In Havana, Tchaikovsky’s Opera Eugene Onegin

Marking the 225th anniversary of Russian writer Aleksandr Pushkin’s birth, his seminal work Eugene Onegin, set to music by compatriot Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, will grace the stage on Thursday, June 13, at 6:00 p.m., at the Minor Basilica of the Convent of San Francisco de Asís, nestled in Havana’s Historic Center.

Artistic director Helson Hernández underscores the significance of this performance, noting that Eugene Onegin has yet to be fully staged in Cuba. «While some of its main arias have been sampled, this marks a seminal moment for music aficionados who will relish a selection spanning pivotal scenes across its three acts,» he asserts.

Taking center stage will be soprano Isabel Torres and baritone Carlos Manuel González, esteemed members of the Rodrigo Prats Opera Theatre in Holguín. Joining them will be soloists from Havana’s opera milieu, including mezzo-soprano Giselle Polanco, tenor Jorge Luis Guzmán, and baritone Pedro Luis Terán.

Providing the musical backdrop will be the accomplished pianist and conductor Edel Almeida, tasked with navigating not only the vocal intricacies but also the renowned instrumental passages, including the overture, the waltz, and the famed polonaise.

«One of the evening’s surprises will be a special appearance by acclaimed actress Gina Caro, renowned for her prowess on the stage, screen, and television. Caro will inhabit an elderly Tatiana, a character crafted exclusively for this Cuban production, sharing poignant reflections garnered over a lifetime,» Hernández elaborates.

This one-time performance of Eugene Onegin will also serve as a tribute to Cuban soprano and teacher María Eugenia Barrios, an outstanding figure in Cuba’s opera realm. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory of Music, Barrios blazed a trail as one of the first Cuban women to portray Tatiana, the opera’s central figure.

Hernández, who orchestrates both the artistic vision and staging, acknowledges the invaluable contributions of Rafael Oramas in costume design and Ubail Zamora in musical direction.

«This grand finale commemorates a year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of CMBF National Musical Radio. It is made possible by the generous support of the Russian House in Havana, in collaboration with the Russian Embassy in Cuba, Arte y Creación Servicios Escenográficos of Cuban Television, the Casabaneque Remedios project in Villa Clara, and the esteemed El Antonia restaurant in Old Havana,» Hernández concludes.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez