About the Opera

Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (1840-1893) opera based upon Pushkin’s poem Yevgeny Onyegin premiered at the Imperial College of Music, Little Theatre in Moscow, 1879.  The first production at Glyndebourne was in 1968.

For 2008 Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Glyndebourne Chorus in a revival of the 1994 Festival production, sung in Russian. Soprano Maija Kovalevska and baritone Ales Jenis make their Glyndebourne debuts in the roles of Tatiana and Onegin.

Despite its title, Tchaikovsky's operatic masterpiece is really Tatiana's story: a tragic tale of impossible love. Based on Pushkin's poem, the opera tells of the young, dreamy Tatiana and her infatuation for the aristocrat, Eugene Onegin. She professes her love for him and is devastated by his cold reaction. Years later, Onegin meets Tatiana with her new husband, Prince Gremin. Seeing the elegantly attired young wife, he realises too late that he loves her and is now sentenced to a life of loneliness and despair.

Graham Vick's magical production was acclaimed at its premiere in the 1994 Festival.

‘This is one of the great Onegins... a production of genius.'
Sunday Times

‘This production comes as close to a perfect staging of a perfect piece as anything I have seen.'
Independent on Sunday