Washington Classical Review

Magdalena Kuźma as Tatiana and Finn Sagal in the title role of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at Wolf Trap Opera. Photo: Rich Kessler

Wolf Trap Opera opened its production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin Friday night with a gorgeous and moving  performance. The skillful young artists brought Tchaikovsky’s characters and score to life masterfully, with director Emma Griffin, making resourceful use of the unconventional visual design and limited space of Wolf Trap’s Barns theater.

Based on Alexander Pushkin’s classic Russian novel, Eugene Onegin tells the story of Tatiana, a young woman on a country estate who meets and falls in love with the captivating and standoffish Eugene Onegin, a neighboring nobleman. Though she bares her soul to him, he rejects her, believing himself above the common trappings of passion and marriage. But after years of unfulfilling, soul searching, and wandering—not to mention killing his best friend Lensky in a duel—he returns to society to find their roles reversed, and falls for Tatiana, now a mature, elegant, and married princess, who rejects him.

Tatiana is a daunting role for any soprano, demanding the utmost in stamina and musicality, especially for her nearly fourteen-minute solo in Act 1. Magdalena Kuźma was a stunning Tatiana. She moved gracefully and convincingly through the complicated emotions of the Letter Scene, from anxiety and embarrassment to hope and joy, with a masterful control over her dynamics and phrasing. Kuźma’s voice is clear and full throughout her range with a vibrant middle register. As an actress, her transformation from the shy but hopeful young girl of Act 1 to the dignified noblewoman of the final act demonstrates just how much character can be conveyed through quiet physicality.

In the title role, baritone Finn Sagal made a perfect complement to Kuźma’s Tatiana, equally strong as both a singer and actor. His aloof, haughty attitude was palpable from the moment he entered the theater. His rich voice matched the calm confidence and magnetic presence of his acting, filling the theater, at both the top and bottom of his range effortlessly. The dramatic moments when genuine emotion cracks through his brooding, pouty exterior were deeply endearing, in particular Onegin’s regret following his duel with Lensky and his sheepish grin when reuniting with Tatiana in the final act.

Elissa Pfaender as Olga and Daniel O’Hearn as Lensky in Wolf Trap Opera’s Eugene Onegin. Photo: Rich Kessler

Elissa Pfaender and Daniel O’Hearn featured respectively as Olga and Lensky, quite a different couple than the one portrayed by the pair in last year’s Carmen. Pfaender’s voice is dark, round, and covered, though she never struggles to project even in a deep alto register. She displayed a lovable girlish charm as Tatiana’s younger sister and Lensky’s beloved, with bright, expressive face and acting. 

O’Hearn’s Lensky is a softer, cheekier counterpart to the bad boy Onegin; his infatuation with Olga is persuasive, from the sweet flirting in Act 1 to his later brokenhearted jealousy and despair. His tenor is bright with a ringing vibrato and impressive dynamic control, especially in his emotional lament “Kuda, kuda vy udalilis.”

Aubrey Odle as Madame Larina and Cecelia McKinley as the nanny Filipyevna lent maturity and emotional support with round, steady voices. Sergio Martinez sang Prince Gremin with a full, sonorous bass, making the most of his belated appearance and touching romantic declaration. Excellent vocal cameos were provided by Wolf Trap studio artists Michael Mensah as the Commander, Jack Burrows as Zaretsky, and Jack Hicks as Monsieur Triquet.

The scenic design by Lee Jellinek transformed the Barns stage into a lush, moss-covered Russian forest. A stand of trees separated the onstage orchestra from the action, though singers moved back and forth between the front and the rear often, as well as coming and going through the aisles of the audience. Alejandro Farjado provided colorful and moody lighting, adding greatly to the emotion and tone of each scene. 

More mixed was Christopher Ford’s costuming, an anachronistic blend of period blouses and skirts with modern track pants, leather jackets, blue denim, and sneakers. The costumes were supplemented with elaborate animal masks worn by the ensemble, including a large bear that appeared throughout to silently taunt Tatiana and Onegin for their romantic desires. The Wolf Trap chorus, directed expertly by Ksenia Leletkina, did an outstanding job, doing full justice to Tchaikovsky’s lush music, especially during their entrance through the audience in Act 1. 

Conductor Steven White led the onstage orchestra well, keeping dynamics under control so as not to overpower the singers, even though the pianissimos could have been softer. While there was some dubious intonation in exposed moments for the strings, the winds and brass were particularly strong, especially the beautiful wind solos supporting Kuźma in Tatiana’s Letter Scene.

Eugene Onegin runs through July 25. wolftrap.org