''Eugene Onegin'' () is 1959
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
opera film, produced by
Lenfilm
Lenfilm (, acronym of Leningrad Films) is a Russian production and distribution company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes s ...
Studio, directed by
Roman Tikhomirov, starring Vadim Medvedev, Igor Ozerov and Ariadna Shengelaya.
The film is a screen version of the famous 1879 opera ''
Eugene Onegin
''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...
'' by
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...
based on the 1825-1832 novel in verse by
Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...
.
The principal solo parts were performed by notable opera singers of the
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈat(ə)r, t=Grand Theater) is a historic opera house in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové. Before the October Revolutio ...
.
Musical manager and conductor –
Boris Khaykin.
Cast
*Vadim Medvedev – ''Eugene Onegin'' (sung by
Yevgeny Kibkalo)
*Igor Ozerov – ''Vladimir Lensky'' (sung by Anton Grigoryev)
*
Ariadna Shengelaya
Ariadna Vsevolodovna Shengelaya (née Shprink) (; born 13 January 1937) is a Soviet actress. She appeared in 33 films between 1957 and 1997. She was married to the Georgian film director Eldar Shengelaya from 1957 to 1980.
The actress of opule ...
– ''Tatyana Larina'' (sung by
Galina Vishnevskaya
Galina Pavlovna Vishnevskaya (, Ivanova, Иванова; 25 October 1926 – 11 December 2012) was a Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1966. She was the wife of cellist Mstislav Rostropo ...
)
*Svetlana Nemolyayeva – ''Olga Larina'' (sung by Larisa Avdeyeva)
Plot
Eugene Onegin, a jaded young dandy from the big city of
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
, travels to the country to ingratiate himself into the affection of a dying uncle. There he meets the idealistic and romantic poet Vladimir Lensky, who introduces him to the daughters of a local landowner: Olga, with whom Lensky has strong affections, and Olga's younger sister Tatyana. Tatyana falls in love with Onegin. She writes him a letter pledging her love to him and telling him that she "is his." But Onegin rejects her in a polite, but cold and condescending sermon. Instead, angered by Lensky's dragging him to Tatyana's nameday party, he asks Olga to dance and flirts with her, much to Lensky's displeasure. Lensky challenges his friend to a duel with pistols. Seconds are appointed and, opportunities for reconciliation scorned, the duel takes place. Onegin kills Lensky and leaves the country estates to take a distant military assignment. Tatyana has disturbed dreams of Onegin and visits his uncle's estate to scan the books that he was reading so as to judge his character.
Several years pass, and the scene changes to
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
, to which Onegin has come to attend the most prominent balls and interact with the leaders of old Russian society. He sees the most beautiful woman, who now captures the attention of all and is central to society's whirl, and realizes that it is that same Tatyana whose love he had once turned away. Now she is married to an aged general. At first Tatyana pretends that she does not recognize the now mature Onegin, but then treats him with politeness, but coolly. But he writes to her passionately now and asks to see her in private, away from her husband, with whom he briefly speaks. At last he contrives to stand in her presence away from others eyes and presents to her the opportunity to renew their past love. But she rejects him in a speech, mirroring his earlier sermon, where she admits both: her love for him and the absolute loyalty that she nevertheless has for her husband.
Reception
At the time, ''The Musical Times'' noted that, "Visually, there was the splendid advantage of a cast of young and handsome actors in the four principal roles, and in the minor ones too there were some beautiful Russian faces. While the modern opera-stage generally offers a reasonably personable Tatiana, a long line of portly tenors and baritones have made us forget that Lensky and Onegin should also be romantic figures, as they are here in the persons of Igor Ozerov and Vadim Medvedev, while Ariadna Shengelaya
..brought a virginal Slavonic charm to Tatiana that the most glamorous prima donna could hardly be expected to rival."
Awards
*The II All-Union Film Festival (1959) – 1st Prize to A. Shengelaya, 2nd Prize to Y. Shapiro, 1st Prize to G. Elbert.
*The XIII
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival.
EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...
(1960) – diploma for the film.
References
External links
1959 musical films
1959 films
1950s musical drama films
Soviet opera films
1950s Soviet films
1950s Russian-language films
Russian-language musical drama films
Soviet musical drama films
Films based on Eugene Onegin
Films set in Saint Petersburg
Films set in the Russian Empire
Films set in the 19th century
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