Eugene Onegin

INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL “OPERALIA”

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Eugene Onegin

Opera (lyrical scenes) in 3 acts and a Prologue

Performed in Russian

(with synchronised Kazakh and English supertitles)

In May 1877, the opera singer Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya advised Tchaikovsky to create an opera based on the plot of Pushkin's novel in verse Eugene Onegin. At first this idea seemed wild to the composer, according to his memoirs. However, soon enough, he was growing excited about the suggestion and created the scenario in one night before starting the composition of the music. Tchaikovsky admired Pushkin.

He wrote the libretto in collaboration with Konstantin Shilovsky (1849-1893). Tchaikovsky used original verses from Pushkin’s novel – the “encyclopedia of Russian life” – as Vissarion Belinsky called it, and chose scenes that involved the emotional world and fortunes of his heroes, having modestly titled the opera “lyrical scenes”. Therefore, he decided to entrust the first performance to the youth - the students of the Moscow Conservatory. On 17 (29) March 1879, the premiere of Eugene Onegin took place. Soon, the opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (1881) and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (1884), it was a great success and became one of the most popular works.

Today, the most famous opera houses and singers include this opera in their repertoires. The lead roles were brilliantly performed by opera stars such as Renata Tebaldi, Galina Vishnevskaya, Roza Jamanova and Anna Netrebko (Tatyana); Pavel Lisitsian, Muslim Magomayev, Yermek Serkebayev and Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Onegin); Vladimir Atlantov, Ivan Kozlovsky, Sergei Lemeshev, Zurab Sotkilava, Alibek Dnishev (Lensky) and others.

GUEST SOLOISTS:

Eugene Onegin: Evgeny Kachurovsky (Russia, baritone)

Tatyana: Eleonora Makarova (Russia, soprano)

ROLES AND PERFORMERS

Eugene Onegin –        Talgat MUSSABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                                    Evgeny KACHUROVSKY (Russia)

Tatyana –                    Eleonora MAKAROVA (Russia) /

                                    Galina CHEPLAKOVA

Vladimir Lensky–      Medet CHOTABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                                    Shohrukh YUNUSOV (Debut)

Olga –                           Tatyana VITSINSKAYA

Larina –                        Yelena GANZHA

Prince Gremin –           Yevgeniy CHAINIKOV

Nurse –                         Gulzhanat SAPAKOVA

Triquet –                       Ramzat BALAKISHIYEV

Zaretsky –                     Zhanat SHYBYKBAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Company Commander – Sultan BAKYTZHAN (Debut) / Shyngys RASYLKHAN

Old Tatiana: Mansiya YESTEKOVA

Tatyana’s soul: Anel ABDULLINA

Olga’s soul: Ulmeken BEKTAYEVA

OPERA SOLOISTS, ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, BALLET, EXTRAS

AND PUPILS OF THE CHILDREN’S STUDIO OF THE ASTANA OPERA HOUSE

PRODUCTION GROUP

Conductor: Alan Buribayev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Conductor: Giuseppe Acquaviva

Director, Set Designer: Davide Livermore

Set Designer: Francesco Calcagnini

Costume Designers: Sofia Tasmagambetova, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan / Pavel Dragunov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Chorus Master: Yerzhan Dautov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Choreographer: Elena Sherstneva

Lighting Designer: Vincenzo Raponi

Opera Company Director: Meir Bainesh, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Assistant Directors: Yerenbak Toikenov / Giancarlo Judica Cordiglia / Anja Rudak

Assistant Costume Designer: Natalia Fedorova

Technical Project Manager: Victor Carare

Video Projection: D-WOK Srl

Tickets purchased at the Astana Opera are exchangeable and refundable only in cases of cancelled or postponed performances. In all other cases, no refunds and exchanges are possible.