it from narrative to direct speech of the characters. Let us give just one example of such an operation:

A.S. Pushkin:
Chapter Eight, XII
Onegin (I’ll take care of him again),
Having killed a friend in a duel,
Having lived without a goal, without work
Until twenty-six years old,
Languishing in idle leisure
I didn't know how to do anything.

Tchaikovsky:
Onegin (to himself)
Having killed a friend in a duel,
Having lived without a goal, without work
Until twenty-six years old,
Languishing in the inaction of leisure
Without work, without wife, without business,
I didn't have time to occupy myself.

In less than a year—January 20, 1878—Eugene Onegin was completed (in Italy, in San Remo). Tchaikovsky sends the score of the opera not to the one he embodied in the image of Tatyana, not to Antonina Milyukova, who dreamed of always being with him, but to Nadezhda von Meck, who admired Tchaikovsky and patronized him, but in a difficult to explain way always avoided - and avoided - a personal meeting with him.

ACT I

A short orchestral introduction introduces the listener to the world of Tatiana’s poetic dreams and emotional impulses. It is entirely based on a repeating motif - “Tatyana’s sequence,” as B. Asafiev called it.

Picture 1. The Larins' estate is a house and an adjacent garden. It's getting dark. Larina and the nanny are making jam. From the house you can hear Tatiana and Olga singing. Their duet sounds (“Did you hear the voice of the night behind the grove / The singer of love, the singer of sadness?”). The voices of Larina (mother) and the nanny are woven into the duet. For Larina the mother, the singing of her daughters evokes memories of her own youth. She indulges in these memories with her nanny (Filippievna), and at first the duet now becomes a female quartet (“They sing, and I sang”). The result of the reasoning of the two old women is a simple philosophy: “A habit has been given to us from above - it is a substitute for happiness” (this maxim was exactly transferred from the novel to the opera; A. Pushkin himself, in the notes to the novel, reveals the source of his borrowing - Chateaubriand: “If I had the recklessness still believe in happiness, I would look for it in habit”).

The peasants approach singing. They return from the field and bring the lady - according to the old custom - a sheaf as a sign of the end of the harvest. The singer begins to sing (“My little feet are hurting / From the walk...”); the Choir picks her up. The youth starts a round dance with the sheaf, the rest sing. Tatiana with a book in her hands and Olga come out of the house onto the balcony. A choir of peasants sounds (“It’s like crossing a bridge”).

Tatyana admits that she loves “to the sounds of these songs / Sometimes carried away by dreams somewhere, / Somewhere far away...” Olga, carefree and cheerful, is unfamiliar with these feelings. She sings about this in the wonderful aria “I am not capable of languid sadness” (The music of this aria, it must be said, on the contrary, refutes this statement of Olga; perhaps the composer meant to make her sneer at the sighing dreamers, which could be very interesting and impressive, but Olga hardly acts in the opera and, therefore, does not appear anywhere else in a cheerful and playful form, so we have to take her word for it, without receiving confirmation of this in the music.)

The noise of wheels and the ringing of bells of an approaching carriage can be heard. The nanny hurriedly enters with the Cossack boy; She reports that “Lena’s gentleman has arrived, Mr. Onegin is with him!” Vladimir Lensky, the Larins' neighbor, is youthfully, enthusiastically and romantically in love with Olga. His friend Evgeniy came (he is Lensky’s neighbor) to stay from St. Petersburg and is bored in the wilderness of the village. And so they pay a visit to the Larins. Onegin’s attention is immediately drawn to “the one who is sad and silent, like Svetlana,” that is, Tatyana (Tchaikovsky leaves this Pushkin allusion to V.A. Zhukovsky, in whom Svetlana is the heroine of the ballad of the same name: “...Silent and sad / Darling Svetlana"). The impressions of their arrival are expressed in the quartet of main characters (the second pair, naturally, are Olga and Tatyana). But if Onegin and Lensky conduct a dialogue, then the girls indulge in their thoughts, each separately. Finally, Lensky approaches Olga. Onegin looks at the thoughtful Tatiana for a while, then approaches her. It turns out that just yesterday Lensky saw Olga, but a day apart for him is “an eternity!” Lensky and Olga go into the depths of the garden. Onegin starts a conversation with Tatyana. Onegin somewhat aloofly asks Tatyana if she is bored in the village. She replies that no, she reads a lot, sometimes she dreams. “And I was like that once!..” - Onegin keeps up the conversation rather sluggishly. Continuing to talk, they move away along the garden alley. Olga and Lensky return again. He passionately declares his love to her - his aria (one of the best in opera) “I love you, I love you, Olga” sounds. The first picture ends at the height of romantic illusions of love and friendship. Larina and the nanny leave the house. It's getting dark. The owners invite guests into the house. Tatyana and Onegin slowly walk from the pond to the house, followed by the nanny at a distance. Onegin manages to tell a little about his uncle (“My uncle has the most honest rules”). The nanny sums it all up in her own way: “Didn’t she (Tatyana. - A.M.) take a liking to this new master?..”

Picture 2. Tatiana's room. Late evening. Tatiana is excited; she is in love with Onegin and cannot find a place for herself. Tatiana's motive makes it clear to the listener that she will be in charge actor in this picture. Against the background of this motive, Tatyana’s conversation with the nanny takes place. An old woman complains of bad memory. When Tatyana asks her to say whether she was in love, the nanny says that she was thirteen years old when she was betrothed (and the groom was a year younger). In the end, Tatyana can no longer contain her feelings. She exclaims: “Oh, nanny, nanny, I’m suffering, I’m sad.” Filipevna is worried whether Tatyana is healthy. But no, it’s not the illness, and Tatyana sends the nanny away to be left alone. Cantilena's "Let me perish" precedes the letter scene: "I am writing to you." The hand slides over the paper. But Tatyana doesn’t like what’s written. She starts again. The orchestral accompaniment perfectly conveys the anxious indecision. But now the letter has been written. It turns out that the whole night has passed. The sun is rising. Tatyana opens the window. The sound of a shepherd's horn reaches her ears. The nanny enters. Tatyana asks the nanny to send her grandson to take the letter to Onegin, but so that no one knows about it. The nanny leaves with the letter. Tatyana sits down at the table and, leaning her elbows, again plunges into thought.

Picture 3. A secluded corner of the garden at the Larins' estate. The yard girls are picking berries. Their choir sounds (“Maids, Beauties”). An excited Tatyana runs in and falls onto the bench in exhaustion. Onegin has arrived and now he will be here. She waits with trepidation for an answer to her letter. Onegin appears and approaches Tatiana. Onegin is courteous, he is touched by Tatiana's sincerity. But he cannot respond to her love, since this would be tantamount to marriage, and marriage is a habit, and habit is the end of love. Tatyana listens to Onegin’s moral teachings with resentment and pain.

ACT II

Picture 1. Ball in the Larins' house (Tchaikovsky's libretto does not have the slightest hint of the time of year when this event takes place; Pushkin dates it exactly: “Tatyana's name day / On Saturday” - that is, winter, more precisely January 25 (in other words, between the first and the second act has passed six months). Thus, this is a ball in honor of Tatyana Larina. The elderly guests are sitting in groups and talking, watching the dancers. Everyone praises the feast, which was a great success. Among the dancers, Tatyana and Onegin attract the attention of the ladies. they gossip about Onegin. Passing by them, he hears their unflattering judgments about himself. This angers him; he scolds himself for coming to “this stupid ball.” And he decides to take revenge on Lensky: “I will court Olga!” he invites only her to dance. Now Lensky becomes indignant. He tries to talk to Olga, but she is annoyed by his jealousy. He again invites her to dance, but she prefers Onegin. Olga and Onegin move away from Lensky. A lively group of young ladies moves towards them. . Triquet is with them. He proclaims (in the form of couplets “What a wonderful day this is”) a dithyramb in honor of Tatyana. Everyone likes Trike's verses. Dancing resumes. Onegin dances with Olga again; Lensky becomes increasingly gloomy with jealousy. Having finished dancing (it was a cotillion - ballroom dance, combining a waltz, mazurka and polka), Onegin starts a conversation with Lensky. A quarrel breaks out. In a fit of anger, the offended Lensky challenges Onegin. General confusion reigns. Everyone tries unsuccessfully to reconcile their former friends, but to no avail. Duels cannot be avoided.

Picture 2. An old abandoned mill is the designated place for a duel. Early winter morning. Lensky and his second Zaretsky are waiting for Onegin. Lensky thinks longingly about the possible outcome of the fight. His aria “Where, where, where have you gone, / The golden days of my spring?” - one of the most brilliant pages not only of Onegin, but, perhaps, in Tchaikovsky’s entire operatic heritage. Onegin appears - belatedly - along with his valet (also his second) Guillot. There are formal explanations about the upcoming duel. While the seconds are preparing for the fight, our heroes indulge in reflection on what happened: each to himself, they sing a duet: “Enemies!.. How long ago did bloodlust take us away from each other?” But all hesitations are discarded: the laws of honor are above all. Zaretsky separates the opponents to the required distance and hands them pistols. Guillo hides behind a tree. “Now get together,” Zaretsky commands. He claps his hands three times. Opponents take four steps forward and begin to aim. Onegin shoots first. Lensky falls. He is killed. Onegin clutches his head in horror.

ACT III

A ball at one of the St. Petersburg dignitaries. The guests dance the polonaise. (This brilliant orchestral piece is often performed as a stand-alone piece in symphony concerts.) Onegin was also invited to the ball in this house. He looks absentmindedly at the dancers. He's incredibly bored. He is only twenty-six years old, but he already feels tired of life. The guests discuss his return from his travels and his appearance here in St. Petersburg. Among those invited to the ball is Onegin’s old friend, Prince Gremin (they are on first name, although the prince is much older than Onegin). The prince enters arm in arm with Tatiana. Onegin is amazed: “Is it really Tatyana?” It turns out that she is now Gremin's wife. The prince sings his famous aria “All ages are submissive to love,” as if making it clear to Onegin that his time for love, despite all his disappointment, has not yet passed. And Onegin really falls in love. He falls madly in love with... Tatiana. He is amazed: “Is it possible that the same Tatyana, to whom I am alone, / In a remote, distant side, / In the good heat of moralizing, / Once read instructions?” But Tatiana and her husband leave, and the disappointed hero remembers the motive and even the words of the object of his passion: “Let me perish,” Onegin now sings, “but first...” (and so on; of course, in a baritone key). “But what was appropriate in the mouth of a dreamy heroine,” notes one of the composer’s contemporaries (V.S. Baskin, the author of the first attempt to characterize the composer’s work), “does not at all suit the high-society dandy Onegin.” Onegin quickly leaves. Guests dance ecosaise.

Picture 2. Now it’s Onegin’s turn to write a letter to Tatyana. And he wrote. The scene takes place in one of the rooms of Prince Gremin's house. Tatiana, crying, reads Onegin's letter. “Oh, how hard it is for me,” she sings. Onegin enters. Seeing Tatyana, he quickly approaches her and falls on his knees in front of her. Tatyana is trying to be cold. Onegin prays for love. Their duet is full of beautiful pages. But Tatyana remains faithful to her husband. "Farewell forever!" - her last words. The last groan that escaped from Onegin’s soul: “Shame!.. Melancholy!.. Oh, my pitiful lot!” - conveyed in an unusually dramatic way by Tchaikovsky (it’s a pity that there are too few such phrases in the title role).

A. Maykapar

HISTORY OF CREATION

In May 1877, singer E. A. Lavrovskaya advised Tchaikovsky to write an opera based on the plot of Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin.” At first, this idea seemed wild to the composer, in his words, but he soon became so carried away by it that in one night he wrote a script and set to work on the music. Tchaikovsky admired Pushkin. His knowledge of life, the character of Russian people, his subtle understanding of Russian nature, and the musicality of his verse aroused the composer’s admiration. The libretto was written by him in collaboration with K. S. Shilovsky (1849-1893). From Pushkin’s novel in verse—“the encyclopedia of Russian life,” as V. G. Belinsky called it—Tchaikovsky took only what was connected with peace of mind and the personal destinies of Pushkin’s heroes, modestly calling his opera “lyrical scenes.”

In a letter to his student, the famous composer S.I. Taneyev, Tchaikovsky wrote: “I am looking for an intimate but strong drama, based on a conflict of situations that I have experienced or seen, that can touch me to the quick.” “Eugene Onegin” was the composer’s ideal of such a drama. Tchaikovsky was worried about the fate of his opera, which did not have traditional stage effects, and the performance required maximum simplicity and sincerity. Therefore, he decided to entrust its first performance to young people - students of the Moscow Conservatory. On March 17 (29), 1879, the premiere of “Eugene Onegin” took place. Soon the opera was staged with great success at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow (1881), where its 1500th performance took place in 1963, and at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg (1884) and became one of the most popular works.

MUSIC

“Eugene Onegin” is an unsurpassed example of a lyrical opera, in which Pushkin’s poetry harmoniously merged with beautiful, soulful music, full of heartfelt warmth and drama. With amazing perfection, Tchaikovsky characterized Tatiana’s ethically beautiful appearance, emphasizing Russian national features in her.

A short orchestral introduction introduces Tatiana into the world of poetic dreams and emotional impulses.

There are three scenes in the first act. The first multifacetedly outlines the background of the action and introduces listeners to the images of the main characters. The duet of Tatiana and Olga “Lzyhali zy”, close to Russian everyday romance, is imbued with a serene elegiac mood. The voices of the girls are joined by the dialogue between Larina and Filippevna: the duet turns into a quartet. In the scene with the peasants, the drawn-out song “My little feet hurt” gives way to the playful, comic “It’s like crossing a bridge.” The aria “I am not capable of languid sadness” gives a portrait of a carefree and playful Olga. In Lensky’s lyrically enthusiastic arioso “I love you, Olga,” the image of an ardent, romantic young man appears.

In the center of the second picture is the image of Tatiana. The nanny's story, kept in a calm narrative style, confronts her excited speeches. In the letter scene, the heroine’s various mental states are captured with remarkable psychological sensitivity: passionate impulse, timidity, desperate determination and, finally, affirmation of love. Tatiana's confusion is expressively shaded by the symphonic panorama of the sunrise.

In the center of the third picture is Onegin’s aria “If only life were home,” framed by a transparent and light choir of girls; Onegin's restrained and measured speech is only briefly enlivened by a warm feeling.

The second act opens with a fascinating waltz. Triquet’s naively simple-minded couplets “What a beautiful day this is” and other everyday episodes create a contrast to the quarrel scene; the intense dramatic dialogue of the characters sounds against the background of a mazurka. Lensky’s Arioso “In Your House” is a heartfelt memory of the past; Onegin, Tatyana, Olga and Larina gradually join the gentle, smooth melody, and then an excited choir of guests.

At the beginning of the fifth scene (the second scene of the second act), Lensky’s elegiac aria “Where, where have you gone, are the golden days of my spring” sounds; her music is full of sadness, bright memories and painful forebodings; it captivates with its melodic beauty and sincerity of expression. The duet of Lensky and Onegin “Enemies, Enemies” conveys a state of gloomy meditation. The melody of Lensky’s dying aria sounds tragically in the orchestra, completing the picture.

Scene six (act three) begins with a solemn polonaise. Gremin's aria “All ages are submissive to love” is imbued with noble, courageous lyricism. In Onegin's final arioso, reflecting the love that has flared up in him, a passionate melody from the scene of Tatyana's letter sounds.

In the center of the seventh picture is the duet of Tatiana and Onegin - excited, full of emotional contrasts, ending with a rapid build-up and a dramatic breakdown.

Lyrical scenes in 3 acts. The libretto based on the novel of the same name in verse by A. S. Pushkin was written by the composer in collaboration with K. Shilovsky.
The first performance took place on March 17, 1879 in Moscow on the stage of the Maly Theater. The performers were students of the Moscow Conservatory.

Characters:

Larina, landowner, mezzo-soprano
Her daughters:
Tatiana, soprano
Olga, mezzo-soprano
Filipevna, nanny, mezzo-soprano
Evgeny Onegin, baritone
Lensky, tenor
Prince Gremin, bass
Company commander, bass
Zaretsky, bass
Triquet, French, tenor
Guillot, valet, without words
Peasants, peasant women, guests at the ball, landowners and landowners, officers

First action. First picture. An old, densely overgrown garden. Larina and the nanny are making jam. From the open windows of the manor's house, girls' voices are heard. This is sung by Larina’s daughters - Tatyana and Olga. Their singing gives birth to the mother’s memories of days gone by, of years gone by, of the hobbies of her youth. A song rang in the distance. It is getting closer and closer, expanding, growing. The peasants came to congratulate the lady on the harvest. A drawn-out song gives way to a fast dance. Dreamy and thoughtful Tatyana with a book in her hand absentmindedly watches the dancers. Playful laughter Olga dances merrily along with the peasants.

The Larins' neighbor, named Vladimir Lensky, arrives, a young poet who is passionately in love with his childhood friend Olga. This time he brought with him his friend Onegin, a cold, prim Petersburger. Judging by Tatiana's embarrassment, the timidity with which she talks to Onegin, the perspicacious old nanny notices that her favorite has taken a liking to the new master.

Second picture. Tatiana's bedroom. The girl, excited by the meeting with Onegin, cannot sleep. She asks the nanny to tell her about the old days. The old woman remembers what she has lived through, but Tatyana does not listen. Onegin completely took possession of her thoughts. In sincere and unartificial words, Tatyana pours out her feelings in a letter to Eugene.

A sleepless night passed. The shepherd's pipe heralds the arrival of morning. Tatyana calls the nanny and asks her to send a letter to Onegin.

Third picture. A secluded corner of the garden. Tatyana runs in and sinks onto the bench in exhaustion. With trembling excitement she awaits Evgeniy, his response to his confession.

Onegin enters. His rebuke sounds cold and rational: he cannot reciprocate Tatyana’s love and patronizingly advises the girl to learn to control herself.

Second action. First picture. Hall in the Larins' house. Ball in honor of Tatiana's name day. Couples spin in a fast waltz. Among the guests are Onegin and Lensky. Evgeny is annoyed with his friend for bringing him to this stupid ball, where he has to listen to the gossip of provincial gossips. In revenge, he begins to court Olga. Olga's coquetry offends, and Onegin's behavior outrages Lensky. A quarrel breaks out between friends. Lensky challenges Onegin to a duel.

Second picture. Early frosty morning. At the icy mill dam, Lensky and his second Zaretsky are waiting for the late Onegin. Lensky is in deep thought: what awaits him in the future, what does the coming day bring to him?

Onegin arrives with his second. Before the duel begins, the opponents remember their past friendship. They hesitate - should they shake hands, should they part amicably? But it’s too late to retreat - the duel must take place, and everyone decisively rejects the idea of ​​​​reconciliation. Zaretsky measures the distance. Opponents stand towards the barrier. Shot. Lensky was killed.

Third action. First picture. Several years have passed. Returning from his travels abroad, Onegin goes to a ball in St. Petersburg. Here the noble nobleman Prince Gremin introduces him to his wife. In the brilliant society beauty, Evgeny recognizes Tatyana Larina and falls in love with her with unbridled passion.

Second picture. Onegin stood in Tatyana’s path again, like a merciless ghost. He pursues her everywhere relentlessly. And now, running into the living room, Onegin finds Tatyana reading her letter. Tatyana is confused, there are tears in her eyes. For Onegin they are more valuable than all the treasures of the world. This means that Tatyana is not indifferent to him, which means he has hope for reciprocity. Onegin excitedly and passionately declares his love to Tatyana:

No, I see you every minute
Follow you everywhere
A smile of the mouth, a movement of the eyes
To catch with loving eyes,
Listen to you for a long time, understand
Your soul is all your perfection,
To freeze in agony before you,
To turn pale and fade away... what bliss!

Tatyana responds to Onegin's passionate confession with the same frank confession. Why hide, why be disingenuous? She still loves Onegin. With bitterness and sadness, Tatyana recalls her meeting with Onegin in the wilderness of the village, those blissful times when happiness was so possible, so close. But Tatiana's fate is decided. She is given to another and will be faithful to him all her life. In a fit of despair, abandoned by Tatiana, Onegin exclaims: “Shame!” Yearning! O my miserable lot!

The action takes place in the village and St. Petersburg in the 20s.

Created: Moscow - May 1877, San Remo - February. 1878. Dated on the basis of letters from Ch. (Vol. VI, No. 565; Vol. VII, No. 735).

First performance. Dec. 1878, Moscow Conservatory. Passages: 1-4 cards. March 17, 1879, Moscow, Maly Theater. Student performance at the Moscow Conservatory. Conductor N.G. Rubinstein. Directed by I.V. Samarin. Artist K.F. Waltz.

1877, May, Moscow. P.I. Tchaikovsky just turned 37 years old. If you look at the whole creative path Tchaikovsky - the composer, then by this moment he had passed almost half of it. He has already become famous in Russia. His music has already begun to spread in Europe. Tchaikovsky was then the author of three symphonies and four operas. He wrote such world-famous masterpieces as the ballet “Swan Lake”, the First Piano Concerto, piano cycle"Seasons" and much, much more.

About how, among others, in search of a plot for an opera, Tchaikovsky suddenly, unexpectedly for himself and others, chose the novel in verse by A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”, so beloved in Russia, he told himself, in all the details, in a letter to his brother M To I. Tchaikovsky on May 18, 1877: “Last week I was once at Lavrovskaya. The conversation turned to subjects for the opera.<...>Lizaveta Andreevna was silent and smiled good-naturedly, when she suddenly said: “What about Eugene Onegin?” This thought seemed wild to me, and I did not answer. Then, while dining alone in a tavern, I remembered Onegin, thought about it, then began to find Lavrovskaya’s idea possible, then I got carried away and by lunchtime I made up my mind. He immediately ran to look for Pushkin. I found it with difficulty, went home, re-read it with delight and spent a completely sleepless night, the result of which was the script for a delightful opera with a text by Pushkin. You won't believe it<...>How glad I am to get rid of Ethiopian princesses, pharaohs, poisoning, all kinds of stiltiness. What an abyss of poetry there is in Onegin. I am not mistaken: I know that there will be little stage effects and movement in this opera. But the general poetry, humanity, simplicity of the plot, combined with a brilliant text, will more than make up for these shortcomings."

There were dramatic stagings of the brilliant novel by A.S. Pushkin on the Russian stage even before Tchaikovsky. One of them was undertaken in Moscow in 1846 with the music of the outstanding Russian composer A.S. Verstovsky. Another dramatization of Pushkin’s novel ran for quite a long time on the St. Petersburg stage with music by the famous A.F. Lvov, known as the author of the Russian national anthem “God Save the Tsar!” Tchaikovsky, in all likelihood, could have known either both productions, or, most likely, the St. Petersburg one. It is curious that both dramatizations were made famous writer G.V. Kugushev and contained only selected scenes from the novel: 1. Letter. 2. Sermon and duel. 3. Meeting.

Script of yours new opera Tchaikovsky told his brother M.I. Tchaikovsky about “Eugene Onegin” in the same letter, in which he spoke about the history of the idea for this opera. The structure of the script is reminiscent of a dramatic dramatization of Pushkin's novel, but with some additions. It has three actions. The latter was supposed to depict a ball in Moscow (thus, there should have been three balls in the opera!), at which Tatyana meets her future husband, the General, telling him her story and agreeing to marry him. Ultimately, Tchaikovsky omitted the Moscow ball scene, thereby moving even closer to his predecessors, who staged Eugene Onegin in drama theater. It is very possible that the subtitle that Tchaikovsky gave to his opera - “Lyrical Scenes” - came to him precisely from a dramatic performance on the same plot. Moreover, Tchaikovsky’s friend K.S. Shilovsky, who was a musician, an artist, and an actor, took part in the development of the script. Moreover, he collaborated with the Maly Theater in Moscow, on whose stage a performance was staged with music by Verstovsky. Tchaikovsky began composing the opera immediately. Freed from classes at the Moscow Conservatory, where he taught, he went to the estate of K.S. Shilovsky Glebovo. He settled there in a separate outbuilding and worked with great pleasure: "<...>I am in love with the image of Tatyana, I am fascinated by Pushkin’s poems and write music on them<...>because I'm drawn to it. The opera is progressing quickly,” he wrote to his brother.

While living in Glebovo and working on Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky informed his family that he intended to get married. He also announced the name of his chosen one: “I will marry the girl Antonina Ivanovna Milyukova. She is poor, but a good and honest girl, who loves me very much,” the composer wrote to his father in June 1877 from Glebovo. The fact of turning to the plot of “Onegin” is usually associated with Tchaikovsky’s personal circumstances, when, almost like in Pushkin’s novel, he received a letter from a girl with a declaration of love. After a short conversation, he decides to marry her. What was primary in this story: an appeal to Pushkin and then the decision to get married, as if trying not to repeat Onegin’s mistake, or own novel with A.I. Milyukova, who inspired a plot from Pushkin? One way or another, the composer’s personal fate developed against the backdrop of the composition of the opera “Eugene Onegin”.

Sketches for the opera were completed in the fall of 1877. During this time, Tchaikovsky experienced great upheavals in his personal life; his quick marriage incredibly quickly ended in a breakup with his wife. Tchaikovsky left his service at the conservatory, left Moscow, Russia, and in Europe he completed the sketches and instrumentalized his new opera.

Tchaikovsky gave the operas that preceded Onegin for performance to the Imperial Theaters of Moscow and St. Petersburg. He longed to get on these stages and was very sad when productions were delayed or postponed. And suddenly he changed his previous views and made a request to the director of the Moscow Conservatory, N.G. Rubinstein: “Staging it at the Conservatory is my best dream. It is designed for modest means and a small stage.” And a little later he wrote to his friend K.K. Albrecht, who was the choirmaster in the first production of Onegin: “I will never give this opera to the Directorate of Theaters before it goes to the conservatory. I wrote it for the conservatory because I needed a small stage here.” Further, the composer listed what he needed to stage Onegin, adding that if the opera is not staged at the Conservatory, it will not be staged anywhere: “I am ready to wait as long as necessary.”

In the fall, the score of the opera came out of print, in which the author's subtitle of the opera was printed: “Lyrical Scenes.” A little later, in a student concert, excerpts from the opera were performed, to which the reviewer reacted as follows: “Never before has a composer been so much himself as in these lyrical scenes<...>Mr. Tchaikovsky is an incomparable elegiac poet in sounds.”

At the beginning of 1879, preparations began for the premiere of the opera by students and teachers of the conservatory on the stage of the Maly Theater in Moscow. Since it was a small stage where dramatic performances were staged, the composition of the performers, choir, and orchestra could only be small. For example, we can cite a case when five years earlier A.N. Ostrovsky’s fairy tale “The Snow Maiden” was staged with music by Tchaikovsky, but it had a large orchestra, choir, and then this dramatic performance with a large number of performers, a choir and an orchestra, took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. On the stage of the Maly Theater the choir and orchestra could not be larger.

So, in March 1879, the premiere of “Eugene Onegin” took place on the stage of the Maly Theater in Moscow, performed by students of the Moscow Conservatory. According to the list of performers announced in the program and the report on the premiere, the performance included: a choir of 28 students and 20 students, an orchestra of 32 people (including four professors of the conservatory and two musicians from the Bolshoi Theater orchestra). Conducted by N.G. Rubinstein. The director was Maly Theater actor I.V. Samarin. In this production, the original ending of the opera was performed, in which Tatiana's husband appeared and showed Onegin the door.

The press for the performance was different. Mostly, the opera was not appreciated. The fate of “Eugene Onegin” was such that even during the author’s lifetime, this opera gradually, from production to production, turned into a performance on the big stage, and its ending also changed, which took the development of the plot from Pushkin as a basis. And the composer himself made many changes for productions on the stage of the Imperial Opera, introducing new scenes and changing tempos, which already made its chamber performance impossible. However, in the 20th century, the great stage reformer K.S. Stanislavsky made an attempt to recreate the appearance of the chamber “Onegin” and lyrical scenes. One way or another, today two performing versions of the opera “Eugene Onegin” continue to live and have an equal right to exist. Each of them has its own merits and rights to performing life. Until the end of Tchaikovsky’s life, “Eugene Onegin” remained one of his favorite works. He was happy to see the success of his brainchild not only on stages opera houses Russia, but also Europe. This was explained by the feelings that he put into this opera: “I wrote this opera because one fine day I, with inexpressible strength, wanted to set to music everything that in Onegin asks to be set to music. I did this as best I could.”

P. E. Vaidman

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