Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades as a “Faustian” Plot: On the Problem of the Intertextual Content of the Opera

The material presented in this article is based on a series of works by Marina Grigorieva Raku (1993, 1999) that consider the intertextual depths of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s opera The Queen of Spades with the aim of identifying a holistic conceptual structure capable of encompassing the opera from within. The work uses the intertextual analysis methodology proposed by Raku, which includes the triad: “manifest intertext”, “secret intertext” and “central text”. By analogy with the intertextual discoveries concentrated in the part of the opera plot associated with the transfer of the action to the 18th century, we reveal Tchaikovsky’s reference to Franz Liszt’s Faust Symphony (fragmentary citation of Gretchen’s theme in the duet of Lisa and Polina). The discovery of a deep intertextual plane dated back to 19th century music supports a number of important conclusions. Firstly, the projection of the “Faustian” triangle (“Faust–Gretchen–Mephistopheles”) onto Tchaikovsky’s opera actualises the “Herman–Liza–Tomsky” triangle, which, unlike similar structures that have been recognised as organising the action of the opera (“Herman– Liza–Countess”, “Liza–Herman–Eletsky”), has hitherto not attracted attention. Secondly, this triangle not only reflects the images of the “Faustian” intertext, but also relies on Liszt’s method of monothematic transformations, reflected in the key moment of the transformation of Herman’s lyrical confession (“I don’t know her name…”) into an essential opposite (“…Three cards, three cards, three cards!”). Thirdly, the “Faustian” triangle contributes to the re-evaluation of Tomsky’s role as the invisible director of Herman’s fate and the entire operatic plot, which is confirmed by Olga Komarnitskaya’s establishment of the significance of the Ballad as the super-theme of the entire opera (1991); accordingly, Tomsky’s directorial role creates his own “theatre within a theatre”. The actualisation of the “Faustian” plot as a deep structure of The Queen of Spades which corresponds to a reading of the opera through the prism of Christian ontology, forms a basis for assessing its significance for Tchaikovsky’s ongoing work, which resulted in the composer’s last opera, Iolanta. Keywords: Tchaikovsky, Liszt, The Queen of Spades, Faust Symphony, intertext, Mephistopheles, Tomsky For citation: Korolevskaya, N. V. (2025). Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades as a “Faustian” Plot: On the Problem of the Intertextual Content of the Opera. Contemporary Musicology, 9(1), 54―78. https://doi.org/10.56620/2587-9731-2025-1-054-078