On February 11, Saturday, in the performance of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater "Eugene Onegin", for the first time, two Lithuanians who shine on the world's opera stages - bass-baritone Kostas Smoriginas and tenor Merūnas Vitulskis - will star in the confrontation between Onegin and Lenski.
True, the experience of the soloists in this opera by Piotr Tchaikovsky is different. Merūnas Vitulskis has performed the role of Lenskis more than thirty times, if we count the performances of "Eugene Onegin" performed not only in Lithuania, but also at the Barcelona "Liceu" and the Estonian National Opera and Ballet Theater. And Kostas Smoriginas has only had the opportunity to present his Onegin in Lithuania so far.
"Abroad, I am still better known as the performer of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's operas or the role of George Bizet's "Karmen" Toreador. But I am sure that Onegin's turn will come, because the repertoire of Russian music is loved in the theaters of the world. It took time to get used to a purely baritone part, which is a bit higher in tone than many of the other roles I play. But I see some parallels in it with my own experience, so there is no need to artificially feel on stage", - K. Smoriginas, not inclined to rush his already successful international career.
"Lenski is a soft-spoken person with an artistic soul, it is easy to understand him. Only I'm not that hot-headed in the realm of emotions and I certainly would never challenge my childhood friend to a duel. Director Vasilijas Barchatov's production of "Eugene Onegin" is close to me in that the scene of Lenski's death is resolved in it a little differently than in Alexander Pushkin's work", M. Vitulskis does not hide.
K. Smoriginas reminds that the audience in the hall always gasps at the moment when his friend realistically falls backwards in the advance stage. Once, the technical team of the performance also laughed, when during the rehearsal, Merūnas' head was barely half a centimeter from the ledge of the stage. "Don't be afraid, professional stuntmen taught me how to fall safely on stage," M. Vitulskis reassures his colleague and the future spectators of the performance in advance.
Sandra Janušaitė's Tatjana, Jovita Vaškevičiūtė's Olga, Inesa Linaburgytė's Larina will excitedly watch the progress of the conflict between Onegin and Lenski in Saturday's performance. Eugenija Klivickaitė, Liudas Norvaišas, Žygimantas Galinis, Mindaugas Jankauskas and Ignas Misiūras will also sing in the performance, which will be conducted by Robert Šerveniks, the music director of the production.
