Eugene Onegin - Kolobov New Opera of Moscow

“The creative process is like music which takes root with extraordinary force and rapidity” said Tchaikovsky whose opera Eugene Onegin is going to be staged by the Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow on July 11 at the Limassol Garden Theatre and on July 12 at the Patticheon Theatre, Larnaca. The production being brought to Cyprus is enormous and is made especially exciting with the live orchestra under the baton of Anatoly Gus. Both performances begin at 9pm.

The opera with stage direction by Sergey Artsibashev, set designer Sergey Barkhin and costume designer Eleonora Maklakova has seven lyrical scenes to a libretto by Tchaikovsky and Konstantin Shilovsky after Pushkin’s narrative poem. This particular production was awarded the Golden Mask national theatrical prize as the best musical performance of the 1996/7 season.

As in all opera, it is best to go prepared with some background knowledge of the story to further enhance your musical and theatrical experience. The opera is set at the country house of Madame Larina. Her daughters Olga and Tatyana are visited by Olga’s faince Lensky and his friend, the Byronic Onegin. The young and inexperienced Tatyana falls in love with Onegin and writes him a rather indiscreet letter. However, Onegin rather cruelly rejects her. Later however, at a ball at Madame Larina’s house, he flirts with Olga and is then challenged to a duel by the jealous Lensky.

Lensky is killed in the duel and Onegin feels abroad. Six years later though, he returns to Russia and attends a ball in St Petersburg where he is introduced to the poised and elegant wife of Prince Gremin. Rather disconcerted, he recognises her as Tatyana and the full force of love hits him. He urges Tatyana to leaver her husband for him, and although she still loves Onegin, she refuses to be unfaithful to her husband. She dismisses him, and Onegin realises that he has lost her forever.

The Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre was founded in 1991 at the initiative of the prominent Russian conductor Evgeny Kolobov (1946-2003). The company has an original repertoire and the first in Russia to stage Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda and Caralani’s La Wally amongst others. Many of the theatre’s soloists have the prestigious title People’s Artist of Russia and many have won prizes and awards at international competitions. The orchestra too, frequently appear on the concert platform too under their chief conductor Jan Latham-Koenig who took up the position in 2011.

The company tours frequently and has received international recognition for their high standards. They are not strangers to Cyprus, having been part of concerts with Deborah Myers and Marios Frangoullis as well as performing concerts dedicated to the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis for his 80th anniversary in 2005.

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear some marvelously passionate music transporting us to a world so far, and yet so near.

By Anna Shephard

Tickets:
Cyprus-Tickets.com
Tel: 7000 9303