Tchaikovsky The Queen of Spades

Passionate soprano Kristine Opolais sings the role of the doomed heroine of Tchaikovsky’s beautifully dark masterpiece alongside tenor David Butt Philip as the obsessive Hermann, capping the BSO and Andris Nelsons’ deep focus on the music of the quintessentially Romantic Russian composer. Composed in a white-hot six weeks in 1890 on a libretto by Tchaikovsky’s brother Modest, The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame) was a tremendous success at its premiere, even its pessimistic composer acknowledging its quality.