Adekvatnostʹ muzykalʹnoj interpretacii: „Pikovaâ dama” Puškina i Čajkovskogo

Authors:

• Małgorzata Rusak

Abstract

The primary purpose of this article is to analyze the short story The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin and the same titled opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in the context of the musical transformation of the original text. The main goal is to answer the question whether the composer managed to creatively deepen the psychological overtones of the short story, or, on the contrary, he made the characters more schematic while putting a stronger focus on the compositional tasks. For both Pushkin and Tchaikovsky, the main criterion for choosing the story was the richness of inner life of the character. The individual style and musical expression used by Tchaikovsky had a significant impact on the final version of the opera. The libretto and the specificity of this genre were emphasized, allowing for changes in the story. Tchaikovsky managed to create an “open” work and gave the possibility of multiple interpretations. The composer furthermore achieved the same degree of story dynamics and accumulation of actions as in the work of Pushkin. At the same time, Tchaikovsky significantly changed Hermann’s characteristics and intensified his tragedy. Moreover, dramatic plot twists and the psychological development of characters are expressed and emphasized by the music itself