How fleeting Beauty...

HGO's "Queen of Spades" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky opens with the portrait of a young Beauty. Then slowly it morphs into the visage of an old crone, to end up later in the Opera as a sort of death mask.

I was privileged to attend the final Dress rehearsal. The opera is starkly set in a unknown time period in Russia. Despite the libretto's mention of Empress Catherine in one scene, and elsewhere of Mme de Pompadour, the children's costumes and some of the men suggest communist Russia, the female chorus' an undefined time - perhaps the Twenties?

Some scenes may be toned down for the official performances, if the director heeds the loud BOOS issued during a 'dance' (danced by an effeminately costumed Matthew Redden) scene at the gambling house, which seem to have come from about a third of the audience, while others sat in stunned silence with perhaps an occasional gasp.

The seduction scene, essayed by puppets, went without BOOS, although almost as graphic as the latter scene. But then using small puppets and later human like torsi for it, may have been less glaring, or perhaps it just went over the heads of most in attendance.

The crowning touch.. Herman's nightmarish encounter with a huge skeleton, which crept from under the blankets toward him as he tossed and turned on a large bed seemingly glued to the wall of the stage, was just a harbinger of his eventual fate.

As mentioned earlier, the staging was sparse, the lightening set the moods, beautifully underscored by the swell or ebb of the orchestra under the baton of Maestro Carlo Rizzi. The singers were selected well to represent the parts. Tenor Vladimir Galouzine was an effective Herman (in love with Lisa AND the cards)
displaying rather impressive thespian talents along with a voice of great steely power.

The female lead Lisa/Chloe, was sung by soprano Tatiana Monogarova, in her HGO debut, with at times melting lyrical sound, yet also dramatic effects. Of all of the male voices, I liked Tomas Tomasson, as Count Tomsky - a kind of 'depraved mentor' to young Herman, displayed an impressive slyly insinuating bass. Bariton Vasily Ladyuk, also making his HGO debut along Tomasson, as Prince Yeletsky, who is engaged to Lisa, was an enamoured fiance to Lisa and his aria "I love you" was a joy to hear. The Old Countess, Judith Forst, tottered appropriately across the stage and delivered her arias with aplomb.

6, count them, 6 of the current crop of Non Russian speaking Studio members filled most comprimario roles and acquitted themselves well singing in Russian, as a Russian speaking friend remarked.

Mezzo Maria Markina, ex-Studio, as Pauline/Daphnis sang truly ravishingly. Here is a clip of the Lisa/Paulina duet, sung by Edita Gruberova (soprano) and Veselina Kassarovea(Mezzo).

Some parts of the staging will be invisible from on high, all those seats up from the boxes may not be able to see certain effects. Which is a shame as they do have significance to the story.