FIRST TABLEAU

An evening in the country, (almost) like any other

Everyone is gathered together. The sisters Tatiana and Olga are singing a duet; their widowed mother, Larina, and Filipievna are listening to them. The girls‘ song awakens memories of their own youth. A neighbour starts singing a different song which they all know and join in. Larina finds this all a little bit too much melancholy for one evening and demands some cheerful music and the mood lightens.

Tatiana is dreaming and Olga rudely brings her back to reality. Larina and Filipievna are worried about Tatiana, who suddenly seems to them to be very pale. Tatiana sets everybody’s mind at rest; she has merely been very absorbed in a novel she is reading.
Larina sympathetically declares reading to be a fleeting phenomenon of youth.

An unexpected visits causes excitement. Vladimir Lenski, who has been engaged to Olga for a long time, drops by, bringing with him a friend – Eugene Onegin. This young man from the city is visiting his friend, and everyone is greatly impressed by him. Tatiana believes this to a meeting destined to happen and falls head over heels in love.
The older folk leave the young people to their own devices. Lenski is completely lost in his admiration of Olga and Onegin tries to get into conversation with Tatiana.
They are called in for a meal.

SECOND TABLEAU
A sleepless night, confessions I

Tatiana is still awake. Filipievna also makes no move to retire and starts to chat about the past. Tatiana wants to hear a story about love. Filipievna’s stories are sad: she married a man chosen for her by her parents. Filipievna is worried about Tatiana, who seems ill and feverish. Tatiana admits that she is in love but does not talk about it and swears Filipievna to secrecy.
Filipievna finally goes to bed, leaving Tatiana dizzy with the violence of her emotions. She tries to put a name to them and formulates an incredible, and fateful, declaration of love.
Day breaks. Tatiana hands Filipievna a letter, which she is to take safely and discreetly to Onegin.

THIRD TABLEAU
Late afternoon, destroyed hopes

Tatiana waits impatiently for Onegin’s reaction to her letter. He arrives in person and Tatiana is in a state of considerable emotion, feelings of both joy and shame. Onegin thanks her for her frank letter and calmly, collectedly and with great understanding explains to her that he cannot return her feelings. Love and marriage are not for him. Finally he advises her to keep her feelings under better control so that she will not be taken advantage of by the first man to come along. Tatiana is silently humiliated.

FOURTH TABLEAU
Evening, an unsuccessful ball

The house is full of guests for a ball in honour of Tatiana’s birthday. Onegin is also present, having been persuaded to come by Lenski. He congratulates Tatiana and dances with her, which gives rise to gossip. People still think they make an ideal couple. Onegin senses that they are the focus of attention and that people are talking about them and so he steals Olga from Lenski and dances with her. Tatiana feels out of place at her own ball; Lenski is jealous and showers reproaches on Olga.
One or two people perform, to the amusement of the guests, but fail to make either Tatiana or Lenski feel more cheerful.
Onegin approaches Lenski but is rebuffed. He wants to have a frank discussion with Lenski but the whole thing develops into a quarrel, while the guests listen. Lenski insults Onegin in front of them all, declares their friendship to be over and challenges him to a duel.

FIFTH TABLEAU
Before dawn, no dream or the lost opportunity

Lenski is waiting impatiently for Onegin to arrive to fight the duel. He takes farewell of life and all that he has loved.
A short while later the two friends are facing each other as rivals. Both are shocked by the distance that is now between them, but neither of them can manage a gesture of reconciliation which would end the duel.
The second, Saretzky, urges them to hurry. The rules are quickly explained.
Onegin takes aim and fires, fatally wounding his friend.

SIXTH TABLEAU
An evening years later, the reunion

Memories of Lenski haunt Onegin; he is tortured by feelings of guilt. Frustrated with his life, he returns from years of aimless travel abroad.
He meets Tatiana again unexpectedly, in the capital. She is now married to Gremin, a respected member of society.
Gremin tells Onegin how happy his marriage is and raves about his charming wife. He introduces them to each other and they admit that they have met before – in a different time.
Onegin feels drawn to Tatiana. He wants to begin a new life with this woman.

SEVENTH TABLEAU
A short while later, confessions II

Tatiana is waiting for Onegin, who has asked her to meet him for a private chat. Her passion for him has not diminished with the years, but she doubts the sincerity of his feelings. Onegin is full of remorse, begs her forgiveness, throws himself at her feet. Tatiana confesses her love for him a second time. He urges her to leave her husband, but Tatiana tears herself away from him and flees to the safety of her life with Gremin.
Onegin is left alone.

Time: The 1820s

Place: St Petersburg and surrounding countryside

Act 1

Scene 1: The garden of the Larin country estate

Madame Larina and the nurse Filippyevna are sitting outside in the garden. They can hear Madame Larina's two daughters, Tatyana and her younger sister Olga, singing a love song. Madame Larina begins to reminisce about her own courtship and marriage. A group of peasants enter, and celebrate the harvest with songs and dances. Tatyana and Olga watch. Tatyana has been reading a romantic novel and is absorbed by the story; her carefree sister, on the other hand, wants to join in the celebrations. Madame Larina tells Tatyana that real life is very different from her novels. Filippyevna announces that visitors have arrived: Olga's fiancé Lensky, a young poet, and his friend Eugene Onegin, visiting the area from St Petersburg. The pair are shown in and Lensky introduces Onegin to the Larin family. Onegin is initially surprised that Lensky has chosen the extrovert Olga rather than her more subtle elder sister as his fiancée. Tatyana for her part is immediately and strongly attracted to Onegin. Lensky expresses his delight at seeing Olga and she responds flirtatiously. Onegin tells Tatyana of his boredom in the country and describes the death of his uncle and his subsequent inheritance of a nearby estate. Filippyevna recognizes that Onegin has had a profound effect on Tatyana.

Scene 2: Tatyana's room

Tatyana is dressed for bed. Restless and unable to sleep, she asks her nurse Filippyevna to tell her about her youth and early marriage. Tatyana confesses that she is in love. Left alone, Tatyana pours out her feelings in a letter to Onegin. She tells him that she loves him and believes that she will never feel this way about anyone else, and begs him to understand and help her. She finishes writing the letter at dawn. A shepherd's pipe is heard in the distance. Filippyevna enters the room to wake Tatyana. Tatyana persuades her to send her grandson to deliver the letter to Onegin.

Scene 3: Another part of the estate

Servant girls pick fruit and sing as they work. Tatyana waits anxiously for Onegin's arrival. Onegin enters to see Tatyana and give her his answer to her letter. He explains, not unkindly, that he is not a man who loves easily and is unsuited to marriage. He is unworthy of her love and can only offer her brotherly affection. He warns Tatyana to be less emotionally open in the future. The voices of the servant girls singing are heard again. Tatyana is crushed and unable to reply.

Act 2

Scene 1: The ballroom of the Larin house

A ball is being given in honour of Tatyana, whose name day it is. Onegin is dancing with her. He grows irritated with a group of neighbours who gossip about him and Tatyana, and with Lensky for persuading him to come to the ball. He decides to avenge himself by dancing and flirting with Olga. Lensky is astounded and becomes extremely jealous. He confronts Olga but she cannot see that she has done anything wrong and tells Lensky not to be ridiculous. Onegin asks Olga to dance with him again and she agrees, as "punishment" for Lensky's jealousy. The elderly French tutor Monsieur Triquet sings some couplets in honour of Tatyana, after which the quarrel between Lensky and Onegin becomes more intense. Lensky renounces his friendship with Onegin in front of all the guests, and challenges Onegin to a duel, which the latter is forced, with many misgivings, to accept. Tatyana collapses and the ball ends in confusion.

Scene 2: On the banks of a wooded stream, early morning

Lensky is waiting for Onegin with his second Zaretsky. Lensky reflects on his life, his fear of death and his love for Olga. Onegin arrives with his manservant Guillot. Both Lensky and Onegin are reluctant to go ahead with the duel, reflecting on the senselessness of their sudden enmity. But it is too late; neither man has the courage to stop the duel. Zaretsky gives them the signal and Onegin shoots Lensky dead.

Act 3

Scene 1: The house of a rich nobleman in St Petersburg

Five years have passed, during which Onegin has travelled extensively around Europe. Standing alone at a ball, he reflects on the emptiness of his life and his remorse over the death of Lensky. Prince Gremin enters with Tatyana, his wife, now a grand, aristocratic beauty. She is greeted by many of the guests with great deference. Onegin is taken aback when he sees Tatyana, and deeply impressed by her beauty and noble bearing. Tatyana, in turn, is overwhelmed with emotion when she recognizes him, but tries to suppress it. Gremin tells Onegin about his great happiness and love for Tatyana, and re-introduces Onegin to his wife. Onegin, suddenly injected with new life, realizes that he is in love with Tatyana. He determines to write to her and arrange a meeting.

Scene 2: A room in Prince Gremin's house

Tatyana has received Onegin's letter, which has stirred up the passion she felt for him as a young girl and disturbed her. Onegin enters. Tatyana recalls her earlier feelings and asks why Onegin is pursuing her now. Is it because of her social position? Onegin denies any cynical motivation: his passion is real and overwhelming. Tatyana, moved to tears, reflects how near they once were to happiness but nevertheless asks him to leave. He asks her to have pity. Tatyana admits she still loves Onegin, but asserts that their union can never be realized, as she is now married, and determined to remain faithful to her husband despite her true feelings. Onegin implores her to relent, but she bids him farewell forever, leaving him alone and in despair.