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Bolshoi’s Eugene Onegin receives standing ovation in Tel Aviv

The spectacular production of Eugene Onegin will be shown 11 times

TEL AVIV, June 25 (Itar-Tass) - Bolshoi Theatre’s opera Eugene Onegin received a standing ovation on Monday in Tel Aviv. Tchaikovsky’s famous opera launched on Monday the first in the history of Bolshoi tour to Israel. Israeli President Shimon Peres personally welcomed this remarkable event.

The filled to capacity hall welcomed with applause the president taking to the stage. It was difficult to believe that this renowned man will turn 90 in August. “There is a difference between big (bolshoi in Russian - ed) and great,” he began. “The great Russia has the Bolshoi Theatre, and this is a great theatre. We are happy and proud that they are here. But we also have something to be proud of. We will see 11 performances of the Bolshoi in our relatively small Tel Aviv,” the president stressed.

The audience was excited to see a very modern and lively Eugene Onegin, where the actors are as young as Pushkin’s characters, and without traditional painted birch-trees and fake snow.

After the opera people did not disperse for a long, lively discussing what they had seen on the stage, as the new version of the opera was so unusual and fascinating. “Thank you for a fabulous performance, that deeply touched our hearts,” General Director of Israeli Opera Hanna Munitz said. “This unique performance of Eugene Onegin will stay in our memory for long. I hope the first tour of the Bolshoi Theatre to Israel will lay the foundation of beautiful friendship that won’t end,” she stressed.

Deputy Director General of the Bolshoi Theatre, Anton Geltman, for his part said “I am always asked why the Bolshoi has not been on a tour to Israel before” “And I answer - most likely by mistake which we are now trying to rectify,” he stressed. Bolshoi singerss hail the hall and the warmth of the audience.

The Bolshoi Opera presents its spectacular production of Eugene Onegin, which will be shown 11 times. The new Eugene Onegin from the Bolshoi is in huge demand. Since the premier in 2006, it has already toured to a lot of countries, being shown in Grand Opera in Paris, Milan’s La Scala, London’s Covent Garden as well as Madrid’s Royal Opera House, as well as in Riga, Ljubljana, Tokyo, Beijing, Athens.

A company of almost 300 people arrived from Moscow bringing along ten containers with scenery. Leading performers of the Bolshoi will sing the leading roles, including Yekaterina Shcherbachenko, Tatyana Monogarova, Alexei Dolgov, Mikhail Kazakov, Margarita Mamsirova, Makvala Kasrashvili and many others. The Bolshoi orchestra is conducted by Chief Conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre, Vassily Sinaisky.

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