«Eugene Onegin», P.Chaikovsky

Opera in three acts.
Composer: P. Tchaikovsky.
Libretto: by P. Tchaikovsky and V. Shilovsky on the novel of the same name by A. Pushkin.

Director and stage designer: Honored Worker of Culture of Uzbekistan Andrey Slonim;
Musical Director and Conductor: People's Artist of Uzbekistan Suleiman Shadmanov.

Running time: 3 hours.
The first premiere on the stage of the SABT named after A. Navoi was held in 1948.
The last production on the stage of the SABT named after A. Navoi took place in 2005.

Currently, the play is not going



Plot

The Larins' manor. It's getting dark. Peasants who have finished harvesting, return from work. Suddenly the guests arrived: the Larins’ neighbor, a young enthusiastic poet Lenski - Olga's fiancé, passionately in love with her since childhood, and his friend Onegin, who recently came to his manor from St. Petersburg. Arrival of guests makes confusion. Olga is fascinated by the conversation with Lensky; Tatiana is unusually embarrassed by the attention that the metropolitan guest is giving her. Suddenly a bright feeling for Eugene Onegin arose in her soul.
Tatiana's room. Night. Tatyana is full of a new feeling, so suddenly seized her. Tatyana is in love, she does not doubt that Onegin is the ideal that she secretly waited all her life ... At Tatyana's request, Nanny Filippievna sends her grandson to transfer the letter to Onegin.

Arriving at the manor, Onegin reads moral to Tatiana with cold dignity in response to her letter.
A Ball at the Larins' house: they celebrate Tatyana's name-day. Onegin transfers his irritation to Lensky. All evening Onegin dances with Olga, enjoying the jealousy and suffering of a friend. Offended Lensky calls him to a duel.
The duel, which took place in the early, frosty morning, ends with the tragic death of Lensky.

A Ball in one of the aristocratic houses of St. Petersburg. Among the invited guests - Prince Gremin - a famous hero, favorably received by the royal court. Gremin meets an old friend - Onegin and confesses to him in a hot and bright love for his wife - Tatyana Larina, who has changed his whole life.
Gremin represents a friend to his wife. Onegin is amazed and agitated. He recognizes in this secular, full of nobility and dignity woman the Tatiana, whom he once read moral. He "is in love, like a boy full of young passion!"

Eugene is looking for a meeting with Tatiana, a lot of sudden sensations expressed in his letters to her, but there is no answer. Arriving in the Gremins’ house, he sees the former Tanya, bending over his letter and crying over him. Shocked Onegin rushes to his knees. But "it is impossible to turn back the past!" Tatyana asks to leave her. Outcast, devastated spiritually, Onegin realizes that from now on he has been condemned to loneliness, cold and emptiness in indifferent frosty Petersburg.

Summary
The first act
Scene 1
The Larins’ manor, a landlord's house with a terrace overlooking the old neglected garden. The singing of Larins’ daughters comes from the house - always thoughtful, dreamy Tatyana and playful Olga. Their young voices remind their mothers and nannies of a youth that has irretrievably gone into the past.
It's getting dark. Peasants, who have finished harvesting, return from work. Suddenly the guests arrived: the Larins’ neighbor, a young enthusiastic poet Lensky - Olga's fiancé, passionately in love with her since childhood, and his friend Onegin, who recently came to his manor from St. Petersburg. Arrival of guests makes confusion. Everyone worries, with joy and interest, meeting a new man in the manor. Olga is carried away by conversation with Lensky; Tatiana is unusually embarrassed by the attention that the metropolitan guest is giving her. Suddenly a bright feeling for Eugene Onegin arose in her soul.

Scene 2

Tatiana's room. Night. Tatyana is full of a new feeling, so suddenly seized her. Filippievna tries in vain to entertain his ward, telling her about the old days, Tatyana is distracted by her thoughts, and finally asks the nurse to leave her alone. All her thoughts are occupied by Onegin, who has subdued her imagination. Tatyana is in love, she does not doubt that Onegin is the ideal she secretly waited all her life ... "You appeared to me in dreams, invisible, you were so sweet to me ..." - she confidently believes her feeling in a letter to him.
A whole gamut of experiences is replaced this night in the soul of Tatiana. The dawn comes imperceptibly. "I'm finishing! It's terrible to read ... Shame and fear freeze..., but your honor is my guarantee, and I boldly entrust myself to it!"
At Tatyana's request, Filippyevna sends the grandson to transfer the letter to Onegin. 

Scene 3
A serene song of girls picking berries sounds in the park of the Larins’ manor. Tanya comes here in terrible confusion: Onegin arrived: he received her letter! ... An anguished repentance embraces the girl: "Oh, why heeding wretched soul, unable to control myself, I wrote him a letter!" But it's too late! Onegin is already here in the garden. With cold dignity, he reads moral to Tatyana: "Learn to control yourself: not everyone will understand you, like me; inexperience leads to misfortune!" 

The second act
Scene 4
A Ball in the Larins’ house: they celebrate Tatyana's name-day. Onegin, accustomed to the capital's celebrations, is irritated by everything - old-fashioned dresses of guests, their provincial dances, and gossip. His irritation is transferred to Lensky: "Why did I come to this stupid ball? I will not forgive Vladimir this service!" All the evening Onegin dances with Olga, enjoying the jealousy and suffering of his friend. The insulted Lensky, who demands explanations, in response to Onegin's calm, ironic tone, indignantly provokes him into a duel. Aware of his injustice, Onegin, however, is forced to comply with the code of honor - he accepts Lensky's challenge.

 Scene Five

Early, frosty morning Lensky with his second Zaretsky is waiting in place for the duel of the late Onegin. "What does the future prepare for me? My eyes catch it in vain... ", he thinks with longing and pain about the upcoming fight. The soul of the young poet is filled with love for Olga. Finally Onegin comes, everything is ready for a duel, but recent friends are slow, both are aware of all the coincidence, the whole absurdity of what is happening: "Do not we laugh, until the hand has become impoverished, do we break up amicably?" But no! Seconds are breeding opponents in their places. Zaretsky gives a sign of convergence. Onegin shoots first; Lensky falls down. Rushing to him, Onegin with horror sees that his friend is dead.

 The third act

Scene 6
A Ball in one of the aristocratic houses of St. Petersburg. Among the invited guests - prince Gremin - a famous hero, favorably received by the royal court.
Here, at a high society celebration, he meets Onegin, his old friend who has just returned from abroad. For several years Onegin was not in St. Petersburg; he does not know that Gremin is married: "How long?" - "About two years". - "On whom?". "On Larina Tatiana." Restrained Gremin confesses to Onegin in a hot and bright love for his wife, a love that has changed his whole life.
Gremin represents a friend to his wife. Onegin is amazed, and excited. He recognizes in this secular, full of nobility and dignity woman the Tatiana, whom he once read moral. "Alas, there is no doubt, I'm in love! I’m in love, like a boy full of young passion!" - Onegin admits himself with excitement.

 Scene 7

For many days Eugene had been looking for a meeting with Tatyana, a lot of sudden feelings surfaced in his letters to her, but there is no answer. Keen with his feelings, Onegin, ignoring the rule of elite, in the early morning comes in her house without an invitation.
Entering the room of Princess Gremin, he sees the former Tanya, bending over his letter and crying over him. Shocked Onegin rushes to his knees, but "It is impossible to turn back the past!" Tatyana asks to leave her: "I am now given to another, my fate is already decided, I'll be faithful to him for a century." Abandoned, devastated spiritually, Onegin realizes that from now on he is condemned to loneliness, cold and emptiness in the cold Petersburg, indifferent to the outburst of feelings...