This 1965 ballet, based on Alexander Pushkin’s 1833 Russian verse novel (and the Tchaikovsky opera adapted from it), is regarded as one of the masterpieces (along with Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew) by John Cranko (1927-1973), the dancer/choreographer who became artistic director of the Stuttgart Ballet in 1961 and transformed it into one of the world’s premier companies, while also reviving the full-evening story ballet form that had fallen into disfavor in an age devoted to one-act plotless works. This 2017 revival, beautifully mounted by the company, was part of the final season in the tenure of Reid Anderson, the director since 1996, who was mentored by Cranko. The set and costume designs by Jürgen Rose remain exquisite, the score (Tchaikovsky, mostly from The Seasons) is played elegantly under the baton of James Tuggle, and the dancing is impeccable. Friedemann Vogel is a superbly disdainful Onegin and David Moore a volatile Lensky, the friend Onegin kills in a duel after Onegin has flirted with Lensky’s fiancée Olga (the equally remarkable Elisa Badenes), while Alicia Amatriain captures the full range of Tatiana, Olga’s younger sister, whose attentions Onegin first cruelly rejects but comes to desire years later, only to be spurned himself. As an added treat, Marcia Haydée, the original Tatiana, appears as the girls’ nurse. One could hardly imagine a more perfect tribute to Cranko’s talent and influence as a choreographer than this masterful recreation of one of his greatest works. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray edition) and PCM stereo, extras include an extended interview segment with Anderson, Rose, and Haydée. Highly recommended. Editor’s Choice (F. Swietek)
Onegin
(2017) 96 min. DVD: $31.99, Blu-ray: $41.99. C Major/Unitel (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 34, Issue 4
Onegin
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