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Eugene Onegin, with simplicity and sincerity

17/09/2009

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

PUBLICATION: The Opera Critic website
REVIEWED BY: Michael Sinclair
DATE: 17 September 2009
WHERE: Aotea Centre, Auckland

Almost certainly Eugene Onegin is Tchaikovsky's best known opera, which makes it hard to believe that he had severe doubts about its viability. Doubting his ability to adequately reinvent Pushkin's much loved poem, Tchaikovsky also broke free from operatic conventions by creating a theatrical piece that he described not as an opera but as "lyrical scenes." To make it work Tchaikovsky believed that performances of Eugene Onegin required maximum simplicity and sincerity.

Director, Patrick Nolan takes a traditional approach to the work that allows Pushkin's story to be told with exactly the right amount of simplicity and sincerity that Tchaikovsky demanded. What raises this production well above the mundane are the expressive sets and costumes by Genevieve Blanchett and the evocative lighting by Bernie Tan. The first act is dominated by a cyclorama completely filling the back of the stage on which is projected varying cloud patterns ranging from dawn to dusk. This simple device, complemented by the simple stage settings, adds weight and colour to the subtle changes in mood throughout the first act, and also during the duel scene in the second.

In the second and third acts the stage is now dominated by wooden panelled towers that are rearranged to provide for the various interior settings. The towers add more than a hint of brooding claustrophobia to the proceedings although they do mean that the setting for Madame Larina's party is very similar to the one for the ball in St Petersburg, which should be considerably more opulent and dazzling.

If there is plenty of mood and colour on-stage then there is also plenty coming from the orchestra pit. Bringing his experience from the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg Russian conductor Alexander Polianichko clearly knows this music well and is able to draw passionate playing from the Auckland Philharmonia who are on top form throughout the course of the evening. The first act finds Polianichko creating a magical web of musical seduction as Onegin and Tatyana play cat and mouse with each other, while he continues to build layer upon layer of emotion as the opera develops.

And so to the singing. New Zealand Opera have assembled a first rate cast for this production with much of the excitement focusing on the debut of young New Zealander Anne Leese in the role of Tatyana. Leese delves into the emotional vulnerability of the young girl with impassioned singing that is gloriously even throughout the range, from hushed pianissimo to soaring climaxes. Her letter scene is heart achingly beautiful. To an untutored ear her Russian diction sounds idiomatic and equally impressive is her ability to colour and darken her voice in an authentically Russian way. This was certainly a most auspicious debut and Tatyana will surely be a role that will form a core part of her repertoire over the coming years.

No less impressive are the contributions of William Dazeley as Onegin and Roman Shulackoff as Lensky. Dazeley uses his fine baritone voice effectively throughout the performance, growing ever more passionate as the opera progresses, ultimately finding the depths of despair as he realises that Tatyana is lost forever. His portrayal is suitably aloof and cool in the first act, brutish and blasé in the second, and finally tortured in the third. While he cuts a dashing figure as the doomed hero his performance perhaps lacks the necessary charisma to make us believe that Tatyana would fall head over heels in love with him at the outset.

Shulackoff is the real thing when it comes to a Russian tenor and as a result his portrayal of Lensky is well nigh ideal. He possesses that dark, steely timbre that only Russian tenors seem to have, but he still has sufficient sweetness in his voice for the young lover. He sings with power and precision throughout, giving a deeply moving account of his famous second act aria.

All the smaller roles are extremely well performed. Patricia Wright brings maturity and dignity to the role of Madame Larina; Martin Snell is luxury casting in the small but pivotal role of Prince Gremin; Kristen Darragh is an effervescent Olga; Rosemary Gunn is vocally strong as the devoted servant Filipyevna. The cast is rounded out by Andrew Glover as Monsieur Triquet, and Richard Green as Zaretsky, both making much of their small parts.

While most of the attention is on the principal singers the chorus nevertheless plays an important and integral part throughout the opera. The Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus acquits themselves with great aplomb not only with their rousing singing, but also with their assured dancing in the two ball scenes.

Without exception everyone involved in this production gives us exactly what the composer wanted. Tchaikovsky's "lyrical scenes" reverberate with drama and passion throughout and the result is a prfromance not to be missed. After their witty L'Italiana in Algeri earlier in the year New Zealand Opera has once again demonstrated that it is at the top of its game.