The Palau de les Arts premieres a symbolist and minimalist version of Tchaikovsky's Yevgeny Onegin
20.01.2011
• Mariusz Treliński is the stage director of this Teatr Wielki production, which stars Artur Ruciński and Irina Mataeva
Valencia (01/20/11).- The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía premieres this Saturday, January 22, a symbolist and minimalist version of the opera Yevgeny Onegin by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
This season, the arts center makes its second foray into the Russian repertoire after the success of Prokofiev's Betrothal in the Monastery in 2008. Omer Meir Wellber, principal guest conductor of the Palau de les Arts, takes over the musical direction of this production from Warsaw's Teatr Wielki.
Filmmaker Mariusz Treliński returns to Valencia after the success of his 2009 version of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The Polish director offers a modern and pure interpretation of Eugene Onegin. Treliński and set designer Boris Kudlińka situate the action in a space laden with symbolism, devoid of temporal references, relying on shifts in the color palette to express emotions and situations.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky poured all the contradictions that plagued his life into Eugene Onegin . The opera, based on Alexander Pushkin's novel of the same name, portrays the story of Eugene Onegin, a wealthy dandy trapped by his own personal paradoxes. His rejection of the young Tatiana and his subsequent regret condemn him to utter solitude. Mariusz Treliński includes in this production a new character not found in the libretto written by Tchaikovsky and Konstantin Shilovsky: a mysterious and enigmatic figure representing an elderly Onegin.
Artur Ruciński (Eugene Onegin) heads the cast of this production. The Salzburg Festival magazine named the Polish baritone, who has already sung the role of Lescaut in Manon at the Palau de les Arts, one of the 20 best singers of 2010. He has sung Tchaikovsky's score under the baton of Gergiev in Warsaw and Barenboim in Berlin. Irina Mataeva replaces Amanda Echalaz in the role of Tatiana. The Russian soprano, a soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre since 2007, has performed this role in New York, Tokyo with Seiji Ozawa, Munich, and Warsaw.
Dmitri Korchak (Lenski), Lena Belkina (Olga), Günther Groissböck (Prince Gremin), Lena Belkina (Olga), Helene Schneiderman (Lárina), Margarita Nekrasova (Filíppievna), Simon Lim (Zaretski) and Emilio Sánchez (Triquet) complete the cast.
Eugene Onegin will also be performed on January 25, 28, and 30. Additionally, there will be two performances on February 8 and 11.
As part of its 2010-2011 Educational Program, the Palau de les Arts will open the dress rehearsal of this production to secondary school students. More than a thousand students will be able to enjoy this production of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's classic.
