Quick: Name an opera you've never seen that's full of familiar tunes. Review
Excellent cast lends
warmth to opera’s
demanding roles
By Ruth O. Bingham
Special to the Star-BulletinGive up?
Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" opened Hawaii Opera Theatre's "Coming of Age" season Friday night. "Eugene Onegin" contains instantly recognizable pieces, most obviously the three popular dances and a favorite bass aria, and yet it is rarely performed.
Onegin, a dandy from the city, settles onto a country estate where he befriends Lensky, who is in love with Olga Larina. Lensky introduces Onegin to the Larina family; Olga's older sister, Tatyana, falls in love with Onegin and writes him a letter declaring her love. Onegin rejects her, honorably but condescendingly, thereby humiliating her.
Repeats at 4 p.m. today and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Tickets are $27 to $95. Call 596-7858. 'Eugene Onegin'
Tensions and petty cruelties lead to an argument, and in the ensuing duel, Onegin kills Lensky and flees the country. When he returns years later, he meets Tatyana at a royal ball in St. Petersburg, where she is the elegant wife of a general. He suddenly realizes he loves her, but when he declares his love, she points out that he is too late and bids him farewell.
In this production, HOT has assembled an excellent cast with voices that both suited their characters and balanced each other well.
As Tatyana (the main character for Tchaikovsky), Aimee Willis, with her warm, bright, large, lyric soprano, filled the demanding role admirably, moving smoothly from passion to heartbreak.
David Templeton's dark, rich, virile baritone and tall stature portrayed the quintessential Onegin, mitigating a physical stiffness that belied aristocratic lineage and that seeped into his dancing.
With a silken yet ringing tone, excellent dynamics, and fine sense of line, George Dyer as Lensky captured the role perfectly. Each aria topped the previous, so that it was difficult to forgive Onegin for shooting him.
Bass-baritone Philip Corcorinos (Prince Gremin) sang in long, arching lines, his voice glowing with the burnished warmth of wisdom and age, making love seem worthwhile even in the midst of a tragedy.
The vivacious mezzo-soprano Elena Bocharova created a charming Olga. Mezzo-sopranos Judith Christin (Madame Larina) and Dorothy Byrne (the old family servant, Filipievna), and Matthew Lau (Zaretsky) were all excellent as well, contributing nuance and depth throughout. And James Price, a local singer, revealed a promising tenor voice while making the most of his comic character.
HOT's chorus, directed by Beebe Freitas and Nola Nahulu, shone as well, with an offstage solo sung admirably by Julius Ahn.
The ingenious set, by HOT's resident designer Peter Dean Beck, featured a curving path between three rotating platforms (fate's turning wheels perhaps?), studded with poles as tree trunks or marble pillars. Director Dejan Milandinovic's detailed, careful staging yielded a memorable performance throughout, reaching its apex in Act II, when it flowed seamlessly with numerous delightful touches.
Of course, every opera has its slips out of illusion, as in the addition of a child at the end of Act III whose age exceeded the length of Tatyana's marriage. It also shifted Tatyana's decision from a moral one determining her honor to a personal one, choosing between Onegin and her child.
In an overall stellar production, the only disappointment was the ballet-style choreography by Gregg Lizenbery. Tchaikovsky chose social dances to convey social classes, but in Act I, taking the most obvious example, the serfs dance ballet while the aristocratic family provides the folk dance, reversing their roles.
Conductor William Fred Scott held the ensemble together firmly through minor disagreements in tempo between stage and pit, delivering a graceful performance.
Ruth O. Bingham reviews classical music for the Star-Bulletin.
