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Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Librettist: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, and Konstantin Shilovsky. After Pushkin's poem.
Premiere: 29 March 1879, Moscow (Maly Theatre)
Language: Russian
Subtitles: English, Italian, Spanish, French and German (Click on CC)
Eugene Onegin Synopsis: https://www.opera-arias.com/tchaikovsky/eugene-onegin/synopsis/

Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, (Russian: Yevgény Onégin) is an opera ("lyrical scenes") in 3 acts (7 scenes), by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin.

Eugene Onegin is a well-known example of lyric opera; the libretto very closely follows Pushkin's original, retaining much of his poetry, to which Tchaikovsky adds music of a dramatic nature. The story concerns a selfish hero who lives to regret his blasé rejection of a young woman's love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend.

The opera was first performed in Moscow in 1879. There are several recordings of it, and it is regularly performed. The work's title refers to the protagonist.

Petr Weigl's beautiful film evoke superbly this most atmospheric of operas, while Sir George Solti captures both the passion and subtlety of Tchaikovsky's magnificent score. The golden-voiced Teresa Kubiak sings the innocent Tatyana, Stuart Burrows is the ill-fated Lensky, and Bernd Weikl is Eugene Onegin, whose arrival is destined to change everybody's lives.

Cast & Characters:
Eugene Onegin - Bernd Weikl (played by Michal Docolomanský)
Lenski - Stuart Burrows (played by Emil Horváth)
Tatyana - Teresa Kubiak (played by Magda Vásáryová)
Olga - Júlia Hamari (played by Kamila Magálová)
Madame Larina - Anna Reynolds (played by Antonie Hegerlíková)
Gremin - Nicolai Ghiaurov (played by Premysl Kocí)
Filipjevna - Enid Hartle (played by Vlasta Fabiánová)
Triquet - Michel Sénéchal (played by Frantisek Filipovský)
Zaretzky - Richard Van Allan (played by Andrej Hryc)
Captain - William Mason (played by Karol Cálik)
Guillot - Petr Lepsa

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden
John Alldis Choir
Conductor: Georg Solti
Director: Petr Weigl

Tchaikovsky's opera opens with this sombre prelude, followed by a sad romance, sung by Tatyana and her sister Olga. This prompt their mother, Madame Larina, to reminisce on a long-lost love, in which she is comforted by the family nurse, Filipyevna. As all four are singing, a peasant chorus is heard in the distance...Petr Weigl's film begins at this point.

I personally think it was criminal to cut-out the prelude. However, the movie is very well made and the singing is beautiful.

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