Bluebeard’s Castle

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Image courtesy of Gran Teatre del Liceu

Béla Bartók composed a score that is considered to be a modern masterpiece. It was submitted to the jury of a composition competition for the best new lyric work of the Hungarian Fine Arts Commission, and won.

Bluebeard, a foreshadowing of Jack the Ripper, is the grim, bloodthirsty, wife-killing ogre; Judith, who has left home to follow this enigmatic character, will be the woman who asks dangerous questions. Like in Lohengrin's Elsa, she is asked to trust, and be blindly obedient in order not lose her love forever. 

As Judith makes her way through the dark castle, seven doors appear. Each one will reveal information about the personality and past of a Bluebeard who is unable to overcome old wounds and mistakes. The piece is a fascinating journey with incredible music that makes this a colossal work by any standards. 

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