''The Queen of Spades'' or ''Pique Dame'', Op. 68 (russian: Пиковая дама, ''Pikovaya dama'' , french: La Dame de Pique) is an opera in three acts (seven scenes) by

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic music, Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer Music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose music would make a lasting impressi ...

to a Russian libretto by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, based on the 1834 novella of the same name by Alexander Pushkin, but with a dramatically altered plot. The premiere took place in 1890 at the

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Composition history

The Imperial Theatre offered Tchaikovsky a commission to write an opera based on the plot sketch by Ivan Vsevolozhsky in 1887/88. After first turning it down, Tchaikovsky accepted it in 1889. Toward the end of that year, he met with the theatre's managers to discuss the material and sketch out some of the scenes. He completed the full score in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

in only 44 days. Later, working with the tenor who was to perform the lead character, he created two versions of Herman's aria in the seventh scene, using different keys. The changes can be found in the proof sheets and inserts for the first and second editions of the printed version of the score. While composing the music, Tchaikovsky edited the libretto significantly, changing some of the text and adding his own lyrics to two arias.

Performance history

Herman, the lead character, sings in all seven scenes. This requires great skill and endurance by the performer. The part was written with the notable Russian tenor

Nikolay Figner Nikolay Figner (1857–1918), lyric tenor, and Medea Figner (1859–1952), mezzo-soprano, later soprano, were a husband-and-wife team of opera singers active in Russia between 1889 and 1904. Medea was Italian-born (her original surname was Mei) ...

in mind, and he performed it at the premiere. His wife Medea Mei-Figner played the role of Liza. The composer himself took part in the preparation of the Saint Petersburg premiere. Critics gave rave reviews. Tchaikovsky later wrote, "Figner and the Saint Petersburg orchestra... have made true miracles." The premiere's success was tremendous. The opera was just as successful at the

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

premiere twelve days later. The Bolshoi Theatre premiere took place the following year. Tchaikovsky was extremely pleased with his effort. Saint Petersburg and world premiere *''Date'': 19 December, ( O.S. 7 December), 1890 *''Place'':

, Saint Petersburg *''Conductor'': Eduard Nápravník *''Scene Designers'': Vasilyev, Yanov, Levot, Ivanov, Andreyev *''Balletmaster'':

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters and ...

Kyiv premiere *''Date'': 31 December (O.S. 19 December), 1890 *''Place'': *''Conductor'': Iosif Pribik Moscow premiere *''Date'': 4 November 1891 *''Place'': Bolshoi Theatre *''Conductor'': Ippolit Al'tani *''Scene Designers'':

Karl Valts Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austr ...

(Waltz), Lebedev *''Balletmasters'':

, Lev Ivanov Other notable performances * 11 or 12 October 1892, Prague, first performance outside Russia; conducted by

Adolf Čech Adolf Čech (born Adolf Jan Antonin Tausik; 11 December 184127 December 1903) was a Czech conductor, who premiered a number of significant works by Antonín Dvořák (the 2nd, 5th and 6th symphonies, more than any other conductor; other importan ...

in the presence of the composer (sung in Czech, trans. V. J. Novotný) * 1902, first performance in Vienna, Vienna State Opera, conducted by Gustav Mahler * 1904, Moscow, Bolshoi Theatre, conducted by

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

* 5 March 1910,

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

, New York City, first performance in the USA (in German), conducted by Gustav Mahler * 29 May 1915, London, first performance in England (in Russian); starring

Vladimir Rosing Vladimir Sergeyevich Rosing (russian: Владимир Серге́евич Розинг) (November 24, 1963), also known as Val Rosing, was a Russian-born operatic tenor and stage director who spent most of his professional career in the United ...

. * 27 December 1972, Metropolitan Opera, New York City, first performance in its original Russian language

Roles

''Note'': The contralto roles of Milovzor and Polina and the baritone roles of Zlatogor and Tomsky can be performed by the same singers. Prilepa has occasionally been double cast with Liza, although Tchaikovsky did not approve of this doubling, unlike the others.

Synopsis

''Time'': The close of the 18th century ''Place'':

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia

Act 1

''Scene 1'' During the reign of Catherine the Great (1762–96), children are at play in Saint Petersburg's

Summer Garden The Summer Garden (russian: Ле́тний сад, ''Letniy sad'') is a historic public garden that occupies an eponymous island between the Neva, Fontanka, Moika, and the Swan Canal in downtown Saint Petersburg, Russia and shares its nam ...

pretending to be soldiers. Two officers—Tsurin and Chekalinsky—enter, the former complaining about his bad luck at gambling. They remark that another officer, Herman, seems obsessed with the gaming table but never bets, being frugal and methodical. Herman appears with Tomsky, who remarks that his friend hardly seems like his old self: is anything bothering him? Herman admits he is in love with a girl above his station whose name he does not even know. When Prince Yeletsky, an officer, strolls into the park, Chekalinsky congratulates him on his recent engagement. Yeletsky declares his happiness while Herman, aside, curses him enviously. Yeletsky points out his fiancée, Liza, who has just appeared with her grandmother, the old Countess. Catching sight of Herman, the two women note they have seen him before, staring at them with frightening intensity. Herman realizes that Liza is his unknown beloved. When Yeletsky and the women leave, Herman is lost in thought as the other officers discuss the Countess: known as the Queen of Spades and formerly as the Muscovite Venus, due to her beauty, she succeeded at gambling in her youth by trading amorous favors for the winning formula of Count St. Germain in Paris. Tomsky says only two men, her husband and, later on, her young lover, ever learned the secret of playing three special cards, because she was warned by an apparition to beware a "third suitor" who would kill her trying to force it from her. Musing on the winning sequence of three cards, the others lightly suggest that this might be the way for Herman to win without risking any money. Threatened by approaching thunder, all leave except Herman, who vows to learn the Countess's secret. ''Scene 2'' At home, Liza plays the spinet as she and her friend Polina sing a duet about evening in the countryside. Their friends ask to hear more, so Polina launches into a sad ballad, followed by a dancelike song. As the merriment increases, Liza remains pensively apart. A Governess chides the girls for indulging in unbecoming folk dancing and asks the visitors to leave. Polina, the last to go, urges Liza to cheer up; Liza replies that after a storm there is a beautiful night and asks the maid, Masha, not to close the French windows to the balcony. Alone, Liza voices her unhappiness with her engagement; she has been stirred by the romantic look of the young man in the park. To her shock, Herman appears on the balcony. Claiming he is about to shoot himself over her betrothal to another, he begs her to take pity on him. When the Countess is heard knocking, Liza hides Herman and opens the door to the old woman, who tells her to shut the windows and go to bed. After the Countess retires, Liza asks Herman to leave but is betrayed by her feelings and falls into his embrace.

Act 2

''Scene 1'' Not long afterward, at a masked ball, Herman's comrades comment on his obsession with the secret of the winning cards. Yeletsky passes with Liza, noting her sadness and reassuring her of his love ("''Ya vas lyublyu''" "I love you"). Herman receives a note from Liza, asking him to meet her later. Tsurin and Chekalinsky sneak up behind him with the intent of playing a joke on him, muttering he is the "third suitor" who will learn the Countess's secret, then melt into the crowd as Herman wonders whether he is hearing things. The master of ceremonies announces a tableau of shepherdesses. Liza slips Herman the key to her grandmother's room, saying the old woman will not be there the next day, but Herman insists on coming that very night. Thinking fate is handing him the Countess's secret, he leaves. The guests' attention turns to the imminent arrival of Catherine the Great, for which a polonaise by Osip Kozlovsky is played and sung in greeting. ''Scene 2'' Herman slips into the Countess's room and looks in fascination at her portrait as the "Muscovite Venus"; musing how their fates, he feels, are linked: one of them will die because of the other. He lingers too long before he can go to Liza's room and hears the Countess's retinue coming, so he conceals himself as the old lady approaches. The Countess deplores the manners of the day and reminisces about the better times of her youth, when she sang in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

"''Je crains de lui parler la nuit'' ("I fear to talk with him at night", in French; Laurette's Aria from André Grétry's opera '' Richard Cœur-de-Lion'') before the Pompadour herself. As she dozes off, Herman stands before her. She awakens in horror as he pleads with her to tell him her secret. When she remains speechless, he grows desperate and threatens her with a pistol—at which she dies of fright. Liza rushes in, only to learn that the lover to whom she gave her heart was more interested in the Countess's secret. She orders him out and falls sobbing.

Act 3

''Scene 1'' In his room at the barracks, as the winter wind howls, Herman reads a letter from Liza, who wants him to meet her at midnight by the river bank. He imagines he hears the chorus chanting at the old Countess's funeral, then is startled by a knock at the window. The old woman's ghost appears, announcing that against her will she must tell him the secret so that he can marry and save Liza. Dazed, Herman repeats the three cards she tells him—three, seven, ace. ''Scene 2'' By the Winter Canal, Liza waits for Herman: it is already near midnight, and though she clings to a forlorn hope that he still loves her, she sees her youth and happiness swallowed in darkness. At last he appears, but after uttering words of reassurance, he starts to babble wildly about the Countess and her secret. No longer even recognizing Liza, he rushes away. Realizing that all is lost, she commits suicide. ''Scene 3'' At a gambling house, Herman's fellow officers are finishing supper and getting ready to play faro. Yeletsky, who has not gambled before, joins the group because his engagement has been broken: "unlucky in love, lucky at cards". Tomsky entertains the others with a song. Then Chekalinsky leads a traditional gamblers' song. Settling down to play, they are surprised when Herman arrives, wild and distracted. Yeletsky senses a confrontation and asks Tomsky to be his second if a duel should result. Herman, intent only on betting, starts with a huge bet of 40,000 rubles. He bets the three and wins, upsetting the others with his maniacal expression. Next he bets the seven and wins again. At this he takes a wine glass and declares that life is but a game. Yeletsky accepts his challenge to bet on the next round. Herman bets everything he has on the ace but when he shows his card he is told he is holding the queen of spades. Seeing the Countess's ghost laughing at her vengeance, Herman takes his own life and asks Yeletsky's and Liza's forgiveness. The others pray for his tormented soul.

Principal arias and numbers

; Act 1 : ''Aria'': "I don't even know her name" «Я имени еë не знаю» (''Ya imyeni yeyo nye znayu'') (Herman) : ''Aria'': "Once in Versailles (Three Cards)" «Однажды в Версале (Три Карты)» (''Odnazhdï v Versalye (Tri kartï)'') (Tomsky) : ''Romance'': "Lovely lady friends" «Подруги милые» (''Podrugi milïe'') (Polina) : ''Arioso'': "Why these tears" «Откуда эти слëзы» (''Otkuda eti slyozï'') (Liza) : ''Aria'': "Forgive me, celestial creature" «Прости, небесное созданье» (''Prosti, nyebesnoye sozdanye'') (Herman) ; Act 2 : ''Aria'': "I love you beyond measure" «Я вас люблю» (''Ya vas lyublyu'') (Yeletsky) : ''Aria'': "Je crains de lui parler la nuit" ("I fear to talk with him at night", in French) (Countess) ; Act 3 : ''Arioso'': "I am worn out by grief" «Ax! истoмилacь я гopeм» (''Akh! istomilas ya goryem'') (Liza) : ''Song'': "If pretty girls could fly like birds" «Если б милые девицы» (''Yesli b milïye dyevitsï'') (Tomsky) : ''Aria'': "What is our life? A game!" «Что наша жизнь? Игра!» (''Shto nasha zhizn? Igra!'') (Herman)

Instrumentation

Source
Tchaikovsky Research
*''Strings'': violins I & II, violas, cellos, double basses *''Woodwinds'': piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets (B-flat, A), bass clarinet (B-flat), two bassoons *''Brass'': four horns (F), two trumpets (B-flat, A), three trombones, tuba *''Percussion'': timpani, snare drum, bass drum *''Other'': harp, piano

In popular culture

"Life is but a game" (russian: «Что наша жизнь? Игра!» (''Shto nasha zhizn? Igra!''), literally, "What is our life? A game!") a quote from act 3 of the opera, became a proverb in Russian. '' What? Where? When?'', a trivia game and one of the most popular TV-shows in Russia and former Soviet countries, starts with a musical quotation from the opera, Herman singing the phrase "Life is but a game."

Recordings

* 1937: Samuil Samosud (conductor), Bolshoi Theatre Chorus & Orchestra; Nikandr Khanayev (Herman), Ksenia Derzhinskaya (Liza), Faina Petrova (Countess), Alexander Baturin (Count Tomsky), Piotr Selivanov (Prince Yeletsky), Nadezhda Obukhova (Polina). Melodiya * 1942: Samuil Samosud (conductor), Bolshoi Theatre Chorus & Orchestra; Nikandr Khanayev (Herman), Ksenia Derzhinskaya (Liza), Bronislava Zlatagorova (Countess), Alexander Baturin (Count Tomsky), Panteleimon Nortsov (Prince Yeletsky), Maria Maksakova (Polina). Aquarius * 1947: Arthur Rother (conductor), Radio-Orchester Berlin; Rudolf Schock (Herman),

Elisabeth Grümmer Elisabeth Grümmer (née Schilz; 31 March 1911 – 6 November 1986) was a German soprano. She has been described as "a singer blessed with elegant musicality, warm-hearted sincerity, and a voice of exceptional beauty". Life Elisabeth Schilz was ...

(Liza), Margarete Klose (Countess), Jaro Prohaska (Count Tomsky),

Hans Hermann Nissen Hans-Hermann Nissen (May 20, 1893, Danzig - March 28, 1980, Munich) was a German operatic bass-baritone, particularly associated with Wagner roles, one of the leading Wotan and Hans Sachs of the inter-war period. He studied in Berlin with Juliu ...

(Prince Yeletsky), Anneliese Müller (Polina). Gala (Abridged in German) * 1950: Alexander Melik-Pashayev (conductor), Bolshoi Theatre Chorus & Orchestra;

Georgi Nelepp Georgi may refer to: * Georgi (given name) * Georgi (surname) See also * Georgy (disambiguation) * Georgii (disambiguation) {{disambig ...

(Herman), Evgeniya Smolenskaya (Liza), Evgeniya Verbitskaya (Countess), Alexei Ivanov (Count Tomsky), Pavel Lisitsian (Prince Yeletsky), Veronika Borisenko (Polina). Great Hall * 1952:

Artur Rodzinsky Artur is a cognate to the common male given name Arthur, meaning "bear-like," which is believed to possibly be descended from the Roman surname Artorius or the Celtic bear-goddess Artio or more probably from the Celtic word ''artos'' ("bear"). Ot ...

(conductor), Chorus and Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; David Poleri (Herman),

Sena Jurinac Srebrenka "Sena" Jurinac () (24 October 1921 – 22 November 2011) was a Bosnian-born Austrian operatic soprano. Biography Jurinac was born in Travnik, Bosnia-Herzegovina (then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), the daughter of a Croatian fa ...

(Liza),

Gianna Pederzini Gianna Pederzini (10 February 1900 - 12 March 1988) was an Italian mezzo-soprano. Pederzini was born in Trento. She studied in Naples with Fernando de Lucia, and made her stage debut in Messina, as Preziosilla, in 1923. She sang widely in Ita ...

(Countess), Mario Petri (Count Tomsky), Ettore Bastianini (Prince Yeletsky), Rina Corsi (Polina). Andromeda (Live in Italian) * 1955: Krešimir Baranović (conductor), Yugoslav Army Chorus, Children's Choir of Radio Belgrade, & Orchestra of the National Opera, Belgrade; Alexander Marinković (Herman), Valerija Heybal (Liza), Melanija Bugarinović (Countess), Jovan Gligorijević (Count Tomsky), Dušan Popović (Prince Yeletsky),

Biserka Cvejić Biserka Cvejić (; sr-cyrl, Бисерка Цвејић, ; 5 November 1923 – 7 January 2021) was a Serbian operatic mezzo-soprano and contralto, and a university professor of Croatian descent. Her career began at the Belgrade Opera in 1954. ...

(Polina). Deutsche Grammophon * 1958: Sergei Yeltsin (conductor), Choir and Orchestra of the State Kirov Opera; Matvei Gavrilkin (Herman), Ludmila Revina (Liza), Sofia Preobrazhenskaya (Countess), Lipa Solomiak (Count Tomsky), Konstantin Laptev (Prince Yeletsky), Valentina Krayushkina (Polina). IM Lab (Live) * 1961:

Nino Sanzogno Nino Sanzogno (13 April 1911 – 4 May 1983) was an Italian conductor and composer. Life Sanzogno was born in Venice, where he studied the violin with Hermann Scherchen and composition with Gian Francesco Malipiero at the Liceo Musicale. He later ...

(conductor),

Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

Chorus and Orchestra; Antonio Annaloro (Herman), Leyla Gencer (Liza),

Marianna Radev Marianna Radev, also Marijana Radev, (21 November 1913 – 17 September 1973) was a Croatian contralto. Radev was considered one of the great alto singers in the period after the Second World War. Above all in Italy and in Berlin, she gained a ...

(Countess), Ivo Vinco (Count Tomsky), Sesto Bruscantini (Prince Yeletsky), Adriana Lazzarini (Polina). Gala (Live in Italian) * 1966:

Boris Khaikin Boris Emmanuilovich Khaikin (russian: Борис Эммануилович Хайкин; be, Барыс Эмануілавіч Хайкін; – 10 May 1978) was a Soviet and Russian conductor who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 197 ...

(conductor), Bolshoi Theatre Chorus & Orchestra; Zurab Andzhaparidze (Herman),

Tamara Milashkina Tamara Andreyevna Milashkina (born 13 September 1934) is a Russian lyric and dramatic soprano. Born in Astrakhan, she studied with , and became a member of the Bolshoi Opera in 1958, where she remained one of the leading sopranos until 1989. Th ...

(Liza), Valentina Levko (Countess), Mikhail Kiselev (Count Tomsky),

Yuri Mazurok Yuri Antónovich Mazurók (Russian Ю́рий Анто́нович Мазуро́к, 18 July 1931 in Kraśnik – 1 April 2006 in Moscow), PAU, was a Russian operatic baritone of Ukrainian ethnicity. He sang leading roles with major opera ho ...

(Prince Yeletsky), Irina Arkhipova (Polina). Melodiya * 1974: Mark Ermler (conductor), Bolshoi Theatre Chorus & Orchestra; Vladimir Atlantov (Herman),

(Liza), Valentina Levko (Countess), Vladimir Valaitis (Count Tomsky), Andrei Fedoseyev (Prince Yeletsky), Galina Borisova (Polina). Melodiya * 1976: Mstislav Rostropovich (conductor), Choeur Tchaikovsky, Maîtrise de Radio France, & Orchestre National de France; Peter Gougaloff (Herman), Galina Vishnevskaya (Liza),

Regina Resnik Regina Resnik (born Regina Resnick, August 30, 1922 – August 8, 2013) was an American opera singer who had an active international career that spanned five decades. She began her career as a soprano in 1942 and soon after began a lengthy and ...

(Countess), Dan Iordachescu (Count Tomsky), Bernd Weikl (Prince Yeletsky), Hanna Schwarz (Polina). Deutsche Grammophon * 1984: Algis Zhuraitis (conductor), Bavarian State Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Vladimir Atlantov (Herman), Julia Varady (Liza),

Elena Obraztsova Elena Vasiliyevna Obraztsova ( rus, Еле́на Васи́льевна Образцо́ва, , ɪ̯ɪˈlʲenə vɐˈsʲilʲɪ̯ɪvnə ɐbrɐˈstsovə; 7 July 1939 – 12 January 2015) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano. She was awarded the P ...

(Countess), Alexander Voroshilo (Count Tomsky), Bodo Brinkmann (Prince Yeletsky), Ludmila Semtschuk (Polina). Orfeo (Live) * 1989:

Emil Tchakarov Emil Tchakarov ( bg, Емил Чакъров), born 29 June 1948 in Burgas, Bulgaria; died 4 August 1991 in Paris, was a Bulgarian conductor who had a career both in the concert hall and in the opera house. He also made a series of Russian opera rec ...

(conductor), Bulgarian National Chorus 'Svetoslav Obretenov' & Sofia Festival Orchestra; Wieslaw Ochman (Herman),

Stefka Evstatieva Stefka Evstatieva ( bg, Стефка Евстатиева) (born 7 May 1947) is a Bulgarian operatic soprano. Born in Ruse, People's Republic of Bulgaria, she studied voice at the State Academy of Music in Sofia with Elena Kisselova (Елена ...

(Liza), Penka Dilova (Countess), Ivan Konsulov (Count Tomsky),

(Prince Yeletsky), Stefania Toczyska (Polina). Sony Classical * 1990: Vladimir Fedoseyev (conductor), The Yurlov State Academic Russian Choir, The Children's Choir 'Vesna', & Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra; Vitaly Tarashchenko (Herman), Natalya Datsko (Liza), Irina Arkhipova (Countess), Grigory Gritsuk (Count Tomsky), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Prince Yeletsky), Nina Romanova (Polina). Relief * 1992: Seiji Ozawa (conductor), Tanglewood Festival Chorus &

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1 ...

; Vladimir Atlantov (Herman), Mirella Freni (Liza), Maureen Forrester (Countess), Sergei Leiferkus (Count Tomsky), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Yeletsky), Katherine Ciesinski (Polina). RCA Victor Red Seal * 1993:

Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев, ; os, Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери, Gergity Abisaly fyrt Valeri; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company di ...

(conductor), Kirov Theater Chorus & Orchestra; Gegam Grigorian (Herman), Maria Guleghina (Liza), Irina Arkhipova (Countess), Nikolai Putilin (Count Tomsky),

Vladimir Chernov Vladimir Nikolaïevitch Chernov (born 22 September 1953) is a Russian baritone, particularly associated with the Russian and Italian opera repertories. Early life Vladimir Chernov was born in a small village near the town of Krasnodar in south ...

(Prince Yeletsky),

Olga Borodina Olga Vladimirovna Borodina (born 29 July 1963, in Leningrad)Borodina, O ...

(Polina).

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by the Dutch electronics company Philips. It was founded as Philips Phonographische Industrie in 1950. In 1946, Philips acquired the company which pressed records for British Decca's Dutch outlet in ...

* 2015: Mariss Jansons (conductor), Bavarian Radio Chorus & Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Misha Didyk (Herman), Tatiana Serjan (Liza), Larissa Diadkova (Countess), Alexey Shishlyaev (Count Tomsky), Alexey Markov (Prince Yeletsky), Oksana Volkova (Polina). BR-KLASSIK

References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
Work details
Tchaikovsky Research {{DEFAULTSORT:Queen of Spades, The Operas by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Operas based on works by Aleksandr Pushkin Russian-language operas Operas set in Russia 1890 operas Operas