Three Dances from Eugen Onegin - Tchaikowsky

Eugen Onegin' , the most popular opera of Pyotr Ilych Tschaikowsky (1840-1893), is widely considered a theatrical masterpiece. Adapted from a novel in verse form by Aleksandr Pushkin, it is the tale of a jaded Russian aristocrat who scorns the love of Tatyana, an attractive young girl of the provincial petty nobility.

Nineteenth-century Russian operas almost invariably abound in set dance numbers. 'Eugen Onegin', composed in 1877, is no exception. Several of its dances, though, are not merely colourful diversions but form an integral part of the action. Argentinean arranger Miguel Etchegoncelay transcribed three of the these wonderful dances for a Brass Ensemble: Ecossaise, Valse and Polonaise.