Tune in on Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m. for the Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s lyric opera, Eugene Onegin, led by Russian conductor Timur Zangiev. WRTI will carry the broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera House, as part of the Met’s Saturday matinee series.
Eugene Onegin’s libretto, organized by Tchaikovsky, is based on scenes from Alexander Pushkin’s verse novel of the same name. At a countryside estate, visiting from St. Petersburg, the young gentleman Eugene Onegin captures the affections of the shy, reserved Tatiana. In a letter, Tatiana confesses her love to Eugene, who rejects her proposals, claiming that he is not a man fit to be married.
This production will feature Ukrainian baritone Iurii Samoilov as the titular Eugene Onegin. Acclaimed Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian will be the lovelorn Tatiana. French tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac will be the sensitive poet, Lenski, and mezzo-soprano Maria Barakova will be his fiancé, Olga.
Cast:
- Iurii Samoilov as Eugene Onegin
- Asmik Grigorian as Tatiana
- Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Lenski
- Maria Barakova as Olga
- Alexander Tsymbalyuk as Prince Gremin
- Larissa Diadkova as Filippyevna
Conducted by Timur Zangiev