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

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…Gergiev and his superlative orchestral forces and vocal soloists, supported by magnificent sound quality, present the enigmatic piece with great power, leaving us, as adequate performances always... — BBC Music Magazine, October 2009, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 27th Jul 2009
Catalogue No: LSO0685
Label: LSO Live
Length: 58 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

10th August 2009
BBC Music Magazine

September 2009

Opera Choice
Opera

December 2009

Recording of the Month

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

Work length58:46

$9.40

$11.75

Elenz Zhidkova, Willard White
London Symphony Orchestra
Valéry Gergiev

I. Prologue and Introduction

Track length15:22

$1.60

$2.00

II. First Door - Bluebeard's Torture Chamber

Track length4:19

$1.00

$1.25

III. Second Door - the Armoury

Track length4:16

$1.00

$1.25

IV. Third Door - the Treasury

Track length2:14

$1.00

$1.25

V. Fourth Door - the Garden

Track length4:31

$1.00

$1.25

VI. Fifth Door - Bluebeard's Vast and Beautiful Kingdom

Track length6:05

$1.00

$1.25

VII. Sixth Door - the Lake of Tears

Track length13:30

$1.60

$2.00

VIII. Seventh Door - Bluebeard's Wives

Track length8:29

$1.20

$1.50

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Recording of the Week, Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle

10th August 2009

Sir Willard White is the bridegroom with skeletons in his closet, and Russian mezzo Elena Zhidkova his inquisitive new wife on this new live recording from Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Sung in Hungarian (spoken prologue in English)

Text in Hungarian with English translation.

Valery Gergiev is joined by two outstanding singers for his latest LSO Live release featuring Bartók's one-act opera. Despite being one of the greatest ever interpreters of the role of Bluebeard on stage, this is Sir Willard White's first complete recording of Bluebeard's Castle. His Judith is the outstanding young Russian-born, Berlin-based mezzo Elena Zhidkova. Sir Willard performs extensively around the world during 2009 including appearances at The Metropolitan Opera in New York and La Scala in Milan. Elena Zhidkova will appear with the LSO and Gergiev at the BBC Proms and make her debut at the Mariinsky Theatre. She also performs in Palermo, Dresden, Leipzig, Amsterdam, Prague and Tokyo as well as returning to La Scala. Bartók's only opera is a dark and intense work, involving only two characters. Bluebeard's young bride persuades him to open seven doors in his castle in order to let light into the grim interior. Behind each she finds increasingly disturbing sights, until behind the final door she discovers Bluebeard's former wives and learns her fate.

CONCERT REVIEW:

'Who needs weeping walls and blood-stained jewels when you have the voice of Elena Zhidkova? As Bluebeard's wife she made us see and feel it all' The Times

Reviews

October 2009

…Gergiev and his superlative orchestral forces and vocal soloists, supported by magnificent sound quality, present the enigmatic piece with great power, leaving us, as adequate performances always do, feeling stunned and somewhat bewildered. Willard White's Bluebeard, exceptionally firm of tone, implacable but tormented without ever indulging his pain, is magnificent. He needs to be to counter the superb Elena Zhidkova...

1st October 2009

Gergiev takes to the potent compound of searing psychology, soaring poetry...with characteristic gusto, at pains to stress the pulsing drama at the heart of the seemingly undramatic premise of the work...White’s Bluebeard is a biting, granite-edged performance of inscrutable and intimidating stature.

October 2009

For the perfect introduction to Bartók's Bluebeard look no further. …the pivotal moment is the sombre burbling of the lake of tears… where Judith is transfixed by the water's unearthly hush and Bluebeard explains, "tears, my Judith, tears, tears…". Gergiev sustains a pretty slow tempo while clarinet and low strings embrace both protagonists with long, expressive lines. The opera's later episodes, such as the accelerating blood-rush as Judith susses the shocking truth (Gergiev and his players are on tremendous form here), Bluebeard pondering his past wives and the overwhelming moment when Judith at last joins them, all suggest similar levels of thoughtfulness, sense of theatre and sensitivity to mood.

Gergiev’s Bluebeard passes beyond shattering into a realm even more deeply disturbing

10th August 2009

The real revelation is Berlin-based Russian mezzo Elena Zhidkova who was a late replacement following the withdrawal of Katarina Dalayman. The remarkable range of emotion in her voice is staggering and you really can’t imagine a better Judith.

8th August 2009

Sonority wins over emotional display with Willard White’s Duke, but Elena Zhidkova makes partial amends as the anguished Judit.

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

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Recording of the Week, Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle

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