EUGENE ONEGIN is Now Playing at Den Norske Opera

Eugene Onegin is now playing at Den Norske Opera. Performances began on 11 February and run through 12 March.

Eugene Onegin is an intimate encounter with youthful infatuation. It is also a powerful story about something familiar to us all: the passing of time, the chances we didn't take - and that deep down, we are all alone.

The opera could have just as aptly been called Tatjana Larin. After all, it is as much her story as it is anyone else's. It is about when she sees him for the first time - the handsome, well-travelled and self-confident Onegin. And it is about when, 16 years later, he sees Tatjana - a modern, well-read and beautiful woman. But by then it's too late.

Tumultuous love

It's a bitter cold winter. We're at the Larin Family estate outside of St. Petersburg, where Mrs Larin lives with her daughters, Olga and Tatjana. When Olga's fiancée Lensky introduces Tatjana to his friend Onegin, the lives of the four youths change forever.

Lyrical scenes

Eugene Onegin features oversized choir scenes and oversized music. Yet it is also an intimate work that takes us into the remote corners of the human mind - inspired by Alexander Pushkin's novel. Tchaikovsky referred to the opera as 'lyrical scenes' and could not imagine it being performed on major opera stages. He was wrong. Since premiering at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1881, it has become a well-established opera in opera houses around the world.

Sweet reunion

The opera delighted both audiences and critics when it premiered here in 2020. Now, as then, Svetlana Aksenova is performing the role of Tatjana, and Opera Director Randi Stene is starred as Larina, while Iiuri Samolov is singing the role of Onegin.

Director Christof Loy is known for his strong directing skills and has been nominated 'Opera Director of the Year' by trade magazine Opernwelt no fewer than three times. The magazine also described his Eugen Onegin in Oslo as one of the best opera performances of 2020.

• Free introduction one hour before the performance (in Norwegian)
• Co-production with Teatro Real, Madrid and Liceu Opera, Barcelona.