The penniless Gherman has fallen in love with Liza, even though she is engaged to his friend Yeletsky. Gherman learns that Liza’s guardian the Countess knows a winning three-card formula. Gherman determines to wrest the secret from the Countess…

„The Queen of Spades“ is one of Tchaikovsky’s most impressive and varied scores, containing grand choruses, intimate arias and duets, a masquerade paying tribute to Mozart and a terrifying supernatural episode.