We finished our Winter Break yesterday by Oliver and I seeing Tchaikovsky’s “Evgeniy Onegin” Opera performance at the Alisher Navoi State Academic Grand Theatre here in Tashkent. I was most excited sharing an opera experience with Oliver, his first experience. We were both impressed with the vocals of opera singers. It got me thinking about how many people can be opera singers. My vocal cords and lungs are not strong enough to project sound, and I am tone deaf. Most people are like me. Even people with good singing voices can’t necessarily be opera singers. It takes strong vocal cords, lungs, throat, etc. to get the volume needed for opera. It is amazing they can sing so loud that no microphones are needed. Opera singers also require many years of training to get to that level of performance. Only a small percentage of humans (1-5%) of people can become opera singers, and it takes so much hard work and decidation to become the best. I am in awe of their ability and swept away by the live music and performances. Oliver enjoyed the experience and was gracious enough to stay for at least the first act. I wanted to stay, but didn’t want to push it with him. I think it was a great introduction for him.
I have not read Pushkin’s verse novel. The performance is sung in Russian, and the theatre had subtitles in both Russian and English. I learned the word сосед – neighbor in Russian. It is a great night out for the $12 ticket price and free parking. Onegin is the story of a carefree bachelor who rejects the advances of a woman because he wants to stay single and fancy free. He later meets her when she is married to a prince and he regrets his youthful decision. It is a good lesson for Oliver that who you marry (or don’t marry) is the most important decision a person makes for a happy life.
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