The opera is blessed with the Russian composer’s most beautiful melodies: Think of this opera as a Tchaikovsky symphony, but scored for the voice. When it was first suggested that Tchaikovsky consider Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin as the subject for an opera, he thought the idea rather incredulous. However, a personal crisis convinced him of using the story as the basis for his opera. After he successfully set to music Tatiana’s Letter Scene, he plunged himself into writing out the opera’s music.
When Tchaikovsky finished his score, he believed it would see little success outside of Russia. Its first production, as staged by the students of the Moscow Conservatory, was not a success; however, as it was staged by professional companies, it slowly became a popular opera in Russia, and eventually traveled throughout Europe.
The University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Debenhams, staged recently a full dress production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. The presentation is the first full production of Tchaikovsky’s opus in the country.
I remember a chamber opera version of this opera years ago with baritone Joel Navarro as Onegin and Josephine Roces as Tatiana; while it was a delightful production – the voices were exploited fully to their lyrical best – it lacked the majesty the full orchestral music could provide.
The UST production celebrated the 60th anniversary of the UST Conservatory of Music, and is one of the major projects leading up to UST’s quadricentennial celebration in 2011. Indeed, the entire production was made up of UST forces, from the leads and the orchestra down to the production crew.
In realizing this Onegin, director Floy Quintos stayed true to Tchaikovsky’s description of the work as lyric scenes in three acts. "Together with the singers, I worked out a repertoire of tiny gestures, all small movements that magnified the emotions of the characters," he says.
It was a dramatic coup for Quintos to constantly bring Tatiana and Olga into scenes where they are absent, such as the Duel Scene. Their presence made them mute witnesses to Onegin’s character. Filipino opera goers who are not familiar with Tchaikovsky’s opus were constantly reminded of Onegin’s and Tatiana’s relationship, further magnifying the turn of event at the end of the opera.
It was a sumptuous production, designed by Gino Gonzales and lit by Monino Duque, with an innovative set that expands to cover the full stage in the opera’s grand scenes and contracts to the stage front for the more intimate scenes. When the curtain opened, the massiveness of the Russian steppes filled the stage. This was the general design for the whole opera, the multi-leveled palo china ramps suggested the hills outside. To create Tatiana’s bedroom, a smaller wall was pulled in to separate the Larin’s home from the outside. To suggest the Larin’s salon, a more elaborate wall was added to suggest the house’s many rooms. To suggest Prince Gremin’s house in St. Petersburg, an orange scrim delineated the house. Other than these, the stage was spare, with just sundry furniture to suggest the onstage sets and lavish costumes to dress the cast.
The focus of the production was on the music, and UST has gathered the best voices among its alumni and students for this show. Leading the cast during the opening night were Andrew Fernando as Onegin and Rachelle Gerodias as Tatiana, with Noel Azcona and Thea Perez alternating as leads in some shows.
Fernando might not have been physically convincing as Onegin, but his presence and his singing convinced that he had the measure of the man.
However, it was Gerodias as Tatiana who was the production’s emotional focus. In the Letter Scene, she amazed with her total identification with her character. You could sense Tatiana’s delight in having found Mr. Right, as well as her dilemma in expressing her emotions to a man she hardly knew. In the final scene when Onegin finally expresses his misgivings over spurning Tatiana’s love, Gerodias was vocally firm and emotionally convincing.
Playing Olga and Lenski during the opening night were Clarissa Ocampo and Ronan Ferrer, with Rexceluz Evangelista and Randy Gilongo alternating on other shows.
Ocampo and Ferrer were dramatically convincing in their roles. However, they were vocally inadequate. Their voices were often drowned out by the orchestra in strong passages. With a little stage amplification (a number of floor-mounted microphones helped greatly), their emotional readings were heard clearly.
Others in the cast were Nenen Espina as Filippyevna, Patrice Pacis and Naomi Sison as Larina, Lemuel de la Cruz and Eugene de los Santos as Triquet, Jun Jaranilla as Prince Gremin, Emmanuel Baang as Zaretsky, and Aris Molina as the Captain, with the Cora Tomasino and Opera Chorus singing the choral parts of the opera.
The UST Symphony Orchestra, led by maestro Herminigildo G. Ranera, provided strong partnership to the production. Barring some poor ensemble work and some sour notes from the horns, the orchestra gave justice to Tchaikovsky’s music. With Tchaikovsky’s music now rarely performed in Manila’s theaters, this was an occasion to revel in romantic music.
Adding further visual excitement to the production is the UST Conservatory of Music Dance Troupe as choreographed by Vella Damian.
It is rare that opera goers in Metro Manila get to be treated to a musical and visual feast like Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Kudos must go to the UST Conservatory of Music for this bold move.