Bartók’s one-act shocker, in which an aristocrat brings his new bride home to a mausoleum already haunted by three he espoused before. Overt action is minimal. Seven doors open, one by one, to unnerving effect; at the unbolting of the fifth, the full orchestra (plus organ!) cuts loose in pure C major with a blast that registers a 9-plus on the Richter scale of 20th-century music. Sir Simon Rattle conducts, with the charismatic Gerald Finley, bass-baritone, on hand in the grim title role and Karen Cargill, mezzo-soprano, as his last duchess—oh, ominous phrase. —M.G.

Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, by Béla Bartók
–
London Symphony Orchestra / London / Music
London Symphony Orchestra / London / Music
“Duke Bluebeard’s Castle”, by Béla Bartók, 2020. Courtesy of London Symphony Orchestra.
Visit
London Symphony Orchestra
Barbican Centre For Arts & Conferences, Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom
Get Directions »
Start a New Search
Subscribers Only
Start your free trial to access the full Arts Intel Report
Subscribe to Air Mail to access every article
and search our entire Arts Intel Report.
Already a subscriber? Sign in here.