Night at the Opera

I was feeling pretty down yesterday, but TC had just the right pick-me-up in mind when I got home from work. Through his connections at Massey, he was able to get us tickets to the dress rehearsal for the Canadian Opera Company's production of Eugene Onegin. It was exactly what I needed! The music was lovely, and I loved the stage design. It's an opera by Tchaikovsky, and was sung in Russian with English surtitles showing above the stage.

For a full synopsis, check this out, but here's the short version:

"In a deeply emotional letter, the young Tatyana declares her love to the proud Onegin, who rejects her. After killing his friend Lensky in a duel, Onegin travels the world to try and escape his regret. When he meets Tatyana years later, he realizes he loves her, but it is too late. Tatyana is now married and even though she still loves Onegin, it is her turn to reject him."

Had this been written today, I'm sure Tatyana would have left her husband and gone with Onegin and been lauded for doing so. I appreciated the way she was held up as a heroine for doing what she knew to be right, even though it was difficult. Ultimately, her integrity was more important to her than satisfying her emotional desires.

(**NB: These pictures were taken on the night that we were there! I have borrowed them from the COC website, which you can find here.)