On the eve of the premiere of "Eugene Onegin" at the Ruse State Opera, we speak with the production’s conductor about those invisible layers in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music that transform an opera into a deeply personal confession.
On the balance between intimacy and symphonic sound, on working with the soloists, and on what remains “between the notes”—a conversation about music as an experience, not merely as a performance.
“Eugene Onegin” is often described by Tchaikovsky himself as “lyrical scenes” rather than a traditional opera. As a conductor, how do you strike a balance between the characters’ intimate psychological confessions and the orchestra’s grand symphonic sweep?
The balance is actually already embedded in the score itself. Tchaikovsky very accurately defined the work as “lyrical scenes” because the drama is rooted above all in the characters’ feelings. In reality, if we exclude the duel, the action is minimal—everything happens within the characters.
Tchaikovsky’s symphonic style is woven exceptionally organically into the vocal lines. The orchestra does not dominate, but breathes in unison with the singers. The greatest challenge is this homogenization—transforming everything into a single, living entity. This takes time, because it is not simply a matter of learning the parts, but of building a unified sound and depth.
At the heart of the opera lie themes such as missed opportunities, coming of age, and the cost of belated insight. When you work on Tchaikovsky’s score, do you discover new philosophical layers within it that alter the way you construct the musical dramaturgy?
Every time I return to this score, I discover new things. It’s a natural process—if a conductor doesn’t find anything new, it means he hasn’t grown himself. The changes aren’t so much in the main dramaturgy, which Tchaikovsky constructed very clearly, but rather in the details—in the nuances, in the small accents, in the different dramaturgical “shades” of certain moments. The most important thing remains to be faithful to the score and to follow what the composer has written, without unnecessary deviations.
“Eugene Onegin” demands an exceptionally nuanced psychological performance from the soloists. What is the conductor’s role in this process—more of a guide, a partner in the dialogue, or something else?
The conductor’s role is all of these things at once. He is both a guide and a partner, but above all, he is a unifier. The conductor must communicate clearly with the singers—explaining what he seeks in terms of expressiveness, context, tempo, and pauses. The text is particularly important—Tchaikovsky was extremely attentive to the connection between music and words.
Ultimately, every performer is an individual with their own interpretation, and the conductor’s task is to bring all these emotions together into a single whole that functions as a unified organism.
Tchaikovsky composes music in which the Russian spirit and the European musical tradition intertwine. Where, in your opinion, does the emotional core of this score lie?
The emotional core lies precisely in this combination. Tchaikovsky uses the forms of Western European classical and Romantic music as a structural “skeleton” upon which he builds his exceptionally rich Russian melody. These two layers do not contradict each other—on the contrary, they are completely homogeneous. On the one hand, we have Russian emotionality and melodicism, and on the other—the strict logic of form.
For the conductor, it is crucial to think of the music in perspective—to project its development far ahead, rather than fixating solely on the beautiful moment. Music is an art of time, and its meaning lies in the overall movement from beginning to end.
The production features soloists, a choir, a ballet company, and the orchestra of the Ruse Opera. What is the biggest challenge for you in creating a unified musical and dramatic flow among all these elements?
The biggest challenge is the rehearsal time and achieving true quality. When you have good soloists, a choir, an orchestra, and a ballet—as is the case with the Ruse Opera—the main question is how to turn all of this into a single, cohesive whole. This can only be achieved through systematic, methodical work.
We work step by step, meticulously, to build a shared rhythm. With enough experience and the support of the entire team, it is possible to achieve a compelling and impactful result.
If you had to send a message to the audience before the premiere—what would you like the audience to “hear” beyond Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music?
I would like the audience to feel not only the beauty of the music, but also its depth—the human emotions, the choices, and their consequences. “Eugene Onegin” is not a performance of external action, but of internal states. If the audience leaves with a sense of this inner truth and with reflection on missed opportunities and the cost of time—then the music has reached beyond sound. Thank you for your attention!
