Opera

Pique Dame / The Queen of Spades

Pjotr I. Tschaikowsky

In »The Queen of Spades« (»Pique Dame«), Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky is unsparing in his depiction of Hermann’s inner conflict between his unconditional love for Lisa and his manic addiction to gambling, with which he hopes to become rich and gain acceptance into the upper echelons of society.

First performed in St. Petersburg in 1890, the opera is both musically and dramaturgically reminiscent of grand opéra due to its monumental scenes such as the St. Petersburg summer garden; the large-scale choral scenes are, however, contrasted with the intimate psychological drama of the protagonists. Just like Tchaikovsky’s first Pushkin setting »Eugene Onegin«, his penultimate opera »Pique Dame«, based on the story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin, was a smash hit. As Tchaikovsky noted: »Perhaps I am completely mistaken, but I believe »Pique Dame« to be my chef d’œuvre«. The opera, which has previously been performed in Dresden’s opera house in 1929 and 1947, will be staged by the renowned film and opera director Andreas Dresen in his very first production for the Semperoper. 

Opera in three acts and seven scenes
Libretto by Modest I. Tschaikowsky

Performed in Russian with German and English surtitles

Premiere
1. July 2023,

No further performances in the current season.

Premiere cast

Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
 Kinderchor der Semperoper Dresden
 Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

Project Partner: Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe Sachsen, Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden, Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen, LBBW

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Stücktrailer

Pique Dame

n The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame), Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky is unsparing in his depiction of Hermann’s inner conflict between his unconditional love for Lisa and his manic addiction to gambling, with which he hopes to become rich and gain acceptance into the upper echelons of society. First performed in St. Petersburg in 1890, the opera is both musically and dramaturgically reminiscent of grand opéra due to its monumental scenes such as the St. Petersburg summer garden; the large-scale choral scenes are, however, contrasted with the intimate psychological drama of the protagonists. Just like Tchaikovsky’s first Pushkin setting Eugene Onegin, his penultimate opera Pique Dame, based on the story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin, was a smash hit. As Tchaikovsky noted: Perhaps I am completely mistaken, but I believe »Pique Dame to be my chef d’œuvre«. The opera, which has previously been performed in Dresden’s opera house in 1929 and 1947, will be staged by the renowned film and opera director Andreas Dresen in his very first production for the Semperoper.
Making-of

Pique Dame – Making-of (1)

Tchaikovsky’s opera Pique Dame, which is the Semperoper’s last premiere of the 2022/23 season, begins on Saturday, 1 July 2023. Artistic Director Peter Theiler was delighted when Andreas Dresen, one of today’s most acclaimed film and theatre directors, agreed to stage this eagerly awaited new production. Born in Gera and now a resident of Berlin, Dresen is here staging his first production for the Semperoper. Together with his set designer Mathias Fischer-Dieskau, he will transform this magnificent opera, originally set in St. Petersburg, into an abstract theatrical world.
Making-of

Pique Dame – Making-of (2)

Tchaikovsky’s romantic opera tells of Herman, a stranger in a city that, due to his lack of means, makes him an outsider. In the salons of St. Petersburg society, he seeks his fortune by recklessly gambling, driven by desire for the wealth that will secure his place in society. Thus, torn by the conflict between gambling and the love for his beloved Liza, Hermann places all his hopes on the illusory winning cards of a mysterious countess, which in the end leads to his downfall. The Russian tenor Sergey Polyakov, appearing as the unlucky gambler Herman, makes his house debut at the Semperoper.
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