On 27 September 2023, the Gran Teatre del Liceu opened its 2023/24 opera season with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, conducted by Josep Pons. The opera returned to the Liceu stage after an absence of twenty-five years, with eight performances scheduled through 8 October.
Directed by Christof Loy, the staging was a co-production between the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Den Norske Opera in Oslo and Madrid’s Teatro Real. First presented in Oslo in 2020, it offered a timeless and deeply psychological reading of the work, with restrained sets by Raimund Orfeo Voigt, costumes by Herbert Murauer and an organic integration of theatre and dance developed with choreographer Andreas Heise.
The alternating casts were led by Svetlana Aksenova and Kristina Mkhitaryan as Tatyana, and Audun Iversen and Iurii Samoilov in the title role. Alexey Neklyudov and Josep Bros shared the role of Lensky, while Victoria Karkacheva and Cristina Faus appeared as Olga. The cast also included Sam Carl, Adam Palka, Liliana Nikiteanu, Mireia Pintó, Elena Zilio, Janina Baechle and Mikeldi Atxalandabaso, together with the Gran Teatre del Liceu Symphony Orchestra and the theatre’s Chorus, prepared by Pablo Assante.
From the pit, Josep Pons approached a score that combines intimate lyricism, the Russian symphonic tradition and Tchaikovsky’s admiration for Mozart. His interpretation brought particular attention to the orchestra’s colours, the expressive role of the woodwinds and the theatrical character of the major dances—the waltz, mazurka and polonaise—which play an essential role in the dramatic development of the opera.
Critical responses particularly recognised the quality of the orchestra, the psychological detail of Loy’s production and the strength of the alternating casts. Platea Magazine highlighted the ensemble’s cohesion and the playing of the clarinet, bassoon and oboe sections, while other reviews praised the production’s visual and dramatic impact. Assessments of the musical direction varied, making it more accurate to present the production as a major season-opening event rather than as a unanimously acclaimed success.
With Eugene Onegin, the Liceu restored one of the central masterpieces of Russian Romantic opera to its stage and opened a season developed under the theme “Irreversible Cracks”, with a production exploring the conflict between individual desire and the social conventions that shape the characters’ lives.