Based on a short story by Pushkin fashioned into a libretto by the composer's brother The Queen of Spades was written in just five months. The story is set in eighteenth-century St. Petersburg and focuses on the young officerGherman who confides to his gambler friend Tomsky his love for a young woman. Later as the two congratulate Prince Yeletsky on his recent engagement the elderly Countess and her granddaughter Liza and it transpires that she isthe fiancée of the Prince and also the young woman Gherman is in love with. However in a private meeting Gherman and Liza declare their love for each other. Tomsky tells Gherman that the Countess has a secret method ofgambling using a certain sequence of three cards that always wins. Gherman is fascinated and becomes obsessed with finding out the winning three-card secret from the Countess. He goes to her quarters but accidentally frightensthe elderly woman to death. Liza forgives him however later they meet by a canal and when Gherman rejects her she jumps into the canal.The Countess' ghost reveals the gambling secret to Gherman who then goes to thecasino and wins twice with it. Playing against Prince Yeletsky though he becomes nervous and intends to select the ace but chooses the queen of spades instead. He loses everything and stabs himself to death.This is theSchirmer edition of the Libretto in English only.
