Opera in three acts and seven scenes.
Composer: P. Tchaikovsky.
Libretto: by M. Chaikovsky based on the same work by A. Pushkin.
Director: People's Artist of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, Laureate of the State Prize, Professor Firudin Safarov;
Musical Director and Conductor: People's Artist, Laureate of the State Prize, Professor Dilbar Abdurakhmanova;
Production designer: People's Artist of Russia Ivan Sevastyanov.
Running time: 3 hours and 15 minutes.
The premiere took place on December 19, 1890 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
The first premiere on the stage of the SABT named after A.Navoi took place in 1947.
The last production on the stage of the SABT named after A.Navoi took place in 1999.
Currently, the play is not running
SUMMARY.
Summer garden in St. Petersburg at the end of the XVIII century.
Walkers are happy for the long-awaited sunny day. Only Herman is immersed in joyless thoughts. He loves a girl whose name he does not know. She is noble and wealthy and it is impossible to him - a poor officer, to count on her attention. From the mouth of Prince Yeletsky he learns that the stranger is Lisa, his bride. Herman is in despair. Deep impression is made on him by the meeting with the Countess - Lisa's grandmother and Tomsky's story about her secret. Countess knows three cards possessing the mystical power of winning, which she can discover only at the cost of her own life.
Herman decides at any cost to get the girl's love.
Friends congratulate Lisa on her engagement. Worried about the last meeting with Herman, Lisa tries to suppress the feeling growing in her. Unexpectedly, Herman appears on the balcony. With the power of his love, he forces Lisa to listen to his confession. The arrival of the old countess interrupts the meeting.
Ball in the house of a rich St. Petersburg dignitary.
Herman is among the guests. Friends poke fun at him, reminding of the secret of the old Countess. Lisa and Prince Yeletsky appear. Lisa is completely absorbed in the thought of Herman. Lisa gives him the key to the secret door of the grandmother's bedroom, through which one can get into her room. Seeing in this the dictate of fate, Herman decides to learn the secret.
Herman enters the dimly lit bedroom. With excitement and gloomy forebodings, he peers at the portrait of the young countess. Steps are being delivered. Herman is hiding. the Countess and Lisa passed nearby. Dissatisfied with the ball, the countess falls asleep.
Her disturbing sleep interrupts the appearance of Herman. He begs to reveal to him the secret of the three cards, but the old countess, seized with deathly fright, is silent ... - a terrible prediction is coming true. Not owning himself, Herman snatches the gun. The shocked Countess dies. Herman does not hear the accusations of run into the noise Liza. All his hopes have collapsed.
Herman is in the barracks. In reverie, he re-reads Lisa's letter. The image of the countess captures the inflamed imagination of Herman. He seeks to escape, to get rid of this obsession. "Three, seven, ace": he heard the names of the treasured cards.
The Neva embankment. Lisa is waiting for Herman. She wants to believe that a loved one is not guilty of the death of her grandmother. Finally, Herman appears. Lisa is hotly explained in love, but consciousness again leaves Herman. The thought of escaping with Liza echoes his obsession with trying to test fate in a gambling house. Lisa tries to keep Herman, but without recognizing his beloved, he runs away. Lisa in despair throws herself into the Neva.
Gambling house. Herman appears. One by one he puts two of the cards he sees and wins. Everyone is stunned and amazed. On the last, third card, Herman puts all the winnings. This time the challenge is taken by Prince Yeletsky. Instead of an ace in the hands of Herman is the Queen of spades. In it, he sees the old Countess's smile. In a fit of insanity, he commits suicide.