Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) wrote down most of the opera "Queen of Spades" in only 44 days. The premiere became a great success - which continues to this day.The opera tells the story of an old countess who was involved in the Paris card-playing scene in her youth, her granddaughter Lisa, who loves the soldier Hermann but is engaged to another man, and Hermann.Hermann learns of the Countess’s life story, according to which she knew three winning cards, but would die at the hands of the person to whom she told the secret, along with her husband and her lover. Hermann senses a chance for wealth in this, as he believes he can win Lisa over in this way. He breaks into the Countess’s house and demands that the fortune cards be revealed. The Countess refuses, but dies of shock during Hermann’s threats. Lisa, who has rushed from the tumult, subsequently rejects Hermann, but later agrees to flee for a life together with him. Meanwhile, Hermann hallucinates about the three cards and, delirious, puts gambling above love for Lisa, who subsequently takes her own life. After initial wins, Hermann loses everything to the Queen of Spades card in the third game, ending his life.