Eugene Onegin - Salzburg State Theatre

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
In Russian with German and English surtitles
A skeptical, bored, and indecisive young man and an idealistic, sensitive, and passionate young woman who always meet at the wrong time and in the wrong place – this is the story told in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin." The young Tatiana is in love with Eugene, who, however, finds love insignificant and rejects Tatiana. At a ball, he also insults her brother Lenski, who then challenges him to a duel, which ends fatally for Lenski. Years later, Onegin, now disillusioned with life, returns to the countryside, where he encounters the now married Tatiana, who has flourished in her role as a lady of society. Onegin now recognizes his love for her, but it is too late. Tatiana firmly rejects Onegin and remains faithful to her husband.
Deeply emotional and rich in melodic beauty, Tchaikovsky combines Russian folk melodies with classical European traditions in this opera, creating a unique musical language. The contrasts between the inner conflicts of the characters and the external societal expectations make "Eugene Onegin" a profound work that addresses both personal and universal themes such as love, regret, and human fallibility.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) began working on "Eugene Onegin" (based on the eponymous verse novel by Alexander Pushkin) in 1877. After the successes of his ballets "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake," he wanted to establish himself as an opera composer and was under pressure to meet expectations. The first performance before a large audience took place on January 23, 1881, at the Bolshoi Theatre and was a great success.
Director Alexandra Liedtke, along with her established team, set designer Philip Rubner, and costume designer Su Bühler, is dedicated to this great work of the Russian opera world. They are once again combining their experiences from both domestic and international stages at the Salzburg Landestheater. The production explores the complex psychological processes in Tchaikovsky's work.