大象传媒

In late eighteenth century St Petersburg an impoverished army officer's downward spiral, as he vainly attempts to beat the cards, results in both his own and his lover's suicide.

Pushkin's short story of avarice inspired some of Tchaikovsky's greatest music, full of psychological insight, drama and tension. Late eighteenth century St Petersburg: an impoverished army officer determines to find the secret of the cards and thus both ensure a wealthy future and guarantee his illicit lover Lisa's hand in marriage. But Hermann's addiction to gambling quickly becomes an uncontrollable and all-consuming obsession. He's convinced that Lisa's grandmother, an elderly countess, knows the mysterious winning combination of cards - but she dies of fright as he threatens her with a pistol. It's not long before Lisa and then Hermann himself are both dead by their own hands.

Presented by Andrew McGregor in conversation with Russian music and literature expert Philip Bullock.

Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades

Hermann ..... Arsen Soghomonyan (tenor)
Count Tomski ..... Vladislav Sulimsky (baritone)
Prince Yeletsky ..... Boris Pinkhasovich (baritone)
Countess ..... Doris Soffel (contralto)
Lisa ..... Elena Stikhina (soprano)
Pauline ..... Aigul Akhmetshina (mezzo-soprano)
Chaplitsky .....: Christophe Poncet de Solages (tenor)
Governess ..... Margarita Nekrasova (contralto)
Surin ..... Anatoli Sivko (baritone)
Chekalinsky ..... Evgeny Akimov (tenor)
Narumov ..... Mark Kurmanbayev (bass)
Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Cantus Juvenum Karlsruhe Youth Choir
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Kirill Petrenko (conductor)

Concert performance given on 24 April 2022 at the Philharmonie, Berlin.