Teatro Regio Torino photo Edoardo Piva
The Teatro Regio in Turin invites you to an extraordinary operatic event: The Queen of Spades (La dama di picche) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, running from April 3 to 16, 2025.
Tchaikovsky considered The Queen of Spades his greatest masterpiece. Composed in a surge of inspiration in 1890, the opera is based on a libretto by his brother Modest, adapted from a novella by the renowned Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. With unparalleled mastery, Tchaikovsky crafts an atmosphere of impending tragedy, expressed in arias of intense emotion and pain. Nostalgia for the past permeates the score, paying homage to Mozart’s Rococo style, which Tchaikovsky deeply admired.
This production, originally conceived by Graham Vick and later developed by Sam Brown, was created for the Deutsche Oper Berlin before making its way to Turin. Richard Jones’s staging for the Welsh National Opera transposes the story to early 20th-century Russia, where remnants of the grand imperial past emerge amidst the post-revolutionary turmoil.
After a brilliant debut at the Teatro Regio in 2023 with The Tsar’s Bride, Maestro Valentin Urypin returns to conduct the orchestra and chorus, alongside a cast of renowned specialists in late 19th-century Russian repertoire—including the ever-glorious Jennifer Larmore.
Experience this haunting and powerful opera at the Teatro Regio di Torino—an unmissable event for all lovers of great music and drama.
The Story of "La dama di picche"
Set in 18th-century St. Petersburg, The Queen of Spades tells the story of Hermann, a man consumed by ambition and obsession. He learns that an aging Countess possesses a secret formula to win at cards and becomes determined to uncover it. Driven by his gambling addiction, he seduces Lisa, the Countess’s granddaughter, in a desperate bid to gain access to the secret.
In this production by Richard Jones for the Welsh National Opera, the story is reimagined in early 20th-century Russia, where echoes of the grand imperial past emerge amidst post-revolutionary chaos. Against this backdrop, Hermann’s descent into madness takes on grotesque and nightmarish dimensions, vividly portrayed on stage.
Hermann is an ordinary man trapped in a state of social limbo. He lives in a military barracks, earning enough for a modest life but longing for wealth, status, and Lisa’s love. Viewing the world through an outsider’s eyes, he idealizes a reality he cannot attain. Lisa, too, seeks to escape a rigid, predefined society, while Hermann strives to belong to it. In the end, both remain unsatisfied, prisoners of fate in a game they can never win.
Cast and Creative Team of "La dama di picche"
Opera in three acts and seven scenes
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by Modest Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
World première: Saint Petersburg, Mariinsky Theatre,
Overtitles in Italian/English
The Artists
Conductor • Valentin Uryupin
Direction • Sam Brown
Sets and Costumes • Stuart Nunn
Lighting • Linus Fellbom
Video • Martin Eidenberger
Choreography • Ron Howell
Chorus Master • Ulisse Trabacchin
Children Chorus Master • Claudio Fenoglio
Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Regio Torino
Staging • Deutsche Oper di Berlino
CAST
Liza • Zarina Abaeva
Hermann • Mikhail Pirogov
La contessa • Jennifer Larmore
Tomskij e Zlatogor • Elchin Azizov
Eleckij • Vladimir Stoyanov
Polina e Milovzor • Deniz Uzun
Čekalinskij • Alexey Dolgov
Surin • Vladimir Sazdovski
La governante • Ksenia Chubunova
Caplickij and the maestro of ceremonies • Joseph Dahdah
Narumov • Viktor Shevchenko
Maša • Irina Bogdanova
Prilepa • Albina Tonkikh
Booking Process
Music trip to Turin for 3 days / 2 nights with premium tickets for the opera The Queen of Spades . The highlight of the trip is a visit to the renowned Teatro Regio on the second evening to experience a spectacular performance in a historic setting with international stars. You can choose between the Essential and Superior Package.
Each travel package will be composed according to your wishes. Follow the booking process:
- Select a Date
- Press “Add to cart” and “Send Request”
- When we receive your booking request, you will get an individual offer with some hotels to choose from. Only after your decision, we send you a travel contract to confirm the booking.
- Description of the Essential and Superior Package
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Performance Dates La dama di picche
2025-04-03 ... 2025-04-16
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