There's nothing like That Production (Met Opera 2007) of Eugene Onegin to make me completely lose my mind as it shows the change Onegin goes through when seeing Tatiana again in act 3.
Especially after the brutal transition from act 2 - Onegin shows traces of emotion when Lensky is confirmed dead, but as his corpse is carried off, Onegin immediately slaps on his mask of no emotion (with the almost on-the-nose hand washing during the polonaise).
Onegin is not heartless or emotionless - he has feelings, but in his cynicism he has buried them deep and hidden them behind a mask of coldness. That's Onegin of act 1 and 2, and only the most skilled actors can pull it off - an Onegin that skillfully pretends to be above emotion, yet sometimes glimpses of feelings can be seen.
And now, act 3: he's behind his ice cold mask, as he sets off on his travels. What choice does he have? To remove the mask, he must confront his feelings - he's killed his friend, over a trick he played to alleviate his boredom - no-one wants to face that. It's easier to leave, to forget...
But there's no place on Earth he can escape from his boredom, or the haunted memory of his friend, so he's back in Saint Petersburg... And who does he meet there?
(insert quote: Arioso of Onegin “Uzhel ta samaja Tatiana”)
He loses control - the ice cold mask is ripped off. That smile, as he is reintroduced to Tatiana - the first time we see him smiling without a hint of mockery or smugness! See how he looks at her, starry eyed!
He is struck to the core! (as is I, the audience)
Увы, сомнения нет - влюблён я!
I have yet to see an Onegin more convincing. There's no take more lukewarm than saying that Dmitri Hvorostovsky is the best Onegin - simply because it's true. I've seen this opera so many times in so many productions, and in order to Get It, one must believe that Onegin has completely fallen for Tatiana only after a glance - and boy do I believe it when Hvorostovsky performs it!
(and all this without even considering the final scene!)
Act 3 Onegin is emotional - even more so in contrast to the smug and cynical Onegin of act 1 and 2 - and as performed by Hvorostovsky in this production (the scene at the ball completely destroys me!), truly tragic.
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turnnoffyourmind
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