Queen of Spades

“What is our life? A game! Good and bad are just dreams, work and honesty just lies,” Hermann sums up fatalistically in Queen of Spades as he looks to his end at the gaming table. Based on Pushkin's novel, Chaykovsky depicts a world in which economic differences dominate and the law of the strongest applies. Hermann must do justice to the social status of his lover Lisa at any price; he promises himself wealth through the Countess's curse-laden card secret. But the hope of happiness fizzles out in a spiral of obsession that tears Hermann into the abyss. Doris Soffel returns as Countess in the production by Sam Brown. Lisa is now Elena Guseva, as Hermann is house debutant Arsen Soghomonyan — both have played roles on stages from Milan to New York. With Dean Murphy, who was a member of the ensemble here at the house for many years, and Alexey Markov, two great baritones of our time as Prince Yeletsky and Count Tomsky can be seen. The musical direction is the Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits.

Opera in three acts by Pjotr Chajkovsky Libretto by Modest Chajkovsky based on the eponymous story Alexander Pushkin Premiered on December 19, 1890 in Saint Petersburg Premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on March 9, 2024