Program 1 Notes October 2 7 & 2 9, 2 013 by Jon Kochavi Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, Opus 24 ( 1877 – 78 ) Tchaikovsky based his fifth opera on the Pushkin novel published serially in the 1820’s and 30’s. The Peter Ilyitch Polonaise opens the final Tchaikovsky act of the opera, set some ( 1840 – 1893 ) years after the previous act which had ended with Onegin reluctantly shooting dead a friend in a duel of honor. Onegin, who had rejected Tatyana after she had confessed a burning love for him in a letter in the first act, now finds himself at a ball held in the home of St. Petersburg aristocrat Prince Gremin. Tatyana appears at the ball, and Onegin is surprised to find out that she has actually married Gremin since they last met.
Onegin is irresistibly drawn to her. He tries to win her back, but though she confesses that she still loves him, she feels duty bound to remain with her husband, leaving Onegin crushed. The music is a rollicking example of how the Russian courts adopted the traditional Polish dance form in the 19th century. The polonaise itself had its origin as a rural peasant dance, but had long been transformed into a malleable ceremonial dance popular throughout Western Europe in the 18th century. In Tchaikovsky’s sparkling rendition, the energetic, almost militaristic, outer dances are balanced by a more restrained middle section, allowing for dramatic contrast on the stage.
You’ll never make a bigger impact. (Or have a smaller chair.)
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