Curtain Call in Opening Night of Pique Dame. Sondra Radvanovsky, Doris Soffel, Martin Muehle 3.9.24

Tchaikovsky’s second most popular opera after EUGENE ONEGIN is inspirational primarily on account of its sheer grandeur:
In PIQUE DAME, the vibe masterfully switches from the mood associated with large and representative choral and ensemble operas to psychological chamber play scenes.
The polish of the sophisticated elites encounters the misery of the outlawed proletariat.
Pyotr and Modest Tchaikovsky used Pushkin’s short novella as a starting point to create psychological profiles of Hermann and Lisa, the two central characters who are united in their fatalistic hopelessness and their failing pursuit of freedom.
Hermann is an outsider who is miserably in love with the unattainable Lisa, who is a member of higher circles. The only way out seems to be a mysterious card secret kept by Lisa’s aunt, the elderly Countess. However, the Countess dies when Hermann tries to wrest the secret from her. Nevertheless, she reveals the card combination to him in a dream. Hermann is now unable to distinguish between reality and illusions. Instead of starting a new life with Lisa, he rushes back to the gambling table.