Qhis evening on Rai 5 at 9.15pm it is possible to see all the beauty of The Queen of Spades (Pikovaya dama) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – an opera in three acts and the charm of a tragic female figure how unforgettable. The ambitious production directed by Matthias Hartmann and musical direction by Timur Zangiev was represented at Teat La Scala in Milan in the 2022 season. The opera in three acts composed in 1890 on libretto by his younger brother Modest Tchaikovsky (1850-1916), is freely inspired by the story of the same name by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837).
The Queen of Spadesplot and summary of the work
At the end of the eighteenth century, in the city of St. Petersburgtwo senior officers Surin and Chekalinsky are talking to each other about the anomalous attitudes of their friend and colleague of German origin Hermann. An intelligent and charming personality but economically destitute. The strange thing is that he he spends all his nights in gambling houses but without ever betting cards or try your luck.
Suddenly, Hermann appears, concentrated in an intense conversation with Count Tomsky. The man tells those present that he has fallen madly in love with a woman whose name he doesn’t even know. Finally, Prince Yeletsky arrives: he is about to get engaged to Liza, the beautiful one grandson of a rich and elderly countess. Just then the girl passes by the group of men with her grandmother.
Hermann finds out Like this that the woman who stole his heart is the prince’s future wife. Tomskij takes the opportunity to tell the story the gossip surrounding the elderly countess. As a young woman she had been a beautiful and charming woman but, year after year, he had squandered his rich finances on gambling. The chance encounter with the enigmatic Count of Saint Germaincso infatuated that he revealed to her the secret to winning at the three card game. This had made it possible to finally recover the huge losses.
Hermann is so fascinated by the story that he overshadows his love for Liza. For him, conquering her becomes the only way to discover the countess’ secret. Despite the imminent wedding with Prince Yeletsky and the joy of her friends, Liza is rather melancholic and thoughtful.
Julia Gertseva (Countess) and Najmiddin Mavlyanov (Hermann) in “The Queen of Spades” (Brescia/Amisano Teatro Alla Scala)
The meaning: the countess’ revenge
As soon as he finds her alone, Hermann take advantage of it and he confesses his love to Liza impetuously. The woman she’s upset: understands that he reciprocates her feelings and thus decides to interrupt the advantageous engagement. Hermann he is doubly happy and he devises a plan to convince the countess to reveal to him the way to win at the game.
For this reason, man he goes to his room, begging her to tell him the secret. The woman, however, remains silent and Hermann, in the grip of deep anger, he threatens her with a gun. The Countess falls to the ground and dies of a heart attack. Liza arrives: seeing her lover with a weapon in his hand and his grandmother dead, she believes him to be a murderer and sends him away.
The man he returns to the barracks and he is in the grip of an obsession. The ghost of the countess materializes before him and thus reveals the secret to him: to win, he must play the three, the seven and the ace. Furthermore, he advises him not to become a slave to gambling and orders him to marry his niece. By now, it’s too late. Hermann no longer thinks about Liza and runs to the gambling den.
The girl, desperate, throws herself into the river. The officer finds his friends and play the first two cards, winning an amazing sum. No one wants to challenge him anymore except Prince Yeletskyready to beat him to take revenge for breaking his engagement. Thus begins the third and final hand: Hermann he is convinced that the ace will arrive but faces another card, the Queen of Spades. The countess took revenge. Annihilated by defeat and from the pain caused to Liza, he asks for forgiveness from his beloved and he commits suicide in front of everyone.
The Queen of Spades at La Scala in Milan
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s opera returns to La Scala of Milan in 2022 17 years after its last presence on the billboard. A musical drama full of pathos and musical references to Mozart, with tormented and finely drawn characters in all their psychological contradictions. Its staging was preceded by the replacement of the conductor Valery Gergiev with the younger and equally talented Timur Zangiev.
Russian Gergiev was first fired from the Munich Philharmonic for not taking a clear stand against the war in Ukraine of 2022. An unhappy silence that also excluded him from The Queen of Spades. In the cast, in the role of Hermann is the Uzbek tenor Najmiddin Mavlyanov While Liza is the Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian.
Her skill and magnetic charm paid perfect homage to this sweet and painful female character. It’s no different mezzo-soprano Julia Gertseva in the role of unfortunate and vengeful countess. Equally evocative are the black and white staging by Volker Hintermeier and the abstract costumes by Malte Lübben.
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