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Eugene Onegin delivers on promise of excellence

12/10/2009

The Genesis Energy Season of Eugene Onegin, Sept/Oct 2009

PUBLICATION: Dominion Post
REVIEWED BY: Robert Kitchin
DATE: 12 October 2009
WHERE: St James Theatre, opening night

There was an air of excited anticipation before the curtain rose for the Wellington season of Tchaikovsky's great opera - would it live up to the praise it had received in Auckland?

Simply put, this is, surely, the most polished, most evenly cast production that New Zealand Opera has yet given us.

It presents a traditional view of an opera that can be done no other way. Based on Pushkin's verse novel, Eugene Onegin is a simple (yet complex) story, here lent additional realism by the skill of all concerned.

The sets, by Genevieve Blanchett, are architectural rather than opulent, but they frame the realism of the story stunningly, as well as matching the costumes, courtesy of Opera Australia, in almost organic fashion.

In short, even for someone not remotely interested in opera, this would be riveting, cohesive, drama, but, thanks to great singing of great music, it is elevated to an altogether higher level.

In Anna Leese, Tatyana has an advocate to rival the great Russian singers. Her voice has the full range; from almost gauche fragility to steely power, beautifully produced and fully at the service of an acting ability that is rare in one so young. Her Letter Song is astonishingly well formed, and deeply moving, and the extra maturity and toughness of the final scene is completely convincing - both musically and dramatically.

As Onegin, William Dazeley is scarcely less impressive. Onegin is a difficult role, but Dazeley steers a delicate path between caddishness and human fragility in completely believable fashion, and his relationship with the excitable, and fated, Lensky is marvellously drawn. He has a fine voice as well, as does the Russian tenor Roman Shulackoff - as idiomatic a Lensky as could be imagined.

Kristen Darragh is a fine, flighty Olga and Patricia Wright is ideal as Madame Larina. All the minor roles, including understudy Wendy Doyle, are excellent, and Martin Snell, in his brief appearance with his great aria, is memorable as Prince Gremin.

The chorus is crucial to this opera and here they cover themselves with glory, somehow managing to sound amazingly Russian.

Presiding over this powerful realisation is conductor Alexander Polianichko. With complete authority he draws increasingly taut playing from the Wellington Orchestra, crowning a production that does the near impossible - rivals last year's unforgettable Jenufa.