Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades

Love, death 鈥 and gambling: the story of an army officer who is obsessed with extracting from an elderly countess the secret of her winning three-card trick.

In 2020, 大象传媒 Radio 3 is bringing together musical greats, from the past and the present, in one extraordinary Proms season. Radio 3 is broadcasting the best of four decades of unmissable Proms concerts.

Presented by Andrew McGregor.

Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades

Yuri Marusin (Hermann)
Sergei Leiferkus (Tomsky)
Dimitri Kharitonov (Prince Yeletsky)
Felicity Palmer (Countess)
Nancy Gustafson (Lisa)
Enid Hartle (Governess)
Anne Dawson (Chloe)
Glyndebourne Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis (conductor)

(From 大象传媒 Proms 1992, 26 July)

At the time Chief Conductor of the 大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra as well as Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera, newly knighted Sir Andrew Davis brought his distinguished East Sussex opera company to the Royal Albert Hall in 1992 for the Proms premiere of Tchaikovsky鈥檚 chilling supernatural tale of obsession and revenge, based on Pushkin. Nancy Gustafson, who made a memorable Proms appearance (alongside Felicity Palmer) two years earlier as Jan谩膷ek鈥檚 Katya, sings Lisa to the Hermann of leading Russian tenor Yuri Marusin; while Palmer 鈥 who was created DBE the following year 鈥 added Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Countess to her long list of distinguished roles.

3 hours, 29 minutes

Music Played

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Tchaikovsky - Queen of Spades - Act 1

    Ensemble: Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Tchaikovsky - Queen of Spades - Act 2

    Ensemble: Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
  • Jules Massenet

    End of Act 2, Scene 1 and Meditation from Thais

    Orchestra: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Choir: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.

Broadcast

  • Sat 8 Aug 2020 18:30

The home of classical music and the Proms on the 大象传媒

Every Proms concert is broadcast live on Radio 3 - don't miss a single one.