Gherman, a soldier, falls in love with the wealthy Lisa, who is already engaged to Prince Yeletsky. Lisa confesses to Gherman that she is actually in love with him and not her betrothed. Gherman's friends tell him that Lisa's grandmother knows a card trick that makes her win every time, thus her nickname, "The Queen of Spades." Gherman becomes obsessed with learning the secret, convinced that once he discovered it, it would solve all his problems. When Gherman tries to intimidate the old woman into revealing her secret, she dies of fright. Lisa sends Gherman away, distraught.
Alone in a wintery cabin, the ghost of Lisa's grandmother appears to Gherman and reveals the card trick. Gherman rushes to meet Lisa by the banks of a frozen river, but it soon becomes apparent that he has gone mad. After he abandons her, Lisa realizes that all hope is lost, and throws herself into the icy river. Gherman goes to the army barracks and joins a game of cards, using the secret that the apparition of the Queen of Spades taught him. It was a trick, however, and Gherman ends up losing everything-all his money, and the love of his life. He kills himself, asking for forgiveness.
ACT I
Two soldiers, Chekalinsky and Tsurin, stroll through the park. They discuss how another soldier, Gherman, never gambles, despite obsessively watching others play. Accompanied by his friend Tomsky, Gherman appears and bemoans the fact that he is in love with a girl far above his station, whose name he doesn't even know. The Prince Yeletsky arrives with his bride-to-be, Lisa, and her grandmother, the Countess. While Yeletsky is overjoyed at his recent engagement, Gherman is distraught-Lisa is the woman he has loved from afar! After Yeletsky and the ladies leave, the soldiers recount how, as a beautiful young woman, the Countess traded affection to learn a trick to always win at cards. Because of this, the Countess was nicknamed the Queen of Spades. Only two men ever learned the secret, and she was warned by an apparition to beware the "third suitor," who would try to discover the trick. Gherman sees the Countess' knowledge as a way to solve both his financial and romantic problems, and resolves to learn her secret.
At home, Lisa and her friends play music and dance. However, Lisa is somewhat distracted and aloof. Soon, her Governess shoos away her friends, including her friend Pauline, who encourages Lisa to cheer up. Lisa asks her maid, Masha, to leave the windows to her room open so she can enjoy the night breezes. Alone, Lisa expresses her unhappiness about the engagement, and her strange attraction to the man at the park who was staring at her-Gherman. Just as she thinks of him, Gherman appears at her window, and threatens to kill himself out of grief if she marries another. Lisa brings him into the room, but then a knock at the door forces him to hide. It is the Countess, telling Lisa to close her windows and go to sleep. After the Countess departs, Lisa asks Gherman to leave, but then succumbs to her desire, and they fall into each other's arms.
ACT II
A little while later, at a masqued ball, Gherman's friends comment on how obsessed he has become with the secret of the cards. Yeletsky, seeing Lisa sad and listless, tries to cheer her up by reminding her how much he loves her. Lisa surreptitiously gives Gherman the key to her grandmother's room, telling him that the Countess will be gone all the next day. However, Gherman insists upon coming that very night, thinking that destiny will lead him to discover the secret of the cards. He sneaks into the Countess' room and admires a portrait of her as a young woman. He hears her approaching and hides. When she dozes off, Gherman creeps out and wakes her, begging to be taught her secret. When she doesn't answer, Gherman threatens her with a pistol, and she dies of fright. Lisa rushes in, and finds to her horror that the man to which she gave her love was really more interested in learning her grandmother's secret. Lisa orders Gherman to leave, and collapses into sobs.
ACT III
Alone in the barracks, Gherman reads a note from Lisa asking him to meet her by the river at midnight. The ghost of the Countess appears, and reluctantly agrees to tell Gherman her secret, as it is the only way to save Lisa. He listens as she reveals the cards: three, seven, ace.
Lisa waits by the near-frozen river, lamenting that even though Gherman may still love her, her hopes of happiness are gone. Soon Gherman appears, and although he offers a few words of reassurance, he quickly begins babbling about the Countess and the secret, until he no longer even recognizes Lisa, and abandons her. Lisa, realizing that her life has been ruined, throws herself into the icy river.
The military officers gamble at a tavern nearby, joined by Yeletsky, who has never gambled before, but does now, because his engagement has been broken off. The mood is festive until the wild-eyed Gherman enters, intent on gambling. He immediately lays a heavy bet on three and wins, disturbing others with his crazed expression. He bets the seven and again wins, taking a wine glass in his hand and declaring that "life is but a game." Finally, on the last hand, he bets the ace, but Yeletsky's card beats him-the queen of spades. Once again seeing the ghost of the Countess, Gherman commits suicide, asking for forgiveness from both Yeletsky and Lisa. |
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