Eugene Onegin - Tschaikowsky Opera

Did anyone else watch it on PBS last night? Good looking Russian Baritone (Dimitri Hvorostovsky played Onegin, Fleming did Tatiana, and Vargas did Lensky). Conductor was a renowned Russian. Definitely a must if you like Opera.

I believe this production was the same as in the Maryinsky. The Met must have some good relation with the Maryinsky. They also do Mazzeppa.

One question on the story: What ever happens to Olga?

Joe

Joesitz said:

One question on the story: What ever happens to Olga?

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Pushkin spends a couple of stanzas on that - she quickly gets over her loss, marries a military man, and leaves to live with him at a military base.
Oh, found it on Here
BTW, I can't believe how awful the translation is; it conveys nothing of the light and playful nature of Pushkin's writing. Edited to add - OK, I see now, this is the infamous Nabokov translation - extremely accurate and basically unreadable.

I am very ambiguous about Tchaikovsky's Pushkin operas. I do, of course, have to admit - I understand nothing about opera, not too much about music, while I love and understand Pushkin's poetry. My main problem with Tchaikovsky's operas is that the librettos (written by his brother) are overly sentimental. This is especially true of "Queen of Spades" - in the opera, Lisa drowns herself form sorrow, whereas Pushkin had her get over her grief quickly and get married. Pushkin's version is more cynical and more true-to-life; unfortunately, many people (even in Russia, let alone abroad!) only know the opera version. In Tchaikovsky's interpretation of Onegin, I think Lenski is seriously mis-represented. It was popular back then (and, truthfully, still is) to draw parallels between Lenski and Pushkin himself - both poets, killed young on duels over women. IMO, this is absurd. Pushkin never saw Lenski as anything resembling himself! Sure, he didn't take himself too seriously, but he took Lenski even less serious than that. Just take a look Here - stanza 38 (39). BTW, this translation is much better. Anyway, Pushkin made Lenski into a cliche on purpose; I certainly don't think he saw himself as such.

Anyway, I don't really have any opinion on the opera itself - only the libretto.

Edited to add one more thing - if you have time, buy yourself a copy of Onegin - the Oxford edition translation is very decent. I am sure you will enjoy it. Pushkin had that mix of cynicism and love for his characters that I am sure you will like. Just please - don't base any opinions of Pushkin on the operas.

Ptichka said:

"Queen of Spades" - ; unfortunately, many people (even in Russia, let alone abroad!) only know the opera version.

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The only version I know of this is a Radio show done in the 30s that had Peter Lorry as one of the main characters.

But I would say it is an interesting story, very creative. But I don't know how much they kept with the original story????

Thanks for the warning, Ptichka.

Joe, thanks for the info on the performance. It sold out this season before I could get a ticket and I really want to see Hvorostovsky in that part. LOVE the opera.

Just one more example of how the opera corrupts the original meaning.

Pushkin Original:
To love all ages yield surrender;
But to the young its rapture brings
A blessing bountiful and tender -
As storms refresh the fields of spring.
[...]
But when the years have made us older
And barren age has shown its face
How sad is faded passion's trace!"

In the opera, all we have is "To love all ages yield surrender - A blessing bountiful and tender". I would argue that the absence of the second line changes the meaning completely. Once again, many if not most people know the opera version of this stanza.

I've read the book two years ago. I really enjoyed it!

Ptichka, do Russian audiences follow the libretti that closely?

English-speaking audiences have an odd situation in that few major operas are composed or performed (in translation) in English, and even when they are, it's pretty hard to make out the words. Subtitling of all operas, even those done in English, is the norm now, but is inexact and leaves out a lot, plus the timing is off so you miss the subtleties of how the music is responding to the text. Up to a decade or so ago, opera houses here sold libretti, but I'm not sure how many people read them.

Bottom line - at least in the U.S. I think people experience opera on the musical and dramatic levels, but not really the literary-textual level. Changes in the story and characters would be more noticeable to Americans.

I've often wondered what it is like to hear this music in one's own language. Sometimes the words are quite silly and I'm actually glad that to be distracted by their foreignness.

Typical example, not from opera: "Little brook, little brook, why do you look so sad?" from Schubert's Schone Mullerin. It would be hard to hear that kind of thing in English without smiling, but in German it's lovely.

Ptichka - Thanks for your comments on the libretto. I think as an opera goer of sorts, I'm with Spun Silver on how the music develops on the gist of the story. In that respect I loved the opera and performance. Hvorostovsky, imo, is a good actor but not the best baritone, however, on this board he would be considered a hottie. How tall and blonde can one get? Vargas (played Lenski) is a superb tenor. Fleming was fine as Tatiana but then, I haven't seen other Tatianas. She did sing in Russian. How well, I don't know. Catch it on PBS if it is repeated or shown your local PBS station.

BTW - I think the original libretto for Queen of Spades was written in French. I forget the reason why.

Joe

Joesitz said:

Ptichka - Thanks for your comments on the libretto. I think as an opera goer of sorts, I'm with Spun Silver on how the music develops on the gist of the story.

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With the disclaimer that I don't really understand opera - I just think that some of those "changes" really do change the whole message, turning it from cynical to sentimental (probably the two very opposite moods). I feel the same way about films - if you're bringing a really good book to the big screen, make sure you do it right. It is possible (think Forman's "Ragtime"), but very difficult. Alternatively, just take a regular book that's not so great and do an opera or a movie from that.

SpunSilver, yes, Russian audiences do really know those operas' librettos, even people who have never heard those operas themselves. I don't know I many times I've corrected people who think they quote Pushkin with the "To love all ages yield surrender - A blessing bountiful and tender".

Ptichka said:

With the disclaimer that I don't really understand opera - I just think that some of those "changes" really do change the whole message, turning it from cynical to sentimental (probably the two very opposite moods). I feel the same way about films - if you're bringing a really good book to the big screen, make sure you do it right. It is possible (think Forman's "Ragtime"), but very difficult. Alternatively, just take a regular book that's not so great and do an opera or a movie from that.

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Trouble with E.L. Doctorow's story is that he gets events all mixed up. Chronologically it was wrong in several places but maybe that is author's license.

Joe

Joesitz said:

Trouble with E.L. Doctorow's story is that he gets events all mixed up. Chronologically it was wrong in several places but maybe that is author's license.

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Interesting, didn't know that! Not that I think this is the case with Doctorow, but I know Rushdie sometimes puts in "errors" on purpose. For example, Midnight Children is written in first voice; errors the narrator makes are meant to slightly cast doubt on everything he is saying. It's an interesting tactic - especially since most non-Indians never caught on to the trick!

this stuff is shown once a week on saturdays in a local cinema. Have not been to them myself but the shows are usually sold out.

That's great to hear. It's a new idea of the Met's and I don't think it's available in the NYC area (it would be competing with itself).

Spun Silver said:

That's great to hear. It's a new idea of the Met's and I don't think it's available in the NYC area (it would be competing with itself).

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It's shown in a movie house in the Union Square area and Buzz is correct, they sell out quickly despite it being shown at the Met.

Joe