Act 1

Scene 1
A Russian country estate in late summer, outside the Larin family home. Two sisters, Olga and Tatyana Larina, sing a lyrical duet, while their mother, Mme Larina, a widow, reminisces with their nanny (“Nyanya”) Filipevna about past lives, missed opportunities and marriages that disappointed. The workers from Mme Larina’ s estate arrive to celebrate the end of the harvest. Tatyana, bookish and introverted, remarks that their singing and dancing make her think of faraway places.

Olga, her younger, more exuberant sister, teases Tatyana for being too lost in her thoughts and dreams. The family of women are interrupted by the arrival of their neighbours: Vladimir Lensky, an aspiring poet, in love with Olga, and his sophisticated metropolitan friend, Eugene Onegin. Lensky has known the Larins since childhood but Onegin is a new arrival and Tatyana is clearly affected by him. In the meeting that follows, Lensky tells Olga of his passionate love for her, while Onegin attempts to engage Tatyana in conversation, asking her if she’ s not bored in the countryside. She tells him she reads a lot and daydreams. Onegin remarks he was a dreamer once too. Filipevna observes them.

Scene 2
Tatyana’ s bedroom. Evening.

Tatyana is restless as Filipevna prepares her room for the night and tries to get her to sleep. Tatyana asks Filipevna about being in love. Filipevna tells of her arranged marriage and how she wept at the time, but Tatyana is distracted and sends Filipevna away, asking her to provide pen and paper.

In mounting apprehension Tatyana suddenly decides to write to Onegin. She composes her letter with impulsive openness – declaring her love for him. She imagines him there in the room and as she writes to him she confesses her fears and her hopes with tender immediacy. Dawn comes and Filipevna arrives, surprised to see Tatyana already awake. Tatyana persuades Filipevna, who is a little confused, to send her grandson to Onegin with the letter.

Scene3
Morning outside the Larin family home.

Tatyana waits anxiously for a reply from Onegin. She hears the voices of women singing. She is full of regret at sending the letter and feels she may have shamed herself. Onegin suddenly arrives and with delicate deliberation tells her he cannot reciprocate her feelings. He tells her that he wasn’ t made for marriage and foresees only eventual bitterness and boredom between husband and wife. He leaves her with a warning not to be so impulsive. She is devastated. As he leaves, the women are heard singing.

Act 2

Scene 1
Inside the Larin home, evening.

Tatyana anticipates the arrival of guests to celebrate her “name-day” (there are specific days in the Russian calendar when first names are celebrated). Guests arrive and comment on the splendid party. Onegin arrives later than everyone else and dances with Tatyana but he is irritated at hearing the lady guests gossip about him. He privately expresses resentment that Lensky should have brought him to such a “stupid ball”. In an act of wilful provocation, Onegin proceeds to dance continuously with Olga, deliberately inflaming Lensky’ s jealousy. M. Triquet, a French guest, enters and is enthusiastically received.

He has written a poem dedicated to Tatyana and proceeds to recite it – to the delight of everyone. Tatyana is embarrassed by the attention. The Mazurka is announced and again Onegin continues to dance with Olga. Lensky is enraged at what he believes is Onegin’ s deliberate attempt to seduce Olga. The guests, Larina, Olga and Tatyana watch in shock as Lensky challenges Onegin to a duel. Lensky rejects Olga and is left alone contemplating his fate.

Scene 2
A remote place, chosen for the duel.

Lensky waits with Zaretsky, his “second”. Zaretsky comments on Onegin’ s late arrival. With great pathos Lensky expresses his sense of loss and his anticipation of death. Onegin arrives with his “second”, M. Guillot. Zaretsky tells Onegin he is precise about the procedure of duelling. Onegin expresses his wish to begin the duel.

Lensky and Onegin momentarily recognise their friendship with each other, poignantly reflecting on their past affection for each other but neither can walk away and so the duel proceeds. Both men take their positions. The duel starts the moment Zaretsky completes the 3 “claps”. Both men take aim and fire.Lensky falls and Zaretsky confirms to Onegin that Lensky is dead.

Act 3

Scene 1
A Ballroom in St Petersburg. 4-5 years later.

A grand ball has begun with a Polonaise being danced. Onegin stands apart from the rest of the guests. He expresses his feelings of dislocation and tells of his years of travelling and his sense of being haunted by the ghost of Lensky. An Écossaise is then danced – its liveliness counterpointing Onegin’ s melancholy. Prince Gremin arrives with Tatyana but Onegin is initially unsure if it is her, while at the same time Tatyana notices Onegin talking to Gremin and asks some guests: “Who is that talking to my husband?”

Gremin and Onegin have known each other before but Onegin learns only now that Gremin has married Tatyana. Gremin tells Onegin of the extraordinary love he feels for Tatyana – “like sunlight”. Gremin brings Onegin over to greet Tatyana. They acknowledge each other with restraint and politeness but Tatyana excuses herself saying she is tired and leaves with Gremin. Onegin suddenly and vehemently expresses the passionate love he now feels for Tatyana.

Scene 2
Tatyana’ s boudoir.

Tatyana has received a letter from Onegin declaring his love for her. She is unsettled and begins to feel the echoes of her past love returning. Suddenly Onegin enters. He is desperate and falls at her feet. She tells him to get up and then proceeds to remind him of his rejection of her all those years ago and how she suspects that now he is only interested in seducing her. Onegin protests his good intentions. His passion touches her and they both recognise how close they were to a mutual love.

Tatyana says that there is no future for them – her fate has been decided and she is married – but Onegin continues urgently to express his love for her. The intensity between them builds and finally Tatyana admits she cannot pretend any more: she loves him. But when Onegin tells her that now she is just like the Tatyana he remembers from years before, she instantly disagrees and says it is impossible to bring back the past. She insists on her loyalty to Gremin. Despite Onegin’ s desperate appeal she leaves him – “farewell forever”. Onegin, rejected, humiliated and broken, falls to the floor.