Ultimately, the ballet comes across as rather slight, save for one final, very moving pas de deux. There is a poetic beauty to unrequited love, but it is very restrictive to convey in dance. When the grandest pas de deux within the first two acts is a dream scene, there is little scope for true passion between the leads.
The difficulty with using this story as the basis for a full-length ballet is that the absence of a traditional boy meets girl love story means a scarcity of pas de deux. Unfortunately, none of this is used in John Cranko’s ballet.Ĭranko’s choreography goes a long way to expressing the very lyrical sentiment of the opera, itself based on a novel by Alexander Pushkin. It even contains some wonderful dance music. The opera is a classy affair, portraying heartbreak and unrequited love on a grand scale.
Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin has enjoyed a healthy profile of late with new productions at Met Opera and Opera Australia, as well as further seasons of Bavarian State Opera’s 2007 staging. Divine performances from the lead dancers elevate an otherwise elegant but somewhat lackluster ballet.
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