Eugene Onegin Synopsis

About the Ballet

The drama behind the dance

San Francisco Ballet’s evolution as a creative force in the dance world has been driven by its visionary leaders. Since 1952, just four Artistic Directors have carried the torch, each leaving a distinctive mark on the company. This year’s Spring Festival will honor their legacy, featuring choreography that represents their contribution to SF Ballet’s rich history.

Prologue

The courtyard of Onegin’s uncle’s estate, filled with people. His nephew, Eugene, has arrived to bid farewell to his beloved uncle. After the farewell, he gets into a carriage and leaves the estate’s courtyard.

Act 1 – Spring

Scene 1

Poetry about spring is heard:

O spring! o time for love! how sadly
your advent swamps me in its flood!
and in my soul, o spring, how madly
your presence aches, and in my blood!

Translation of “Eugene Onegin” by Charles H. Johnston

The spirits of nature—young men and women—announce the arrival of spring. The Larins’ estate. In the yard stand the Larin sisters—Tatiana and Olga—their mother Praskovya, and their nanny. They anxiously await the arrival of guests. Soon, a carriage appears, from which Vladimir Lensky and his friend Eugene Onegin emerge. Lensky introduces his friend to his beloved Olga’s family. Onegin kisses the hands of all the ladies, causing Tatiana to blush and the nanny to laugh. This gesture immediately reveals his character—witty and somewhat cynical. Onegin shows his disregard for social conventions and romantic gestures. But all this is genuinely important to Olga and Vladimir, who engage in their loving conversation. Lensky follows Olga and her mother into the house. Onegin remains with Tatiana and starts a conversation with her, but their talk appears cold and distant against the backdrop of the sincere and mutual affection of her sister and her fiancé.

Olga and Lensky return from the house. Olga and Tatiana whisper about the guests, while Lensky and Onegin discuss the sisters. We see how close these two couples are to each other. It is time to say goodbye. Onegin gets into the carriage without even glancing at Tatiana, who sees him off with a long gaze. Lensky follows, unable to take his eyes off Olga.

The spirits of nature continue their round dance.

Poetry is heard:

How heavy, and how near to sobbing,
the bliss that fills me when your throbbing,
caressing breath has fanned my face
in rural calm’s most secret place!

Scene 2: Tatiana’s room

She sits at a table writing a letter to Onegin. She confesses that she is in love with him and tries to convey her sincere feelings. Dawn begins; Tatiana hasn’t slept all night, captivated by her letter. The nanny enters, surprised to see that the bed has not been touched, and Tatiana is still sitting at the table. Tatiana doesn’t hide her love and asks the nanny to deliver the letter to Onegin. The nanny embraces her charge, takes the letter, and leaves.

Tatiana goes into the now-bright grove. Here, girls—the spirits of spring—are gathering berries. Suddenly, Onegin appears before Tatiana, holding her letter. Tatiana initially steps back, then moves forward, but Onegin blocks her way. They are about to have a serious conversation. Onegin returns Tatiana’s letter. Their explanation ends with a cold parting. The spring spirits—girls—are replaced by the summer spirits—young men.

Act 2 – Summer

The summer spirits continue to dance. Poetry about summer is heard.

Our evanescent northern summer
parodies winter in the south;
it’s like a vanishing newcomer –
but here we must control our mouth.

Scene 3: The Larin home

Tatiana and Olga, surrounded by maids, are divining their fates and the name of their future husbands with an old book. Two mirrors are on the table, candles are lit. Tatiana reads something from the book, then places it under her pillow and goes to bed. Olga kisses her and leaves the room, followed by the maids.

Tatiana dreams. Through the crack in the door where her sister left, she sees a strange scene: a long table, around which sit bizarre and frightening creatures—a witch with a goat’s beard, a half-crane-half-cat, a skull in a red cap spinning on a goose neck, and in the center of the table—a huge bear, with Olga and her fiancé Lensky at the ends. A feast begins, turning into a witches’ Sabbath.

The bear rises from the table, approaches the door, and opens it. Tatiana is terrified and paralyzed with fear. The bear grabs Tatiana and seats her at the table. Tatiana seeks help from Olga and Lensky, but they seem entranced and do not respond to her pleas. The bear dances with Tatiana, then leaves her and passionately dances with Olga. This awakens Lensky, who interrupts their dance. He tries to awaken Olga from her trance. But the bear seizes Lensky and tears his throat with its claws. The bloodied Lensky falls, the Sabbath halts. The bear removes its head and gloves: Tatiana now sees that it is Onegin before her. The dream plunges into darkness.

Tatiana wakes up as her sister enters the room. She inspects the mirrors and candles on the table. Approaching Tatiana, she asks her to take the book from under the pillow. Tatiana opens the book and, frightened by something, immediately closes it. Olga sympathetically embraces her.

The male summer spirits transport us to the next scene.

Scene 4

The summer spirits bring a carriage with Onegin.

Poetry about summer is heard:

The crimson summer now grows pale;
Clear, bright days now soar away.

The Larin home. A hall filled with guests gathered for Tatiana’s name day. A ball is already in progress, accompanied by a small regimental brass band. Lensky, unaware of what is to come, introduces Onegin to Tatiana. They are forced to dance together, which becomes a real torment for them. Leaving Tatiana, Onegin invites Olga to dance—a revenge on his friend for his tactlessness. Lensky notices how, during the dance, Onegin flirts with Olga, and she responds favorably. Barely waiting for the end, Lensky approaches Olga and demands an explanation: how could she allow herself such indecent coquetry? Olga tries to calm her fiancé, but he can no longer suppress his anger. The crowd surrounds Lensky and pushes Onegin towards him. Lensky throws his glove at Onegin—a sign of a duel challenge. The guests are in turmoil, but only Zaretsky—the professional second—is pleased, as for him, a quarrel is an opportunity for another notorious duel. Olga rushes to Lensky, begging him to reconsider, but Zaretsky stops her. He approaches Onegin and points to Lensky, affirming the duel challenge. Onegin nods indifferently. Tatiana, covering her face, flees, but, failing to leave the hall, faints.

INTERMISSION

Act 3 – Autumn

Scene 5: A forest, late autumn

Poetry about autumn is heard:

The sky breathed autumn, time was flowing,
and good old sun more seldom glowing;
the days grew shorter…

The dance of the autumn spirits: the wind and leaves. Among the fallen leaves, Lensky appears. He has arrived at the duel site early, tormented by heavy emotions. Onegin’s carriage appears. The autumn spirits’ theme repeats. He arrives, accompanied by his valet Guillot, whom he has taken as his second. Compared to the tense and troubled Lensky, Onegin seems relaxed and even sleepy. Could he have slept the night before the duel? Lensky steps towards Onegin, and they begin a conversation, which may be their last and, at the same time, the last hope for reconciliation. Zaretsky announces that all chances for reconciliation have been exhausted. He looks disdainfully at Guillot. To take one’s servant as a second is the height of impropriety! But Zaretsky does not stop the duel, instead, he announces its start. He gives the duelists their weapons, then measures the necessary number of steps, marking them on the ground. Zaretsky makes a gesture: close in! The duelists begin to approach each other. Lensky immediately raises his hand with the pistol, starting to aim. Onegin slowly raises his pistol and, upon reaching the barrier, fires. Lensky falls. Zaretsky approaches him and declares that Lensky is dead. After a moment of confusion, Onegin quickly gets into the carriage and leaves.

Poetry is heard:

Alas, our youth was what we made it,
something to fritter and to burn,
when hourly we ourselves betrayed it,
and it deceived us in return;
when our sublimest aspiration,
and all our fresh imagination,
swiftly decayed beyond recall
like foliage in the rotting fall.

Scene 6

The Larin home. Zaretsky arrives and announces Lensky’s death. Olga, hearing the news, is devastated. Tatiana tries to comfort her sister.

Snow begins to fall.

Act 4 – Winter

Scene 7: St. Petersburg, Gremin’s mansion

The spirits of winter accompany the arrival of Eugene Onegin’s carriage.

Verses about winter are heard:

I’ve known too many a haughty beauty,
cold, pure as ice, and as unkind,
inexorably wed to duty,
unfathomable to the mind;
shocked by their modish pride, and fleeing
the utter virtue of their being,
I’ve run a mile, I must avow,
having decyphered on their brow
hell’s terrifying imprecation:
“Abandon hope for evermore.”

Onegin’s carriage arrives, bringing him back from his travels. He immediately enters the ball. Among the guests, Onegin notices Tatiana and is stunned, captivated by her beauty. Gremin approaches Onegin, warmly greeting him, and then introduces Tatiana—his wife. Onegin is shaken by this revelation but quickly regains his composure, observing as Gremin and Tatiana stand together for the next dance. The ball concludes with a grand dance, and the guests gradually depart. Only Onegin remains in the empty hall, tormented by his loneliness. Tatiana reappears, and Onegin is surprised and delighted by her return. Could it be that after all these years, she still feels something for him? Onegin confesses his love to Tatiana and sees the mix of joy and sorrow in her expression. It seems as though she is on the verge of reciprocating his feelings, but at the last moment, Tatiana replies with a refusal: “But I’ve become another’s wife—and I’ll be true to him, for life.” Tatiana leaves Onegin, and he is left alone.

Scene 8

The spirits of winter swirl in the snowstorm.

Verses are heard:

Storm has set the heavens scowling,
Whirling gusty blizzards wild,
Now they are like beasts a-growling,
Now a-wailing like a child.

Onegin steps outside. There is nothing around him but snow on the ground and the moon in the sky. It seems as though the world has disappeared and time has stopped. Onegin pays no heed to the cold or the wind. He stands, gazing at the sky, as if crushed by it.