Tchaikovsky, P. I. The Queen of Spades. Polina's Romance (Pikovaya dama. Romans Poliny), 1935. Op. 68. Sheet Music. In Russian.

Чайковский, П. И. Пиковая дама. Романс Полины : Для голоса (меццо-сопрано) с фортепианным сопровождением : Соч. 68.
Москва : Государственное музыкальное издательство (Музгиз), 1935.
5 с. Мягкая издательская обложка, энциклопедический формат. Тираж 5000 экз.
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Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich. The Queen of Spades. Polina's Romance : For voice (mezzo-soprano) with piano accompaniment : Op. 68.
Moscow : State Music Publishing House (Muzgiz), 1935.
5 pp. Soft publisher's cover, encyclopedic format. Print run: 5,000 copies. In Russian.

This 1935 musical edition presents one of the most beloved vocal excerpts from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s operatic masterpiece, The Queen of Spades (Pikovaya dama). Published by Muzgiz during a period of renewed appreciation for the Russian classical canon, this sheet music was intended for professional vocalists and advanced students, specifically those with a mezzo-soprano range.
Composed in 1890 during a feverish six-week stay in Florence, The Queen of Spades (Op. 68) reimagines Alexander Pushkin's darker prose as a tragic, psychological drama. Polina’s Romance ("Podrugi milye" / "Dear friends"), found in Act I, Scene 2, serves as a poignant lyrical contrast to the opera's rising tension. The piece is a quintessential example of Tchaikovsky’s "elegaic" style—a melancholic, introspective song that Polina performs for her friends, capturing a sense of fleeting youth and existential sorrow.
The edition features the complete piano transcription of the orchestral accompaniment, meticulously arranged to preserve the delicate woodwind textures and somber harmonies of the original score. From a technical standpoint, the romance demands exceptional breath control and a "darker" tonal quality from the mezzo-soprano, while the pianist must maintain a transparent, subtle touch to support the vocal line without overpowering it.
With a print run of 5,000 copies, this mid-1930s publication is a sought-after item for collectors of Soviet musicology, vocalists, and admirers of Tchaikovsky’s oeuvre. It stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Russian Romanticism and the meticulous standards of early Soviet musical typography.