Ravinia 2023 Issue 5

The unconventional nature of his score, called “lyrical scenes in three acts and seven tableaux,” prompted Tchaikovsky to reject a professional production, worried that “Push- kin’s charming picture will be debased when it is transferred onto the stage, with all its rou- tine, with all its senseless traditions.” Instead, he offered the first performance to students at the Moscow Conservatory, who staged the premiere on March 17, 1879. Rubinstein conducted and Ivan Samarin directed. The professional premiere at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater came nearly two years later, on Jan- uary 11, 1881. Set in Saint Petersburg and rural parts of western Russia, Eugene Onegin opens in the garden at the country estate of the Larin fam- ily, whose two daughters are the vibrant Olga and pensive bookworm Tatyana. Olga dreams of dancing among the peasants (Olga’s Aria). The poet Vladimir Lensky, who arrives from the city with his friend Eugene Onegin, ex- presses feelings for his fiancée Olga. Tatya- na instantly falls in love with the dashing Onegin, pondering love and marriage with her nursemaid, Filippyevna. The smitten girl pens a secret confession of love for Onegin (Tatyana’s Letter Scene). He gently reproaches her and promises nothing more than brother- ly love. Tatyana is devastated. Act Two opens with a ball held in honor of Tatyana’s name day. The guests dance to a waltz and prattle amongst themselves. Onegin flirts and dances with Olga, which enrages Lensky. The two men exchange harsh words, and Lensky challenges Onegin to a duel. The next morning, Lensky reflects on his happy life before his adversary, once friend, arrives (Lensky’s Aria). No longer fueled by anger but by pride and obligation, the men face off near the wooded banks of a stream. Shots are fired, and Lensky falls to the ground dead. Five years have passed when Onegin returns to Saint Petersburg in Act Three. To the strains of a polonaise, Onegin attempts to forget the murder of his friend. He encoun- ters Tatyana at a ball and discovers that she has married Prince Gremin. Finally, Onegin confesses his love for Tatyana. Despite her enduring affection, Tatyana decides to hon- or her marriage vows to the Prince and bids Onegin farewell forever. Onegin’s Aria Kagdá by zhíz’n’ damáshnim krúgam Ja agraníchit’ zahatél, Kagdáp mne byt’ attsóm, suprúgam Prijátnyj zhrébij pavilél, To vérna króme vas adnój Nivésty ne eeskál eenój. No ja ne sózdan dlja blazhénstva, Jemú chuzhdá dushá majá, Naprásny váshi savershénstva, Eeh ne dastóin vofse ja. Pavér’te sóves’t’ ftom parúkaj, Suprúzhestva nam búdit múkaj, Ja skól’ka ni ljubíl by vas, Privýknuf razljubljú totchás. Sudítesh vy kakíe rózy Nam zagatóvit Giminéj Ee mózhet byt’ na mnóga dnej. Michtám ee gódam net vazvráta, Ah net vazvráta, Ne abnavljú dushí maéj, Ja vas ljubljú ljubóv’ju bráta Ljubóv’ju bráta Eel’ mózhet byt’ eeschó nizhnéj. Eel’ mózhet byt’, eel’ mózhet byt’, Eeschó, eeschó nizhnéj. Paslúshajtesh minjá bez gnéva, Smenít ne ras mladája déva Michtámi, michtámi ljóhkie michtý. Uchítes’ vlástvavat’ sabóju Ni fsjákij vas kak ja pajmjót K bidé niópytnas’t’ vidjót. If my life by the family circle I wanted to limit, if being a father, a spouse was my happy lot, then beyond you alone I would not look for another bride. But I am not created for bliss. It is alien to my soul. In vain are your perfections for I don’t deserve them. Believe me, my conscious be my witness. Our marriage would be a torture. I, no matter how much in love with you, once used to it would lose my love immediately. See for yourself what kind of roses Hymen has prepared for us. And possibly for many days. My dreams and young years cannot return, cannot return. I cannot renew my soul. I love you as a brother, as a brother, And maybe even more tenderly. And maybe, maybe more, more tenderly. Do listen to me with no anger: A young maid will exchange many times one dream for another light dream. Learn to control yourself. Not everyone is as understanding as I am. Lack of experience can bring you grief. Olga’s Aria Recitative: Ah, Tánja, Tánja, Fsegdá michtáish ty … A já tak nee ftibja, mnje vésela, kagdá ja pénje slýshu … Ush kak pómasto, mastóchku, Pa kalínavym dasóchkam … Aria: Ja ni spasóbna g’grústi tómnaj, Ja nil’ubl’ú michtát’ ftishí Eel’ na balkóni nóch’ju tjómnaj Vzdyhát’, vzdyhát’, Vzdyhát’ iz glubiný dushí. Zachém vzdyhát’, kagdá schaslíva Maеé dni júnye tekút? Ja bezzabótna ee shalavlíva, Minjá rebjónkam fse zavút. Mnje búdit zhizn’ fsegdá, fsegdá milá, Ee ja astánus’ kak ee prézhdi, Padóbna vétrenaj nadézhdi, Rizvá, bispéchna, visilá. Lensky’s Aria Kudá, kudá, kudá vy udalílis’, Vesný maéj zlatýje dni? Shto den’ grjadúschij mne gatóvit? Evo moj vzor naprásna lóvit: V glubókaj t’me táeetsa on! Net núzhdy praf sud’bý zakón! Padú lee ja strelój pranzjónnyj, Eel’ míma praletít aná,— Fsjó blága bdénija ee sna Prihódit chas aprediljónnyj! Blagaslavén ee den’ zabót, Blagaslavén ee t’my prihót! Blisnjót zaútra luch dennítsy, Ee zaigrájet yárkij den’, A ja byt’ mózhet ja grabnítsy Sajdú ftaínstvinnuju sen’! Ee pámjat’ júnnava paéta Paglótit médlinnaja léta. Zabúdit mir minjá no ty, ty Ól’ga … Skazhý pridjósh lee djéva krasatý, Slizú pralít’ nad ránnej úrnaj Ee dúmat’ on minjá ljubíl! On mnje jedínaj pasyjatíl Rassv’ét pichál’nyj zhízni búrnaj! Ah Ól’ga ja tibjá ljubíl! Tibé jedínaj pasyjatíl Rassvjét pichá l’nyj zhízni búrnaj! Ah Ól’ga ja tibjá ljubíl! Sirdéchnyj druk zhelánnyj druk, Pridí pridí! Zhelánnyj druk, pridí ja tvoj suprúk! Pridí pridí ja tvoj suprúk! Pridí pridí! Ja zhdu tibjá zhelánnyj druk, Pridí pridí ja tvoj suprúk! Ah, Tanya, Tanya, you are always away with the fairies … And I am not like you, I am happy when I hear singing: “Over the little bridge, over the wooden planks” … I am not capable of languid sorrow, I don’t like dreaming in quiet, and on the balcony in the middle of the night sighing, sighing from the depth of my soul. Why should I sigh when my happy days are here? I am carefree and mischievous, everybody considers me just a child. My life will always be dear to me and I will remain forever, as jaunty hope, playful, frolicsome, jolly … Where, where have you gone, golden days of my spring? What does the coming day have in store for me? It escapes my eyes, it is hidden in deep darkness! But nevertheless, the law of fate cannot be wrong. Shall I fall to the deadly arrow, or will it pass by? All for the better. For life and for sleep there is a pre-determined time. Blessed is a day of simple tasks, and blessed is the day of darkness. When the day beam shines in the morning, and the bright day shall reign. But I, perhaps, will descend into mysterious darkness of my fatal tomb? And the memory of a young poet will fall into Abyss. The world shall forget me, but you, you, Olga! Tell me, will you, the maiden of beauty, come to shed a tear over the early urn? And think “He loved me, he devoted to me, the gloomy dawn of his troubled life!” Ah Olga, I did love you. To you alone I devoted the gloomy dawn of my troubled life. Yes, Olga, I did love you! My beloved friend, my dear friend, come, come! Beloved friend, do come, for I am your spouse … do come, for I am your spouse … Come, come … I am waiting for you, oh beloved friend. Come, for I am your spouse. RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 27, 2023 30