The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-10
ADJUSTMENTS
Tschail.oMslsx. .PonnInr

Now that Birmingham is soon to hear Fsehaikowsky's operas. it is interesting te reprint the circumstances of the orig inal production of Eugene Onegin.
 At the little theatre of the Moscow Conservatoire the opera was first pro- auced by the students on March r, 1879. The circumstances are described by Isehaikowsky in letter to Madame Yon Meck, dated two days afterward:
 Three hours spent in a dark corner Of the theatre (during the final rehearsaD were the only pleasant ones of my stay Tn Moscow. In the intervals I saw all my former colleagues again. l rejoiced to observe that they had all taken a great liking for the music of Onegin. Nikolai Gregorievich, who is so sparng of praise. told me he had fallen in love with this music. Taneiev tried after the first act to express his sympathy to me- but broke into tears I can hardly tell you how much that affected me. On the Saturday, the day of the performance. my brothers arrived and also some people from St. Petersburg, among them Anton Rubin stein.
 T was very excited all day, especially when had given way to the urgent re- quest of Nikolai Gregorievich and de- clared my readiness to appear on the stage. should I be called for.
 During the performance my excitement reached the highest limit. Before the commencement Nikolai Gregorievch had asked me on to the stage, where, to my terror, I saw the entire Conservatoire. At the head of the professors stood Nikolai Gregorievich, who handed me a wreath, whilst everybody applauded. Nat urally. had to reply with few words to Rubinsteins address What that cost me heaven alone knows! Tn the intervals was called many times.'
 The opening scene of the opera is in the garden of the Lerin's country house. Madame Lerin seated under the trees, is busy preserving her fruit; her daugh- ters, Olga and Tatiana, are seen at the open window of the drawing room. Their duet, 'Hearest Thou the Nightingale? seems to carry one back to the days of muslin frocls. A quartetN follows, in which Madame Lerin and the old nurse Philipievna, take part. The peasantry then arrive on the scene and the succeed ing chorus is quite national in character At Madame Lerins invitation they start a choral dance. The sisters come into the garden, Tatiana advancing dreamily' book in hand. Olga rallies her sister on her romantic musings, and sings her first solo, 'I Have No Mind for Languor or for Sadness"
 Lensky, their neighbor, who is in love with Olga, now enters and asks permis- sion to introduce his friend Eugene One gin. When the young people are left alone, Onegin entertains Tatiana in formal recitative. They wander into the garden, leaving Lensky and Olga, Lensky then singing his impassioned love song, T Love You, Olga The old nurse comes to announce that tea is served. Her motherly eyes perceive the subtle change Tofi win lonlxg with worshipful eyes upon the stranger, Onegin. As the curtain falls the orehes- tra, in a few expressive bars, suggests the emotions newly awakened in Tatiana's S heart.
 In the second scene, Tatiana is alone in her room, by moonlight. The nurse comes to remind her that it Is bed time. A long confidential recitative follows between them. This scene Is perhaps the most exquisite of the whole opera, resembling the similar scene in Shakespeare's s Romeo and Juliet.'' The nurse gone, Tatiana falls into a reverie, from which she rouses to sing her charming little song, May, Though I Be Undone," in which she tells of her love for Onegin. She questions herself: How will he know of Sit unless she tells him? She decides to send him a love letter. the orchestra, meanwhile, delicately portraying all the emotions which rise up in Tatiana S breast-''her modesty, her maidenly mis- givings. her ecstacy and the final triumph of passionate first love- as Mrs. New march so well describes in her book on Tschaikowsky When the nurse returns, Tatiana begs her to deliver to Onegin the finished letter. The nurse is loath to as- sist in such rashness, but she knows not how to refuse her Tatiana, and goes away reluctantly Tatiana, seated at her writ
 ing table, falls again into reverie.
 At the opening of the third scene (again in the garden), chorus based on folk-song, is sung by the peasant girls, who have been gathering berries. Ta- tiana enters, the orchestra depicting her scarcely hidden uneasiness. For she has not seen Onegin since she sent her love letter to him, and in the light of after reflection, her action has appeared to her in a different color. Her conduct seems unmaidenly. Onegin appears. The girl and her letter are delicious jokes to him. No such easy game for Onegin. The de- cided unsophistication of Tatiana, coupled with the absence of excitement
 in the winning of such girl, who is only too anxious to be won, robs her of any attraction for the smooth Onegin. He thanks her coldly for her impassioned love letter. He offers to be a brother" advises her upon the requirement of more nlaidenly reserve, and leaves her crushed with disappointment and burn ing with shame.
 The fourth scene takes place in a bril- liantly lighted room of the Lerins house. Guests are present at a ball, in honor of Tatianas birthday. The blase Onegin has been dragged there by Lensky, and stands apart in mood of cynical bore dom. To relieve the monotony he decides to firt with Olga, which promises to be sport, in as much as she is now af- fianced to his friend Lensky. He carries her off to dance, while Lensky boils with jealousy Truquet, typical Frenchman, has an old-fashioned air here which re- lieves the continual valse-rhythm. A Macurka follows and Olga and Onegin are again seen flirting. Lensky loses con- trol of himself, demanding an explana- tion. Onegin retorts cooly and insolently;