The Queen of Spades is a musical work. Tchaikovsky's opera "The Queen of Spades". history of creation, the best arias from the opera, the best performers. Essay by A. S. Pushkin
In 1840, a son was born into the family of the head of the Kama-Votkinsk plant, Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky, a well-known mining specialist in his time, who was named Peter.
The boy grew up sensitive, receptive, impressionable. When he was four years old, his father brought an orchestrina (mechanical organ) from St. Petersburg, and the music of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti began to sound in distant Votkinsk...
The family was financially secure. The future composer was able to receive a solid home education. Since childhood, Pyotr Ilyich spoke fluent French, read a lot and even wrote poetry. Music was also included in the home activities. Alexandra Andreevna Tchaikovskaya played well and sang well herself. Tchaikovsky especially liked to listen to Alyabyev’s “The Nightingale” performed by his mother.
The childhood years lived in the city of Votkinsk remained in the composer’s memory for the rest of his life. But to Tchaikovsky
turned eight years old, and the family from Votkinsk moved to Moscow, from Moscow to St. Petersburg, and then to Alapaevsk, where Ilya Petrovich received a position as plant manager.
In the summer of 1850, he sent his wife and two children (including the future composer) to St. Petersburg.
At the St. Petersburg School of Law, Tchaikovsky studies general disciplines and specializes in jurisprudence. Musical classes also continue here; he takes piano lessons, sings in the school choir, the director of which was an outstanding Russian choral conductor G. E. Lomakin.
Attending symphony concerts and the theater also played an important role in Tchaikovsky's musical development. All his life he considered the operas of Mozart (Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute), Glinka (Ivan Susanin) and Weber (The Magic Shooter) to be unsurpassed examples opera art.
Common artistic interests brought Tchaikovsky closer to many students of the school; Some of my friends from the school later became enthusiastic admirers of the composer. Among them is the poet A. N. Apukhtin, whose poems Tchaikovsky later wrote wonderful romances.
Every year the young lawyer became convinced that his true calling was music. He began composing at the age of fourteen, and at seventeen he wrote his first romance “My genius, my angel, my friend” (to the words of A. A. Fet).
By the time he graduated from college (in 1859), with all his soul,
All his thoughts were in art. But his dreams were not yet destined to come true. In winter, Tchaikovsky took the place of junior assistant to the chief clerk, and the dismal years of service in one of the departments of the Ministry of Justice began to flow.
In his career, Tchaikovsky achieved little. “They made me into an official, and even a bad one,” he wrote to his sister.
In 1861, Tchaikovsky began attending public music classes of Anton Grigorievich Rubinstein, the great Russian pianist and outstanding composer, founder of Russia's first conservatory. A.G. Rubinstein friendly advised Tchaikovsky to devote his entire life to his favorite work.
Tchaikovsky did just that: he left the service. Also in 1863, Tchaikovsky’s father resigned; he could no longer help his son, and the young musician experienced a life full of hardships. He lacked funds even for the most necessary expenses, and while studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (which was opened in 1862), he gave lessons and accompanied in concerts.
At the conservatory, Tchaikovsky studied with A. G. Rubinstein and N. I. Zaremba, studying music theory and composition. Among the students, Tchaikovsky stood out for his solid preparation, exceptional performance, and most importantly, creative determination. He did not limit himself to mastering the conservatory course and studied a lot himself, studying the works of Schumann, Berlioz, Wagner, and Serov.
The years of study of the young Tchaikovsky at the conservatory coincided with the period of social upsurge of the 60s. The democratic ideals of that time were reflected in the work of the young Tchaikovsky. Starting from the first symphonic work- overtures to the drama “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky (1864) - Tchaikovsky forever connects his art with folk song and fiction. In this work, for the first time, the main theme of Tchaikovsky’s art is put forward - the theme of man’s struggle against the inexorable forces of evil. This theme in Tchaikovsky’s major works is resolved in two ways: the hero either dies in the fight against opposing forces, or overcomes the obstacles that arise in his path. In both cases, the outcome of the conflict shows strength, courage and beauty human soul. Thus, the features of Tchaikovsky’s tragic worldview are completely devoid of the features of decadence and pessimism.
In the year he graduated from the conservatory (1865), Tchaikovsky’s dream came true: having completed with honors musical education, he receives a diploma and a title free artist. For the graduation ceremony of the conservatory, on the advice of A.G. Rubinstein, he wrote music for the hymn of the great German poet Schiller “Ode to Joy.” That same year, the orchestra conducted by Johann Strauss, who came on tour to Russia, publicly performed Tchaikovsky’s “Character Dances.”
But perhaps the happiest and most significant event for Tchaikovsky at that time was his
meeting with Nikolai Grigorievich Rubinstein, brother of the director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
They met in St. Petersburg - Tchaikovsky, a still little-known musician, and N. G. Rubinstein, a famous conductor, teacher, pianist and musical and public figure.
Since that time, N. G. Rubinstein has closely followed Tchaikovsky’s work, rejoices at every new achievement of the young composer, and skillfully promotes his works. Having taken up the organization of the Moscow Conservatory, N. G. Rubinstein invited Tchaikovsky to take the position of teacher of music theory there.
From this time begins the Moscow period of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s life.
Tchaikovsky's first major work created in Moscow was the first symphony, entitled "Winter Dreams" (1866). Here are pictures of nature: winter road, “foggy edge”, blizzard. But Tchaikovsky does not simply reproduce scenes of nature; he first of all conveys that emotional condition, which these paintings evoke. In Tchaikovsky's works, the image of nature is usually fused with a subtle, heartfelt revelation of the inner world of man. This unity in the depiction of the natural world and the world of human experiences is also clearly expressed in the cycle piano pieces Tchaikovsky "The Seasons" (1876). Outstanding German
pianist and conductor G. von Bülow once called Tchaikovsky “a true poet in sounds.” Von Bülow's words can serve as an epigraph to the first symphony and The Seasons.
Tchaikovsky's life in Moscow took place in an atmosphere of fruitful communication with major writers and artists. Tchaikovsky visited the “Artistic Circle”, where, in a circle of discerning artists, the great Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky read his new works; there were also the poet A. N. Pleshcheev, the wonderful artist of the Maly Theater P. M. Sadovsky, the Polish violinist G. Wieniawski, and N. G. Rubinstein.
The members of the “Artistic Circle” passionately loved Russian folk songs and enthusiastically collected, performed, and studied them. Among them, first of all, one should name A. N. Ostrovsky, who put a lot of effort into promoting Russian folk songs on the stage of the drama theater.
A. N. Ostrovsky became closely acquainted with Tchaikovsky. The results of this friendship soon showed: in 1868-1869, Tchaikovsky prepared a collection that included fifty of the most popular Russian folk songs for piano 4 hands.
Tchaikovsky repeatedly turned to folk songs in his work. The Russian song “Vanya was sitting on the sofa” was developed by Tchaikovsky in the first quartet (1871), the Ukrainian songs “Crane” and “Come out, Ivanka, sleep off the spring fly” - in the second symphony (1872) and in the first concert for piano and orchestra (1875).
The range of Tchaikovsky's works in which he uses folk melodies is so wide that to list them would mean to quote big list works of various musical forms and genres.
Tchaikovsky, who so deeply and lovingly appreciated folk song, drew from it that broad melodiousness that marked all of his work.
Being a deeply national composer, Tchaikovsky was always interested in the culture of other countries. Ancient French songs formed the basis of his opera “The Maid of Orleans”, motives of Italian street songs inspired the creation of “Italian Capriccio”, the well-known duet “My dear friend” from the opera “The Queen of Spades” is a masterfully re-intonated Czech folk song “I have there was a dove."
Another source of the melodiousness of Tchaikovsky’s works is his own experience of romance. Tchaikovsky's first seven romances, written by the master's confident hand, were created in November - December 1869: “A Tear is Trembling” and “Don’t Believe, My Friend” (words by A.K. Tolstoy), “Why” and “No, only the one who knew" (on poems by Heine and Goethe in translations by L. A. Mey), "Forget so soon" (words by A. N. Apukhtin), "Both painful and sweet" (words by E. P. Rostopchina), "Not a word , oh my friend” (words by A. N. Pleshcheev). Throughout his creative career, Tchaikovsky wrote more than a hundred romances; they reflected bright feelings, passionate emotion, sorrow, and philosophical reflections.
Inspiration drew Tchaikovsky to various areas musical creativity. This led to one phenomenon that arose naturally due to the unity and organicity of the composer’s creative style: often in his operas and instrumental works one can catch the intonations of his romances and, on the contrary, in the romances one can feel operatic ariosity and symphonic breadth.
If Russian song was a source of truth and beauty for Tchaikovsky, if it constantly updated his works, then the relationship between genres, their mutual penetration contributed to the constant improvement of mastery.
The largest work that nominated the twenty-nine-year-old Tchaikovsky among the first composers in Russia was the symphonic overture “Romeo and Juliet” (1869). The plot of this composition was suggested to Tchaikovsky by M. A. Balakirev, who then headed the community of young composers, which went down in music history under the name “The Mighty Handful.”
Tchaikovsky and the Kuchkists are two channels of the same current. Each of the composers - be it N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. P. Borodin, M. A. Balakirev, M. P. Mussorgsky or P. I. Tchaikovsky - made a unique contribution to the art of his era. And when we talk about Tchaikovsky, we cannot help but recall Balakirev’s circle, the commonality of their creative interests and recognition of each other. But among the links connecting the Kuchkists with Tchaikovsky, program music is perhaps the most significant link.
It is known that, in addition to the program for the symphonic overture “Romeo and Juliet,” Balakirev proposed to Tchaikovsky a plot for the symphony “Manfred” (after Byron), and both works are dedicated to Balakirev. “The Tempest,” Tchaikovsky’s symphonic fantasy on a Shakespearean theme, was created on the advice of V.V. Stasov and dedicated to him. Among Tchaikovsky’s most famous instrumental works is the symphonic fantasy “Francesca da Rimini,” which is based on the fifth canto of Dante’s “Divine Comedy.” Thus, Tchaikovsky's three greatest creations in the field of program music owe their appearance to Balakirev and Stasov.
The experience of creating major program works enriched Tchaikovsky's art. It is significant that Tchaikovsky's non-program music has all the fullness of figurative and emotional expressiveness, as if it had plots.
Following the symphony “Winter Dreams” and the symphonic overture “Romeo and Juliet” are the operas “The Voevoda” (1868), “Ondine” (1869), “The Oprichnik” (1872), and “The Blacksmith Vakula” (1874). Tchaikovsky himself was not satisfied with his first works for opera stage. The score of “The Voivode,” for example, was destroyed by him; it was restored according to the surviving batches and delivered already in Soviet times. The opera “Ondine” is lost forever: the composer burned its score. And Tchaikovsky later reworked the opera “Blacksmith “Vakula” (1885) (the second
the editorial office is called “Cherevichki”). All these are examples of the composer’s great demands on himself.
Of course, Tchaikovsky, the author of “The Voevoda” and “The Oprichnik,” is inferior in maturity of talent to Tchaikovsky, the creator of “Eugene Onegin” and “The Queen of Spades.” And yet, Tchaikovsky’s first operas, staged in the late 60s and early 70s of the last century, retain artistic interest for listeners of our days. They have the emotional richness and melodic richness that are typical of the mature operas of the great Russian composer.
In the press of that time, in newspapers and magazines, prominent music critics G. A. Laroche and N. D. Kashkin wrote a lot and in detail about Tchaikovsky’s successes. Tchaikovsky's music found a warm response among the widest circles of listeners. Among Tchaikovsky’s followers were the great writers L.N. Tolstoy and I.S. Turgenev.
Tchaikovsky's multifaceted activities in the 60-70s were of great importance not only for musical culture Moscow, but also for the entire Russian musical culture.
Along with intensive creative activity Tchaikovsky also carried out pedagogical work; he continued to teach at the Moscow Conservatory (among Tchaikovsky’s students was the composer S.I. Taneyev), and laid the foundations for musical theoretical teaching. In the early 70s, Tchaikovsky’s harmony textbook was published, which has not lost its significance to this day.
Defending his own artistic beliefs, Tchaikovsky not only implemented new aesthetic principles in his works, not only introduced them in the process of pedagogical work, he fought for them and acted as a music critic. Tchaikovsky was concerned about the fate of his native art, and he took upon himself the work of a musical reviewer in Moscow.
Tchaikovsky undoubtedly had literary abilities. If he needed to write a libretto for his own opera, this did not bother him; he is responsible for the translation of the literary text of Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro”; By translating the poems of the German poet Bodenstedt, Tchaikovsky inspired A. G. Rubinstein to create famous Persian songs. Tchaikovsky's gift as a writer is also evidenced by his magnificent heritage as a music critic.
Tchaikovsky's debut as a publicist was two articles - in defense of Rimsky-Korsakov and Balakirev. Tchaikovsky authoritatively refuted the negative judgment of the reactionary critic about early work Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Serbian Fantasy” and predicted a brilliant future for the twenty-four-year-old composer.
Second article (“Voice from Moscow musical world") was written in connection with the fact that the dignitary “patrons” of art, led by Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, expelled Balakirev from the Russian Musical Society. In response to this, Tchaikovsky angrily wrote: “Balakirev can now say what the father of Russian literature said when he received news of his expulsion from
Academy of Sciences: “The Academy can be separated from Lomonosov..., but Lomonosov cannot be separated from the Academy!”
Everything advanced and viable in art found Tchaikovsky’s warm support. And not only in Russian: in his homeland, Tchaikovsky promoted the most valuable thing in French music of that time - the work of J. Bizet, C. Saint-Saens, L. Delibes, J. Massenet. Tchaikovsky treated both the Norwegian composer Grieg and the Czech composer A. Dvorak with equal love. These were artists whose work corresponded to Tchaikovsky’s aesthetic views. He wrote about Edvard Grieg: “My nature and his are in close inner kinship.”
Many talented Western European composers wholeheartedly embraced his affection, and now one cannot read Saint-Saëns’ letters to Tchaikovsky without emotion: “You will always have in me a devoted and faithful friend.”
It is also worth recalling the significance of Tchaikovsky’s critical activity in the history of the struggle for national opera.
The seventies for Russian opera art were years of rapid prosperity, which took place in a sharp struggle with everything that hindered development national music. A long struggle unfolded over musical theater. And in this struggle Tchaikovsky played a big role. For Russian opera, he demanded space and freedom of creativity. In 1871, Tchaikovsky began writing about the “Italian Opera” (the so-called Italian
opera troupe, constantly touring in Russia).
Tchaikovsky was far from the idea of denying the operatic achievements of Italy, the cradle of operatic art. With what admiration Tchaikovsky wrote about joint performances on stage Bolshoi Theater wonderful Italian, French and Russian singers: the gifted A. Patti, D. Artaud, E. Naudin, E. A. Lavrovskaya, E. P. Kadmina, F. I. Stravinsky. But the rules established by the management of the imperial theaters prevented creative competition between representatives of the two national cultures- Italian and Russian. The position of Russian opera was negatively affected by the fact that the aristocratic public demanded, above all, entertainment and refused to recognize the successes of their national composers. Therefore, the management gave unheard of privileges to the entrepreneur of the Italian opera troupe. The repertoire was limited to works by foreign composers, and Russian operas and Russian artists were suppressed. The Italian troupe became purely commercial enterprise. In pursuit of profit, the entrepreneur speculated on the tastes of the “most illustrious parterre” (Tchaikovsky).
With exceptional tenacity and consistency, Tchaikovsky exposed the cult of profit, incompatible with genuine art. He wrote: “Something ominous seized my soul when, amid the performance in one of the boxes of the benoir, the tall, skinny figure of the ruler of Moscow pockets, Signor Merelli, appeared. His face
breathed calm self-confidence and from time to time a smile of either contempt or cunning self-satisfaction played on the lips...”
Condemning the entrepreneurial approach to art, Tchaikovsky also denounced the conservatism of tastes, supported by certain sections of the public, dignitaries from the Ministry of the Court, and officials from the office of the imperial theaters.
If the seventies were the heyday of Russian opera, then Russian ballet at that time was experiencing an acute crisis. G. A. Laroche, figuring out the causes of this crisis, wrote:
“With very few exceptions, serious, serious composers keep themselves away from ballet.”
Favorable conditions were created for artisan composers. The stage was literally filled with ballet performances in which music played the role of dance rhythm, - no more. Ts. Puni, a staff composer of the Mariinsky Theatre, managed to compose more than three hundred ballets in this “style”.
Tchaikovsky was the first Russian classical composer to turn to ballet. He could not have achieved success without mastering best achievements Western European ballet; he also relied on the wonderful traditions created by M. I. Glinka in the dance scenes from “Ivan Susanin”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”.
Did Tchaikovsky think when he created his ballets that he was carrying out a reform in Russian choreographic art?
No. He was overly modest and never considered himself an innovator. But from the day Tchaikovsky agreed to fulfill the order of the Bolshoi Theater management and began writing the music for Swan Lake in the summer of 1875, he began to reform the ballet.
The element of dance was no less close to him than the sphere of song and romance. It is not for nothing that the “Character Dances” were the first to become famous among his works, attracting the attention of I. Strauss.
Russian ballet, in the person of Tchaikovsky, has acquired a subtle lyricist-thinker, a true symphonist. And Tchaikovsky's ballet music is deeply meaningful; it expresses the characters of the characters, their spiritual essence. In the dance music of previous composers (Puni, Minkus, Gerber) there was neither great content, nor psychological depth, nor the ability to express the image of the hero in sounds.
Innovation in ballet art was not easy for Tchaikovsky. The premiere of Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theater (1877) could not bode well for the composer. According to N.D. Kashkin, “almost a third of Tchaikovsky’s music was replaced by inserts from other ballets, and the most mediocre ones at that.” Only in late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, through the efforts of choreographers M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, I. Gorsky, artistic productions of “Swan Lake” were carried out, and the ballet received worldwide recognition.
1877 was perhaps the most difficult year in the composer's life. All his biographers write about this. After an unsuccessful marriage, Tchaikovsky leaves Moscow and goes abroad. Tchaikovsky lives in Rome, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Geneva, Venice, Florence... And he doesn’t stay anywhere for long. Tchaikovsky calls his lifestyle abroad wandering. Creativity helps Tchaikovsky overcome his mental crisis.
For his homeland, 1877 was the year the Russian-Turkish War began. Tchaikovsky's sympathies were with the Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula.
In one of his letters to his homeland, Tchaikovsky wrote that in difficult moments for the people, when because of the war every day “many families are orphaned and turned into beggary, it is ashamed to plunge up to their necks in their private petty affairs.”
1878 is marked by two greatest creations, which were created in parallel. It was the fourth symphony and the opera “Eugene Onegin” - they appeared the highest expression ideals and thoughts of Tchaikovsky in that period.
There is no doubt that personal drama (Tchaikovsky even thought about suicide), as well as historical events, influenced the content of the fourth symphony. Having completed this work, Tchaikovsky dedicated it to N. F. von Meck. At a critical moment in Tchaikovsky's life
Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck played a big role, providing moral support and material assistance, which promoted Tchaikovsky’s independence and was used by him to devote himself entirely to creativity.
In one of his letters to von Meck, Tchaikovsky outlined the contents of the fourth symphony.
The main idea of the symphony is the idea of conflict between man and forces hostile to him. As one of the main themes, Tchaikovsky uses the “rock” motif, which permeates the first and last parts of the symphony. The theme of rock has a broad collective meaning in the symphony - it is a generalized image of evil, with which man enters into an unequal struggle.
The fourth symphony summed up the instrumental creativity of the young Tchaikovsky.
Almost at the same time, another composer, Borodin, created the “Heroic Symphony” (1876). The appearance of the epic “Bogatyrskaya” and lyrical-dramatic fourth symphony was real creative victory Borodin and Tchaikovsky - two founders of the classical Russian symphony.
Like the participants of the Balakirev circle, Tchaikovsky highly valued and loved opera as the most democratic genre musical art. But unlike the Kuchkists, who turned to historical themes in their operatic works (“The Woman of Pskov” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, “Prince Igor” by Borodin), where the main character is the people, Tchaikovsky is attracted
stories that help him reveal inner world common man. But before finding these “his” subjects, Tchaikovsky went through a long journey of search.
Only in the thirty-eighth year of his life, after “Ondine”, “The Voevoda”, “The Blacksmith Vakula”, Tchaikovsky created his operatic masterpiece, writing the opera “Eugene Onegin”. Everything in this opera boldly violated the generally accepted traditions of opera productions; everything was simple, deeply truthful and, at the same time, everything was innovative.
In the fourth symphony, in Onegin, Tchaikovsky came to the full maturity of his mastery. In further evolution operatic creativity Tchaikovsky's dramaturgy of operas becomes more complex and enriched, but everywhere his inherent deep lyricism and exciting drama, the transmission of the most subtle shades remain mental life, classically clear form.
In 1879, Tchaikovsky completed the opera “The Maid of Orleans” (the libretto was written by the composer based on Schiller’s drama). WITH new opera a heroic page in the history of France was connected - an episode from the Hundred Years' War in Europe in the 14th-15th centuries, the feat of Joan of Arc - the heroine of the French people. Despite the diversity of external effects and theatrical techniques, which clearly contradict the aesthetic views of the composer himself, the opera “The Maid of Orleans” contains many pages filled with real drama and lyrically soulful. Some of them can be safely attributed to the best examples of Russian operatic art: for example, the wonderful
Joanna’s aria “Forgive me, dear fields, forests” and the entire third picture, saturated with powerful emotional power.
Tchaikovsky reached the heights of operatic art in his works on Pushkin's themes. In 1883, he wrote the opera “Mazepa” based on the plot of Pushkin’s “Poltava”. The harmony of the compositional plan of the opera, the brightness of the dramatic contrasts, the versatility of the images, the expressiveness of the folk scenes, the masterful orchestration - all this cannot but indicate that after the opera “The Maid of Orleans” Tchaikovsky stepped forward significantly and that “Mazeppa” is an outstanding work that enriched Russian art 80s.
In the field of symphonic creativity during these years, Tchaikovsky created three orchestral suites (1880, 1883, 1884): “Italian Capriccio” and “Serenade for String Orchestra” (1880), a large program symphony"Manfred" (1884).
The ten-year period, from 1878 to 1888, which separates Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony from his fifth symphony, was marked by important historical events. Let us remember that at first it was time revolutionary situation(1879-81), and then the period of reaction. All this, albeit in an indirect form, was reflected in Tchaikovsky. From the composer's correspondence we learn that he, too, did not escape the oppression of reaction. “At present, even the most peaceful citizen has a hard time living in Russia,” Tchaikovsky wrote in 1882.
Political reaction failed to undermine the creative powers of the best representatives of art and literature. It is enough to list the works of L. N. Tolstoy (“The Power of Darkness”), A. P. Chekhov (“Ivanov”), M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (“Judushka Golovlev”, “Poshekhon Antiquity”), the brilliant paintings of I. E. Repin (“They Didn’t Expect”, “Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan”) and V. I. Surikov (“Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, “Boyarina Morozova”), point to Mussorgsky’s “Khovanshchina”, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Snow Maiden” and "Mazepa" by Tchaikovsky to remember the great achievements of Russian art and literature of the 80s.
It was at this time that Tchaikovsky’s music conquered and brought world fame to its creator. The original concerts of Tchaikovsky, the conductor, are held with great success in Paris, Berlin, Prague, in cities that have been centers of European musical culture for a long time. Later, in the early 90s, Tchaikovsky's performances in America were triumphant - in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, where the great composer was greeted with exceptional hospitality. In England, Tchaikovsky was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge. Tchaikovsky is elected to the largest musical societies Europe.
In April 1888, Tchaikovsky settled near Moscow, not far from the city of Klin, in Frolovskoye. But here Tchaikovsky could not feel completely calm, so
how he found himself an unwitting witness to the predatory destruction of the surrounding forests, and moved to Maidanovo. In 1892, he moved to Klin, where he rented a two-story house, now known throughout the world as the Tchaikovsky House Museum.
In Tchaikovsky's life, this time was marked by the highest achievements of creativity. During these five years, Tchaikovsky created the fifth symphony, the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty”, the operas “The Queen of Spades”, “Iolanta”, the ballet “The Nutcracker” and, finally, the brilliant sixth symphony.
The main idea of the fifth symphony is the same as the fourth - the opposition of fate and the human desire for happiness. In the fifth symphony, the composer returns to the theme of rock in each of the four movements. Tchaikovsky introduces lyrical elements into the symphony musical landscapes(he composed in the most picturesque surroundings of Klin). The outcome of the struggle, the resolution of the conflict is given in the finale, where the theme of rock develops into a solemn march, personifying the victory of man over fate.
In the summer of 1889, Tchaikovsky completely completed the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” (based on the fairy tale French writer C. Perrault). In the autumn of the same year, when new ballet was preparing for production on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, the director of the imperial theaters I. A. Vsevolozhsky ordered Tchaikovsky’s opera “The Queen of Spades.” Tchaikovsky agreed to write a new opera.
The opera was composed in Florence. Tchaikovsky arrived here on January 18, 1890, and settled in a hotel. After 44 days - March 3 - the opera “The Queen of Spades” was completed
in the clavier. The process of instrumentation proceeded very quickly, and soon after the completion of the score, “The Queen of Spades” was accepted for production by the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, as well as at the Kyiv Opera and the Bolshoi Theater.
The premiere of The Queen of Spades took place at the Mariinsky Theater on December 19, 1890. The part of Herman was sung by the outstanding Russian singer N. N. Figner, and the inspired performer of the part of Lisa was his wife M. I. Figner. Prominent artistic forces of that time took part in the performance: I. A. Melnikov (Tomsky), L. G. Yakovlev (Eletsky), M. A. Slavina (Countess). Conducted by E. F. Napravnik. A few days later, on December 31 of the same year, the opera was staged in Kiev with the participation of M. E. Medvedev (German), I. V. Tartakov (Eletsky) and others. A year later, on November 4, 1891, the first production of “The Queen of Spades” took place "in Moscow on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The main roles were entrusted to a remarkable galaxy of artists: M. E. Medvedev (German), M. A. Deisha-Sionitskaya (Liza), P. A. Khokhlov (Eletsky), B. B. Korsov (Tomsky), A. P. Krutikova (Countess), conducted by I.K. Altani.
The first productions of the opera were distinguished by great care and were a huge success with the public. There were so many stories similar to the “little” tragedy of Herman and Lisa during the reign of Alexander III. And the opera made us think, sympathize with the downtrodden, and hate everything dark and ugly that interfered with people’s happy lives.
The opera “The Queen of Spades” was in tune with the sentiments of many people in Russian art in the 90s. The ideological similarities of Tchaikovsky's opera With works visual arts and literature of those years is found in the works of great Russian artists and writers.
In the story “The Queen of Spades” (1834), Pushkin created typical images. Having painted a picture of the ugly morals of secular society, the writer condemned the noble Petersburg of his time.
Long before Tchaikovsky, the plot conflict of “The Queen of Spades” was used in the opera French composer J. Halévy, in the operetta of the German composer F. Suppe and in the drama of the Russian writer D. Lobanov. None of the listed authors managed to create any original work. And only Tchaikovsky, turning to this plot, created a work of genius.
The libretto for the opera “The Queen of Spades” was written by the composer’s brother, playwright Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The original source was processed in accordance with the principles of creativity, desires and instructions of the composer; he took an active part in compiling the libretto: he wrote poetry, demanded the introduction of new scenes, and shortened the texts of opera parts.
The libretto clearly outlines the main dramatic stages in the development of the action: Tomsky's ballad about three cards marks the beginning of the tragedy, which reaches its climax
in the fourth scene; then comes the denouement of the drama - first the death of Lisa, then Herman.
In Tchaikovsky's opera, Pushkin's plot is supplemented and developed, and the accusatory motives of Pushkin's story are strengthened.
From the story “The Queen of Spades,” Tchaikovsky and his librettist left the scenes in the countess’s bedroom and in the barracks untouched. At the request of Vsevolozhsky, the action of the opera was transferred from St. Petersburg during the time of Alexander I to St. Petersburg during the time of Catherine the Great. The same Vsevolozhsky advised Tchaikovsky to introduce the interlude “The Sincerity of the Shepherdess” (third scene). The music of the interlude is written in the style of Mozart, a composer dearly loved by Tchaikovsky, and the words are taken from the texts of Karabanov, a little-known and long-forgotten poet of the 18th century. To further emphasize the everyday flavor, the librettist turned to the heritage and more famous poets: Tomsky’s playful song “If only lovely girls” was written to a text by G. R. Derzhavin, a poem by V. A. Zhukovsky was chosen for the duet of Lisa and Polina, words by another poet XIX century - K.N. Batyushkova were used for Polina's romance.
It should be noted that there is a difference between the image of Herman in Pushkin’s story and in Tchaikovsky’s opera. Pushkin's German does not evoke sympathy: he is an egoist who has some wealth and strives with all his might to increase it. Tchaikovsky's Herman is contradictory and complex. Two passions fight in him: love and the thirst for wealth. The contradiction of this image
his internal development - from love and the obsession of profit gradually darkening the mind to death and rebirth at the time of the death of the former Herman - provided the composer with exceptionally grateful material for embodying Tchaikovsky’s favorite theme in the operatic genre - the theme of contrasting man, his dream of happiness with a fate hostile to him.
The contrasting features of the image of Herman, who is the central figure of the entire opera, are revealed with enormous realistic power in the music of his two ariosos. In the poetically penetrating monologue “I don’t know her name,” Herman appears overwhelmed by ardent love. In the arioso “What is our life” (in a gambling house), the composer brilliantly conveyed the moral decline of his hero.
The librettist and composer also revised the image of Lisa, the heroine of the story “The Queen of Spades”. In Pushkin, Liza is presented as a poor pupil and a downtrodden hanger-on of the old countess. In the opera, Lisa (here she is the granddaughter of a wealthy countess) actively fights for her happiness. According to the original version, the performance ended with the reconciliation of Lisa and Yeletsky. The falsity of such a situation was obvious, and the composer created the famous scene at the Kanavka, where an artistically completed, truthful end to the tragedy of Lisa, who commits suicide, is given.
Lisa's musical image contains the features of warm lyricism and sincerity with the typical features of Tchaikovsky's tragic doom. At the same time, Tchaikovsky expresses the complex inner world of the heroine
without the slightest pretentiousness, maintaining complete natural vitality. Lisa’s arioso “Oh, I’m tired of grief” is widely known. The exceptional popularity of this dramatic episode is explained by the fact that the composer managed to put all his understanding into it great tragedy a Russian woman mourning her fate alone.
Some characters absent from Pushkin's story are boldly introduced into Tchaikovsky's opera: these are Lisa's fiancé and Herman's rival, Prince Yeletsky. A new character escalates the conflict; In the opera, two contrasting images appear, brilliantly captured in Tchaikovsky’s music. Let us remember Herman’s arioso “Forgive me, heavenly creature” and Yeletsky’s arioso “I love you.” Both heroes turn to Lisa, but how different their experiences are: Herman is enveloped in fiery passion; in the appearance of the prince, in his arioso music there is beauty, self-confidence, as if he is talking not about love, but about calm affection.
The opera's characterization of the old countess - the imaginary owner of the secret of three cards - is very close to Pushkin's original source. Tchaikovsky's music depicts this character as an image of death. Minor changes have been made to minor characters like Chekalinsky or Surin.
The dramaturgical concept determined the system of leitmotifs. The most widely developed in the opera are the leitmotif of Herman's fate (the theme of three cards) and the exciting, deeply emotional theme of the love of Lisa and Herman.
In the opera The Queen of Spades, Tchaikovsky brilliantly combined the melodic richness of the vocal parts with the development musical material. “The Queen of Spades” is the highest achievement of Tchaikovsky’s operatic creativity and one of the greatest peaks in the world opera classics.
Following the tragic opera “The Queen of Spades,” Tchaikovsky creates a work of optimistic content. It was Iolanta (1891) - Tchaikovsky's last opera. According to Tchaikovsky, the one-act opera “Iolanta” should be performed in one performance with the ballet “The Nutcracker”. With the creation of this ballet, the composer completes the reform of musical choreography.
Tchaikovsky's last work was his sixth symphony, performed on October 28, 1893, a few days before the composer's death. Tchaikovsky himself conducted. On November 3, Tchaikovsky fell seriously ill and died on November 6.
Russian musical classics second half of the 19th century centuries gave the world many famous names, but brilliant music Tchaikovsky distinguishes him even among the greatest artists of this era.
Tchaikovsky's creative path runs through the complex historical period of the 60s-90s. Over a relatively short period of creativity (twenty-eight years), Tchaikovsky wrote ten operas, three ballets, seven symphonies and many works in other genres.
Tchaikovsky amazes with his versatile talents. It's not enough to say that he opera composer, creator of ballets, symphonies, romances; He achieved recognition and fame in the field of program-instrumental music, created concerts, chamber ensembles, and piano works. And in any of these art forms he performed with equal force.
Tchaikovsky gained wide fame during his lifetime. He had an enviable fate: his works always found a response in the hearts of listeners. But he truly became a national composer in our time. Remarkable achievements of science and technology - sound recording, radio, cinema and television made his work accessible in the most remote corners of our country. The great Russian composer became the favorite composer of all the peoples of our country.
The musical culture of millions of people is brought up on the creative heritage of Tchaikovsky.
His music lives among the people, and this is immortality.
O. Melikyan
Queen of Spades
Opera in 3 acts
PLOT
BORROWED FROM THE STORY
A. S. PUSHKINA
Libretto
M. TCHAIKOVSKY
Music
P. I. TCHAIKOVSKY
CHARACTERS
Count Tomsky (Zlatogor) | |
Prince Yeletsky | |
Chekalinsky | |
Chaplitsky | |
Manager | |
mezzo-soprano |
|
Polina (Milovzor) | contralto |
Governess | mezzo-soprano |
Boy Commander | non-singing |
Characters in the sideshow |
|
Milovzor (Polina) | contralto |
Zlatogor (city of Tomsk) | |
Nannies, governesses, nurses, walkers
guests, children, players, etc.
The action takes place in St. Petersburg
at the end of the 18th century.
INTRODUCTION.
ACT ONE
PICTURE ONE
Spring. Summer garden. Area. Nannies, governesses and nurses sit on benches and walk around the garden. Children play burners, others jump over ropes and throw balls.
Burn, burn clearly
So that it doesn't go out,
One two Three!
(Laughter, exclamations, running around.)
Have fun, dear children!
Rarely is the sunshine for you, my dears,
Amuses me with joy!
If, dear ones, you are free
You start games and pranks,
That's a little bit for your nannies
Then you bring peace.
Warm up, run, dear children,
And have fun in the sun!
Nurses
Bye, bye bye!
Sleep, darling, rest!
Don't open your eyes!
(Drumming and children's trumpets are heard.)
Here are our soldiers coming - little soldiers.
How slim! Step aside! Places! One, two, one two...
(Boys wearing toy weapons enter; a boy commander is in front.)
Boys (marching)
One, two, one, two,
Left, right, left right!
Together, brothers!
Don't get lost!
Boy Commander
Right shoulder forward! One, two, stop!
(The boys stop)
Listen!
Musket in front of you! Take it by the gun! Musket to the leg!
(The boys follow the command.)
Boys
We're all gathered here
For fear of Russian enemies.
Evil enemy, beware!
And run away with villainous thoughts, or submit!
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Save the Fatherland
It was our fate.
We will fight
And enemies in captivity
Pick up without invoice!
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Long live the wife,
Wise Queen,
She is the mother of us all,
Empress of these countries
And pride and beauty!
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Boy Commander
Well done boys!
Boys
We are glad to try, your honor!
Boy Commander
Listen!
Musket in front of you! Right! On guard! March!
(The boys leave drumming and trumpeting.)
Nannies, wet nurses, governesses
Well, well done, our soldiers!
And they will indeed bring fear to the enemy.
(Other children follow the boys. The nannies and governesses disperse, giving way to other walkers. Chekalinsky and Surin enter.)
Chekalinsky
How did the game end yesterday?
Of course, I blew it terribly!
I'm unlucky...
Chekalinsky
Did you play again until the morning?
I'm terribly tired
Damn it, I wish I could win at least once!
Chekalinsky
Was Herman there?
Was. And, as always,
From eight to eight in the morning
Chained to the gambling table
sat,
And silently blew wine,
Chekalinsky
But only?
Yes, I watched others play.
Chekalinsky
What a strange man he is!
It's like it's in his heart
There are at least three villains.
Chekalinsky
I heard that he is very poor...
Yes, not rich. Here it is, look:
Like a demon of hell, gloomy... pale...
(Herman enters, thoughtful and gloomy; Count Tomsky is with him.)
Tell me, Herman, what’s wrong with you?
With me? Nothing...
You are sick?
No, I'm healthy!
You have become something different...
Dissatisfied with something...
Happened: reserved, thrifty,
At least you were cheerful;
Now you are gloomy, silent
And, - I don’t believe my ears:
You, burning with a new passion,
As they say, until the morning
Do you spend your nights gaming?
Yes! Steady foot towards the goal
I cannot walk as before.
I myself don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I'm lost, I'm indignant at weakness,
But I can't control myself anymore...
I love! I love!
How! Are you in love? In whom?
I don't know her name
And I can't find out
Without wanting an earthly name,
Call her...
Going through all the comparisons,
I don't know who to compare with...
My love, the bliss of paradise,
I would like to keep it forever!
But the thought is jealous that someone else should have it
When I don’t dare kiss her footprint,
Torments me; and earthly passion
In vain I want to calm down,
And then I want to hug everyone,
And I still want to hug my saint...
I don't know her name
And I don't want to find out...
And if so, get to work quickly!
Let's find out who she is, and then -
And make an offer boldly,
And - it's a deal!
Oh no! Alas, she is noble
And it cannot belong to me!
This is what bothers and gnaws at me!
Let's find another... Not the only one in the world...
You do not know me!
No, I can’t stop loving her!
Oh, Tomsky, you don’t understand!
I could only live in peace
While passions were dormant within me...
Then I could control myself.
Now that the soul is in the grip of one dream,
Goodbye peace! Poisoned, as if intoxicated,
I'm sick, sick... I'm in love.
Is it you, Herman?
I admit, I wouldn't trust anyone
That you are capable of loving so much!
(Herman and Tomsky pass. People walking fill the stage.)
Walking Choir
Finally, God sent a sunny day!
We won't be able to wait long for a day like this again.
We haven't seen days like this for many years, | Simultaneously |
|
What a joy! What happiness! | ||
Young people Sun, sky, air, nightingale song |
Are you sure she doesn't notice you?
I bet she's in love and misses you...
If only I were deprived of gratifying doubt,
Would my soul have endured the torment?
You see: I live, I suffer, but in a terrible moment,
When I find out that I am not destined to possess her,
Then there will be only one thing left...
Die! (Prince Yeletsky enters. Chekalinsky and Surin go to him.)
Chekalinsky (to the prince)
We can congratulate you.
They say you are a groom?
Yes, gentlemen, I am getting married; the bright angel gave consent
Combine your destiny with mine forever!..
Chekalinsky
Well, good morning!
I'm glad with all my heart. Be happy, prince!
Yeletsky, congratulations!
Thank you, friends!
Prince(with feeling)
Happy day, | Simultaneously |
|
Unlucky day |
Tomsk(to the prince)
Tell me, who will you marry?
Prince, who is your bride?
(The Countess enters with Lisa.)
Prince(pointing to Lisa)
She? She is his bride! Oh my God!...
Lisa and Countess
He's here again!
So that’s who your nameless beauty is!
I'm scared! | Simultaneously |
|
I'm scared! |
What does he want by pursuing me? | Simultaneously |
|
I'm scared! I'm scared! | ||
I'm scared! My God, how embarrassed she is! I'm scared! | ||
So who was he talking about? |
I'm scared.
(Count Tomsky approaches the Countess. The Prince approaches Lisa. The Countess looks intently at Herman)
Countess,
Let me congratulate you...
Tell me who is this officer?
Which? This? Herman, my friend.
Where did he come from? How scary he is!
(Tomsky accompanies her to the back of the stage.)
Prince (giving hand to Lisa)
Heaven's enchanting beauty,
Spring, zephyrs light rustle,
The joy of the crowd, hello friends, -
They promise many years in the future
We are happy!
Rejoice, buddy!
Have you forgotten that behind a quiet day
There is a thunderstorm. What is the creator
Gave happiness tears, a bucket - thunder!
(Distant thunder. Herman sits down on the bench in gloomy thoughtfulness.)
What a witch this Countess is!
Chekalinsky
Scarecrow!
No wonder she was nicknamed “The Queen of Spades.”
I can’t understand why she doesn’t show off?
How? An old woman?
Chekalinsky
An eighty-year-old hag!
So you don't know anything about her?
No, really, nothing.
Chekalinsky
Oh, listen!
Many years ago the Countess was known in Paris as a beauty.
All the youth were crazy about her,
Calling it “Venus of Moscow”.
Count Saint-Germain - among others then still handsome,
I was captivated by her. But to no avail he sighed for the countess:
All night long the beauty played and, alas,
Pharaoh preferred love.
Once at Versailles, “au jeu de la Reine” Venus moscovite was lost to the ground.
Among the guests was the Count of Saint-Germain;
While watching the game, he heard her
She whispered in the midst of excitement: “Oh, God! Oh my God!
Oh God, I could play it all back
When would it be enough to put it again
The graph, having chosen the right moment when
Stealthily leaving the full hall of guests,
The beauty sat silently alone,
In love, he whispered words sweeter than the sounds of Mozart in her ear:
“Countess, Countess, Countess, at the price of one, “rendezvous” you want,
Perhaps I'll tell you three cards, three cards, three cards?
The Countess flared up: “How dare you!”
But the count was not a coward... And when a day later
The beauty appeared again, alas,
Penniless "au jeu de la Reine"
She already knew three cards.
Boldly placing them one after another,
She got hers back... but at what cost!
Oh cards, oh cards, oh cards!
Since she told her husband those cards,
Another time, the handsome young man recognized them.
But that same night, only one remained,
The ghost appeared to her and said menacingly:
"You will receive a fatal blow
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
Chekalinsky
Se nonè vero, è ben trovato.
(Thunder is heard, a thunderstorm is coming.)
Funny! But the Countess can sleep peacefully:
It is difficult for her to find an ardent lover.
Chekalinsky
Listen, Herman, here's a great opportunity for you,
To play without money. Think about it!
(Everyone laughs.)
Chekalinsky, Surin
“From the third, who ardently, passionately loving,
He will come to find out from you by force
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
(They leave. A strong clap of thunder. A thunderstorm breaks out. The walkers hurry in equal directions. Exclamations, shouts.)
Walking Choir
How quickly the storm came... Who would have expected?..
What passions... Blow after blow, louder, more terrible!
Run quickly! Hurry up to the gate!
(Everyone runs away. The thunderstorm intensifies.)
(From a distance.)
Ah, hurry home!
Run here quickly!
(Strong clap of thunder.)
Hermann (thoughtfully)
"You will receive a fatal blow
From the third, who ardently, passionately loving,
He will come to find out from you by force
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
Oh, what do I care about them, even if I possessed them!
Everything is lost now... I am the only one left. I'm not afraid of the storm!
In myself all the passions awoke with such murderous force,
That thunder is nothing in comparison! No, prince!
As long as I'm alive, I won't give it to you.
I don’t know how, but I’ll take it!
Thunder, lightning, wind, in your presence I solemnly grant
I take an oath: she will be mine, or I will die!
(Runs away.)
PICTURE TWO
Lisa's room. Door to balcony overlooking the garden. Lisa at the harpsichord. Polina is near her. Girlfriends.
Lisa and Polina
It’s already evening... the edges of the clouds have darkened,
The last ray of dawn on the towers dies;
The last shining stream in the river
With the extinct sky it fades away.
Everything is quiet: the groves are sleeping; there is peace all around;
Prostrate on the grass under a bent willow,
I listen to how it murmurs, merging with the river,
A stream overshadowed by bushes.
How the aroma is fused with the coolness of the plants!
How sweet is the splashing of the jets in the silence by the shore!
How softly the zephyr blows across the waters,
And the fluttering of the flexible willow!
Chorus of girlfriends
Charming! Charming!
Wonderful! Lovely! Oh, wonderful, good!
More, mesdames, more, more.
Sing, Polya, for us alone.
One?
But what to sing?
Chorus of girlfriends
Please, what do you know?
Ma chère, little dove, sing us something.
I'll sing my favorite romance...
(Sits down at the harpsichord, plays and sings with deep feeling.)
Wait... How is this? Yes, I remembered!
Dear friends, in playful carelessness,
You frolic in the meadows to the tune of a dance tune!
And I, like you, lived happy in Arcadia,
And I, in the morning of days, in these groves and fields
I tasted moments of joy:
Love promised me happiness in golden dreams,
But what did I get in these joyful places?
Grave!
(Everyone is touched and excited.)
So I decided to sing a tearful song like this?
Well, why? You’re already sad enough, Lisa,
On such and such a day! Think about it, you're engaged, ah, ah, ah!
(To girlfriends.)
Well, why are you all hanging your noses? Let's have fun,
Yes, Russian in honor of the bride and groom!
Well, I'll start, and you sing along with me!
Chorus of girlfriends
Indeed, let's have a fun, Russian one!
(The friends clap their hands. Lisa, not taking part in the fun, stands thoughtfully by the balcony.)
Pauline (friends sing along with her)
Come on, little Mashenka,
You sweat, dance,
Ay, lyuli, lyuli,
You sweat, dance.
Your white hands
Pick it up at the sides.
Ay, lyu-li, lyu-li,
Pick it up at the sides.
Your quick little legs
Don't be sorry, please.
Ay, lyuli, lyuli,
Don't be sorry, please.
(Polina and some friends start dancing.)
When mommy asks: “Have fun!”
Ay, lyu-li, lu-li, “fun!” speak.
And to the answer auntie:
Like, “I drank until dawn!”
Ay, lyu-li, lu-li, lu-li,
Like, “I drank until dawn!”
The fellow will reproach:
“Go away, go away!”
Ay, lyu-li, lyu-li,
“Go away, go away!”
(The Countess's governess enters.)
Governess
Mesdemoiselles, what's all the noise you're making here? The Countess is angry...
Ah ah ah! Aren't you ashamed to dance in Russian!
Fi, quel genre, mesdames!
The young ladies of your circle need to know some decency!
You should have taught each other the rules of the world.
In girls' rooms you can only rage, not here, mes mignonnes.
Isn't it possible to have fun without forgetting the bon ton?...
It's time to leave...
I was sent to call you to say goodbye...
(The young ladies disperse.)
Pauline (approaching Lisa)
Lise, why are you so boring?
I am boring? Not at all! Look what a night!
As if after a terrible storm, everything was suddenly renewed.
Look, I'll complain to the prince about you.
I'll tell him that on the day of the engagement you were sad...
No, for God's sake, don't talk!
Then please smile now...
Like this! Now goodbye. (They kiss.)
I'll take you...
(They leave. The maid comes and puts out the fire, leaving one candle. As she approaches the balcony to close it, Lisa returns.)
No need to close. Leave it.
Don't catch a cold, young lady.
No, Masha, the night is so warm, so good!
Would you like me to help you undress?
No I myself. Go to bed.
It's too late, young lady...
Leave me, go...
(Masha leaves. Lisa stands in deep thought, then quietly cries.)
Where do these tears come from, what are they for?
My girlish dreams, you cheated on me!
This is how you justified yourself in reality!..
I have now entrusted my life to the prince - the chosen one after my heart,
Being, intelligence, beauty, nobility, wealth,
A worthy friend not like me.
Who is noble, who is handsome, who is stately like him?
Nobody! And what?...
I’m full of melancholy and fear, I’m trembling and crying.
Why are these tears, why are they?
My girlish dreams, you cheated on me...
It’s both hard and scary! But why deceive yourself?
I'm alone here, everything around me is sleeping quietly...
Oh, listen, night!
You alone can trust the secret of my soul.
She is gloomy, like you, she is like the sad gaze of eyes,
Those who took away my peace and happiness...
Queen of the night!
Like you, beauty, like a fallen angel, he is beautiful.
There is a fire of burning passion in his eyes,
Like a wonderful dream, it beckons me.
And my whole soul is in his power.
Oh night!
(Herman appears at the door of the balcony. Lisa retreats in horror. They silently look at each other. Lisa makes a move to leave.)
Stop, I beg you!
Why are you here, crazy man?
What do you need?
Say goodbye!
(Lisa wants to leave.)
Don't leave! Stay! I'll leave now
And I won’t come back here again... Just a minute!
What's it worth to you? The dying man is calling to you.
Why, why are you here? Go away!
I'll scream.
Shout! (Taking out a gun) Call everyone!
I will die anyway, alone or with others.
(Lisa lowers her head.)
But if there is, beauty, there is even a spark of compassion in you,
Then wait, don’t go!..
After all, this is my last hour of death!
I found out my verdict today.
You, cruel one, entrust your heart to another!
(Passionately and expressively.)
Let me die, blessing you, not cursing you,
Can I live a day when you are a stranger to me!
I lived for you;
Only one feeling and one persistent thought possessed me.
I will die, but before I say goodbye to life,
Give me at least one moment to be alone with you,
In the midst of the wonderful silence of the night, let me revel in your beauty.
Then let death and peace come with it!
(Lisa stands, looking sadly at German.)
Stay like that! Oh, how beautiful you are!
Go away! Go away!
Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
(Herman kneels down.)
I'm sorry, heavenly creature, that I disturbed your peace.
Sorry! but don’t reject a passionate confession,
Don't reject with sadness.
Oh, have pity, I, dying,
I bring you my prayer:
Look from the heights of heavenly paradise
To the death struggle
A soul tormented by the torment of love for you,
Oh, have pity and my spirit with affection, regret,
Warm me with your tears!
(Lisa is crying.)
You are crying! What do these tears mean?
Don't you drive and regret?
(Takes her hand, which she does not take away)
Thank you! Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
(He falls to Lisa’s hand and kisses it. There is the sound of footsteps and a knock on the door.)
Countess (Behind the door)
Lisa, open the door!
Lisa (confused)
Countess! Good God! I'm dead!
Run!.. It's too late!.. Here!..
(The knocking intensifies. Lisa points German to the curtain. Then she goes to the door and opens it. A countess enters in a dressing gown, surrounded by maids with candles.)
Why aren't you sleeping? Why are you dressed? What's all this noise?..
Lisa (confused)
I, grandma, walked around the room... I can’t sleep...
Countess (gestures to close the balcony)
Why is the balcony open? What kind of fantasies are these?..
Look! Don't be stupid! Now go to bed (knocks with a stick)
Do you hear?...
Me, grandma, now!
I can’t sleep!..Have you heard of this! Well, times!
I can't sleep!... Now go to bed!
I obey. Sorry.
Countess (leaving)
And then I hear a noise; you're disturbing grandma! Let's go...
And don’t you dare try anything stupid here!
"Who, loving passionately,
He'll probably come to find out from you
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
The cold of the grave blew all around!
Oh, terrible ghost! Death, I don't want you!..
(Lisa, having closed the door behind the Countess, approaches the balcony, opens it and motions for Herman to leave.)
Oh, have mercy on me!
Death a few minutes ago
It seemed like salvation to me, almost happiness!
Not so now! She's scary to me!
You revealed the dawn of happiness to me,
I want to live and die with you.
Mad man, what do you want from me,
What can I do?
Decide my fate.
Have mercy! You are ruining me!
Go away! I ask you, I command you!
So, that means you pronounce the sentence of death!
Oh, God... I'm getting weaker... Go away, please!
Say then: die!
Good God!
(Herman wants to leave.)
No! Live!
(Impulsively hugs Lisa; she lowers her head on his shoulder.)
Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
Love you!
ACT TWO
PICTURE THREE
A masquerade ball in the house of a wealthy nobleman in the capital. Large hall. On the sides, between the columns, there are boxes. Guests dance contradance. The singers sing in the choirs.
Choir of singers
Joyful! funny!
On this day, gather together, friends!
Give up your idle time
Jump and dance boldly!
Clap your hands with your hands
Click your fingers loudly!
Turn your black eyes,
You say everything with stature!
Fertik hands on your sides,
Take easy leaps
Knock on chobot,
Whistle with courage!
The owner and his wife
Welcomes good guests!
(The manager enters.)
Manager
The owner asks dear guests
Welcome to look at the sparkle of entertainment lights.
(All guests go to the garden terrace.)
Chekalinsky
Our Herman hung his nose again.
I guarantee you that he is in love;
He was gloomy, then he became cheerful.
No, gentlemen, he is carried away,
What do you think?
Hope to learn three cards.
Chekalinsky
What a weirdo!
I don’t believe it, you have to be ignorant to do this!
He's not a fool!
He told me himself.
Chekalinsky (to Surin)
Come on, let's go tease him!
(Pass.)
However, he is one of those
Who, once thinking,
Must accomplish everything!
Poor fellow!
(The hall empties. Servants enter to prepare the middle of the stage for the interlude. The Prince and Lisa pass.)
You're so sad, darling
As if you have grief...
Trust me.
No, later, prince.
Another time... I beg you!
(Wants to leave.)
Wait... just a moment!
I must, I must tell you!
I love you, I love you immensely,
I can’t imagine living a day without you,
I am a feat of unparalleled strength,
I’m ready to do it for you now,
But know: your hearts are free
I don't want to bother you with anything,
I'm ready to hide to please you
And calm down the heat of jealous feelings.
I am ready for anything, for you!
Not only a loving spouse -
Sometimes a useful servant
I wish I could be your friend
And always a comforter.
But I see clearly, I feel now,
Where did you take yourself in your dreams?
How little trust you have in me,
How alien and how distant I am to you!
Ah, I am tormented by this distance.
I sympathize with you with all my heart,
I'm saddened by your sadness
And I cry with your tears,
Oh, I'm tormented by this distance,
I sympathize with you with all my heart!
I love you, I love you immensely...
Oh honey, trust me!
(They leave.)
(Herman enters without a mask, holding a note in his hands.)
Hermann (is reading)
After the performance, wait for me in the hall. I need to see you...
I would rather see her and give up this thought (sits down).
Three cards to know - and I'm rich!
And I can run with her
Away from people.
Damn it! This thought will drive me crazy!
(Several guests return to the hall; among them Chekalinsky and Surin. They point to Herman, creep up and, leaning over him, whisper.)
Chekalinsky, Surin
Aren't you the third one?
Who passionately loves
Will come to find out from her
Three cards, three cards, three cards...
(They are hiding. Herman stands up in fear, as if not realizing what is happening. When he looks around, Chekalinsky and Surin have already disappeared into the crowd of young people.)
Chekalinsky, Surin, several people from the choir
Three cards, three cards, three cards!
(They laugh. They mingle with the crowd of guests).
What is this? Nonsense or mockery?
No! What if...
(Covers his face with his hands.)
Madman, madman I am!
(Thinks.)
Manager
The owner asks his dear guests to listen to the pastoral
Under the title: “The Sincerity of a Shepherdess!”
(Guests are seated in the prepared places.)
Choir of Shepherds and Shepherdesses
(During the chorus, Prilepa alone does not take part in the dancing and weaves a wreath in sad thoughtfulness.)
Under the thick shade,
Near a quiet stream,
We came today in a crowd
Please yourself, sing, have fun
And the news is round dances,
Enjoy nature
Weave flower wreaths...
(The shepherds and shepherdesses dance, then retreat to the back of the stage.)
My dear little friend,
Dear shepherd,
For whom I sigh
And I wish to open passion,
Oh, I didn’t come to dance,
Oh, I didn’t come to dance!
(Milovzor enters.)
Milovzor
I'm here, but I'm boring, languid,
Look how much weight you've lost!
I won't be modest anymore
I hid my passion for a long time...
Zlatogor
How sweet and beautiful you are!
Tell me: which of us -
Me or him -
Do you agree to love forever?
Milovzor
I agreed with my heart
I was inclined to love her,
Whom does it command?
To whom does it burn?
I don’t need any estates
No rare stones
I'm with my sweetheart in the middle of the fields
And I’m glad to live in the hut! (To Milovzor.)
Well, master, good luck,
And you be calm!
Here, in solitude
Hurry to your reward
Such beautiful words
Bring me a bunch of flowers!
Prilepa and Milovzor
The end of the torment has come,
Love's admiration
The hour will soon come,
Love! Hide us.
Choir of Shepherds and Shepherdesses
The end of the torment has come -
The bride and groom are worthy of admiration,
Love! Conjugate them!
(Cupid and Hymen with their retinue enter to marry the young lovers. Prilepa and Milovzor, holding hands, dance. Shepherds and shepherdesses imitate them, form round dances, and then all leave in pairs. At the end of the interlude, some of the guests stand up, others talk animatedly, remaining in place. Herman approaches the front of the stage.)
Hermann (thoughtfully)
“Who ardently and passionately loves”... -
Well, don't I love you?
Of course yes!
(He turns around and sees the countess in front of him. Both shudder and look intently at each other.)
Surin (wearing a mask)
Look, your lover!
(He laughs and hides.)
(Lisa enters wearing a mask.)
Listen, Herman!
You! Finally!
How happy I am that you came!
Love you!
This is not the place...
That's not why I called you.
Listen: - here is the key to the secret door in the garden:
There's a staircase. You will go up it to your grandmother's bedroom...
How? To her bedroom?...
She won't be there...
In the bedroom near the portrait
There is a door to me. I'll be waiting.
You, you alone, I want to belong to.
We need to solve everything!
See you tomorrow, my dear, beloved!
No, not tomorrow, I'll be there today!
Lisa (scared)
But, honey...
Let it be!
After all, I am your slave!
Sorry...
(Hides.)
Now it's not me
Fate itself wants it this way
And I will know three cards!
(Runs away.)
Manager (excitedly)
Her Majesty would like to welcome you now...
Guest Choir
(There is great excitement in the choir. The director divides the crowd so that a passage is formed in the middle for the queen. Among the guests, those who made up the choir in the interlude also participate in the choir.)
(Everyone turns towards the middle doors. The manager makes a sign for the singers to begin.)
Choir of guests and singers
Glory to this, Catherine,
Hail, mother tender to us!
(The men take a low court bow. The ladies crouch deeply. Pages appear.)
Vivat! Viva!
PICTURE FOUR
The countess's bedroom, illuminated by lamps. Herman enters through the secret door. He looks around the room.
Everything is as she told me...
What? Am I afraid?
No! So it is decided:
I will find out the secret from the old woman!
(Thinks.)
And if there is no secret,
And this is all just empty nonsense
My sick soul?
(He goes to Lisa’s door. Stops at the portrait of the Countess. Midnight strikes.)
And, here it is, “Venus of Moscow”!
By some secret force
I am connected with her by fate.
Do I need it from you?
Do you want it from me?
But I feel that one of us
Die from someone else.
I look at you and hate you
And I can’t get enough of it!
I would like to run away
But there is no strength...
The inquisitive gaze cannot look away
From a terrible and wonderful face!
No, we can't separate
Without a fatal meeting.
Steps! Here they come! Yes!
Ah, come what may!
(Hides behind the boudoir curtain. The maid runs in and hastily lights the candles. Other maids and hangers-on come running after her. The Countess enters, surrounded by bustling maids and hangers-on.)
Choir of hangers-on and maids
Our benefactor,
How did you go for a walk?
Our light, little lady
He really wants to rest?
Tired, tea? So what:
Who was better looking there?
Were, perhaps, younger
But there is none more beautiful!
(They escort the Countess to the boudoir. Lisa enters, followed by Masha.)
No, Masha, come with me!
What's wrong with you, young lady, you're pale!
There is nothing...
Masha (guessing)
Oh my god! Really?...
Yes, he will come...
Shut up! He can be,
It's waiting there...
Watch over us, Masha, be my friend.
Oh, I wish we didn’t get it!
That's what he ordered. My husband
I chose him. And an obedient, faithful slave
Became the one sent to me by fate.
(They leave. The campers and maids bring in the Countess. She is in a dressing gown and nightcap. They put her to bed.)
Maids and hangers-on
Benefactor, our light lady,
Tired, tea. He probably wants to rest!
Benefactor, beauty! Go to bed.
Tomorrow you will be more beautiful than the morning dawn again!
Benefactor, go to bed and rest!
Totally lie to you! Tired of it!..
I'm tired... I have no urine...
I don't want to sleep in bed!
(She is seated in a chair and covered with pillows.)
Oh, I hate this light.
Well, times! They don't really know how to have fun.
What manners! What a tone!
And I wouldn't look...
They don't know how to dance or sing!
Who are the dancers? Who sings? girls!
And it happened: who was dancing? Who sang?
Le duc d'Orléans, le duc d'Ayen, duc de Coigny..
La comtesse d'Estrades, la duchesse de Brancas...
What names! and even, sometimes, the Marquise of Pampadour herself!
I sang in front of them... Le duc de la Vallière
He praised me. Once, I remember, in Chantylly, y Prince de Condé
The king heard me! I can see everything now...
Je cranes de lui parler la nuit,
J'ecoute trop tout ce qu'il dit;
Il me dit: je vous aime, et je sens malgré moi,
Je sens mon coeur qui bat, qui bat...
Ja ne sais pas pourquoi...
(As if waking up, he looks around)
Why are you standing here? Get out there!
(The maids and hangers-on disperse. The Countess falls asleep, humming the same song. Herman comes out from behind the shelter and stands opposite the Countess. She wakes up and silently moves her lips in horror.)
Don't be scared! For God's sake, don't be scared!
For God's sake, don't be scared!
I won't harm you!
I came to beg you for one mercy!
(The Countess silently looks at him as before.)
You can create the happiness of a lifetime!
And it won't cost you anything!
You know three cards.
(The Countess gets up.)
For whom should you keep your secret?
(Herman kneels down.)
If you have ever known the feeling of love,
If you remember the ardor and delight of young blood,
If you ever smiled at the affection of a child,
If your heart has ever beat in your chest,
Then I beg you, with the feeling of a wife, lover, mother, -
To everything that is sacred to you in life. Tell me, tell me
Tell me your secret! What do you need it for?
Perhaps it is associated with terrible sin,
With the destruction of bliss, with a devilish condition?
Think about it, you are old, you won’t live long,
And I am ready to take on your sin!
Open up to me! Tell!
(The Countess, straightening up, looks menacingly at Herman.)
Old witch! So I'll make you answer!
(Takes out a pistol. The Countess nods her head, raises her hands to shield herself from the shot and falls dead. Herman approaches the corpse and takes his hand.)
Stop being childish! Would you like to assign me three cards?
Yes or no?...
She is dead! It came true! But I didn’t find out the secret!
Dead! But I didn’t find out the secret... She’s dead! Dead!
(Lisa enters.)
What's all the noise here?
(Seeing Herman.)
Are you, are you here?
Be silent!.. Be silent!.. She is dead,
But I didn’t find out the secret!..
How dead? What are you talking about?
Hermann (pointing to the corpse)
It came true! She's dead, but I didn't find out the secret!
(Lisa rushes to the countess’s corpse.)
Yes! She died! Oh my God! And you did this?
I didn't want her to die...
I just wanted to know three cards!
So that's why you're here! Not for me!
You wanted to know three cards!
It wasn't me you needed, it was the cards!
Oh my God, my God!
And I loved him, because of him I died!
Monster! Murderer! Monster.
(Herman wants to speak, but she points with an imperious gesture to the secret door.)
Killer, Fiend! Away! Away! The villain! Away! Away!
She is dead!
(Herman runs away. Lisa, sobbing, falls on the countess’s corpse.)
ACT THREE
PICTURE FIFTH
Barracks. Herman's room. Late evening. The moonlight alternately illuminates the room through the window and then disappears. Howl of the wind. Herman is sitting at the table near a candle. He reads the letter.
Hermann (is reading)
I don’t believe that you wanted the countess dead... I was tormented by the consciousness of my guilt before you. Calm me down. Today I’m waiting for you on the embankment, when no one can see us there. If you don’t come before midnight, I’ll have to admit a terrible thought that I’m driving away from myself. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I'm suffering so much!..
Poor thing! What an abyss I dragged her into with me!
Oh, if only I could forget myself and fall asleep.
(Sinks into a chair in deep thought and seems to be dozing. Then he gets up in fear.)
What is this? singing or wind howling? I can't figure it out... (Sits down on a chair, covering his face with his hands.) | Simultaneously |
|
Choir of singers behind the stage I pray to the Lord that he will heed my sorrow, |
(There is a knock on the window. Herman raises his head and listens. The howl of the wind. Someone looks out of the window and disappears. Again there is a knock on the window. A gust of wind opens it and a shadow appears from there again. The candle goes out.)
Hermann (horrified)
I'm scared! Scary! There... there are steps...
They open the door... No, no, I can’t stand it!
(Runs to the door, but is stopped there by the ghost of the Countess. Herman retreats. The ghost approaches.)
Ghost of the Countess
I came to you against your will, but I was ordered to fulfill your request. Save Lisa, marry her, and three cards, three cards, three cards will win in a row. Remember: three, seven, ace!
(Disappears.)
Hermann (repeats with an air of madness)
Three, seven, ace!
PICTURE SIX
Night. Winter Canal. In the back of the scene are the embankment and the Peter and Paul Fortress, illuminated by the moon. Under the arch, in a dark corner, all in black, stands Lisa.
Midnight is approaching, and Herman is still not there, still not there...
I know he will come and dispel suspicion.
He is a victim of chance and crime
Can't, can't do it!
Oh, I’m tired, I’m exhausted!..
Oh, I'm exhausted with grief...
Night or day - only about him
I tormented myself with thoughts,
Where have you been?
Oh, I'm tired, I'm tired!
Life only promised me joy,
The cloud found, the thunder brought,
Everything I loved in the world
Happiness, my hopes were dashed!
Oh, I’m tired, I’m tired!..
Whether at night or during the day - only about him.
Oh, I tormented myself with thoughts,
Where are you, experienced joy?
The cloud came and brought a thunderstorm,
Happiness, my hopes were dashed!
I'm tired! I'm exhausted!
Melancholy gnaws and gnaws at me.
And if the clock strikes in response,
That he is a murderer, a seducer?
Oh, I'm scared, I'm scared!
(The clock strikes on the fortress tower.)
Oh, time! wait, he'll be here now... (with despair)
Oh, darling, come, have pity, have pity on me,
My husband, my lord!
So it's true! With a villain
I have tied my fate!
Murderer, monster forever
My soul belongs!..
by his criminal hand
And my life and honor were taken,
I am the fateful will of heaven
Cursed together with the murderer. (He wants to run, but Herman enters.)
You are here, you are here!
You are not a villain! Are you here.
The end of the torment has come
And I became yours again!
Away with tears, torment and doubts!
You are mine again and I am yours! (Falls into his arms.)
Hermann (kisses her)
Yes, here I am, my dear!
Oh yes, the suffering is over,
I'm with you again, my friend!
I'm with you again, my friend!
The bliss of the date has arrived.
The bliss of the date has arrived.
The end of our painful torment.
The end of our painful torment.
Oh yes, the suffering is over, I’m with you again!..
Those were heavy dreams,
The dream deception is empty!
The dream deception is empty!
The lamentations and tears are forgotten!
The lamentations and tears are forgotten!
But, honey, we can't hesitate,
The hours are running...Are you ready? Let's run!
Where to run? With you to the end of the world!
Where to run? Where? To the gambling house!
Oh God, what's wrong with you, Herman?
There are piles of gold for me too,
They belong to me alone!
Oh woe! Herman, what are you saying? Come to your senses!
Oh, I forgot, you don’t know yet!
Three cards, remember what else I wanted to find out then?
From the old witch!
Oh my God, he's crazy!
Stubborn, she didn’t want to tell me.
After all, today I had it -
And she named me three cards.
So, does that mean you killed her?
Oh no, why? I just raised the gun
And the old witch suddenly fell!
(Laughs.)
So it's true, with the villain, | Simultaneously |
|
Yes, yes, it’s true, I know three cards! |
But no, it can’t be! Come to your senses, Herman!
Hermann (in ecstasy)
Yes! I am the third who passionately loves,
I came to forcefully learn from you
About three, seven, ace!
No matter who you are, I am still yours!
Run, come with me, I will save you!
Yes! I learned, I learned from you
About three, seven, ace!
(He laughs and pushes Lisa away.)
Leave me alone! Who are you? I don't know you!
Away! Away!
(Runs away.)
He's dead, he's dead! And with him and me!
(Runs to the embankment and throws himself into the river.)
PICTURE SEVEN
Gambling house. Dinner. Some play cards.
Guest Choir
Let's drink and have fun!
Let's play with life!
Youth doesn't last forever
Old age is not long to wait!
Let our youth drown
In bliss, cards and wine.
They are the only joy in the world,
Life will fly by like in a dream!
Let our joy drown...
Surin (behind the cards)
Chaplitsky
I'm guessing passwords!
Chaplitsky
No passwords!
Chekalinsky (throws)
Would you like to bet?
Chekalinsky
I'm a Mirandolem...
Tomsk (to the prince)
How did you get here?
I haven't seen you around the players before.
Yes, this is my first time here.
You know what they say:
Unhappy in love
Happy in the game...
What do you want to say?
I'm not a groom anymore.
Do not ask me!
I'm in too much pain, friend.
I'm here to take revenge!
After all, happiness is in love
Brings misfortune with you into the game...
Explain what this means?
You'll see!
Let's drink and have fun...
(Players join those having dinner.)
Chekalinsky
Hey gentlemen! Let Tomsky sing something to us!
Sing, Tomsky, something cheerful, funny...
I can't sing something...
Chekalinsky
Eh, come on, what nonsense!
Drink and sing! Good health to Tomsky, friends!
Hooray!..
Health Tomsky! Hooray!
If only lovely girls
So they could fly like birds,
And they sat on the branches,
I wish I was a bitch
So that thousands of girls
Sit on my branches.
Bravo! Bravo! Oh, sing another verse!
Let them sit and sing,
They built nests and whistled,
We would hatch chicks!
I would never bend
I would admire them forever,
He was the happiest of all the bitches.
Bravo! Bravo! That's the song!
This is nice! Bravo! Well done!
"I would never bend,
I would admire them forever,
I was the happiest of all the bitches.”
Chekalinsky
Now, according to custom, friends, let’s play!
So, on rainy days
They were going
Often;
So on rainy days
They were going
Often;
Chekalinsky, Chaplitsky, Narumov, Surin
They bent - God forgive them! -
From fifty
One hundred.
They bent - God forgive them -
From fifty
One hundred.
Chekalinsky, Chaplitsky, Narumov, Surin
And they won
And they unsubscribed
Chalk.
And they won
And they unsubscribed
Chalk.
Chekalinsky, Chaplitsky, Narumov, Surin
So, on rainy days
They were studying
Business.
So, on rainy days
They were studying
Business.
(Whistling, shouting and dancing.)
Chekalinsky
Let's get to work, gentlemen, get to the cards!
Guilt! Guilt!
(They sit down to play.)
Wine, wine!
Chaplitsky
Chaplitsky
To hell with it!
I'm betting on root...
Chaplitsky
Ten minutes from transport.
(Herman enters.)
Prince (seeing him)
My premonition did not deceive me,
(Tomsky.)
I may need a second.
Won't you refuse?
Rely on me!
A! Herman, friend! So late? Where?
Chekalinsky
Sit down with me, you bring happiness.
Where are you from? Where were you? Isn't it in hell?
Look what it looks like!
Chekalinsky
It couldn't be more scary!
Are you healthy?
Let me put down a card.
(Chekalinsky silently bows in agreement.)
What a miracle, he started playing.
What a miracle, he began to pont, our Herman.
(Herman puts down the card and covers it with a bank note.)
Mate, congratulations on solving such a long post!
Chekalinsky
How much?
Forty thousand!
Forty thousand! That's the jackpot. Are you crazy!
Didn't you recognize the countess's three cards?
Hermann (irritated)
Well, do you hit or not?
Chekalinsky
It's coming! Which card?
(Chekalinsky mosque.)
Won!
He won! What a lucky guy!
Chekalinsky, Chaplitsky, Tomsky, Surin, Narumov, choir
Chekalinsky
Do you want to receive?
No! I'm going around the corner!
He's crazy! Is it possible to?
No, Chekalinsky, don't play with him.
Look, he's not himself.
Chekalinsky
Is it coming? And the map?
Here, seven! (Chekalinsky mosque.) My!
Him again! Something strange is happening to him.
Why are you hanging your noses?
Are you scared? (Laughs hysterically.)
Guilt! Guilt!
Herman, what's wrong with you?
Hermann (with glass in hand)
What is our life? - A game!
Good and evil are just dreams!
Labor and honesty are women's tales.
Who is right, who is happy here, friends?
Today you, and tomorrow me!
So give up the fight
Seize your moment of luck!
Let the loser cry
Let the loser cry
Cursing, cursing my fate.
What's true? There is only one death!
Like the shore of the sea of vanity,
She is a refuge for us all.
Which of us is dearer to her, friends?
Today you, and tomorrow me!
So stop fighting!
Seize your moment of luck!
Let the loser cry
Let the loser cry
Cursing my fate.
Is it still going?
Chekalinsky
No, get it!
The devil himself is playing with you!
(Chekalinsky puts the loss on the table.)
And if so, what a problem!
Anyone?
Is this all at stake? A?
Prince (stepping forward)
Prince, what's wrong with you? Stop doing that!
After all, this is not a game - madness!
I know what I'm doing!
We have a score to settle with him!
Hermann (embarrassed)
Do you, do you want?
You're telling me, Chekalinsky.
(Chekalinsky mosque.)
Hermann (opening the map)
No! Your lady is beaten!
Which lady?
The one you have in your hands is the queen of spades!
(The ghost of the Countess appears. Everyone retreats from Herman.)
Hermann (horrified)
Old woman!.. You! Are you here!
Why are you laughing?
You drove me crazy.
Damn! What,
What do you need?
Life, my life?
Take her, take her!
(Stabs himself. The ghost disappears. Several people rush to the fallen Herman.)
Unhappy! How terrible, he committed suicide!
He's alive, he's still alive!
(Herman comes to his senses. Seeing the prince, he tries to rise.)
Prince! Prince, forgive me!
It hurts, it hurts, I'm dying!
What is this? Lisa? Are you here!
My God! Why why?
You forgive! Yes?
Don't you swear? Yes?
Beauty, Goddess! Angel!
(Dies.)
Lord! Forgive him! And rest in peace
His rebellious and tormented soul.
(The curtain falls quietly.)
Libretto of the opera “THE QUEEN OF SPACE”
Editor O. Melikyan
Tech. editor R. Neumann
Proofreader A. Rodewald
Signed for publication 1/II 1956
Ш 02145 Form. boom. 60×92 1 / 32 Paper. l. 1.5
Pech. l. 3.0. Academic ed. l. 2.62
Circulation 10,000. Zach. 1737
---
17th printing house. Moscow, Shchipok, 18.
"Queen of Spades". Opera in 3 acts, 7 scenes.
Libretto by M.I. Tchaikovsky with the participation of P.I. Tchaikovsky based on the story of the same name by A.S. Pushkin.
The action takes place in St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century.
Characters and performers:
German -Nikolai Cherepanov,
Honored Artist of Ukraine
Lisa-Elena Barysheva, laureate of the international competition
Countess - Valentina Ponomareva
Count Tomsky -Vladimir Avtomonov
Prince Yeletsky - Leonid Zaviryukhin,
-Nikolai Leonov
Chekalinsky -Vladimir Mingalev
Surin - Nikolai Lokhov,
-Vladimir Dumenko
Narumov -Evgeniy Aleshin
Manager - Yuri Shalaev
Polina - Natalia Semyonova, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation,
-Veronica Sirotskaya
Masha - Elena Yuneeva
-Alevtina Egunova
Characters and performers in the interlude:
Prilepa - Anna Devyatkina
-Vera Solovyova
Milovzor - Natalia Semyonova, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation
-Veronica Sirotskaya
Zlatogor -Vladimir Avtomonov
Act I
Picture 1.
Sunny Summer Garden. A crowd of townspeople, children accompanied by nannies and governesses, are strolling in an atmosphere of prosperity and joy. Officers Surin and Chekalinsky share their impressions of the strange behavior of their friend German. He spends all nights in a gambling house, but does not even try his luck. Soon Herman himself appears, accompanied by Count Tomsky. Herman opens his soul to him: he is passionately, ardently in love, although he does not know the name of his chosen one. Prince Yeletsky, who has joined the company of officers, talks about his upcoming marriage: “The bright angel agreed to combine his destiny with mine!” Herman is horrified to learn that the prince’s bride is the object of his passion when the Countess passes by, accompanied by her granddaughter, Lisa.
Both women are gripped by heavy forebodings, hypnotized by the burning gaze of the unfortunate Herman. Meanwhile, Tomsky tells those present a social anecdote about a countess who, as a young Moscow “lioness,” lost her entire fortune and “at the cost of one rendezvous,” having learned the fatal secret of three always winning cards, overcame fate: “Once she told her husband those cards, the next Once the handsome young man recognized them, but that same night, as soon as she was left alone, the ghost appeared to her and said menacingly: “You will receive a mortal blow from the third, who, ardently, passionately loving, will come to forcefully learn from you three cards, three cards, three cards!" Herman listens to the story with particular tension. Surin and Chekalinsky make fun of him and offer to find out the secret of the cards from the old woman. A thunderstorm begins. The garden becomes empty. Only Herman meets the raging elements "with an open visor", a fire is bubbling in his soul no less powerful: “No, prince! While I’m alive, I won’t give it to you, I don’t know how, but I’ll take it away!” he exclaims.
Picture 2.
At dusk, the girls play music in Lisa’s room, trying to cheer up the sad girl, despite her engagement to the prince. Left alone, she confides her secret to the night: “And my whole soul is in his power!” - she confesses her love for a mysterious stranger, in whose eyes she read “the fire of scorching passion.” Suddenly, Herman appears on the balcony, who came to her before he passed away. His passionate explanation captivates Lisa. The knock of the awakened Countess interrupts him. Herman, hiding behind the curtain, is excited by the very sight of the old woman, in whose face he imagines a terrible ghost of death. Unable to hide her feelings any longer, Lisa surrenders to Herman’s power.
Act II
Picture 1.
There is a ball in the house of a wealthy dignitary from the capital. Yeletsky, alarmed by Lisa’s coldness, assures her of the immensity of his love. Chekalinsky and Surin, wearing masks, mock German, whispering to him: “Aren’t you the third one who, passionately loving, will come to learn from her three cards, three cards, three cards?” Herman is excited, their words excite his imagination. At the end of the performance of "The Sincerity of the Shepherdess" he runs into the Countess. And when Lisa gives him the keys to the Countess’s bedroom, which leads to her room, Herman takes this as an omen. Tonight he learns the secret of three cards - the way to take possession of Lisa's hand.
Picture 2.
Herman sneaks into the Countess's bedroom. With trepidation, he peers at the portrait of a Moscow beauty, with whom he is connected “by some secret force.” Here she is, accompanied by her hangers-on. The Countess is dissatisfied, she does not like current morals and customs, she remembers the past with longing and falls asleep in a chair. Suddenly Herman appears in front of her, begging her to reveal the secret of the three cards: “You can make up the happiness of your whole life, and it won’t cost you anything!” But the Countess, numb with fright, remains motionless. Under the threat of a gun, she gives up her ghost. “She’s dead, but I didn’t find out the secret,” laments German, who is close to insanity, in response to the reproaches of Lisa who has entered.
Act III
Picture 1.
Herman in the barracks. He reads a letter from Lisa, who has forgiven him, where she makes an appointment for him on the embankment. Pictures of the old woman’s funeral appear in my imagination, and funeral singing is heard. The ghost of the Countess appears in a white funeral shroud and says: “Save Lisa, marry her, and three cards will win in a row. Remember! Three! Seven! Ace!” “Three... Seven... Ace...” - Herman repeats like a spell.
Picture 2.
Lisa is waiting for Herman on the embankment near Kanavka. She is torn by doubts: “Oh, I’m tired, I’m exhausted,” she exclaims in despair. At the moment when the clock strikes midnight, and Lisa has completely lost faith in her lover, he appears. But Herman, who at first repeats Lisa’s words of love, is already obsessed with another idea. Trying to entice the girl to rush after him to the gambling house, he runs away screaming. Realizing the inevitability of what happened, the girl rushes into the river.
Picture 3.
Players are having fun at the card table. Tomsky entertains them with a playful song. In the midst of the game, an excited Herman appears. Twice in a row, offering big bets, he wins. “The devil himself is playing at the same time with you,” those present exclaim. Game continues. This time Prince Yeletsky is against Herman. And instead of a win-win ace, the queen of spades ends up in his hands. Herman sees the features of a dead old woman on the map: “Cursed! What do you want! My life? Take it, take it!” He stabs himself. In a cleared consciousness, the image of Lisa appears: “Beauty! Goddess! Angel!” With these words, Herman dies.
The opera was commissioned by Tchaikovsky from the directorate of the imperial theaters. The plot was proposed by I.A. Vsevolozhsky. The beginning of negotiations with the management dates back to 1887/88. Initially, Ch. refused and only in 1889 decided to write an opera based on this plot. At a meeting in the directorate of the imperial theaters at the end of 1889, the script, layout of the opera scenes, staging aspects, and design elements of the performance were discussed. The opera was composed in sketches on January 19/31. to March 3/15 in Florence. July - Dec. 1890 Ch. made many changes to the score, in literary text, recitatives, vocal parts; at the request of N.N. Figner, two versions of Herman’s aria from the 7th cards were also created. (different tones). All these changes are recorded in the proof prints of the arrangement for singing with piano, notes, and various inserts of the 1st and 2nd ed.
When creating sketches, Ch. actively revised the libretto. He significantly changed the text, introduced stage directions, made cuts, and composed his own texts for Yeletsky’s aria, Liza’s aria, and the chorus “Come on, Little Light Mashenka.” The libretto contains poems by Batyushkov (in Polina’s romance), V.A. Zhukovsky (in the duet of Polina and Liza), G.R. Derzhavin (in final scene), P.M. Karabanova (in an interlude).
The old French song "Vive Henri IV" is used in the scene in the Countess's bedroom. In the same scene, with minor changes, the beginning of Loretta's aria from A. Gretry's opera "Richard the Lionheart" is borrowed. The final scene uses the second half of the song (polonaise) “Thunder of Victory, Ring Out” by I.A. Kozlovsky. Before starting work on the opera, Tchaikovsky was in a depressed state, which he admitted in a letter to A.K. Glazunov: “I am going through a very mysterious stage on the way to the grave. Something is happening inside me, incomprehensible to me. fatigue from life, some kind of disappointment: at times an insane melancholy, but not the kind in the depths of which there is the anticipation of a new surge of love for life, but something hopeless, final... And at the same time, the desire to write is terrible... On the one hand I feel , that it’s as if my song has already been sung, and on the other hand, an irresistible desire to prolong either the same life, or even better, a new song."
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ACT ONE
Scene one
Petersburg. There are a lot of people walking in the Summer Garden, children playing under the supervision of nannies and governesses. Surin and Chekalinsky talk about their friend German: he spends all night long, gloomy and silent, in a gambling house, but does not touch the cards. Count Tomsky is also surprised by Herman’s strange behavior. Herman reveals a secret to him: he is passionately in love with a beautiful stranger, but she is rich, noble, and cannot belong to him. Prince Yeletsky joins his friends. He announces his upcoming marriage. Accompanied by the old Countess, Lisa approaches, in whom Herman recognizes his chosen one; in despair, he becomes convinced that Lisa is Yeletsky’s fiancée.
At the sight of the gloomy figure of Herman, his gaze blazing with passion, ominous forebodings overwhelm the Countess and Lisa. Tomsky dispels the painful numbness. He tells a secular joke about the Countess. In her youth, she once lost her entire fortune in Paris. At the cost of a love date, the young beauty learned the secret of the three cards and, betting on them, returned her loss. Surin and Chekalinsky decide to play a joke on German - they invite him to learn the secret of the three cards from the old woman. But Herman’s thoughts are absorbed in Lisa. A thunderstorm begins. In a violent outburst of passion, Herman vows to achieve Lisa’s love or die.
Scene two
Lisa's room. It's getting dark. The girls entertain their saddened friend with a Russian dance. Left alone, Lisa tells the night that she loves Herman. Suddenly Herman appears on the balcony. He passionately confesses his love to Lisa. A knock on the door interrupts the date. The old Countess enters. Hiding on the balcony, Herman remembers the secret of the three cards. After the Countess leaves, the thirst for life and love awakens in him with renewed vigor. Lisa is overwhelmed by the response.
ACT TWO
Scene three
A ball in the house of a rich metropolitan dignitary. A royal person arrives at the ball. Everyone greets the empress with enthusiasm. Prince Yeletsky, alarmed by the bride’s coldness, assures her of his love and devotion.
Herman is among the guests. The disguised Chekalinsky and Surin continue to make fun of their friend; their mysterious whispers about magic cards have a depressing effect on his frustrated imagination. The performance begins - the pastoral “The Sincerity of the Shepherdess”. At the end of the performance, Herman runs into the old Countess; again the thought of the wealth that three cards promise takes possession of Herman. Having received the keys to the secret door from Lisa, he decides to find out the secret from the old woman.
Scene four
Night. The Countess's empty bedroom. Herman enters; he peers with excitement at the portrait of the Countess in her youth, but, hearing approaching steps, hides. The Countess returns, accompanied by her hangers-on. Dissatisfied with the ball, she indulges in memories of the past and falls asleep. Suddenly Herman appears in front of her. He begs to reveal the secret of the three cards. The Countess is silent in horror. Enraged Herman threatens with a pistol; the frightened old woman falls dead. Herman is in despair. Close to madness, he does not hear the reproaches of Lisa, who came running in response to the noise. Only one thought dominates him: the Countess is dead, and he has not learned the secret.
ACT THREE
Scene five
Herman's room in the barracks. Late evening. Herman rereads Lisa’s letter: she asks him to come at midnight for a date. Herman again relives what happened, and pictures of the death and funeral of the old woman appear in his imagination. In the howling of the wind he hears funeral singing. Herman is terrified. He wants to run, but he sees the ghost of the Countess. She tells him the treasured cards: “Three, seven and ace.” Herman repeats them as if in delirium.
Scene six
Winter groove. Here Lisa must meet with Herman. She wants to believe that her beloved is not guilty of the death of the Countess. The tower clock strikes midnight. Lisa loses last hope. Herman arrives very late: neither Lisa nor her love no longer exists for him. In his distraught brain there is only one picture: a gambling house where he will get riches.
In a fit of madness, he pushes Lisa away from him and shouts: “To the gambling house!” - runs away.
Lisa throws herself into the river in despair.
Scene seven
Gambling house hall. Herman puts two cards, called Countess, one after another, and wins. Everyone is stunned. Intoxicated with victory, Herman puts all the winnings on the line. Prince Yeletsky accepts Herman's challenge. Herman announces an ace, but... instead of an ace, he has the queen of spades in his hands. In a frenzy, he looks at the map, in it he imagines the devilish grin of the old Countess. In a fit of madness, he commits suicide. At the last minute, a bright image of Lisa appears in Herman’s mind. With her name on his lips he dies.
P.I. Tchaikovsky opera "The Queen of Spades"
The basis for “The Queen of Spades” by P.I. Tchaikovsky was inspired by the story of the same name by A.S. Pushkin. This is exciting and tragic story the love of an innocent girl and a passionate officer who became a victim of gambling, was written by the composer in just 44 days. The work is considered the pinnacle of the composer's operatic dramaturgy, because in terms of the depth and strength of the main characters' emotions, the intensity of passions and the irresistible power of dramatic impact, it has no equal in his work.
Summary of Tchaikovsky's opera "The Queen of Spades" and many interesting facts Read about this work on our page.
|
Characters |
Description |
|
| Hermann | tenor | officer, main character |
| Lisa | soprano | granddaughter of the Countess |
| Tomsk | baritone | count, friend of Herman, grandson of the Countess |
| Yeletsky | baritone | Prince, Liza's fiancé |
| Countess | mezzo-soprano | eighty year old woman |
| Pauline | contralto | Lisa's friend |
| Chekalinsky | tenor | Officer |
| Surin | bass | Officer |
| Masha | soprano | housemaid |
Summary
Petersburg at the end of the 18th century. Poor young officer Herman is madly in love with a beautiful stranger and longs to find out who she is. Soon he is told that his heart was won by the granddaughter of the rich old Countess - Lisa, who very soon will become the legal wife of Prince Yeletsky. Herman’s friend, Count Tomsky, informs him that the old woman has unique information - she knows the secret of “three cards”, thanks to which she was once able to recoup and return a card loss.
Lisa was inflamed with mutual feelings for the officer. Herman swears that they will be together, or he will be forced to die. He dreams of getting rich quickly in order to marry his beloved, and only the secret of the Countess's card winnings can help him. At night, he sneaks into her bedroom and begs her to reveal the secret of the “three cards,” but the “old witch,” frightened by an intruder with a pistol, dies and takes the secret with her.
Lisa makes an appointment for Herman on the embankment, but he is delayed. And all because at this time the ghost of the Countess appears in his room. The old woman voices the secret of the “three cards” - three, seven and ace, and asks the officer to take Lisa as his wife. The ghost dissolves into thin air, and Herman, like a madman, tirelessly repeats this combination. He runs to meet Lisa, but pushes her away - he is no longer obsessed with love, but with passion. In despair, the girl throws herself into the river.
Meanwhile, Herman hurriedly heads to the gambling house and places bets on the cards named by the ghost. Twice luck was on his side, but when he bets on the ace, the queen of spades ends up in his hand instead. He showers the Countess with curses and plunges a dagger into his heart.
Photo
Interesting Facts
- P.I. Chaikovsky wrote the opera in Florence in just 44 days.
- To flawlessly perform the part of Herman in all seven scenes, the author needed a truly skillful and resilient performer. Selection of P.I. Tchaikovsky fell on the famous tenor Nikolai Figner, whose abilities the author relied on while writing the music. The success of The Queen of Spades was truly stunning. After a successful premiere at the Mariinsky Theater, an enthusiastic Tchaikovsky wrote: “Figner and the St. Petersburg Orchestra have created real miracles!” Twelve days later, “The Queen of Spades” was greeted with no less enthusiasm in Kyiv.
- The first foreign premiere of The Queen of Spades was performed in Prague in 1892. The conductor was Adolf Cech. This was followed by further premieres under Gustav Mahler in Vienna in 1902 and New York (in German) in the same year. The first performance of the opera in Great Britain took place in 1915 in London.
- The events of Pushkin's "Queen of Spades", as we know, are based on real events - the story of Natalya Petrovna Golitsina, one of the most influential and richest princesses XIX century. Her grandson lost heavily at cards and turned to her for help - to borrow money. But the grandmother instead revealed a secret to her grandson, which allowed him to get even.
- This mystical story about three cards - three, seven and ace - somehow miraculously influenced everyone who touched it in any way. Witnesses to the last days of the princess claimed that shortly before her death they saw the ghost of a lonely officer near the mansion. It was 1837.
- In this combination of numbers - 1837, which makes up the year of death of the princess and Pushkin himself, the same mysterious numbers - 3, 7, 1 - were combined in the most incomprehensible way. And in the last hour of Tchaikovsky’s life, as his doctor claimed, the composer saw the same ghost “ lone officer." Mysticism, and that’s all.
- Take a closer look at the structure of the opera and its title: 3 acts, 7 scenes, “The Queen of Spades.” Doesn't remind you of anything?
- This opera is considered one of the most mystical in the world musical theater. Many are convinced that it is she who is to blame for many of the failures of her creators, as well as those who performed her.
- In this work, great importance is attached to the number “three”; it seems to be endowed with magical meaning and is found literally everywhere. First of all, these are the same three cards. According to Chekalinsky, Herman’s heart has three sins. Herman himself is guilty of just three deaths - the Countess's, Lisa's and his own. The musical fabric of the entire work is dominated by three themes - rock, love and three cards.
- Some biographers are inclined to believe that Tchaikovsky’s refusal to work on this order was due to the fact that he was simply afraid of the plot. According to some reports, he agreed to compose the opera only on one condition - if the libretto differed significantly from the original. That is why he made such active changes to all dramatic components of the work.
- Directors who wanted to bring the libretto closer to Pushkin's text found themselves in serious trouble. The most striking example is Vsevolod Meyerhold. As mentioned earlier, he ordered a new libretto and even staged this opera at the Kirov Theater. However, after this he did not live long - the director was arrested and sent to death.
- Several more works have been written based on Pushkin’s work for musical theater, but they are not at all popular - these are the operetta by Franz Suppe (1864) and the opera by J. Halévy (1850).
- Choreographers, for example, Roland Petit, also turned to this plot. He created a ballet for N. Tsiskaridze at the request of the management of the Bolshoi Theater, but was afraid to take music from the opera and preferred it Sixth Symphony. But the unexpected happened - all the ballerinas refused to dance the Old Countess, only Ielze Liepa agreed. The ballet premiered in 2001.
- The original score of the opera is kept in capsule form at the Mariinsky Theater.
Popular arias from opera
Herman's aria “What is our life? A game!" - listen
Tomsky’s song “If only there were dear girls” - listen
Arioso by Lisa “Where do these tears come from” - listen
Arioso by German "I don't know her name" - listen
History of creation
The idea of staging an opera based on Pushkin’s mysterious story first arose from the director of the imperial theaters, I. A. Vsevolozhsky. For several years he was inspired by this idea and even independently outlined the script and thought through the stage effects. In 1885, he began to actively search for a composer who could bring this idea to life. Among the candidates were A. A. Villamov and N. S. Klenovsky. Two years later Vsevolozhsky turned to P.I. Tchaikovsky, however, he was refused - the composer was not at all attracted to this plot. In 1888, his younger brother, Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, began working on the libretto, and he created it for Klenovsky. However, the maestro eventually refused the job, and Vsevolozhsky again turned to Pyotr Ilyich. This time he was more persistent, and asked not only to write an opera, but to finish it for the new season. At this time, Tchaikovsky was just planning to leave Russia and plunge headlong into work. That is why he agreed and went to Florence to work.
The first fragments of The Queen of Spades appeared on January 19, 1890. The work was written very quickly - the score of the opera was published on April 6, and the score - already on June 8. While creating his masterpiece, the composer actively changed storylines libretto and composed words for some scenes. As a result, the plot of the opera acquired a number of differences from its original source. Pushkin's story was transformed into a poetic canvas, which very organically absorbed the poems of other poets - G.R. Derzhavina, P.M. Karabanova, K.N. Batyushkova and V.A. Zhukovsky. The main characters of the work have also changed. So, Lisa turned from a poor pupil of a wealthy Countess into her granddaughter. Pushkin's Hermann was of German descent, but Tchaikovsky does not mention a word about this. In addition, his last name becomes a first name and loses one letter “n” - his name is German. Liza's future husband, Prince Yeletsky, is not with Alexander Sergeevich. Count Tomsky in the story of the Russian literary genius is the grandson of the Countess, but in the opera he is a complete stranger to her. The lives of the main characters develop differently - according to the plot of the book, Herman loses his mind and goes to the hospital, Lisa forgets about him and marries someone else. In the opera, lovers die. And finally, the duration of this tragic story also changed - in the original source the events unfold during the time of Alexander I, but in its musical version - during the reign of Empress Catherine II.
The first performance of the opera took place at the Mariinsky Theater on December 19, 1890, conducted that evening by E. Napravnik. Tchaikovsky actively participated in the preparation of the premiere. Pyotr Ilyich assumed that the success would be incredible, and he was not mistaken. The audience demanded an encore of individual numbers, and the composer was called to the stage countless times. And even the fact that Pushkin’s work was so greatly rethought did not bother even the zealous “Pushkinists” at all - they gave the Russian genius a standing ovation.
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P.I. Chaikovsky(1840-1893)
"QUEEN OF SPACE"
(Op. 68, 1890)
Opera in 3 acts, 7 scenes
The plot is borrowed from the story of the same name by A.S. Pushkin
Libretto by M.I. Tchaikovsky
The action takes place in St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century.
Characters and performers:
Hermann- Z. Andzhaparidze, tenor
Count Tomsky- M. Kiselev, baritone
Prince Yeletsky- Yu. Mazurok, baritone
Chekalinsky- A. Sokolov, tenor
Surin- V. Yaroslavtsev, bass
Chaplitsky- V. Vlasov, tenor
Narumov- Yu. Dementiev, bass
Manager- A. Mishutin, tenor
Countess- V. Levko, mezzo-soprano
Lisa- T. Milashkina, soprano
Pauline- I. Arkhipova, contralto
Governess- M. Mityukova, mezzo-soprano
Masha- M. Miglau, soprano
Characters in the interlude " Cowgirl's Sincerity»:
Prilepa- V. Firsova, soprano
Milovzor- I. Arkhipova, contralto
Zlatogor- V. Nechipaylo, baritone
Nannies, governesses, nurses, strollers, guests, children, players, etc.
Choir, children's choir and the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra
Choirmaster - A. Rybnov
Supervisor children's choir- I. Agafonnikov
Conductor - B. Khaikin
Recorded 1967
Sound engineer - A. Grossman
Remastering - E. Barykina
The opera takes place in St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century.
First action
First picture. Sunny Summer Garden filled with a walking crowd. Officers Surin and Chekalinsky share their impressions of the strange behavior of their friend German: he spends nights in a gambling house, but never picks up cards. Soon, Herman himself appears, accompanied by Count Tomsky. He admits that he is passionately in love, but does not know the name of his chosen one. Meanwhile, Prince Yeletsky, who has joined the company of officers, shares his joy in connection with his imminent marriage: “The bright angel agreed to combine his destiny with mine!” Herman is horrified to learn that the object of his passion is the prince’s bride, when the Countess passes by, accompanied by her granddaughter, Lisa. Both women, who noticed Herman’s burning gaze, were overcome with heavy forebodings.
Tomsky tells his friends a social joke about a countess who, as a young “Venus of Moscow,” lost her entire fortune. “At the cost of one rendezvous,” she learned from the Count of Saint-Germain the fatal secret of three always winning cards in order to get her money back. From that moment on, she was firmly connected with this secret. further fate: “Once she told her husband those cards, another time the handsome young man recognized them, but that same night, as soon as she was left alone, a ghost appeared to her and menacingly said: “If you receive a fatal blow, you will come to forcefully learn three cards from you, three cards, three cards!’” After this story, Surin and Chekalinsky make fun of German and offer to find out the secret of the cards from the old woman, but German’s thoughts are focused on Lisa. A thunderstorm begins. The garden is emptying. Among the raging elements, Herman exclaims: “I’m not afraid of the storm! In me, all the passions awoke with such murderous force that this thunder is nothing in comparison! No, prince! While I’m alive, I won’t give it to you, I don’t know how, but I’ll take it away! ... She will be mine, mine, or I will die!
Second picture. Twilight. The girls try to cheer up the saddened Lisa, but she hides her thoughts. Only when left alone does Lisa confide her dark secret to the night. She feels love for a mysterious stranger, he is beautiful" fallen Angel", in his eyes there is a “fire of scorching passion.” Suddenly, Herman appears on the balcony. He reveals his love to Lisa and begs her to accept this confession, because otherwise he is ready to give up his life. Her response is tears of compassion. They are interrupted by a knock on the door. The Countess enters the room, and Herman, who was hiding behind the curtain, suddenly remembers when he sees her. terrible secret three cards. In the face of the old woman he imagines a terrible ghost of death. But she leaves and Herman’s impetuous explanation ends with Lisa’s reciprocal confession.
Second act
First picture. Ball. Yeletsky, alarmed by Lisa’s coldness, assures her of his love, but at the same time nobly gives her freedom. Surin and Chekalinsky, wearing masks, mock Herman: “Aren’t you the third one who, passionately loving, will come to learn from her three cards, three cards, three cards?” Herman is frightened by these words. At the end of the interlude "The Sincerity of the Shepherdess", he encounters the Countess. Having received the keys to the Countess’s secret door from Lisa, German perceives this as a fatal omen. Tonight he will learn the secret of the three cards.
Second picture. Herman sneaks into the Countess's bedroom. With trepidation, he peers at her portrait in her youth and feels a secret fatal force connecting him with her: “I look at you and hate you, but I can’t get enough of it.” The Countess herself appears, accompanied by her hangers-on. She grumpily recalls the past and gradually falls asleep in the chair. Suddenly Herman appears in front of her, begging her to reveal the secret of the three cards: “You can make up the happiness of your whole life, and it won’t cost you anything!” But the Countess, numb with fright, remains motionless. Enraged, Herman threatens with a pistol and the old woman falls dead. The prophecy came true, but the secret remained unknown to Herman. Lisa comes to the noise and sees Herman in a state of madness. She understands that Herman needed the secret of the three cards.
Third act
First picture. Herman in the barracks. He reads Lisa's letter, where she makes an appointment for him on the embankment. He goes over the past in his memory and in his imagination pictures of the old woman’s funeral arise, and a ghostly funeral singing is heard. There's a knock on the window. The candle goes out. Horrified Herman sees the ghost of the Countess and hears her words: “I came to you against your will. But I was ordered to fulfill your request. Save Lisa, marry her, and three cards will win in a row. Remember! Troika! Seven! Ace!" “Three... Seven... Ace...” Herman repeats like a spell.
Second picture. Lisa is waiting for Herman on the embankment near the Winter Canal. She experiences terrible torments of doubt: “Oh, I’m tired, I’m exhausted.” When the clock strikes midnight and Lisa finally loses hope, Herman appears, at first repeating Lisa’s words of love, but already obsessed with another idea. Lisa becomes convinced that Herman is the culprit in the death of the Countess. His madness intensifies, he does not recognize her, his thoughts are only about the gambling house: “There are piles of gold there, and they belong to me alone.” He runs away to a gambling house, and Lisa, driven to despair, throws herself into the water.
Third picture. Players are having fun at the card table. Tomsky entertains them with a playful song. In the midst of the game, an excited Herman appears. Twice in a row, offering large bets, he wins. “The devil himself is playing at the same time with you,” proclaim those present. Game continues. This time Prince Yeletsky is against Herman. And instead of a win-win ace, the queen of spades ends up in his hands. Herman sees the features of a dead old woman on the map: “Cursed! What do you need! My life? Take it, take it!” and he stabs himself. A beautiful image of Lisa appears in the mind of the dying hero: “Beauty! Goddess! Angel!" With these words, Herman dies.
LIBRETTO
Queen of Spades
ACT ONE
PICTURE ONE
A platform in the Summer Garden bathed in spring sunshine. Nannies, tutors and nurses walking or sitting on benches. Children play burners, jump over ropes, and throw balls.
Burn, burn clearly
So that it doesn't go out,
One two Three!
(Laughter, exclamations, running around.)
Nanny Choir
Have fun, dear children!
Rarely is the sunshine for you, my dears,
Amuses me with joy!
If, dear ones, you are free
You start games and pranks,
That's a little bit for your nannies
Then you bring peace.
Warm up, run, dear children,
And have fun in the sun!
Governess Choir
God bless,
At least you can rest a little,
Breathe the spring air,
See something!
Don't shout, spend time without making comments,
Forget about suggestions, punishments, the lesson.
Nanny Choir
Keep warm!
Run, dear children,
And have fun in the sun!
Chorus of Nurses
Bye, bye, bye!
Bye, bye, bye!
Sleep, darling, rest!
Don't open your eyes!
(Drumming and children's trumpets can be heard behind the stage.)
Chorus of nannies, nurses and governesses.
Here are our warriors, little soldiers.
How slim!
Step aside!
Places! Places!
One, two, one, two,
One, two, one, two!
Boys wearing toy weapons, posing as soldiers, enter; ahead is the boy commander.
Boys' Choir
One, two, one, two!
Left, right, left, right!
Together, brothers!
Don't get lost!
Boy Commander
Right shoulder forward! One, two, stop!
(The boys stop.)
Listen! Musket in front of you!
Take it by the gun! Musket to the leg!
(The boys follow the command.)
Boys' Choir
We're all gathered here
For fear of Russian enemies.
Evil enemy, beware
And with a villainous thought
Run or submit!
Hurray, hurray, hurray!
Save the Fatherland
It was our lot to
We will fight
And enemies in captivity
Pick up without invoice!
Hurray, hurray, hurray!
Long live the wife,
Wise Queen,
She is the mother of us all,
Empress of these countries
And pride and beauty!
Hurray, hurray, hurray!
Boy commander. Well done boys!
Boys.
We are glad to try, your honor!
Boy Commander
Listen! Musket in front of you!
Right! On guard! March!
(The boys leave drumming and trumpeting.)
Chorus of nannies, nurses and governesses
Well, well done our soldiers!
And they will indeed bring fear to the enemy.
Well done! How slim!
Well done!
Other children follow the boys. The nannies and governesses disperse, giving way to other walkers. Enter Chekalinsky and Surin.
CHEKALINSKY. How did the game end yesterday?
SURIN. Of course, I blew it terribly! I'm having no luck.
CHEKALINSKY. Did you play again until the morning?
SURIN. Yes, I'm terribly tired... Damn it, I wish I could win at least once!
CHEKALINSKY. Was Herman there?
Was. And, as always, from eight to eight in the morning,
Chained to the gambling table, he sat and silently blew wine.
CHEKALINSKY. But only?
SURIN. Yes, I watched others play.
CHEKALINSKY. What a strange man he is!
SURIN. It's as if he has at least three crimes in his heart.
CHEKALINSKY. I heard that he is very poor...
SURIN. Yes, not rich.
Herman enters, thoughtful and gloomy; Count Tomsky is with him.
SURIN. Here he is, look. Like a demon of hell, gloomy... pale...
Surin and Chekalinsky pass.
TOMSKY. Tell me, Herman, what’s wrong with you?
HERMANN. With me?.. Nothing...
TOMSKY. You are sick?
HERMANN. No, I'm healthy.
You have become somehow different... You are dissatisfied with something...
Happened: reserved, thrifty,
At least you were cheerful;
Now you are gloomy, silent
And, - I don’t believe my ears:
You, burning with a new passion,
As they say, until the morning
You spend your nights playing.
Yes! Steady foot towards the goal
I can’t walk as before,
I myself don’t know what’s wrong with me,
I'm lost, I'm indignant at weakness,
But I can't control myself anymore...
I love! I love!
TOMSKY. How! Are you in love? in whom?
I don't know her name
And I don't want to find out
Without wanting an earthly name
Call her...
(With passion.)
Going through all the comparisons,
I don't know who to compare with...
My love, the bliss of paradise,
I would like to keep it forever!
But the jealous thought that it
for another to possess,
When I don't dare leave a trace
Kiss her
Torments me; and earthly passion
In vain I want to calm down
And then I want to hug everyone,
And I still want to hug my saint...
I don't know her name
And I don’t want to find out!
And if so, get to work quickly!
Let's find out who she is, and then
And make an offer boldly,
And - the matter is dealt with...
Oh no, alas!
She is noble and cannot belong to me!
This is what torments and gnaws at me!
TOMSKY. Let's find another... Not the only one in the world...
You do not know me!
No, I can’t stop loving her!
Ah, Tomsky! You do not understand!
I could only live in peace
While passions were dormant within me...
Then I could control myself
Now that the soul is in control
One dream, goodbye peace,
Goodbye peace!
Poisoned, as if intoxicated,
I'm sick, sick
I'm in love!
Is that you, Herman? I confess
I wouldn’t believe anyone that you are capable of loving like that!
German and Tomsky pass. Revelers fill the stage.
The general chorus of all those walking.
Finally God sent us
Sunny day!
What kind of air! What a sky!
It's definitely May here!
Oh, what a delight, really,
I wish I could walk all day!
Can't wait for a day like this
Long time for us again.
We haven't seen days like this for many years,
And it happened that we often saw them.
In the days of Elizabeth - a wonderful time -
Summer, autumn and spring were better!
Old women (at the same time as the old people).
We lived better before, and days like these
We visited every year in early spring.
Yes, we visited every year!
And now it’s rare for them
Sunshine in the morning
It's gotten worse, really, it's gotten worse,
Really, it's time to die!
What a joy! What happiness!
How joyful, how joyful it is to live!
How nice it is to go to the Summer Garden,
It’s wonderful how nice it is to walk into the Summer Garden!
Look, look
How many young people
Both military and civilian
He wanders a lot along the alleys,
Look, look
There are so many people wandering around here,
Both military and civilian
How graceful, how beautiful, how beautiful!
Look, look!
Young people (at the same time as the young ladies).
Sun, sky, air, nightingale song
And a bright blush on the cheeks of the maidens -
Then spring gives, and with it love
Sweetly excites young blood!
Sky, sun, clean air,
The sweet song of the nightingale,
The joy of life and the scarlet blush on the cheeks of the maidens -
Either the gifts of beautiful spring, or the gifts of spring!
Happy day, beautiful day, how nice
Oh joy, spring brings us love and happiness!
The general chorus of all those walking.
Finally God sent us
Sunny day!
What kind of air! What a sky!
It's definitely May here!
Oh, what a delight, really,
I wish I could walk all day!
Can't wait for a day like this
Long time for us again!
Herman and Tomsky enter.
Are you sure she doesn't notice you?
I bet she's in love and misses you...
If only I had a pleasant doubt
I have lost
Would I have endured the torment?
My soul?
You see, I live, I suffer,
But in a terrible moment, when I find out,
That I am not destined to take possession of her,
Then there will be only one thing left...
TOMSKY. What?
HERMANN. Die!..
Prince Yeletsky enters. Chekalinsky and Surin approach him.
CHEKALINSKY (To Yeletsky). Can I congratulate you?
SURIN. They say you are a groom?
Yes, gentlemen, I am getting married;
The bright angel gave consent
Combine your destiny with mine forever!
CHEKALINSKY. Well, good morning!
SURIN. I'm glad with all my heart. Be happy, prince!
TOMSKY. Yeletsky, congratulations!
ELETSKY. Thank you, friends!
ELETSKY (with feeling)
WITH happy day
I bless you!
How everything came together
To rejoice with me!
It was reflected everywhere
The bliss of unearthly life...
Everything smiles, everything shines,
Just like in my heart,
Everything is trembling cheerfully,
To the bliss of heaven beckoning!
What a happy day
I bless you!
HERMANN (to himself, at the same time as Yeletsky).
Unlucky day
I curse you!
It's like everything came together
To join the fight with me!
Joy was reflected everywhere,
But not in my soul is sick.
Everything smiles, everything shines,
When on my heart
Hellish annoyance trembles.
The annoyance of hell trembles,
It promises nothing but torment.
Oh yes, nothing but torment, torment is promised to me!
TOMSKY. Tell me, who will you marry?
HERMANN. Prince, who is your bride?
The Countess and Lisa enter.
ELETSKY (pointing to Lisa). Here she is.
HERMANN. She?! She is his bride! Oh my God! Oh my God!
LISA., COUNTESS. He's here again!
TOMSKY (to Herman). So that’s who your nameless beauty is!
I'm scared!
He's in front of me again
Mysterious and dark stranger!
In his eyes there is a silent reproach
Replaced by the fire of crazy, burning passion...
Who is he? Why is he following me?
I'm scared, scared, like I'm in power
His eyes of ominous fire!
I'm scared! I'm scared!
I'm scared!
COUNTESS (simultaneously).
I'm scared!
He's in front of me again
Mysterious and scary stranger!
He is the ghost of the fatal
Full of some kind of wild passion.
What does he want by pursuing me?
Why is he in front of me again?
I'm scared, like I'm in power
His eyes of ominous fire!
I'm scared! I'm scared!
I'm scared!
HERMANN (simultaneously).
I'm scared!
Here again in front of me,
Like a fatal ghost
A gloomy old woman appeared...
Terrible in her eyes
I read my sentence silently!
What does she need?
What does she need, what does she want from me?
It's like I'm in control
Her eyes of ominous fire!
Who, who is she!
I'm scared! I'm scared!
I'm scared!
ELETSKY (simultaneously).
I'm scared!
My God, how embarrassed she is!
Where does this strange excitement come from?
There is languor in her soul,
There is some kind of silent fear in her eyes!
For some reason it’s a clear day in them
The bad weather has come to change.
What with her? She doesn't look at me!
Oh, I'm scared, like I'm close
Some unexpected misfortune threatens
I'm scared, scared!
TOMSKY (simultaneously).
That's who he was talking about!
How embarrassed he is by the unexpected news!
I see fear in his eyes
Silent fear was replaced by the fire of insane passion!
What about her, what about her? How pale! How pale!
Oh, I'm scared for her, I'm scared!
I'm scared for her!
Tomsky approaches the Countess, Yeletsky approaches Lisa. The Countess looks intently at Herman.
TOMSKY. Countess! Let me congratulate you...
COUNTESS. Tell me who is this officer?
TOMSKY. Which? This? Herman, my friend.
COUNTESS. Where did he come from? How scary he is!
Tomsky sees her off and returns.
ELETSKY (giving his hand to Lisa).
Heaven's enchanting beauty,
Spring, light marshmallows rustle,
Cheerful crowd, hello friends
They promise many years in the future
We are happy!
Lisa and Yeletsky leave.
Rejoice, buddy! You forgot
What a thunderstorm happens on a quiet day,
That the creator gave happiness tears, a bucket of thunder!
A distant clap of thunder is heard. Herman sits down on the bench in gloomy thoughtfulness.
SURIN. What a witch this Countess is!
CHEKALINSKY. Scarecrow!
No wonder she was nicknamed “The Queen of Spades”!
I can’t understand why she doesn’t show off.
SURIN. How! An old woman? What are you talking about?!
CHEKALINSKY. An eighty-year-old hag! Ha ha ha!
TOMSKY. So you don't know anything about her?
SURIN. No, really, nothing!
CHEKALINSKY. Nothing!
Oh, listen!
Many years ago the Countess was known in Paris as a beauty.
All the youth were crazy about her,
Calling it “Venus of Moscow”.
Count Saint Germain among others,
Then he was still handsome, captivated by her,
But to no avail he sighed for the countess:
The beauty played all night long
And - alas! - preferred “Pharaoh”* to love.
Once upon a time at Versailles "Ai jeu de la Reine"**
“Venus moskovite” *** was lost completely.
Among the guests was the Count of Saint-Germain;
While watching the game, he heard her
She whispered in the midst of excitement:
"Oh my God! Oh my God!
Oh God, I could play it all back
When would it be enough to put it again
The graph, having chosen the right moment when
Stealthily leaving the full hall of guests,
The beauty sat silently alone,
Whispered lovingly in her ear
Words sweeter than the sounds of Mozart:
“Countess, Countess!
Countess, for the price of one “rundez-vous”****
Would you like me to tell you
Three cards, three cards, three cards?”
The Countess flared up: “How dare you?!”
But the count was not a coward. And when in a day
The beauty appeared again, alas,
Penniless, "Au jeu de la Reine"
She already knew three cards...
Boldly placing them one after another,
She got hers back... but at what cost!
Oh cards, oh cards, oh cards!
Since she told her husband those cards,
Another time, the handsome young man recognized them.
But that same night, only one remained,
The ghost appeared to her and said menacingly:
"You will receive a fatal blow,
From the third, who, ardently, passionately loving,
Three cards, three cards, three cards,
Three cards!
CHEKALINSKY. Se non e ver`e ben trovato.*****
Lightning flashes and thunder can be heard approaching. A thunderstorm begins.
* “Pharaoh” is a card game that was in vogue at the court of the French queen.
** In the royal game (French)
*** Venus of Moscow (French)
**** Date (French)
***** “Even if it’s not true, it’s well said.” Latin proverb.
Funny!.. But the Countess can sleep peacefully:
It’s hard for her to find an ardent lover!
CHEKALINSKY.
Listen, Herman!
Here's a great opportunity for you to play without money.
(Everyone laughs.) Think, think!
CHEKALINSKY, SURIN.
“From the third, who, ardently, passionately loving,
He will come to find out from you by force
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
Chekalichsky, Surin and Tomsky leave. Is heard swipe thunder The storm is breaking out. People walking are hurrying in different directions.
Walking chorus.
How quickly the storm came
Who would have expected, what passions!
Blow after blow, louder, more terrible!
Run quickly!
Hurry up to the gate!
Let's go home soon!
Everyone runs away. The thunderstorm is intensifying. From a distance you can hear the voices of people walking.
Hurry home! Oh my god! Trouble! Hurry to the gate! Run here! Hurry!
A strong clap of thunder.
HERMANN (thoughtfully).
"You will receive a fatal blow
From the third, who, ardently, passionately loving,
He will come to find out from you by force
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
Oh, what do I care about them?
Even if I had them!
Everything is lost now...
I'm the only one left.
I'm not afraid of the storm!
All my passions have awakened in me
With such deadly force,
That this thunder is nothing in comparison!
No, prince!
As long as I'm alive, I won't give it to you,
I don’t know how, but I’ll take it!
Thunder, lightning, wind!
In your presence I solemnly swear an oath:
She will be mine
She will be mine, mine,
Mine or I'll die!
(Runs away.)
PICTURE TWO
Lisa's room. Lisa is sitting at the harpsichord. There are friends around her, among them Polina.
LISA, Polina.
It’s already evening... The edges of the clouds have darkened, *
The last ray of dawn on the towers dies;
The last flying stream in the river
With the extinct sky it fades away.
Everything is quiet... The groves are sleeping, peace reigns around,
Prostrate on the grass under a bent willow,
I listen to how it murmurs, merging with the river,
A stream overshadowed by bushes.
How the aroma is fused with the coolness of plants,
How sweet is the splashing of jets in the silence by the shore,
How quietly the ether blows across the waters
And the flexible willow trembles.
Choir of friends.
Charming! Charming!
Wonderful! Lovely!
Oh, wonderfully good!
Also, mesdames. Also, mesdames. More more!
LISA. Sing, Polya, we have one!
Pauline. One? but what to sing?
Choir of friends.
Please, what do you know?
Ma shere **, little dove, sing us something:
I’ll sing you Liza’s favorite romance.
(Sits down at the harpsichord.) Wait... How is this?
(Preludes.) Yes! I remembered.
(Sings with deep feeling.)
Dear friends, dear friends, ***
In playful carelessness,
To the tune of a dance, you frolic in the meadows.
And I, like you, lived happy in Arcadia,
And I am in the morning of days in these groves and fields
I tasted moments of joy,
I tasted a moment of joy.
Love in golden dreams
She promised me happiness;
__________________
* Poems by Zhukovsky
** My dear (French).
*** Poems by Batyushkov.
But what did I get in these joyful places,
In these joyful places?
Grave, grave, grave!..
(Everyone is touched and excited.)
So I decided to sing a song,
I'm so tearful! Well, why?
You’re already sad enough, Lisa,
On such and such a day, think!
After all, you are engaged, ah-ah-ah!
(To girlfriends.)
Well, why are you all hanging your noses?
Let's have a fun one, let's have a Russian one,
In honor of the bride and groom!
Well, I'll start, and you sing along with me!
Choir of friends. Indeed, let's have a fun, Russian one!
Girlfriends clap their hands. Lisa, not taking part in the fun, stands thoughtfully at the balcony.
Come on, little Mashenka,
You sweat, dance!
Polina and a choir of friends.
Ay, lyuli, lyuli, lyuli,
You sweat, dance!
Your white hands
Pick it up by the sides!
Polina and the choir of friends
Ay, lyuli, lyuli, lyuli,
Pick it up by the sides!
Your quick little legs
Don't be sorry, please!
Polina and the choir of friends
Ay, lyuli, lyuli, lyuli, Don’t be sorry, please!
(Polina and her friends start dancing.)
When mommy asks, “Happy!” - speak.
Polina and the choir of friends
Ay, lyuli, lyuli, lyuli - “Merry!” - speak.
And to the answer darling -
Like, “I drank until dawn!”
Polina and a choir of friends.
Ay, Lyuli, Lyuli, people -
Like, “I drank until dawn!”
Pauline. “Go away, go away!”
Polina and a choir of friends.
Ay, lyuli, lyuli, lyuli,
“Go away, go away!”
The Governess enters.
Governess.
Mesdemoiselles, what's all the noise you're making here?
The Countess is angry...
Ah ah ah! Aren't you ashamed to dance in Russian?
Fi, quel genre, mesdames *
To the young ladies of your circle
You need to know some decency!
You should have each other
Instill the rules of the world.
In girls only to rage
Possible, not here, mes mignones, **
Can't you have fun?
Not forgetting the bon ton?
To the young ladies of your circle
You need to know decency
You should have each other
Instill the rules of the world!
It's time to leave.
I was sent to call you to say goodbye.
The young ladies disperse.
Pauline (approaching Lisa). Lisa, why are you so boring?
I am boring? Not at all!
Look what a night it is
Like after a terrible storm
Everything was suddenly updated.
Look, I'll complain to the prince about you,
I'll tell him that on the day of the engagement you were sad.
LISA. No, for God's sake, don't talk!
Then please smile now.
Like this! Now goodbye!
(They kiss.)
LISA. I'll take you...
Polina and Lisa leave. Masha comes in and puts out the candles, leaving only one.
Just as she approaches the balcony to close it, Lisa returns.
* Fi, what genre6, ladies. (fr)
** My darlings (French).
LISA. No need to close it, leave it.
Masha. Don't catch a cold, young lady!
LISA. No, Masha, the night is so warm, so good!
Masha. Would you like me to help you undress?
LISA. No I myself. Go to bed!
Masha. It's too late, young lady...
LISA. Leave me, go!
Masha leaves. Lisa stands in deep thought and then quietly cries.
Where do these tears come from?
Why are they?
My girlish dreams
You cheated on me
My girlish dreams
You cheated on me!
This is how you were justified in reality!
I have now entrusted my life to the prince,
The chosen one after his heart, essence,
Intelligence, beauty, nobility, wealth
A worthy friend not like me.
Who is noble, who is handsome, who is stately like him?
Nobody! And what?
I'm full of longing and fear,
I'm shaking and crying!
Where do these tears come from?
Why are they?
My girlish dreams
You cheated on me
My girlish dreams
You cheated on me!
You cheated on me!
(Cries.)
It’s both hard and scary!
But why deceive yourself?
I'm alone here, everything around me is sleeping quietly...
(Passionately, enthusiastically.)
Oh, listen, night!
I can only tell you a secret
My soul.
She's gloomy like you, she's sad
Like the gaze of eyes,
Taking away my peace and happiness...
Queen Night!
How are you, beauty, like a fallen angel,
He's beautiful
There is a fire of burning passion in his eyes,
Like a wonderful dream
It beckons me, and my whole soul is in his power!
O night! oh night!..
Herman appears at the door of the balcony. Lisa retreats in silent horror. They look at each other silently. Lisa makes a move to leave.
HERMANN. Stop, I beg you!
LISA. Why are you here, crazy man? What do you need?
HERMANN. Say goodbye!
(Lisa wants to leave.)
Don't leave! Stay!
I'll leave now
And I won't come back here again...
Just a minute!.. What is it worth to you?
The dying man is calling to you.
LISA. Why, why are you here? Go away!.
HERMANN. No!
LISA. I'll scream!
HERMANN. Shout! Call everyone!
(Takes out a pistol.)
I will die anyway, alone or with others.
(Lisa lowers her head and is silent.)
But if there is, beauty, in you
Even a spark of compassion,
Then wait, don't go!
LISA. Oh my God, my God!
After all, this is my last hour of death!
I found out my verdict today:
You, cruel one, hand over your heart to another!
(Passionately.)
Let me die, blessing you,
And not cursing,
Can I live a day when I'm a stranger
You are for me!
I lived for you; just one feeling
And one persistent thought possessed me!
I will die.
But before saying goodbye to life,
Give me at least one moment to be with you,
Together in the wonderful silence of the night,
Let me drink in your beauty!
Then let death and peace be with it!
(Lisa stands, looking sadly at German.)
Stay like that! Oh, how beautiful you are!
Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
Sorry, lovely creature,
That I disturbed your peace
Sorry, but passionate
Don't reject confession
Don't reject it with sadness!
Oh, pity! I, dying,
I bring my prayer to you;
Look from the heights of heavenly paradise
To the death struggle
Souls tormented by torment
Love for you, oh have pity
And my spirit with affection, regret,
Warm me with your tears!
(Lisa is crying.)
You are crying! You!
What do these tears mean?
Don't you drive and regret?
He takes her hand, which she does not take away.
Thank you! Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
He falls to Lisa's hand and kisses it. At this time, the sound of footsteps and a knock on the door is heard.
COUNTESS (Behind the door). Lisa, open the door!
LISA (confused). Countess! Good God! I'm dead, run!.. It's too late! Here!
The knocking on the door gets louder. Lisa points Herman to the curtain, goes to the door and opens it. The Countess enters in a dressing gown, surrounded by maids with candles.
COUNTESS. Why aren't you sleeping? Why are you dressed? What's all this noise?
LISA (confused) I, grandma, walked around the room... I can’t sleep...
COUNTESS (gestures to close the balcony)
Look! Don't be stupid! Now go to bed!
(Knocks with a stick.) Do you hear?..
LISA. Me, grandma, now!
I can’t sleep!..Have you heard of this!
Well, times! I can’t sleep!.. Now go to bed!
LISA. I obey!.. Sorry!
COUNTESS (leaving).
But I hear a noise;
You're disturbing grandma!
(To the maid.) Let's go!
(Lise.) And don’t you dare try anything stupid here!
(Leaves with the maids.)
HERMANN (About myself).
"Who, loving passionately,
He'll probably come to find out from you
Three cards, three cards, three cards!”
The cold of the grave blew all around!
Oh scary ghost
Death, I don't want you!
Lisa, having closed the door behind the Countess, approaches the balcony, opens it and motions for Herman to leave.
Oh, have mercy on me!
Death a few minutes ago
It seemed like salvation to me, almost happiness!
Now it’s not like that: she’s scary to me, she’s scary to me!
You revealed the dawn of happiness to me,
I want to live and die with you!
LISA. Mad man, what do you want from me, what can I do?..
HERMANN. Decide my fate!
LISA. Have mercy, you are ruining me! Go away, I ask you, I command you!
HERMANN. So, that means you pronounce the sentence of death!
LISA. Oh God, I'm getting weak... Go away, please!
HERMANN. Say then: die!
LISA. Good God!
HERMANN. Goodbye!
LISA. Heavenly Creator! (Herman makes a move to leave.) No! Live!
Herman hugs Lisa; she rests her head on his shoulder.
HERMANN. Love you!
LISA. I'm yours!
HERMANN. Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
ACT TWO
PICTURE THREE
Masquerade ball for a rich dignitary. Large hall. On the sides, between the columns, there are boxes. Boys and girls in fancy dress dance country dance. The singers sing in the choirs.
Choir of singers.
Joyfully, cheerfully on this day *
Get together, friends!
Give up your idle time
Jump and dance boldly!
Jump, dance boldly,
Give up, give up your idle time,
Jump, dance, dance more fun!
Clap your hands with your hands
Click your fingers loudly!
Turn your black eyes,
You all say it with stature!
Fertik hands on your sides,
Take easy leaps
Knock on chobot,
Whistle with bold steps!
The Manager enters.
Manager.
The owner asks dear guests to welcome
Look at the sparkle of the entertainment lights!
All guests head to the garden terrace.
CHEKALINSKY.
Our Herman has hung his nose again,
I guarantee you that he is in love,
He was gloomy, then he became cheerful.
No, gentlemen, he is carried away,
What do you think?
How? Hope to learn three cards.
CHEKALINSKY. What a weirdo!
I don’t believe it, you have to be ignorant
For this. He's not a fool!
SURIN. He told me himself...
TOMSKY. Laughing!
CHEKALINSKY. (To Surin).
Come on, let's go tease him! (Pass.)
However, he is one of those who, having once conceived it,
Must accomplish everything! Poor fellow! Poor fellow!
(Tomsky passes. The servants are preparing the middle of the hall for the interlude. Prince Yeletsky and Liza enter.)
You are so sad, my dear,
As if you have grief...
Trust me!
LISA. No, later, Prince, another time... I beg you!
(Wants to leave.)
Wait a moment!
I must, I must tell you!
I love you, I love you immensely,
I can’t imagine living a day without you.
And a feat of unparalleled strength
I’m ready to do it for you now,
But know: your hearts are free
I don't want to bother you with anything,
I'm ready to hide to please you
And calm down the heat of jealous feelings,
Ready for anything, anything for you!
Not only a loving spouse,
Sometimes a useful servant
I wish I could be your friend
And always a comforter.
But I see clearly, I feel now,
Where did you take yourself in your dreams?
How little trust you have in me,
How alien and how distant I am to you!
Oh, I'm tormented by this distance,
I sympathize with you with all my heart,
I'm saddened by your sadness
And I cry with your tears...
Oh, I'm tormented by this distance,
I sympathize with you with all my heart!
I love you, I love you immensely,
I can’t imagine living a day without you,
I am a feat of unparalleled strength
Ready to do it for you now!
Oh honey, trust me!
Prince Yeletsky and Lisa pass. Herman enters without a mask, in a suit, holding a note in his hand.
HERMANN (is reading).
"After the performance, wait for me in the hall. I have to see you..."
I would rather see her and give up this thought...
(Sits down.) Three cards!.. Three cards to know - and I’m rich!..
And together with her I can run away from people...
Damn it!..
This thought will drive me crazy!
Several guests return to the hall; among them Chekalinsky and Surin. They point at Herman, sneak up and, leaning over him, whisper.
SURIN, CHEKALINSKY.
Aren't you the third one?
Who, loving passionately,
He will come to find out from her
Three cards, three cards, three cards?
They are hiding. Herman stands up in fear, as if not realizing what is happening. When he looks back, Chekalinsky and Surin have already disappeared into the crowd of young people.
CHEKALINSKY, SURIN and several guests.
Three cards, three cards, three cards!
They laugh and mingle with the crowd of guests, which little by little enters the hall.
What is this? Nonsense or mockery? No! What if?! (Covers his face with his hands.)
Madman, madman I am! (Thinks.)
Manager.
The owner asks his dear guests to listen to the pastoral under the title: “The Sincerity of the Shepherdess”! *
Guests are seated in prepared places. Boys and girls, dressed in costumes of shepherds and shepherdesses, go out into the meadow. They lead round dances, dance and sing. Prilepa alone does not take part in the dances and weaves a wreath in sad thoughtfulness.
Choir of shepherds and shepherdesses.
Under the thick shadow,
Near a quiet stream,
We came today in a crowd
Please yourself
______________
* The plot and most of the verses of this pastoral are borrowed from the poem of the same name by P. Karabanov.
Sing, have fun
And the news is round dances,
Enjoy nature
Weave floral wreaths.
The shepherds and shepherdesses move into the depths of the stage.
My dear little friend,
Dear shepherd,
For whom I sigh
And I wish to open passion,
Oh, I didn’t come to dance,
Milovzor (entering).
I'm here, but I'm boring, languid,
Look how much weight you've lost!
I won't be modest anymore
I hid my passion for a long time,
I won't be modest anymore
I hid my passion for a long time.
I won't be modest
I hid my passion for a long time!
My dear little friend,
Dear shepherd,
I miss you so much,
How I suffer for you,
Ah, I can’t say!
Ah, I can’t say!
I don’t know, I don’t know why!
Milovzor.
Loving you for a long time
I missed you without you
And you don't know that
And here you hide yourself
From my sight, from my sight.
I don't know, I don't know why,
I don’t know, I don’t know why!
Zlatogor's retinue brings in precious gifts while dancing. Zlatogor enters.
Zlatogor.
How sweet and beautiful you are!
Tell me: which of us?
Me or him
Do you agree to love forever?
Milovzor.
I agreed with my heart
I was inclined to love her,
Whom does it command?
To whom does it burn?
Zlatogor.
I am the mountains of gold
And the stones are expensive
I have it.
I promise to decorate
I use them all over you,
I have darkness
And gold and silver,
And all the best!
Milovzor.
My one estate -
Love has an unflattering heat.
And into eternal possession
Accept it as a gift,
And birds, and branches,
And ribbons and wreaths
In place of the speckled one
Precious clothing
I will bring
And give them to you!
I don’t need any estates
No rare stones
I'm with my sweetheart in the middle of the fields
And I’m glad to live in a hut,
And I’m glad to live in the hut!
(Zlatogor.)
Well, master, good luck...
(To Milovzor.)
And you be calm!
Here in solitude
Hurry to your reward
Such nice words
Bring me a bunch of flowers!
Prilepa and Milovzor.
The end of the torment has come,
Love's admiration
The hour will soon come,
Love, bind us!
Choir of Shepherds and Shepherdesses
The end of the torment has come,
Bride and groom
Worthy of admiration
Love, conjugate them!
Cupid and Hymen with their retinue enter to marry the young lovers. Prilepa and Milovzor, holding hands, dance. The shepherds and shepherdesses imitate them, form round dances, and then everyone leaves in pairs.
Choir of shepherds and shepherdesses.
The sun shines red,
Zephyrs flew by
You are with a wonderful young man,
Prilepa, have fun!
The end of the torment has come,
Bride and groom
Worthy of admiration
Love, conjugate them!
Everyone leaves in pairs. At the end of the interlude, some guests stand up, others chat animatedly, remaining in their seats. Herman approaches the front of the stage.
HERMANN (thoughtfully).
“Who is ardent and passionately loving!”
Well? don't I love you? Of course yes!
He turns around and sees the Countess in front of him. Both shudder, looking at each other intently.
SURIN (wearing a mask).
Look, your lover!
(He laughs and hides.)
Who is it?.. Demon or people?
Why are they following me?
Damn it! Oh, how pathetic and ridiculous I am!
Lisa comes in wearing a mask.
LISA. Listen, Herman!
You, finally!
How happy I am that you came!
I love you!.. I love you!..
This is not the place...
That's not why I called you!
Listen... Here is the key to the secret door in the garden...
There's a staircase... You'll go up it to grandma's bedroom...
HERMANN. How? to her bedroom?..
She won't be there...
In the bedroom near the portrait there is a door to me.
I'll be waiting!
You, I want to belong to you alone!
We need to solve everything!
See you tomorrow, my dear, beloved!
Hermann. No, not tomorrow, No, today I’ll be there!..
LISA (scared). But, honey...
HERMANN. I want!
LISA. Let it be! After all, I am your slave! Sorry...
(Hides.)
Now it’s not me, fate itself wants it this way,
And I will know three cards!
(Runs away.)
Manager (excited and in a hurry).
Her Majesty would like to welcome you now...
There is great excitement among the guests. The manager divides those present so that a passage is formed in the middle for the queen.
Guest choir.
Queen! Her Majesty! Queen! She will arrive...
What an honor for the owner, what a happiness!..
It's a joy for everyone to look at our mother.
What a joy it is for us!
The French ambassador will be with her!
The Most Serene One will also honor!
Well, it was a real holiday!
What delight, what joy!
Well, it was a great holiday.
Manager (to the singers). You “Glory to this” now thunder -
Guest choir.
This is how the holiday turned out to be a success!
Sound out "Glory to this"!
Here, here, coming, coming, now our mother is coming!
Everyone turns towards the middle doors. The manager makes a sign. singers to start.
Choir of guests and singers
Glory to this, Catherine,
Hail, mother tender to us!
Vivat, vivat!
The men take a low courtly bow position. Ladies squat deeply. The pages enter in pairs, followed by Catherine, surrounded by her retinue. *
PICTURE FOUR
The Countess's bedroom, illuminated by lamps. Herman quietly enters through the secret door. He looks around the room.
* In pre-revolutionary productions of the opera, this action ended with the appearance of pages preceding the appearance of Catherine II. This was caused by the ban on depicting members of the royal family on stage.
Everything is as she told me...
What? Am I afraid, or what?
No! So it’s decided, I’ll find out the secret from the old woman!
(Thinks.)
What if there is no secret?
And this is all just empty delirium of my sick soul!
He goes to Lisa's door. As he passes, he stops at the portrait of the Countess. Midnight strikes.
And, here it is - “Venus of Moscow!”
By some secret force
I am connected to her by fate!
Do I get it from you, do you get it from me,
But I feel that one of us
Die from someone else!
I look at you and hate you
And I can’t get enough of it!
I would like to run away, but I don’t have the strength...
The inquisitive gaze cannot look away
From a terrible and wonderful face!
No, we cannot part without a fatal meeting!
Steps! They're coming here!.. Yes!..
Oh, come what may!
Herman is hiding behind the boudoir curtain. The maid runs in and hurriedly lights the candles. Other maids and hangers-on come running after her. The Countess enters, surrounded by bustling maids and hangers-on.
Choir of hangers-on and maids.
Our benefactor,
How did you go for a walk?
Our light, little lady
He probably wants to rest!
(They escort the Countess to the boudoir.)
Tired, tea?
So what,
Who was better looking there?
Were, perhaps, younger
But none is more beautiful!
(Behind the scenes.)
Our benefactor...
Our light, dear lady...
Tired, tea,
He probably wants to rest!
Lisa enters, followed by Masha.
LISA. No, Masha, come with me!
Masha. What's wrong with you, young lady - you're pale!
LISA. There is nothing...
Masha (having guessed). Oh my god! Really?..
Yes, He will come...
Shut up! He may already be there... And waiting...
Watch over us, Masha, be my friend!
Masha. Oh, I wish we didn’t get it!
That's what he ordered. I chose him as my husband...
And an obedient servant, faithful to the flock,
Who was sent to me by fate!
Lisa. and Masha leave. The hangers-on and maids bring in the Countess. She is wearing a dressing gown and a nightcap. She is put to bed.
Choir of hangers-on and maids
Benefactress,
Our light, dear lady,
Tired, tea,
He probably wants to rest!
Benefactress,
A beauty!
Go to bed, tomorrow you will be more beautiful again
Morning dawn!
Go to bed, you'll wake up better tomorrow
Morning dawn!
Benefactress!
Lie down in bed
Rest, rest,
Stop lying to you!.. I'm tired!.. I'm tired... I have no urine...
I don't want to sleep in bed!
(She is seated in a chair and covered with pillows)
Oh, I hate this light! Well, times!
They don't really know how to have fun.
What manners! What a tone! And I wouldn't look...
They don't know how to dance or sing!
Who are the dancers? Who sings? Girls!
And it happened: who was dancing? who sang?
Le duc d`Orlean, la duc d`Ayen, de Coigni,.. la comtesse d`Estrades,
La duchnesse de Brancas... *
What names!..
And even, sometimes, the Marquise Pompadour herself!..
I sang in front of them...
Le duc de la Valliere ** praised me!
Once, I remember, in Chantili ***, at Рripce de Conde ****,
The king heard me!
I can see everything now...
___________________
* Duke of Orleans, Duke d'Ayen, Duke de Coigny, Countess d'Estrade, Duchess de Branca. (French).
** Duke de la Vallière (French)
*** Chantilly, - royal castle near Paris (French)
**** Prince de Condé (French)
(Humming.)
Il me dit: “je vois fime”
Et je sens malgre moi
Mon Coeur qui bat...
Je ne sais pas porqoui... *
(As if waking up, he looks around.)
Why are you standing here? Get out there!
The maids and hangers-on, stepping carefully, disperse. The Countess is dozing and humming as if in a dream.
Je cranes de lui parler la nuit
J`ecoute trop tout ce qu`il dit,
Il me dit: “je vois fime”
Et je sens malgre moi
Mon Coeur qui bat...
Je ne sais pas porqoui...
Herman comes out and confronts the Countess. She wakes up and silently moves her lips in silent horror.
Don't be scared!
For God's sake, don't be scared!..
I won't harm you!
I came to beg you for one mercy!
The Countess silently looks at him as before.
You can make up your life's goals happiness! And it won't cost you anything! Do you know three cards... .
(The Countess gets up.)
For whom should you keep your secret?
Herman kneels down.
If you have ever known the feeling of love,
If you remember the ardor and delight of young blood,
If you ever smiled at the affection of a child,
If your heart has ever beat in your chest,
Then I beg you with the feeling of a wife, lover, mother,
To everything that is sacred to you in life,
Tell me, tell me, tell me your secret!
What do you need it for?!
__________________
* I'm afraid to talk to him at night,
I listen too much to everything he says.
He tells me: I love you,
And I feel, against my will,
I feel my heart
Which beats, which beats,
I do not know why! (from French)
May be,
It is associated with terrible sin,
With the destruction of bliss,
With a diabolical condition?
Think about it, you are old, you won’t live long,
And I am ready to take on your sin!..
Open up to me! Tell!..
The Countess, straightening up, looks menacingly at Herman.
Old witch!
So I'll make you answer!
Herman takes out a pistol. The Countess nods her head, raises her hands to shield herself from the shot, and falls dead.
Stop being childish!
Would you like to assign me three cards?
Yes or no?
He approaches the Countess and takes her hand. He sees with horror that the Countess has died.
She is dead! It came true!..
But I didn’t find out the secret!
(Stands like petrified.)
Dead!.. But I didn’t find out the secret...
Dead! Dead!
Lisa enters with a candle.
LISA. What's all the noise here? (Seeing Herman.) Are you, are you here?
HERMANN (rushing towards her, with fear).
Shut up! Shut up!
She's dead, but I didn't find out the secret!..
LISA. Who's dead? What are you talking about?
HERMANN (pointing to the corpse).
It came true! She's dead, but I didn't know the secret!..
LISA (rushes to the Countess's corpse)
Yes! died! Oh my God! And you did this?
(Sobbing.)
HERMANN. I didn’t want death, I just wanted to know three cards!
So that's why you're here!
Not for me!
You wanted to know three cards!
It wasn't me you needed, it was the cards!
Oh my God, my God!
And I loved him
She died because of him!..
Monster! Murderer! Monster!
Herman wants to speak, but with an imperious gesture she points to the secret door.
Away! Away! The villain! Away!
HERMANN. She is dead!
LISA. Away!
Herman runs away. Lisa, sobbing, falls on the Countess's corpse.
ACT THREE
PICTURE FIFTH
Barracks. Herman's room. Winter. Late evening. The moonlight either illuminates the room through the window, then disappears. The howling of the wind is heard. The room is dimly lit by a candle standing on the table. A military signal is heard behind the stage. Herman is sitting at the table.
HERMANN (reads the letter).
"...I don’t believe that you wanted the Countess to die... I am tormented by the consciousness of my guilt before you! Calm me down! Today I’m waiting for you on the embankment, when no one can see us there. If you don’t come before midnight, "I will have to admit the terrible thought that I am driving away from myself. Forgive me, forgive me, but I am suffering so much!.."
Poor thing! What an abyss I dragged her into with me!
Oh, if only I could forget myself and fall asleep!
Sinks into a chair in deep thought and as if... dozing. It seems to him that he again hears the church choir singing the funeral service for the deceased countess.
Choir of singers (behind the stage in the distance).
I pray to the Lord
So that he can hear my sadness,
For my soul is filled with evil
And I fear the captivity of hell,
Oh God, look at the suffering
You are your slave!
HERMANN (getting up in fear).
All the same thoughts
All the same horrible dream And gloomy pictures funeral
They stand as if alive before me...
(Listens.)
Singing or wind howling?
I can't figure it out...
(Distant funeral singing can be heard.)
Just like there... yes, yes, they sing!
And here is the church, and the crowd, and the candles,
And incense, and sobs...
(Singing more clearly.)
Here is the hearse, here is the coffin...
And in that coffin there is an old woman without movement, without breathing
Some kind of force draws me in, I walk up the black steps!
It’s scary, but there’s no strength to go back!..
I'm looking at a dead face...
And suddenly, squinting mockingly,
It blinked at me!
Away, terrible vision! Away!
(Sinks into a chair, covering his face with his hands.)
Choir of singers. Give her endless life!
For a moment, the howling of the storm subsides and a short knock on the window is heard in the silence. Herman raises his head and listens. A gust of wind comes again. Someone's shadow flashes in the window. The knocking on the window is repeated. A new gust of wind opens the window and extinguishes the candle, and again a shadow appears in the window. Herman stands as if petrified.
I'm scared! Scary!
There... there... steps... They open the door...
No, no, I can't stand it!
He runs to the door, but at that moment the ghost of the Countess in a white shroud appears in the doorway. Herman retreats, the ghost approaches him.
Ghost of the Countess.
I came to you against your will
But I was ordered to fulfill your request.
Save Lisa, marry her,
And three cards, three cards,
Three cards will win in a row.
Troika! Seven! Ace! Three, seven, ace!
(Disappears.)
HERMANN (with a look of madness).
Three, seven, ace! Three... Seven... Ace...
PICTURE SIX
Night. Winter Canal. In the background of the scene is the embankment and the Peter and Paul Fortress, illuminated by the moon. Under the arch, in a dark corner, Lisa is standing all in black.
Midnight is approaching
But Herman is still not there, still not there.
I know he will come and dispel suspicion.
He's a victim of chance
And he cannot, cannot commit a crime!
Oh, I’m tired, I’m exhausted!..
Oh, I'm exhausted with grief...
Whether at night or during the day, only about him
I tormented myself with thoughts...
Where are you, experienced joy?
Oh, I'm tired, I'm tired!
Life only promised me joy,
The cloud found, the thunder brought,
Everything I loved in the world
Happiness, my hopes were dashed!
Oh, I'm tired, I'm tired!
Whether at night or during the day, only about him,
Oh, I tormented myself with thoughts...
Where are you, experienced joy?
The cloud came and brought a thunderstorm,
Happiness, my hopes were dashed!
I'm tired! I'm exhausted!
Melancholy gnaws and gnaws at me...
And if the clock strikes in response,
That he is a murderer, a seducer?
Oh, I'm scared, I'm scared!..
The clock is striking on the fortress tower.
Wait, he'll be here now...
(With despair.)
Oh, darling, come, have pity,
Have pity on me
My husband, my lord!
So it's true! With a villain
I have tied my fate!
Murderer, monster forever
My soul belongs!..
by his criminal hand
Both my life and my honor are taken,
I am the fateful will of heaven
Cursed together with the murderer!
Lisa wants to run, but at this time Herman appears.
You are here, you are here! You are not a villain! Are you here!
The torment has come to an end,
And I became yours again!
Away with tears, torment and doubts!
You are mine again and I am yours!
Falls into his arms.
HERMANN. Yes, here I am, my dear! (Kisses her.)
LISA. Oh yes, the suffering is over, I’m with you again, my friend!
HERMANN. I'm with you again, my friend!
LISA. The bliss of the date has arrived!
HERMANN. The bliss of the date has arrived!
LISA. The end of our painful torment!
HERMANN. The end of our painful torment!
LISA. Oh yes, the suffering is over, I am with you again!
HERMANN. Those were heavy dreams, the deception of an empty dream.
LISA. The deception of a dream is empty.
The lamentations and tears are forgotten!
I'm with you again
Yes, I'm with you again!
Our torment and suffering are over,
The blessed hour of goodbye has come,
Oh my angel, I'm with you again!
LISA (at the same time as Herman)
The lamentations and tears are forgotten!
Oh my dear, desired one,
I'm with you again, again
Our suffering has passed forever,
The torment is over,
My dear, beloved,
I am with you again!
But, honey, we can’t hesitate, the hours are running...
Are you ready? Let's run!
LISA. Where to run? With you to the end of the world!
Where to run?.. Where?..
To the gambling house!
LISA. Oh my God! What's wrong with you, Herman?
There are piles of gold there
And to me, to me alone, they belong!
Herman, what are you saying? Come to your senses!
Oh, I forgot, you don’t know yet!
Three cards, remember?
What else did I want to find out from the old witch?
LISA. Oh my God! He's crazy!
Stubborn! She didn't want to tell me!
After all, today I had it
And she named me three cards.
LISA. So, does that mean you killed her?
Oh no! For what?
I just raised the gun
And the old witch suddenly fell!
(Laughs.)
LISA. So it's true! Is it true!
Yes! Yes! It’s true, I know three cards!
The killer has three cards,
She named three cards!
It was destined to be so
Three cards at this price
Only I could buy it!
I had to commit a crime
So that at this terrible price
I could recognize my three cards.
LISA (at the same time as Herman).
So it's true! With a villain
I have tied my fate!
Murderer, monster forever
My soul belongs!
by his criminal hand
Both my life and my honor are taken,
I am the fateful will of heaven
Cursed together with the murderer,
Along with the murderer, I am cursed too!
But no, it can’t be! Come to your senses, Herman!
HERMANN (in ecstasy).
Yes! I am the third who, passionately loving,
I came to forcefully learn from you
About three, seven, ace!
No matter who you are, I am still yours!
Run, come with me, I will save you!
Yes! I learned, I learned from you
About three, seven, ace!
(He laughs and pushes Lisa away.)
Leave me alone!
Who are you? I don't know you! Away! Away!
(Runs away.)
LISA. He's dead, he's dead! And with him and me!
He runs to the embankment and throws himself into the river.
PICTURE SEVEN
Gambling house.
Dinner. Some play cards.
Choir of guests and players.
Let's drink and have fun!
Let's play with life!
Youth doesn't last forever
Old age is not long to wait!
We don't have to wait long.
Let our youth drown
In bliss, cards and wine!
They are the only joy in the world,
Life will fly by like in a dream!
Let's drink and have fun!
Let's play with life!
Youth doesn't last forever
Old age is not long to wait!
We don't have to wait long.
SURIN (behind the cards). Dana!..
Chaplitsky. I'm guessing passwords!
Narumov. Killed!
Chaplitsky. No passwords!
CHEKALINSKY (throws). Would you like to bet?
Narumov. Atande!
CHEKALINSKY. Ace!
Prince Yeletsky enters.
SURIN. I'm a Mirandolem...
TOMSKY (To Yeletsky).
How did you get here? I haven't seen you around the players before.
Yes! This is my first time here.
You know what they say:
Those who are unhappy in love are happy in the game.
TOMSKY. What do you want to say?
I'm not a groom anymore.
Do not ask me-
I'm in too much pain, friend...
I'm here to take revenge...
After all, happiness is in love
Brings misfortune with you into the game.
Explain what this means.
Choir of guests and players.
Let's drink and have fun!
ELETSKY. You'll see!
Choir of guests and players.
Let's play with life!
Youth doesn't last forever
Old age is not long to wait!
We don't have to wait long.
The players join those having dinner.
CHEKALINSKY. Hey gentlemen! Let Tomsky sing something to us!
Choir of guests and players.
Sing, Tomsky, sing, something fun and funny!
TOMSKY. I can't sing something...
CHEKALINSKY.
Eh, come on, what nonsense! Drink and sing!
Good health to Tomsky, friends! Hooray!
Choir of guests and players.
Good health to Tomsky, friends! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
TOMSKY (sings).
If only lovely girls *
So they could fly like birds,
And they sat on the branches,
I wish I was a bitch
So that thousands of girls
Sit on my branches
Sit on my branches!
Choir of guests and players
Bravo! Bravo! Oh, sing another verse!
Let them sit and sing,
They built nests and whistled,
* Poems by Derzhavin.
We would hatch chicks!
I would never bend
I would admire them forever,
I was the happiest of all the bitches
He was the happiest of all the bitches!
Choir of guests and players.
Bravo! Bravo! That's the song! This is nice! Bravo! Well done!
"I would never bend,
I would admire them forever,
I was the happiest of all the bitches!”
CHEKALINSKY. Now, according to custom, friends, “Igretskaya”!
CHEKALINSKY. Chaplitsky, Narumov and SuriN.
Oh, where are those islands, *
Where does the tryn-grass grow, -
So on rainy days
They were going
Choir of guests and players.
So on rainy days
They gathered often.
They bent, God forgive them,
From fifty
Choir of guests and players.
They bent, God forgive them,
From fifty
CHEKALINSKY, Chaplitsky, Narumov and SURIN.
And they won
And they unsubscribed
Choir of guests and players.
And they won
And they unsubscribed
CHEKALINSKY, Chaplitsky, Narumov and SURIN.
So on rainy days
They were studying
Choir of guests and players.
So on rainy days
They were studying
* Poems by Ryleev
CHEKALINSKY, Chaplitsky, Narumov and SURIN.
They bent, God forgive them,
From fifty
Choir of guests and players.
They bent, God forgive them,
From fifty
CHEKALINSKY, Chaplitsky, Narumov, SURIN and a choir of guests.
And they won
And they unsubscribed
So on rainy days
They were studying
They bent, God forgive them,
From fifty
(Whistling, shouting and dancing.)
One hundred, one hundred, one hundred, one hundred!
CHEKALINSKY. Let's get to work, gentlemen, get to the cards! Wine, wine! (They sit down to play.)
Choir of guests and players. Wine, wine!
Chaplitsky. Nine!
Narumov Passwords...
Chaplitsky. Down the drain!
SURIN. I'm betting on root...
Chaplitsky. Dana!
Narumov. Ten minutes from transport!
Herman enters.
ELETSKY (seeing him).
My premonition did not deceive me.
(Tomsky.)
I may need a second.
Won't you refuse?
Rely on me!
Choir of guests and players
A! Hermann! Friend! Buddy!
So late? Where?
CHEKALINSKY.
Sit down with me, you bring happiness.
Where are you from? Where were you? Isn't it in hell?
Look what it looks like!
CHEKALINSKY. It couldn't be more scary! Are you healthy?
HERMANN. Let me put down a card.
(Chekalinsky silently bows in agreement.)
SURIN. What a miracle, he started playing!
Choir of guests and players.
What a miracle, he began to pont, our Herman!
Herman puts down the card and covers it with a bank note.
Narumov. Mate, congratulations on solving such a long post!
Hermann (placing a card). Is it coming?
CHEKALINSKY. How much?
HERMANN. Forty thousand!
Choir of guests and players.
Forty thousand!
You're crazy! What a jackpot!
SURIN. Didn't you recognize the countess's three cards?
HERMANN (irritated). Well, do you hit or not?
CHEKALINSKY. It's coming! Which card?
HERMANN. Troika.
(Chekalinsky mosque.)
Won!
Choir of guests and players.
He won! What a lucky guy!
CHEKALINSKY.
Something's wrong here!
It's like he's unconscious!
No, there's something wrong here!
His eyes wander
It bodes ill!
SURIN
Something's wrong here!
The wandering of his eyes bodes ill,
He seems to be delirious, unconscious!
No, there's something wrong here!
No,
ELETSKY (simultaneously with Chekalinsky).
Something's wrong here!
But punishment is close, close!
I'll take my revenge on you
I will take revenge on you, villain, my suffering,
I will take revenge on you!
Narumov (simultaneously with Chekalinsky).
Something's wrong here!
The wandering of his eyes bodes ill,
It bodes ill!
No, there's something wrong here!
His wandering eyes bode ill!
Chaplitsky (simultaneously with Chekalinsky).
Something's wrong here!
His wandering eyes bode ill!
It's like he's unconscious!
No, there's something wrong here
His wandering eyes bode ill!
TOMSKY (simultaneously with Chekalinsky).
Something is wrong here, something is wrong!
His eyes wander
His wandering eyes bode ill!
No, there's something wrong here, something's wrong!
HERMANN (simultaneously with Chekalinsky).
My greatest wish is coming true.
No no! The old woman's prediction is not deceptive!
Choir of guests and players (simultaneously with Chekalinsky).
Something's wrong here!
The wandering of his eyes bodes ill.
Choir of guests and players. It's like he's unconscious!
CHEKALINSKY. Do you want to receive?
HERMANN. No! I'm going around the corner!
Choir of guests and players.
He's crazy! Is it possible to?
No, Chekalinsky, don't play with him,
Look, he's not himself!
HERMANN. Is it coming?
CHEKALINSKY. It's coming. And the map?
HERMANN. Here, seven!
(Chekalinsky mosque.) My!
Choir of guests and players.
Him again!
Something strange is happening to him.
Why are you hanging your noses?
Are you scared? Are you scared?
(Laughs hysterically.) Wine, wine!
Choir of guests and players.
Herman, what's wrong with you?
HERMAN (with a glass in his hand).
What is our life?
Good and evil are just dreams!
Labor and honesty are women's tales.
Who is right, who is happy here, friends!
Today you, and tomorrow me!
So give up the fight
Seize your moment of luck!
Let the loser cry
Let the loser cry
Cursing, cursing your fate!
What's true?
There is only one death!
Like the shore of the sea of vanity,
She is a refuge for us all.
Which of us is dearer to her, friends?
Today you, and tomorrow me!
So give up the fight
Seize your moment of luck!
Let the loser cry
Let the loser cry
Cursing my fate!
Is it still going?
CHEKALINSKY.
No, get it! The devil himself is playing with you!
(Places the loss on the table.)
And if so, what a problem!
Anyone?
Is this all at stake? A?
ELETSKY (stepping forward). To me.
Choir of guests and players.
Prince, what's wrong with you? Stop doing that!
This is not a game, it's madness!
I know what I'm doing!
We have a score to settle with him!
HERMANN (embarrassed). To you? Do you want?
To me. Go ahead, Chekalinsky!
(Chekalinsky mosque.)
HERMANN (opening the map). My ace!
ELETSKY. No! Your lady is beaten!
HERMANN. Which lady?
The one you have in your hands -
Queen of Spades!
A ghost appears. Countesses. Everyone retreats from Herman.
HERMANN (horrified).
Old woman!..
You! Are you here!
Why are you laughing?
You drove me crazy!
Damn!
What... what do you need?
Life, my life?
Take her, take her!
Stabbed. The ghost disappears. Several people rush to the fallen Herman.
Choir of guests and players.
Unhappy!
How horribly he committed suicide!
He's still alive!
Herman comes to his senses. Seeing Yeletsky, he tries to get up.
Prince! Prince, forgive me!
It hurts, it hurts, I'm dying!
What is this? Lisa?
Are you here! My God!
Why why?
You forgive! Yes?
Don't you swear? Yes?
Gorgeous! Goddess! Angel!
(Dies.)
Choir of guests and players.
Lord! Forgive him!
And rest his rebellious one
And a tormented soul.
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