Until this year I'd not heard of Onegin, however when I received the Royal Opera House magazine and saw that they were doing the ballet and the opera with two different scores by Tchaikovsky I had to see both. Then posters popped up around town for Tatyana which turned out to be a Brazilian contemporary dance company's version of Pushkin's Onegin.
Onegin with the Royal Ballet
I had no expectations of what was coming having not read the story and failing to purchase a programme. However, I was quickly drawn in to the story and the dancing. Marianela Nunez was, as expected, beautiful and you could feel her anguish as Thiago Soare's Onegin cast her off. Meaghan Grace Hinkis debuted in the role of Olga, Tatiana's friend and danced the role with grace, showing joy, teasing and grief. I loved the use of the two curtains at the front of the stage to create a blank corridor which added drama and comic timing as needed. I loved the drama of Onegin's black cape and it added to his despair when he realised that he really had just shot his friend in a duel over Olga who was caught in the middle. Added to a grabbing story and beautiful dancing, the score from Tchaikovsky was perfect, it seemed familiar at times and I left wanting to buy the recording.
One little quibble the set made me feel seasick at times, as the angles on the flat backdrops painted to make the rooms appear square weren't quite right for my eyes making the 'room' pulsate. Luckily the dancing meant I didn't focus on them too much. The verdict? I'll be sure to get tickets next time the Royal Ballet bring Onegin back especially if Nunez and Soares are dancing together again.
One final thing about this performance, the curtain call. An unusual thing to blog about perhaps but this one was special as Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares embraced you could see what they had put into their performance. Vampire Soup caught the moment perfectly on her blog, illustrated by @missbunnyman.
Tatyana with Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker
The evening got off to a good start as the Barbican were offering reseats down to the stalls and getting closer to the action is always welcome. I'd read one review that said you needed to know the story before you watched so I felt smug that I knew the story already. However, I'm not sure it stood me in good stead, I would have been better off viewing this dance piece as an abstract. I found the fact there there could be up to four dancers in each role very confusing, I wanted them to dance the same thing as each other, on reading the programme I discovered they were supposed to represent the different aspects of the characters. as one Royal Ballet dancer can dance beautifully and portray a complex character how come this company failed to portray a character with four dancers.
Eugene Onegin with the Royal Opera
So this was my first proper opera and I was curious and strangely a bit nervous. There were no surtitles in the first act due to a technical hitch which made the long first act very difficult. I also struggled with the Royal Opera's need to have two dancers to play alter egos / young versions of Onegin and Tatiana was distracting and for me a pointless exercise. By the end of the first act I wasn't sold but Act II changed my mind. Pavol Breslik in the role of Lensky brought tears to my eyes so much so that I couldn't read the fixed surtitles and to be contrary I found them distracting in the second half. So the verdict is I'll be back for another opera but perhaps I'll choose a bit more carefully next time.
While I took my time on this post the inspiring Dave Tries Ballet posted on his blog comparing the ballet with Pushkin's novel in verse. A well written interpretation, beautifully illustrated with excerpts, photos and video and I recommend you head over to read his post.
Onegin with the Royal Ballet
I had no expectations of what was coming having not read the story and failing to purchase a programme. However, I was quickly drawn in to the story and the dancing. Marianela Nunez was, as expected, beautiful and you could feel her anguish as Thiago Soare's Onegin cast her off. Meaghan Grace Hinkis debuted in the role of Olga, Tatiana's friend and danced the role with grace, showing joy, teasing and grief. I loved the use of the two curtains at the front of the stage to create a blank corridor which added drama and comic timing as needed. I loved the drama of Onegin's black cape and it added to his despair when he realised that he really had just shot his friend in a duel over Olga who was caught in the middle. Added to a grabbing story and beautiful dancing, the score from Tchaikovsky was perfect, it seemed familiar at times and I left wanting to buy the recording.
One little quibble the set made me feel seasick at times, as the angles on the flat backdrops painted to make the rooms appear square weren't quite right for my eyes making the 'room' pulsate. Luckily the dancing meant I didn't focus on them too much. The verdict? I'll be sure to get tickets next time the Royal Ballet bring Onegin back especially if Nunez and Soares are dancing together again.
One final thing about this performance, the curtain call. An unusual thing to blog about perhaps but this one was special as Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares embraced you could see what they had put into their performance. Vampire Soup caught the moment perfectly on her blog, illustrated by @missbunnyman.
Tatyana with Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker
The evening got off to a good start as the Barbican were offering reseats down to the stalls and getting closer to the action is always welcome. I'd read one review that said you needed to know the story before you watched so I felt smug that I knew the story already. However, I'm not sure it stood me in good stead, I would have been better off viewing this dance piece as an abstract. I found the fact there there could be up to four dancers in each role very confusing, I wanted them to dance the same thing as each other, on reading the programme I discovered they were supposed to represent the different aspects of the characters. as one Royal Ballet dancer can dance beautifully and portray a complex character how come this company failed to portray a character with four dancers.
Eugene Onegin with the Royal Opera
So this was my first proper opera and I was curious and strangely a bit nervous. There were no surtitles in the first act due to a technical hitch which made the long first act very difficult. I also struggled with the Royal Opera's need to have two dancers to play alter egos / young versions of Onegin and Tatiana was distracting and for me a pointless exercise. By the end of the first act I wasn't sold but Act II changed my mind. Pavol Breslik in the role of Lensky brought tears to my eyes so much so that I couldn't read the fixed surtitles and to be contrary I found them distracting in the second half. So the verdict is I'll be back for another opera but perhaps I'll choose a bit more carefully next time.
Eugene Onegin by Pushkin
I decided that I really ought to complete my set of Onegin's with the book and so I downloaded it for my Kindle. I struggled a little with the text and some of the rhyming couplets made me laugh. I felt the book was slow to move and if I'm honest I paused / stopped half way through. I think I will go back to it though I'd like to be able to say I managed to finish all four versions of Onegin.
I decided that I really ought to complete my set of Onegin's with the book and so I downloaded it for my Kindle. I struggled a little with the text and some of the rhyming couplets made me laugh. I felt the book was slow to move and if I'm honest I paused / stopped half way through. I think I will go back to it though I'd like to be able to say I managed to finish all four versions of Onegin.
While I took my time on this post the inspiring Dave Tries Ballet posted on his blog comparing the ballet with Pushkin's novel in verse. A well written interpretation, beautifully illustrated with excerpts, photos and video and I recommend you head over to read his post.
