Duke Bluebeard's Castle

While my favourite audio recording (out of the hundreds available!) is the earlier Hungaroton with Gyorgy Melis and Katalin Kasza and the Budapest Phil conducted by Janos Ferencsik - an authentic all Hungarian project with appropriate eery enveloping acoustic - and I have seen it on stage at the ENO in London, absolutely nothing compares with this superbly crafted film oozing with artistry and high production standards.

The singers follow the Hungaroton reference cited above in the strong virile genuine bass of Robert Lloyd and Elizabeth Laurence's high soprano which convey both menace and frayed nerves respectively tinged with on the one hand grave conscience and on the other uncontrolled curiosity.... (the lip synch is more than adequate)

The excellent stereo (on my system anyway!) DVD sound is a step forward in quality and allows for Bartok's fine orchestrations (he was the Twentieth Century master of orchestral colour) to clearly float above the action on the screen. While the stage production is fairly static and can drag in my humble opinion this filmatic visualisation and its careful subtle camera work provides welcome shifting the point of view between the two protagonists while the different tableaux "behind" the locked doors - each becoming more horrific and psychologically twisted - is brought to life with startling effect!

Have purchased and enjoyed many "filmed" operas available on DVD this particular one easily is my FIRST CHOICE!

A desert island DVD. Hopefully where is not a single locked door.

Composed in 1911, modified in 1912 and 1917, and first performed in 1918, "A kékszakállú herceg vára" ("Bluebeard's Castle") is a piece of music I enjoy inordinately, especially the 1965 Walter Berry / Christa Ludwig recording, which I think the best of all.

It's an adaptation of the tale by Charles Perrault, with Duke Bluebeard arriving at his castle with his new bride, Judith, and her simultaneous dismay at the dark, dank atmosphere of his home and determination to open windows and let the light in (delve into his secrets). She accomplishes this by coaxing the keys to seven doors from her husband; as she opens each she finds a torture chamber with its walls weeping blood, an armory with bloody weapons, a garden where the flowers bleed when cut, a treasure trove where the very stones are blood, Bluebeard's kingdom (beautifully executed here), a lake of tears and finally, behind Door #7, Bluebeard's first three wives, which Judith, accepting her fate, must join. As each door opens, both the actual lighting and the music become "brighter", until there is a climatic high C at the fifth door, after which, the darkness begins to descend again, until, at the end, the music has returned to the opening key of F, and the castle is once again in gloom and shadow.

As a visual adaptation (and I think the only one to date), this is a beautiful production, using the medium of video to enhance the acting and the story-telling in a way that cannot be achieved on a large stage. The camera angles, the subtle cutting, the lighting, the interiors - all bring the dank, gloomy atmosphere of the castle to life, and catch every nuance of expression and gesture by Laurence and Lloyd, making this a very satisfying experience. The music and vocals don't have the edge the 1965 recording possesses, but since this is the only visual recording out there, I won't complain. It's sung in the original Hungarian, and there are subtitles which, although somewhat obtrusive, are a graceful translation by Sarah Distin.

It's not easy to find, but not impossible, either, and well worth seeking out, even with the inherent limitations of the VHS format (at least it's a VHS Hi-Fi stereo tape). It would be a complete joy to have it reissued on DVD, but I've read that in June of 2006, Warner Classics (the distributor in the UK and US), lost its helmsman, Matthew Cosgrove, and the division has been rolled into Rhino, Warner's reissue line, so for now this performance must remain an esoteric pleasure for those lucky enough to come across it.

Duke Bluebeard's Castle is a relatively new opera to me, and after hearing its incredible music, that is haunting and beautiful, it just goes to show how much I've been missing. The story may seem static at times but that doesn't matter, it is never dull and the atmosphere is incredibly rich, and of course the music! If you find Bartok's opera captivating, you will find this production just as much. The Door 5 scene could have had more dramatic tension with the orchestra matching it in intensity, that however is the only thing that could have been improved on, and that is just a subjective nit-pick. The visuals are have parts of eerie weirdness and true beauty which matches the story and atmosphere exactly, those for the Door 6 scene will leave you in awe. The photography is clever and skillful, the transitions fluid and seamless. The drama and directing choices are inspired and compelling as well as allowing the storytelling to be as concise as possible, nothing detracting from what is going on at all. The orchestral playing boasts textures that are both lyrical and intensely dramatic, very like Bartok's music itself, and stylistically it never lumbers and on the most part the tension is realised. While the conducting is accommodating yet taut, with good use of tempos with only those for Door 5 in want of more urgency. Robert Lloyd and Elizabeth Laurence are both just wonderful, he with a voice that is sonorous and characterful and she with one but has heft and lyricism, while both are good subtle actors(Laurence with her mix of excitement and joyful naivety more so than Lloyd). All in all, absolutely captivating and strongly recommended. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox