It s sparkling music continues to charm, stir and excite. Tchaikovsky s Eugene Onegin introduces us to an entirely different type of heroine - shy, dreamy, but burning with repressed passion, unfortunately directed at the cold, unresponsive young Eugene. Desperation leads to recklessness. She writes him a letter of passionate adoration, unburdening her heart entire, only to be rejected. The tables are eventually turned when Tatiana matures into the poised, gracious woman that Onegin finally falls in love with - too late.
Life imitates art, sometimes quite badly.
While he was still immersed in the opera, Tchaikovsky actually received such a letter from a young lady who was passionately smitten. The result was a total disaster. This year s Handel will be Giulio Cesare , in which Caesar sets out to conquer Egypt. Instead, he is conquered by Cleopatra. She is eventually crowned Queen, but there are many adventures and mishaps along the way, not to mention ravishingly beautiful arias.