Vladimir Jurowski conducts an all-star cast, led by Sergei Leiferkus in glorious form, in this live recording from 2012 of Tchaikovsky’s opera Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades).

Pique Dame is an opera in 3 acts set to a libretto by Tchaikovsky’s brother, Modest, which is based on Pushkin’s short story of the same name. Tchaikovsky, after initially refusing the commission to write the opera, eventually accepted it and completed the full score in only 44 days in 1889. The work was premiered in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre to huge acclaim.

“I have been writing this opera with unbelievable passion and enthusiasm, I have vividly experienced all the sufferings and emotions of the story (to such an extent that at some stage I feared that the ghost of the Queen of Spades might make an appearance) and I hope that all my raptures, excitements and enthusiasms will find a response in the hearts of responsive listeners.” This is quintessential Tchaikovsky: highly emotional, pouring out his soul into his music as well as his writing, extreme in his empathy whether it is rapture or terror, sincere and genuine.

Cast:
- Herman: Oleg Kulko
- Count Tomsky: Sergei Leiferkus
- Price Yeletsky: Albert Schagidullin
- Chekalinsky: Viacheslav Voynarovskiy
- Surin: Maxim Mikhailov
- Chaplitsky: Felix Livshitz
- Narumov: Alexey Kanunikov
- Countess: Nina Romanov
- Liza: Karina A. Flores
- Pauline: Ekaterina Semenchuk
- Governess: Olga Schalaewa
- Masha: Lilia Grevtzova