Duke Bluebeard's Castle

The great Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881-1945) wrote only one opera—this single-act work first performed in 1918 that is actually a hybrid between musical drama and psychological analysis, with powerful overtones of German expressionism, French impressionism, and symbolist metaphor. On the surface the story is about Judith, the new wife of the notorious Bluebeard, whose investigation of his castle leads to the discovery of dark secrets—including the three previous spouses interred within. Although there's certainly tension in the situation and in the brooding score that periodically erupts into passionate fury, the piece isn't focused so much on constructing a suspenseful narrative as on dissecting the interior life of a lonely, troubled man whose needs cannot be satisfied by one woman. Made for British television two decades ago, the LPCM stereo sound here isn't outstanding, but Hungarian conductor Adam Fischer has the full measure of the work, the London Philharmonic delivers a blazing performance, and Robert Lloyd's deep bass and Elizabeth Laurence's creamy soprano fit their roles well. Duke Bluebeard's Castle isn't a stage performance, but rather a film made with cinematic flair—the sets are elaborate, the camerawork aligns nicely with the music, and the special effects, although hardly state-of-the-art, are good. Providing a fine way to experience an important 20th-century work that can seem static in the opera house, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)