Eugene Onegin

Alexander Pushkin's titular novel in verse inspired Tchaikovsky's 1879 operatic masterpiece (presented in what the composer called “lyrical scenes”), which tells the story of the beautiful Tatyana's infatuation with young Onegin, his subsequent rejection of her, and her refusal of his advances years later (a duel in which Onegin kills Lensky—the fiancé of Tatyana's sister—explains his long absence). The musical highlight here is the famous letter scene of Act I, in which Tatyana composes the impassioned message to Onegin that occasions his initial dismissal of her feelings, delivered here with vocal richness and emotional commitment by Krassimira Stoyanova in this 2011 performance from the Netherlands Opera. But the staging by Stefan Herheim is decidedly peculiar: here, the missive is actually “written” by Onegin, part of the director's decision to toy with chronology, framing the work as a remembrance of past events rather than a straightforward narrative. And Herheim goes further, tossing in arbitrary references to other periods of Russian history—including appearances by cosmonauts, Red Army soldiers, and Olympic gymnasts. If you can look past these odd changes, however, this is an impressive mounting, richly played by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under conductor Mariss Jansons, and effectively sung by Stoyanova, Bo Skovhus as Onegin, and Andrej Dunaev as Lensky, along with a stellar supporting cast—colorfully costumed on an elegant set. Presented in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a cast gallery. Recommended. (F. Swietek)