Admin

Organization

Singer

Tenor

Misha Didyk

Herman

Baritone

Alexey Markov

Count Tomsky

Vladimir Stoyanov

Prince Yeletsky

Andrei Popov

Chekalinsky

Bass

Andrii Goniukov

Surin

Mikhail Makarov

Chaplitsky

Anatoli Sivko

Narumov

Morschi Franz

Master of Ceremonies

Mezzo-soprano

Larissa Diadkova

Countess

Soprano

Svetlana Aksenova

Lisa

Contralto

Anna Goryachova

Polina

Pelageya Kurennaya

Prilepa

Conductor

Mariss Jansons

Stage director

Stefan Herheim

Set designer

Philipp Fürhofer

Costume designer

Dramaturge

Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach

Holland Festival

Chorus master

Caro Kindt

Chin-Lien Wu

De Nationale Opera

Orchestra

Concertgebouworkest

Others

Chorus of Dutch National Opera

Russian

Pikovaya Dama -  (The Queen of Spades)

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Dutch National Opera & Ballet

What is life? A game! As one of the highlights of the Holland Festival, the renowned director Stefan Herheim staged Tchaikovsky's popular opera about a young man who gambles away his chance for love and happiness for the prospect of earthly wealth.

The protagonist, Hermann, bets all on gambling, believing that there must be a secret formula that prevents him from losing at cards. He wants to know the secret of his girlfriend Lisa's grandmother: How is it that she was such a successful player? Herman confronts her and forces her to reveal her secret and threatens her with a revolver. The Countess dies from the shock. It is her spirit that later appears before the young officer and reveals the deadly sequence of cards: three, seven, ace. After losing everything, Hermann commits suicide, becoming the third victim of his own compulsive gambling behavior - after the old countess , who is said to have known the secret, and Lisa, who was in love with him.

The score of The Queen of Spades was written by Tchaikovsky in just 44 days, during a time of turmoil about himself and his homosexuality. Herheim, whose productions are known for their complex layers of interpretation, attempts to reflect on the composer's hidden love for men.

Former music director Mariss Jansons returns to Amsterdam to conduct Pique Dame at the Dutch National Opera with "his" Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He joins a remarkable cast, including star tenor Misha Didyk, a sought-after interpreter of the Russian repertoire, who is making his Amsterdam debut as Herman. The critics are unanimous about the quality of the production: "A Pique Dame of extraordinary musical and scenic power" (Avant-Scène Opéra), which is "absolutely worth seeing"! (The world).

Photos