Eugene Onegin Comparison
Eugene Onegin
The transformation from a novel in verse to an opera
Although written in the early 1800s, Eugene Onegin, a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin, is still regarded as one of the most influential and beautifully written pieces of work to this day. As it shifted cultural norms, opened new discussions, gave way to new forms of writing, and introduced novel approaches that envisioned life in a different light, Eugene Onegin was revolutionary. With its central theme revolving around the conflict between dreams and reality, the novel in verse caught the attention of readers all over the world, with over thirteen translations written. As well, other artists have adapted the work and interpreted it through their own art forms, including a ballet by John Cranko in 1965, and the famous opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which opened in 1879. Tchaikovsky’s interpretation in particular gathered much success and worldwide recognition, arguably more than that of Pushkin’s novel. While the characters and the storyline are mainly preserved, Pushkin’s main characters – Lensky, Onegin, and Tatyana – become more multi-dimensional and relatable in Tchaikovsky’s opera. Because he was an artist in the romanticism era, Tchaikovsky adds his own inspiration to the novel when changing it to an opera, creating many noticeable distinctions between the two. Compared to the novel in verse, the operatic version of Eugene Onegin has various deviations due to Tchaikovsky’s romanticism and character bias, which include changes in the duel scene, the increased favouritism of certain characters by Tchaikovsky, and the absence of a narrator.
Throughout the course of Pushkin’s novel in verse, there are four main parts of the storyline that grab the attention of the reader and create the plot. One of the four scenes is a duel between Onegin and his best friend Vladimir Lensky, after Lensky caught Onegin flirting shamelessly with his fiancée. This scene was considerably altered
The transformation from a novel in verse to an opera
Although written in the early 1800s, Eugene Onegin, a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin, is still regarded as one of the most influential and beautifully written pieces of work to this day. As it shifted cultural norms, opened new discussions, gave way to new forms of writing, and introduced novel approaches that envisioned life in a different light, Eugene Onegin was revolutionary. With its central theme revolving around the conflict between dreams and reality, the novel in verse caught the attention of readers all over the world, with over thirteen translations written. As well, other artists have adapted the work and interpreted it through their own art forms, including a ballet by John Cranko in 1965, and the famous opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which opened in 1879. Tchaikovsky’s interpretation in particular gathered much success and worldwide recognition, arguably more than that of Pushkin’s novel. While the characters and the storyline are mainly preserved, Pushkin’s main characters – Lensky, Onegin, and Tatyana – become more multi-dimensional and relatable in Tchaikovsky’s opera. Because he was an artist in the romanticism era, Tchaikovsky adds his own inspiration to the novel when changing it to an opera, creating many noticeable distinctions between the two. Compared to the novel in verse, the operatic version of Eugene Onegin has various deviations due to Tchaikovsky’s romanticism and character bias, which include changes in the duel scene, the increased favouritism of certain characters by Tchaikovsky, and the absence of a narrator.
Throughout the course of Pushkin’s novel in verse, there are four main parts of the storyline that grab the attention of the reader and create the plot. One of the four scenes is a duel between Onegin and his best friend Vladimir Lensky, after Lensky caught Onegin flirting shamelessly with his fiancée. This scene was considerably altered
Bibliography: Brown, David. Tchaikovsky, The Crisis Years, W.W Norton; New York and London, 1983 Debreczeny, Paul Doran, Molly. The Transformation of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin into Tchaikovsky’s Opera. Bowling Green State University, Ohio. 2012. Eugene Onegin. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. 2013. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Onegin>. Pushkin, Alexandr. Translated by Vladimir Nabokov. Eugene Onegin. Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1990. Pushkin, Alexandr. Translated by A.S. Kline. Eugene Onegin. 2009. Pushkin, Alexandr. Eugene Onegin & Other Stories, Wordsworth Editions Limited; London, 2005 Taruskin, Richard. Defining Russia Musically. Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1997. Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyitch. Eugene Onegin in full score. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1997. [ 2 ]. Pushkin, Alexandr. Eugene Onegin & Other Stories, Wordsworth Editions Limited; London, 2005, page XXXVI [ 3 ] [ 6 ]. Torgovitskaya, J. Eugene Onegin’s Journey Through Time; Tufts University, 2009, page 27 [ 7 ] [ 8 ]. Doran, Molly. The Transformation of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin into Tchaikovsky’s Opera, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, 2012, page 43 [ 9 ] [ 10 ]. Torgovitskaya, Julia. Eugene Onegin’s Journey Through Time; Tufts University, 2009, page 24 [ 11 ] [ 14 ]. Taruskin, Richard. Defining Russia Musically, Princeton University Press; Princeton, 1997, 53-54 [ 15 ]