Opera in the park: Pique Dame

Tchaikovsky’s opera Queen of Spades (Pique Dame)has been a popular success since its world premiere in St Petersburg in 1890, when it shocked many by exposing the darker side of society’s civilised elite. The Norwegian director Stefan Herheim – previously at the festival with Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin – is widely acclaimed for his unconventional opera stagings and spectacular productions. Herheim has transported the story to a recognisable, contemporary setting, with Mariss Jansons conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. This is an opera which aims for the heart.

The second Russian opera in the anniversary season of the Dutch National Opera is a new production of Tchaikovsky’s Pique dame (Queen of spades). It revolves around the obsessive desire for becoming rich through gambling.

Under the motto ‘What is our life? A game!’, the protagonist Herman stakes everything, thinking he knows a secret formula by which he cannot lose at cards. This is not the case, however, and Herman commits suicide. He thus becomes the third victim of his own gambling compulsion – after the old Countess, who was supposed to know the secret, and Lisa, who was in love with him. Pique dame has been a great audience favourite.

In his productions, director Stefan Herheim always brings the opera setting closer to current events, linking history to the present, which maximises the relevance of his work. Herheim has previously guested with DNO and the Holland festival with Eugene Onegin.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is led by its former principal conductor Mariss Jansons. This combination previously made a great impression with Lady Macbeth by Mtsensk and Eugene Onegin, and will now close the series of three great Russian masterpieces with Pikovaja dama. Misha Didyk is making his debut with Dutch National Opera as Herman. In the role of Lisa, Svetlana Ignatovich is making her return, following her great success as Fevronia in The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh.

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music Pjotr Iljitsj Tsjaikovski musical direction Mariss Jansons direction Stefan Herheim set design, costume Philipp Fürhofer dramaturgy Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach lighting design Bernd Purkrabek choir Chorus of Dutch National Opera rehearsal leader Ching-Lien Wu children’s chorus Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor rehearsals children's chorus Caro Kindt production Dutch National Opera piano/actor Christiaan Kuyvenhoven cast Misha Didyk (Herman), Alexey Markov (Plutus), Vladimir Stoyanov (Vorst Jeletski), Andrei Popov (Tsjekalinski), Andrii Goniukov (Soerin), Mikhail Makarov (Tsjaplinski), Anatoly Sivko (Naroemov), Morschi Franz (Ceremoniemeester), Larissa Diadkova (Gravin), Svetlana Aksenova (Liza), Anna Goryachova (Dachnis), Maria Fiselier (Masja), Pelageya Kurennaya (Chloë), Olga Savova (Gouvernante)

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This performance is made possible by

Otemba - Daring Women