One is a gambler, one a womaniser, both meet a sticky end at the hand of supernatural forces! Over the course of two terms we will explore two great operas and the literature that inspired them: Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, based on a story by Pushkin, and Mozart's Don Giovanni, inspired by the Don Juan myth. Mozart's opera is very much grounded in the18th century, whereas Tchaikovsky is composing at the end of the 19th century; it is interesting to see how attitudes towards rakish men evolved over this time. The two operas are also connected by Tchaikovsky's great admiration of Mozart and of Don Giovanni in particular. One of these works may be more famous than the other, but these are two fascinating and beautiful operas worth exploring.