# 20th Century Operatic Masterpieces: Part Three - Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle



## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

20th Century Operatic Masterpieces: Part Three - Bartók's _Bluebeard's Castle_



















The year 1911 was, from one perspective, exactly the wrong time for a young, albeit respected, composer to be making his initial foray into opera. As Bartók labored on his first and only essay in the genre, he must have been aware that entertainment-seeking European audiences were then enjoying the efforts of a formidable cadre of established, wildly successful operatic composers. Still active as Bluebeard's Castle took shape were crowd-pleasers Puccini, Giordano, and Mascagni in Italy and Humperdinck and Richard Strauss in Germany, among others. It is not too surprising, then, to learn that when Bartók submitted the imaginatively dark-hued Bluebeard to the Hungarian Fine Arts Commission, the opera was rejected for a prize with a time-honored dismissal: "unplayable." It took another seven years for Bluebeard's Castle to receive its first staging; the work was finally premiered with much success by the Royal Hungarian Opera in May 1918. Its promising reception was, however, curtailed by the political intrigues of wartime Hungary. Librettist Béla Balázs (1884-1949) was inclined toward political views contrary to those of the government. After Bartók, whether out of loyalty or personal conviction, refused to suppress Balázs' name at subsequent performances, he himself withdrew the work, and it remained unperformed in Budapest for another 20 years.

While at the time of Bluebeard's composition Bartók was continuing to absorb the influence of other composers (including Liszt, Wagner, Strauss, and, then very recently, Debussy), the composer was also engaged with other, more deeply rooted musical concerns. The best-known and perhaps most important of these was his long-standing interest in the folk songs of his native Hungary and surrounding lands, which he spent several years collecting and transcribing together with his associate Zoltán Kodály. Particularly attractive to the composer were this music's exotic modes and scales and flexible, speech-inflected rhythms.

This latter aspect in particular proved central to Bartók's conception of Bluebeard's Castle at a time when his experience as a vocal composer had been limited largely to concise forms such as those he had observed in his travels to peasant villages. "I wanted to magnify," he later wrote of the opera, "the dramatic fluidum of [composer] Székely's folk ballads for the stage. And I wanted to depict a modern soul in the primary colors of folk song." Bartók uses mostly pentantonic scales as Bluebeard's wife Judith opens the doors of his castle and comes to the realization that she is one of his gruesome prizes. The climax of the arch form of the work is achieved in tension, volume, orchestration, and lighting at the opening of the fifth door, where the tonality changes to a new chromatic scale that stands in sharp contrast to all that has gone before. The score uses only one musical motif: a movement of a semitone symbolizing the omnipresent blood.

The composer was further attracted to the project by the story of Bluebeard itself, which had already attained several incarnations by the time of Bartók's setting. Originally recounting the crimes against children perpetrated by the fifteenth century Marshal of France Gilles de Retz, the story was spun into a fairy tale by Charles Perrault and later fashioned into a play/libretto (for Paul Dukas) by Maurice Maeterlinck. Bartók employed Balázs' symbolist version, in which fantastic elements provide metaphorical associations with Bluebeard's entrapment in loneliness and his wife's ultimately unsuccessful attempts to free him from this fate. The plot is totally allegorical and lacks action.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

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_Bluebeard's Castle_ is my favorite piece of music of all-time. About 12-13 years ago, I became obsessed with this work and bought several books about it (or books that talk about this work to some length). I even studied the libretto extensively looking for hidden meanings, which is something I haven't done too often. I think Salonen summed up this work pretty well:






My favorite performance of _Bluebeard_ is with Troyanos/Nimsgern/Boulez (Sony), but I also like Ludwig/Berry/Kertész (Decca), Otter/Tomlinson/Haitink (EMI) and Várady/Fischer-Dieskau/Sawallisch (DG).

What do you guys think of this opera?


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

No love for the classic Dorati recording with Mihaly Szekely and Olga Szonyi? Also, what do you think of Susanna Malkki's relatively recent recording?

It is a work I love (although I can't claim - or confess to? - an obsession to equal yours).


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Great piece, I have two : one on CD and one on DVD


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Great opera! What a creepy, beautiful and rewarding work to hear. Bartok never clicked with me until I picked up an LP of it. Then suddenly Bartok became one of my favorite 20th c composers. I've only had the plreasure of seeing Bluebeard live twice in a staged version. First-rate masterpiece.


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## Lisztianwagner (2 mo ago)

I should revisit it, but anyway Bartók's _Bluebeard's Castle_ is one of my favourite operas of the 20th century, such an impressive, thrilling work; it shows a very interesting symbolic weaving, brilliantly completed by the varied, colourful musical language which uses different tonalities to the best of their expressive possibilities, from gloomy, somber tones to a very bright orchestral colour, in a great combination of light and darkness; this level of contrasts is further evoked by the orchestral dynamics, going and returning to pianissimo after unleashing a formidable a formidable sound power.
My favourite recordings are Kertész/LSO and Boulez/CSO.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Enthusiast said:


> No love for the classic Dorati recording with Mihaly Szekely and Olga Szonyi? Also, what do you think of Susanna Malkki's relatively recent recording?
> 
> It is a work I love (although I can't claim - or confess to? - an obsession to equal yours).


Doráti is fine in _Bluebeard_, but I wasn't bowled over by his performance, although it has been probably close to 10 years since I've last listened to it. Mälkki is decent enough, but it doesn't quite capture my imagination like my afore-mentioned favorites.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Lisztianwagner said:


> I should revisit it, but anyway Bartók's _Bluebeard's Castle_ is one of my favourite operas of the 20th century, such an impressive, thrilling work; it shows a very interesting symbolic weaving, brilliantly completed by the varied, colourful musical language which uses different tonalities to the best of their expressive possibilities, from gloomy, somber tones to a very bright orchestral colour, in a great combination of light and darkness; this level of contrasts is further evoked by the orchestral dynamics, going and returning to pianissimo after unleashing a formidable a formidable sound power.
> My favourite recordings are Kertész/LSO and Boulez/CSO.


Re: Boulez _Bluebeard_ on DG --- not to dump on your choice, but do give Boulez's earlier account on Sony a listen. I think it blows away his remake, which, to my ears, sounds like a rather limp performance overall, although Jessye Norman is great.


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## Lisztianwagner (2 mo ago)

Neo Romanza said:


> Re: Boulez _Bluebeard_ on DG --- not to dump on your choice, but do give Boulez's earlier account on Sony a listen. I think it blows away his remake, which, to my ears, sounds like a rather limp performance overall, although Jessye Norman is great.


No problem, that's fine, thanks for the suggestion; I also have the Boulez Bartók set on Sony, but I usually go with his DG set, so, about _Bluebeard's Castle_, I usually end to listen to the recording on that box, which is quite beautiful.
I'll revisit the Sony recording anyway.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Lisztianwagner said:


> No problem, that's fine, thanks for the suggestion; I also have the Boulez Bartók set on Sony, but I usually go with his DG set, so, about _Bluebeard's Castle_, I usually end to listen to the recording on that box, which is quite beautiful.
> I'll revisit the Sony recording anyway.





Lisztianwagner said:


> Revisiting this performance:
> 
> *Béla Bartók
> Bluebeard's Castle
> ...


Once you've finished this performance, I'd love to know your impressions, @Lisztianwagner.


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## Lisztianwagner (2 mo ago)

Neo Romanza said:


> Once you've finished this performance, I'd love to know your impressions, @Lisztianwagner.


I enjoyed it immensely, such a gorgeous recording, both about the singers and the orchestral part! Troyanos and Nimsgern are vocally excellent, intense and depict the characters greatly; Boulez reconstructs the thick, complex texture with meticulous ear, with clarity and precision (indeed he was definitely perfect for this kind of music), the orchestration, the instrumental timbres, the tonal variety as well as the rich symbolism are very well handled, and I have to admit that it sounds even more powerful in the climaxes than the DG recording, which doesn't certainly lack of energy; as a matter of fact the sound is a bit harsher when the orchestra goes at full power, but I prefer it, that's a very compelling effect, it brilliantly expresses the tension and the dramatic atmosphere of the work.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Lisztianwagner said:


> I enjoyed it immensely, such a gorgeous recording, both about the singers and the orchestral part! Troyanos and Nimsgern are vocally excellent, intense and depict the characters greatly; Boulez reconstructs the thick, complex texture with meticulous ear, with clarity and precision (indeed he was definitely perfect for this kind of music), the orchestration, the instrumental timbres, the tonal variety as well as the rich symbolism are very well handled, and I have to admit that it sounds even more powerful in the climaxes than the DG recording, which doesn't certainly lack of energy; as a matter of fact the sound is a bit harsher when the orchestra goes at full power, but I prefer it, that's a very compelling effect, it brilliantly expresses the tension and the dramatic atmosphere of the work.


Glad you enjoyed it!  This is my reference recording for _Bluebeard's Castle_ and I suppose you can hear _why_ now that you've heard it. 

Have you heard the Otter/Tomlinson/Haitink recording on EMI? It's another one I think you'll enjoy.


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## Lisztianwagner (2 mo ago)

Neo Romanza said:


> Glad you enjoyed it!  This is my reference recording for _Bluebeard's Castle_ and I suppose you can hear _why_ now that you've heard it.
> 
> Have you heard the Otter/Tomlinson/Haitink recording on EMI? It's another one I think you'll enjoy.


I suppose I can.  I had already listened to some orchestral pieces on the Boulez Bartók Sony set, I should have listened to _Bluebeard's Castle_ before too! 

No, I haven't, but I can try it if I find it.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Neo Romanza said:


> My favorite performance of _Bluebeard_ is with Troyanos/Nimsgern/Boulez (Sony)


I was listening to this _Bluebeard_ only yesterday, after having bought Sony's _Pierre Boulez Conducts Bartók_ boxset as a download. It's certainly a fine performance, which has held up very well... which is quite an achievement, considering it was recorded nearly half a century ago!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Your favourite piece of music? Wow, that's quite a claim...! Kudos!

I cannot rival your obsession either, but I have a couple of dozen recordings in my collection, from the old 1950s Ferencsik and Susskind recordings, to the most recent, Malkki's excellent one on BIS. Some are not in Hungarian, so I sadly struggle to live with the likes of the Fricsay or Kubelik versions, but I do want to hear them, almost in a "what if...." manner.

I have to confess that the first one I ever bought reamins my favourite recording, Kertesz on Decca is not far off perfect as far as I am concerned, but there are several I really admire in the same league - Ivan Fischer, Malkki, the middle Ferencsik one, and one which tends to get overlooked, which is the Peter Eotvos recording on Hanssler, which has a spikiness that others miss. Do try and hear it if it's unfamiliar.....


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, Sz. 48, Op. 11

Tatiana Troyanos (soprano), Siegmund Nimsgern (baritone)

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Boulez

Look what I found in my vinyl collection.....😇


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

CnC Bartok said:


> Your favourite piece of music? Wow, that's quite a claim...! Kudos!
> 
> I cannot rival your obsession either, but I have a couple of dozen recordings in my collection, from the old 1950s Ferencsik and Susskind recordings, to the most recent, Malkki's excellent one on BIS. Some are not in Hungarian, so I sadly struggle to live with the likes of the Fricsay or Kubelik versions, but I do want to hear them, almost in a "what if...." manner.
> 
> I have to confess that the first one I ever bought reamins my favourite recording, Kertesz on Decca is not far off perfect as far as I am concerned, but there are several I really admire in the same league - Ivan Fischer, Malkki, the middle Ferencsik one, and one which tends to get overlooked, which is the Peter Eotvos recording on Hanssler, which has a spikiness that others miss. Do try and hear it if it's unfamiliar.....


Yes, the Eötvös on Hänssler is excellent --- I should revisit this one. I've owned this recording for years. The only Ferencsik I own came in that _Complete_ box set on Hungaroton that I bought a couple of years ago (an incredibly rare set) and I believe it's the one with Katalin Kasza and Gyorgy Melis. If you haven't heard the Otter/Tomlinson/Haitink, then do check it out. Also, Várady/Fischer-Dieskau/Sawallisch, which is one that doesn't get mentioned a lot it seems.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> I was listening to this _Bluebeard_ only yesterday, after having bought Sony's _Pierre Boulez Conducts Bartók_ boxset as a download. It's certainly a fine performance, which has held up very well... which is quite an achievement, considering it was recorded nearly half a century ago!


Those late 50s/60s/70s Columbia recordings are incredible from a purely audio quality perspective. And, yes, Boulez's earlier _Bluebeard_ is something else.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Neo Romanza said:


> Yes, the Eötvös on Hänssler is excellent --- I should revisit this one. I've owned this recording for years. The only Ferencsik I own came in that _Complete_ box set on Hungaroton that I bought a couple of years ago (an incredibly rare set) and I believe it's the one with Katalin Kasza and Gyorgy Melis. If you haven't heard the Otter/Tomlinson/Haitink, then do check it out. Also, Várady/Fischer-Dieskau/Sawallisch, which is one that doesn't get mentioned a lot it seems.


Yes, its the Kasza/Melis recording I meant, there's an early, historic one which has very 2D sound, and an early digital one with a very squally Russian Judith, all Ferencsik, the middle one being the most satisfactory, none are in any way bad though....

I know the Haitink, and it's a beautiful recording, maybe it needs a bit more excitement in the nasty doors, and the emotional release of Bluebeard at the end is a bit matter-of-fact. And Julia Varady with Sawallisch is not my favourite Judith. But I am nit-picking here, both are excellent performances!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I watched a couple of cheesy movie versions on YouTube last year but I really enjoyed both. It's a tragic fairy tale with some great music by one of my favorite composers.


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