Opulence and madness in Tsarist Russia

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky created his two greatest operas, Eugene Onegin and Pikovaya dama, from the stories of the father of Russian romantic literature, Aleksandr Pushkin. The composer premiered the libretto The Queen of Spades in 1890, perfectly aware that it was one of the finest works he had ever completed: three acts and seven highly demanding scenes over three hours and fifty minutes.

Pikovaya dama belongs to a period of European opera — the same as Giacomo Puccini and Umberto Giordano's time — filled with credibility, precision and respect for the original literary source. It is as if in the mind of the Belgian stage director Gilbert Deflo, so often controversial, he has for once returned to tradition, without double meanings. At a time when opera direction has gone the way of post-modernity with state-of-the-art technological resources and conceptual interpretations, this version of Pikovaya dama is a retro production that follows the original text to the letter, which is made clear by the pastoral opera performed in the second act – a tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The action is set at the end of the 18th century in St Petersburg, under the reign of Tsarina Catherine II, nicknamed the Great. At the beginning of the opera, we meet Hermann, a soldier in love with a young noblewoman, Lisa. Her grandmother is an old countess who is rumoured to know a magic trick to win at cards. When Hermann finds out, Lisa is only of interest to him as a means of access to the Countess, whom he ends up assaulting in her room in the second act to get her to reveal her secret and accidentally scares her to death. The Countess's room is dusty and dark as if it were the refuge of a witch: love has been defeated by the irrationality that is troubling Hermann's mind.

One of the strengths of Deflo's production is the psychological dimension shown by the singers through their dramatic interpretation. Hermann, for example, appears with his eyes out of their sockets, closer and closer to doom, and Lisa alternates a pious look with the defeated expression of a broken heart. In the end, it all comes together to create a highly satisfying production, where the story is the protagonist. It also features sumptuous sets, impressive costumes and a repertoire of bel canto, strong melody and connection with the past that already anticipates the new currents of symbolism and expressionism, using psychological torture and the gaze into the abyss.

You can meet the cast and get your tickets through this link. To celebrate the 175th anniversary of its opening, the Gran Teatre del Liceu is offering two tickets to attend The Queen of Spades for 175 euros. You will find the instructions during the online purchasing process.