The best Eugene Onegin is back on stage. Trials and triumphs of Dmitry Hvorostovsky

LONDON. The return of Dmitry Hvorostovsky to Covent Garden. Several performances in your favorite role.

The justice of Hemingway “work is the best cure for all ills” Dmitry Hvorostovsky tirelessly confirms the last six months. Successful radiation therapy allows, albeit with certain limitations, to do what you love. At Covent Garden, the singer was looking forward to it. For more than 20 years, he remains unsurpassed by Eugene Onegin, invariably meeting the most cordial reception at the Royal Opera. The head of the opera company, Kasper Holten, about to leave Covent Garden a year later, returned his version of staging Tchaikovsky’s lyrical masterpiece to the repertoire. Despite health problems, Hvorostovsky’s voice did not lose power, expressiveness and warmth. The performances that took place on December 19 and 22 and standing ovations on them demonstrated how long-awaited this return was. There are two more performances ahead, after which the great baritone will begin the next course of antitumor therapy. The Guardian called him Onegin charismatic and audacious. The newspaper Financial Times, describing what Hvorostovsky made was an outstanding achievement, noted that for many years no one managed to surpass or come close to this reference performance and the aristocratic elegance of his singing. 2015 inexplicably combined enormous trials and successes in the fate of Hvorostovsky. Rare performances are triumphant, albums with the recordings of the opera Simon Boccanegra, Liszt’s Sonnets of Petrarch and Dmitry Shostakovich’s Suite for Poems by Michelangelo (for bass and piano) are leading in various ratings and polls. The September performance "Troubadour" at the Metropolitan Opera, where Dmitry performed the role of Count di Luna, demonstrated its incredible form. The well-known WQXR-FM radio station broadcasting classical music classified this performance as “Bestof 2015”.

Many reviewers who responded to Onegin complained about the plainness of the scenery and costumes. The impression of the performance was not affected in any way. Worthy partners of the Russian baritone are Michael Fabiano in the role of Lensky, Ferrucio Furlanetto - Gremin, Nicole Car - Tatyana. Behind the conductor’s console is a wonderful Semyon Bychkov, a student of the legendary Professor Musin.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru