Eugene Onegin

• Eugene Onegin [uh-NYAY-gin], Tchaikovsky’s fifth opera, is a three-act “lyric scenes” based on the novel of the same name by Alexander Pushkin ((1799–1837).
• Written between 1877-78, Tchaikovsky enlisted the help of Konstantin Shilovsky to create the opera’s libretto.
• The story’s setting takes place in 1820s Russia, covering both life in the country as well as the glittering world of the aristocracy in St. Petersburg. Pushkin’s famous tale is filled with human experiences: youthful innocence, jealousy, love, regret, and more.
• In a letter, Tchaikovsky wrote of his enthusiasm about the humanity felt in Pushkin’s novel and having the opportunity to “convey through music everyday, simple, universally human emotions, far removed from anything tragic or theatrical.”¹ 

Read the opera synopsis via the Met

1. “Yevgeny Onegin,” Tchaikovsky Research, accessed November 20, 2024, https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/Yevgeny_Onegin.