If I say the best part of this experience was the cost and location of my seat, this is not because the [performance, musically and dramatically was poor (although the former was of a much higher standard than the latter) but because, as I said in my Facebook posts, I paid only 10.Euros for an actual seat (called ‘standing’) with a perfect position and where the (very cramped) seats in the rear stalls immediately in front of me were going for 140.00 Euros – and that was not in the top opera price bracket for performances there.
The cast was almost exclusively Russian/East European and I do believe that there is something very distinct about the nature of an East European operatic voice that makes it peculiarly effective and attractive in the Russian repertory – perhaos it is something to do with the sound of the language. To my ears at least, they often have a certain ‘burr’ to them which is very attractive (although it can also, in bad cases turn into a too wide vibrato and, in the worst cases, an actual wobble. Here all performers were very fine with Tatiana rising superbly to the challenges of the letter scene with a rich evocative and emotionally powerful performance. But all others were equally fine.
The production, rather less so. The stage was dominated by a large table and the first and final acts opened with an almost identical picture, of a large group of people at a formal dinner around said table. In both cases this effectively suggested the stultifying formality of the life into which Tatania has been born (in Act 1) and into which she has chosen to marry (in the final act) this proving a quietly ironical commentary on her life choices. However, in the final act, the Polonaise music was somewhat wasted, given that it was just accompanying background music. Odd. But I did like the colour change from the gentle neutrals of the opening scene to the heavy richness of deep red and brown for this final scene.
The duel scene was rather ridiculously staged though, but I did wonder if the director was trying to suggest that the killing happened by accident - which would have been an interesting idea. I wonder of that (or have Onegin shoot himself in the closing bars, are either ideas that have actually been tried in productions). I’ve asked Facebook so will be interesting to see if there is any take-up.