The Queen of Spades
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky



A work of extreme moods and colors, The Queen of Spades explores life’s frivolities as well as the darkest impulses of obsession, addiction, madness, and self-destruction. The gripping plot is set against the vast elegance and macabre allure of St. Petersburg, which functions almost as a character itself. Tchaikovsky’s lyric mastery is equally apparent throughout the whole of this remarkable score, which moves deftly from the most elegant to the most harrowing situations.

The composer’s brother Modest (1850–1916) adapted the libretto for The Queen of Spades, with many passages created by Tchaikovsky himself, from a short story by esteemed Russian writer Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837).



Start time: 10:00am on Capital Public Radio.
Approximate running time 3 hrs 35 min


Click in the "LINKS" area for more information on the Met website about The Queen of Spades including cast, synopsis, history and more.