The German officer Hermann is an outsider in St. Petersburg society: he has no money. That is also the reason why Lisa, in whom he has fallen passionately in love, is unattainable for him. Granddaughter of an enormously rich countess, Lisa is engaged to Prince Jeletzky. By coincidence, Hermann learns that the Countess is keeping a secret: she knows which three cards can ensure a win that would give Hermann a new life. From now on, gambling becomes an obsession for Hermann, as a result of which he loses not only Lisa, but ultimately also his own life. “Never before has one of my characters made me weep so passionately,” wrote Tchaikovsky while he was writing the opera; the composer identified with Hermann, emotionally torn and almost insane, more than with any other of his protagonists. Director Robert Carsen tells the story entirely from the perspective of Hermann, who lives through events once again shortly before his death. In our revival, the American tenor Brandon Jovanovich will début as Hermann; the young Ukrainian soprano Oksana Dyka will be singing as Lisa for the first time at Zurich Opera House. As at the première, Doris Soffel will play the Countess. Michail Jurowski, an acknowledged connoisseur of Russian music, will be at the rostrum.