Manchester
BBC Philharmonic - Bluebeard's Castle
Seven doors, and behind each one, a crucial piece of a gruesome puzzle…
Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók sits somewhere between a gothic tale of horror and a psychological dissection of a twisted relationship. Alone in a castle, Judith follows a trail of ever more compelling and grisly clues to unlock the truth about her new husband, horror by horror, door by door.
Bartók’s rich orchestration creates a world of shifting colours – glowing warmth, chilling darkness, and eerie suspense. His music is hypnotic, drawing the listener into the unfolding mystery with pulsing rhythms and bold harmonies. More than just a horror story, Bluebeard’s Castle is a deeply human drama about love, trust, and the unknowable depths of another’s soul.
Before the drawbridge lowers, a foreshadowing. Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste was one of her last completed works before she died at the age of just 24.
Anja Bihlmaier conductor
Jennifer Johnston Judith
Christopher Purves Bluebeard
