Slovak-born composer and conductor Peter Breiner has received considerable inter-national acclaim for his adaptations, and his Tchaikovsky arrangements are particularly impressive examples of his art. He has already arranged the Seasons (8.553510) and Songs (8.555332) but here he turns to opera. With deftness and subtlety he has taken motifs from Tchaikovsky's first opera Voyevoda to craft six richly scored movements, two of which have roles for solo strings. The Queen of Spades was composed in 1890 and Breiner's selections fully explore the music's romance and drama in their new form.