What is Eugene Onegin (opera)?
{{italictitle}} [[File:Porträt des Komponisten Pjotr I. Tschaikowski (1840-1893).jpg|thumb|Tchaikovsky in 1893]] '''''Eugene Onegin''''' (''Евгений Онегин'' in [[Russian language|Russian]]) is an [[opera]] by [[Pyotr Tchaikovsky]]. It is usually thought to be his greatest opera and one of the best of all Russian operas. Tchaikovsky finished composing it in [[1878]] and it was first performed in [[Moscow]] in [[1879]]. The story of ''Eugene Onegin'' was written by [[Alexander Pushkin]]. He was Russia’s most famous writer and Tchaikovsky made several of his stories into operas. He was careful not to make the opera too long, and chose several chapters from [[Eugene Onegin|Pushkin’s original book]] so that the story sometimes jumps from one time to a time much later. Russian operas are quite often like this: they are a series of “tableaux”, i.e. scenes from a story. Sometimes the audience has to imagine what happens between the acts. == Roles == * Eugene Onegin - [[baritone]] * Tatyana - [[soprano]] * Olga - [[contralto]] * Lenski - [[tenor]] * Gremin - [[bass (vocal range)|bass]] == The story of the opera == '''Act 1''' Tatyana is a young girl who comes from a rich family. She is with her younger sister Olga. Tatyana is reading a novel, but her mother, Madame Larina, tells her that real life is very different from what it is in books. Visitors arrive: Olga’s [[fiancée]] Lensky who is a young poet, and his friend Eugene Onegin. Onegin is a rather lazy man who likes to go to parties and socialize. Tatyana immediately feels attracted to him. Back in her room Tatyana tells her nurse that she is in love. When she is alone she writes a letter to Onegin saying how she loves him. When the nurse returns Tatyana asks her to make sure the letter is sent to Onegin. Onegin returns to give Tatyana an answer to her letter. He says very politely that he is not really suited to marriage. Tatyana is very upset. '''Act 2''' [[File:RR5216-0031R 225-летие Большого театра.gif|right|228px|]] It is Tatyana's [[name-day]] party