Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onégin
Grand Opera House, Belfast
★★★★☆
Memory often plays tricks on us. I recall Northern Ireland Opera’s former incarnation, Opera Northern Ireland, performing Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onégin at Belfast’s freshly restored Grand Opera House in 1981 following a devastating bomb blast. Kenneth Montgomery conducted, but I don’t remember the production itself.
Memory is an important factor in the new NI Opera production by its artistic director (and chief executive), Cameron Menzies. Tatyana, as an ever-present little old lady, sits in a wheelchair in the corner of a large strip-lighted space – the lighting director is Kevin Treacy. Perhaps the barren grey brick walls of the Grand Opera House’s stage represent an old neglected psychiatric hospital. Occasionally Anne Flanagan, as the old lady, shuffles around the stage exploring and seemingly remembering her part in Pushkin’s story, across these seven lyrical scenes by Tchaikovsky. Sung in Russian, there are English subtitles on each side of the stage.
The only “built” set comprises tables, a few chairs and a hay bale, not forgetting assorted debris, stage right, that remains throughout the evening, its potential trip hazard disrupting the formal dances. Niall McKeever, set designer and video director, suggests inside and outside locations through projections on the walls, including a horse, dripping ice and snow, and winter tree branches.
Tchaikovsky’s sensitive portrayal of his characters is well delivered by everyone. All four female leads are Northern Ireland-based. Mary McCabe’s Tatyana is a tour de force, always confident, moving from innocence and first love in her dramatic and sensitive Letter Scene, through lovelorn rejection by Onégin, to become the haughty Princess Gremin who rejects Onégin despite still being in love with him.
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Each of the other three, all mezzo-sopranos, has distinctive and different sound qualities. Sarah Richmond’s Olga, Tatyana’s more outgoing sister, gives an assured portrayal, with a captivating and even quality of voice. Carolyn Dobbin’s Madame Larina, mother of the two sisters, has a dynamic stage presence and a richly expressive and commanding vocal range. Jenny Bourke as Filipevna, Larina’s maid and Tatanya’s confidante, is more than just a foil to Larina, her lovely unforced line always distinctive and clear.
The Ukrainian baritone Yuriy Yurchuk is an ideal Eugene Onégin, assuming a supercilious and smarmy persona, before understanding the error of his ways, only to get his comeuppance. The voice is ideal, with warm, even tone, great quality and an assured, easy production. In the duel, strangely staged on a tabletop, Onégin kills his best friend, the now jealous poet Lensky, Olga’s boyfriend. Lensky is the American tenor Norman Reinhardt, who sings with passion and nicely shaped phrasing. It’s a fine voice, though on opening night a little sense of tiredness creeps in towards the end of his big aria as he awaits that fatal duel.
The Prince Gremin of the Scotland-born baritone Niall Anderson is a serious fellow. Anderson captures the moroseness of Gremin, now Tatyana’s husband, in his dignified aria with its carefully placed low notes. There’s a fine humorous cameo appearance by the tenor Aaron O’Hare, another Northern Irish voice, as the fey Monsieur Triquet. He sings to the chorus, who have been excellent all evening and clearly on top of their game.
They sing confidently with good ensemble, sonority and blend – even when dancing, wearing weird masks for the peasants’ pseudo folk songs, or dressed in orange overalls and sweeping the floors during the formal St Petersburg Ball. (Yes, that was “during”!) Considerable classy help is provided by an octet of dancers in Regency-style costumes – designed by Gillian Lennox. They provide the formality of movement for the waltz, polonaise and more, courtesy of Jennifer Rooney, movement director.
An important strength in Tchaikovsky’s armoury is his orchestration. Conductor Dominic Limburg chooses sympathetic tempi and achieves good balance between stage and pit, with strong climaxes and, notably, some fine horn playing. The Orchestra of Northern Ireland Opera is announced as a new initiative, though it has some way to go to achieve complete unanimity of ensemble. Has the Ulster Orchestra opted out of opera?
Eugene Onégin, staged by Northern Ireland Opera, continues at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, on Tuesday, September 17th, Thursday, September 19th, and Saturday, September 21st
