Solveig Kringleborn as Tatjana at her balcony in Eugene Onegin, scenography Igor Popov
. Photo: Erik Berg

The premiere of Peter Tsjaikovskijs opera Eugene Onegin became a big success for the Norwegian Opera and Ballett. Spite in that  some of the singers in the leading roles had been changed out in the last minutes, because of the cold winter in Norway. Tchaikovsky’s supreme masterpiece Eugene Onegin was first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1879.

Vasily Ladyuk as Eugene Onegin. Photo: Erik Berg

The Norwegian Opera and Ballet in Oslo performs again Pushkin’s tragic story of the passion of the innocent, ardent Tatiana for the charismatic Onegin, in scenes of torment, intimacy, beauty, tragedy and spectacle.

The production comes from the Gothenburg Opera, Sweden, and is directed by one of the Czech Republic´s leading drama directors Jakub Korcák, who is making his debut at the Oslo Operahouse.

Scenography by Igor Popov, here from the production in Gothenburg. Photo: INGMAR JERNBERG

In the titelrole  the wonderful barytonVasily Ladyuk, playing the mysterious person, Eugene Onegin, which awakens strong emotions in Tatjana. His body language, the wonderful voice and his stage appearance was perfect for the role, and we trusted in him. “Our own” young world famous primadonna Solveig Kringleborn has accepted to stepp in as Tatjana, the girl who loves Eugene Onegin and whom he misguidedly rejects, – three days before the premiere, and Solveig Kringleborn did a wonderful job
. She is singing very beautiful, and is in fact being better and better in this kind of roles, so perhaps it can be so that we will still enjoy her as Tatjana for many years. As far as I understod, she has not sung the role the last 9 years. I still remember Galina Vishnevskaia, who said good bye to her Paris audience as Tatjana at Opera Garnier many years ago, in the same house where her debut was as Tatjana.

The wonderful bas Taras Shtonda as Gremin, left. Solveig Kringleborn as Tatjana and Vasily Ladyuk as Onegin. Photo: Erik Berg

The big high-light in the performance was the Ukranian base TARAS SHTONDA as Prince Gremin. That was wonderful. I dont remember to have heard such a wonderful singer in that role since Kurt Moll in Paris some 30 years ago. I can recommend Taras Shtonda to sing that role every where in the world.  I would like him back in Oslo for King Filip in Don Carlos. That might be wonderful, powerfull and extraordinay.

Tone Kummervold as Olga. Photo: Erik Berg

The young mezzo soprano Tone Kummervold made a good Olga, with beautiful singing. Nikola Matišic saved the performance in the last second as Vladimir Lenskij, as the announced Lenskij got a cold. Nikola Matišic has sung the same role in the production in Gothenburg.

Kjell Magnus Sandve was a hit as the french comic relief Monsieur Triquet. He has the delicate musicality to this kind of roles now, and it looks like he enjoys to perform in this more relaxed way, after many years with titelroles and big main roles.

Nikola Matišic and Tone Kummervold as Lenskij and Olga. Photo: Erik Berg

Eivind Gullberg Jensen showed great musicality, passion, wonderful feelings and brilliant tempos in his inspired conducting.

The scenography is by Igor Popov, based on an idea in black and white, showing the Birch trees around the large farm of Larina in black and white curtains, which worked well
. A large wooden house is build up, who can be pushed around on the stage and giving a lot of good possibilityes for the staging. Well followed up by Hans-Åke Sjøquists lightdesign. Costumes by Susanne Jetzkova well making the correct atmosphaere from the different places, where the performance is going on, either in the beginning at the country sides around Larina´s house. and at the local ball, where I enjoyed the Russian inspired wall, with pictures, who became a live, and finally in the palaca of Prince Gremin in St, Petersburg. Madame Larina good performed by Ingebjørg Kosmo, and with Tone Kruuse as Filipjevna, Tatjanas nurse. The female quartet between Ingebjørg Kosmo, Tone Kruuse, Solveig Kringleborn and Tone Kummervold in the opening of the first act was well sung.

The duel between Lenskij and Eugene Onegin is ower. Lenskij is dead. Lightdesign Hans-Åke Sjøquist. Photo: Erik Berg

As the Captein and Zaretskij we enjoyed Øystein Skree and Andreas Franzén, and Marek Lipok were the farm worker

.

Choir and soloists in the scene celebrating Tatjanas nameday. In the center Kjell Magnus Sandve as Monsieur Triquet. Photo: Erik Berg

The Norwegian Opera Choir is a high light. In this production first class, and in addition it has learned to dance, even in this complicated choreography by Toni Herlofson it worked quite well. Choir master is Raymond Hughes.

By this production with so high class singers and choire, Paul Curran is underlining how high a qualitylevel he wants the level at the Norwegian Opera shall be, during his time as Operachief. Very well done.

Solveig Kringleborn as Tatjana. Photo: Erik Berg

Eugene Onegin. Opera in three acts by PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893). Libretto by PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY and KONSTANTIN SHILOVSKY, based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse.