Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala triumphed in a glitzy gala opening night of the season at the New York Metropolitan Opera on Monday [23 Sep], a new production of Eugene Onegin. The critics warmly welcomed Netrebko’s return to her native Russian repertoire as Tatiana and Beczala’s muscular account of Lenski. “Ms. Netrebko sang Tatiana to acclaim at the Vienna State Opera in April, so she knows what she thinks of this character and the music, and how to savor the words in her native Russian … In the Letter Scene she went from hushed expressions of insecurity and longing to full-throated bursts of desire and soaring lyricism … Mr. Beczala’s muscular, youthful tenor voice is ideal for Lenski. He brings out the charming goofiness of this young man’s love for the smitten Olga, until he turns hothead when he sees Onegin dancing seductively with her and challenges him to a fateful duel.” – New York Times The production broadcasted in cinemas worldwide on 5 October, with some 60-plus countries screening the opera. The New York performance follows Netrebko’s runaway success with her new Verdi album, which stormed the charts across Europe. The Verdi release was the Sunday Times culture section’s “Album of the Week”, Hugh Canning writing: “Netrebko brings plenty of fierceness to her characterisation … The rare ‘Giovanna d’Arco’ solo is a delicately sung souvenir of her recent Salzburg debut in the role … The singing is big and bold … the new vocally expansive Netrebko, idiomatically supported by Noseda’s Turin forces, will undoubtedly excite her fans.”