This damn passion. Where does it lead people? In Tchaikovsky’s rarely performed opera “Queen of Spades” you are forced to die. The work – director Serge Dorny later described it as his “favorite piece by Tchaikovsky” at the premiere celebration – is not only about the passion in love, but also about the passion in play. And so Lisa (sung brilliantly by Asmik Grigorian) throws herself to death out of disappointed love, and Hermann (Brandon Jovanovich) also commits suicide – but only after he has lost money, fame and honor because of his gambling addiction.
The production of this opera in three acts and seven pictures by director Benedict Andrews, which premieres on Sunday evening at the Bavarian State Opera, is correspondingly dark. A production that causes all sorts of discussions even at the break. Some are disappointed that the images are “too static” and “tell nothing”. Others describe what they have seen so far as “wonderfully minimalist” and “harmonious”. Admittedly, not every set that Rufus Didwiszus sets in the black of the stage is convincing. But most people can already agree that the ghost scene, the last one before the break, is great cinema.
When it comes to the votes, there is also a critical distance until then. In the beginning, this particularly affected Brandon Jovanovich, about whom some people complained that he had to “warm up singing” first. The admiration for the Lithuanian singer Asmik Gregorian has been great from the start, both in terms of her acting and vocal qualities, and it is constantly growing. Boris Pinkhasovich as Prince Jelezki is also pleasing; he received probably the most stormy applause of the evening for his love aria.
Director Benedict Andrews and conductor Aziz Shokhakimov (from left) with State Opera director Serge Dorny (far right) at the premiere of “Queen of Spades”.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The fact that the conflict lasts until the end, especially with regard to the production, is also evident in the final applause. Overall, this turns out to be less stormy and more friendly and demure. Singers as well as choral achievements are certainly recognized. The only 35-year-old Uzbekistan-born conductor Aziz Shokhakimov, who is making his debut at the Bavarian State Opera with “The Queen of Spades,” also received plenty of applause.
However, it sounds different when the production team comes on stage. As is often the case when the State Opera relies on minimalist presentations, there are a few boos. But these are equally countered by loud “Bravi”. Tchaikovsky’s opera, which is so much about passions, cannot really ignite passions in the Munich audience. It’s a shame actually.