Zurich Opera House 1 March 2023 - Eugene Onegin | GoComGo.com

Eugene Onegin

Zurich Opera House, Zurich, Switzerland
All photos (8)
Wednesday 1 March 2023

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Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 19:00
Overview

Despite admonitions from friends and colleagues that Alexander Pushkin’s serial novel wasn’t dramatic enough and offered too little action for the stage, Tchaikovsky pressed ahead anyway and composed his intimate "lyrical scenes", as he himself described his opera Jewgeni Onegin. Soon after its Moscow premiere, Onegin had established itself as one of Tchaikovsky’s most popular operas. In the revival of Barrie Kosky’s highly acclaimed production, the title role is played by Igor Golovatenko. The baritone is a member of the ensemble at the Bolshoi Theater in his hometown of Moscow and has enjoyed an international career in recent years. Romanian soprano Anita Hartig makes her role debut as Tatjana, and appearing as Lenski is Benjamin Bernheim, whose meteoric rise to operatic fame began in Zurich. Conducting from the podium of the Philharmonia Zürich is General Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, who has displayed an affinity for Russian music ever since he was Principal Guest Conductor at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

Jewgeni Onegin is the tragic story of missed opportunity. At the center of the story is Tatjana, whose life revolves around her books. She falls in love with Onegin at first sight, but he is a spoiled, condescending intellectual. On the night of their first meeting, she writes him a rapturous letter, professing her love for him and placing her fate in his hands. He coldly rejects her – he is not made for marriage. Later, Onegin flirts with Olga, Tatjana’s sister, at a ball. But Onegin’s friend Lenski is in love with Olga, and challenges him to a duel, which ends when Onegin shoots Lenski. Years later, Tatjana and Onegin unexpectedly meet again; Tatjana is now the wife of the rich Prince Gremin. Onegin’s effusive admission of love comes too late.

History
Premiere of this production: 29 March 1879, Maly Theatre, Moscow

Eugene Onegin is an opera ("lyrical scenes") in 3 acts (7 scenes), composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto, organised by the composer himself, very closely follows certain passages in Alexander Pushkin's novel in verse, retaining much of his poetry.

Venue Info

Zurich Opera House - Zurich
Location   Sechseläutenplatz 1

Zürich Opera House is a main opera house in Zürich and Switzerland. Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zürich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich. It is also home to the Zürich Ballet. The Opera House also holds concerts by its Philharmonia orchestra, matinees, Lieder evenings and events for children. The Zürich Opera Ball is organised every year in March, and is usually attended by prominent names.

The first permanent theatre, the Aktientheater, was built in 1834 and it became the focus of Richard Wagner’s activities during his period of exile from Germany.

The Aktientheater burnt down in 1890. The new Stadttheater Zürich (municipal theatre) was built by the Viennese architects Fellner & Helmer, who changed their previous design for the theatre in Wiesbaden only slightly. It was opened in 1891. It was the city's main performance space for drama, opera, and musical events until 1925, when it was renamed Opernhaus Zürich and a separate theatre for plays was built: The Bernhard Theater opened in 1941, in May 1981 the Esplanada building was demolished, and the present adjoint building opened on 27/28 December 1984 after three years of transition in the Kaufhaus building nearby Schanzengraben.

By the 1970s, the opera house was badly in need of major renovations; when some considered it not worth restoring, a new theatre was proposed for the site. However, between 1982 and 1984, rebuilding took place but not without huge local opposition which was expressed in street riots. The rebuilt theatre was inaugurated with Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the world première of Rudolf Kelterborn’s Chekhov opera Der Kirschgarten.

As restored, the theatre is an ornate building with a neo-classical façade of white and grey stone adorned with busts of Weber, Wagner, and Mozart. Additionally, busts of Schiller, Shakespeare, and Goethe are to be found. The auditorium is built in the neo-rococo style and seats approximately 1200 people. During the refurbishment, the issue of sightlines was not adequately addressed. As a result, the theatre has a high number of seats with a limited view, or no view, of the stage. This is unusual in international comparison, where sightlines in historic opera houses have been typically enhanced over time.

Corporate archives and historical library collections are held at the music department of the Predigerkirche Zürich.

The Zürich Opera House is also home of the International Opera Studio (in German: Internationales Opernstudio IOS) which is a educational program for young singers and pianists. The studio was created in 1961 and has renowned artists currently teaching such as Brigitte Fassbaender, Hedwig Fassbender, Andreas Homocki, Rosemary Joshua, Adrian Kelly, Fabio Luisi, Jetske Mijnssen, Ann Murray, Eytan Pessen or Edith Wiens.

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 19:00
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