THE QUEEN OF SPADES

Opera by P. I. Tchaikovsky

3:40 with two intermissions
THE QUEEN OF SPADES

Preview

THE QUEEN OF SPADES

Musical drama in three acts (seven scenes)

based on the novel of the same name by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, 1833

Pyotr Ilyich CHAIKOVSKY – composer

The action takes place in Petersburg at the end of the 18th century.

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On 18 November at 19 h the Sofia Opera and Ballet presents the first premiere of the 2022/23 season – the opera "The Queen of Spades" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Conductor of the production is Andrey Galanov, director – Vera Petrova. The artistic cast is a unity of singers from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

"The Queen of Spades" is staged after a long absence from the Sofia stage. Through her avant-garde reading Vera Petrova will try to convince the audience that the most important thing in our lives is unconditional love. The whole production team invites the audience to a fantastic dreamlike experience in black and white and golden colours. The experience will make every spectator turn inwards, sink into the depths of their rich inner world and then leave purified.

"The Queen of Spades" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky – a fantastic tale about the story of one man and each of us.

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Vera Petrova - director's notes

Synopsis

The young officer Herman is sullen and silent – he is in love with a stranger who is rich and noble and cannot belong to him. It turns out that Liza – that's the name of the girl who is the Countess's granddaughter – is betrothed to Prince Yeletsky. And Count Tomsky tells the story of the Countess, called as a young woman in Paris "the Venus of Moscow," who, after a loss in a gambling house, learns from the magician Count Saint-Germain, who is in love with her, the secret of the three cards that always win. The Countess then bets on these three cards and recovers her losses. Herman's friends Surin and Chekalinsky suggest that Herman learn the secret of the three cards and get rich, but he is completely taken by the thought of Liza and vows to win her love.

Liza is not happy about her upcoming wedding to Prince Yeletsky – she is in love with the unexpectedly mysterious officer Herman and at the same time feels an inexplicable fear. Unexpectedly, he enters her room through the balcony and confesses his passionate love. The meeting is abruptly interrupted by the Countess, but Herman is delighted by Liza's shared love.

At a senior dignitary's ball, Herman receives a note from Liza about a date. Surin and Chekalinsky remind him again of the mysterious story of the three cards. After a performance of the charming pastoral "The Shepherdess's Sincerity," Liza gives Herman the keys to the Countess's room, through which one enters hers. Herman's mind is already provoked by the story of the three cards, and the thought of a fortune that would help him marry Liza gives him no peace.

Herman enters the room of the Countess, who after the ball is lost in memories of her youth. The unexpectedly appearing Herman demands that she reveal the secret of the three cards to him, but the Countess does not bow. Enraged, Herman threatens her with a gun and the Countess dies of fright. The secret is not revealed. Liza writes a letter to Herman and assures him that she trusts him and will not allow him to have killed the Countess. She asks to see him at midnight by the Neva River. German is seized with panic terror – in his hazy mind the ghost of the Countess appears, telling him the cherished cards: "three, seven and ace".

The desperate Liza is waiting for Herman at the meeting and he comes, behaving like a madman – speaking words of love, telling about the death of the Countess, dreaming of riches... From his incoherent words, Liza becomes convinced that he is the murderer and when Herman runs away shouting "To the gambling house!", Liza throws herself into the river in despair.

There are a lot of people in the playhouse. There is also Liza's broken fiancé Prince Yeletsky, who is looking for a chance to avenge Herman for her death. Herman walks straight into the gaming table and bets large sums of money twice, winning with the mystery cards. He bets a huge sum again, but no one accepts his challenge except Prince Yeletsky. Herman announces the Countess's third card, but his hand instead of an Ace turns up the Queen of Spades. In his tantrum, Herman sees the Countess in it, who taunts him evilly. In his mad despair, he commits suicide. At the last moment, the bright image of Liza springs into his mind and he dies with her name on his lips.

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Author's composition:

Modest Tchaikovsky
Libtertto

Modest Tchaikovsky

Alexander Pushkin
based on the 1834 novella of the same name by

Alexander Pushkin

23.03.2023 / 19:00

Ventseslav Anastasov
Count Tomsky

Ventseslav Anastasov

Atanas Mladenov
Prince Yeletsky

Atanas Mladenov

Nikolay Pavlov
Chekalinsky

Nikolay Pavlov

Rosen Nenchev
Chaplitsky

Rosen Nenchev

Nikolay Voynov
Narumov

Nikolay Voynov

Slavi Manov
Master of Ceremonies

Slavi Manov

Gergana Rusekova
Countess

Gergana Rusekova

Ayla Dobreva
Masha

Ayla Dobreva

Interlude

Ayla Dobreva
Prilepa

Ayla Dobreva

Production team:

Andrey Galanov
Conductor - production

Andrey Galanov

Zhorzh Dimitrov
Conductor

Zhorzh Dimitrov

Vera Petrova
Stage director

Vera Petrova

Engineering solution of the decor

Engineer Plamen Zafirov

Nela Stoyanova
Set designer

Nela Stoyanova

Emil Dinkov
Artistic lighting

Emil Dinkov

Hristiana Michaleva-Zorbalieva
Production costume designer

Hristiana Michaleva-Zorbalieva

Alexandra Tikhomirova
Plastic and pantomime

Alexandra Tikhomirova

Violeta Dimitrova
Chorus Master

Violeta Dimitrova

Maria Evstatieva
Concert Master

Maria Evstatieva

Agnes Dankova
Co-repetiteur

Agnes Dankova

Yolanta Smolyanova
Co-repetiteur

Yolanta Smolyanova

Milen Stanev
Co-repetiteur

Milen Stanev

Svetlana Ananievska
Co-repetiteur

Svetlana Ananievska

Stefka Georgieva
Assistant and Stage Manager

Stefka Georgieva

Teodor Georgiev
Assistant and Stage Manager

Teodor Georgiev

Vanesa Tsvetkova
Stage Manager

Vanesa Tsvetkova

Julia Krasteva
Subtitles

Julia Krasteva

Nia Nedkova
Subtitles

Nia Nedkova

Translation

Alexander Boyadzhiev

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