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A Night in Bluebeard's Castle
(My apologies: this may make little sense to those of you who don't know the opera.)
The BSO performance of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle last night was very good. As I expected, it was not staged, nor did they have supertitles (the libretto is in Hungarian). Unfortunately, that lead them to keep the house lights up a bit so that people could read along - I would have preferred the more standard concert hall lighting. In my opinion, the music is sufficiently illustrative.
The orchestra sounded terrific - they were lush and rich yet utterly clear and precise. I could hear every detail and shading. There are a lot of timbral nuances in the score that are so much clearer in a live performance than on a recording. The shimmery, sparkling music for the treasury door was particularly well brought out. And the climactic part at the fifth door was amazing. It's so much more powerful live - this wall of sound comes crashing outward from the stage to envelop you. No matter how loud you turn up the volume on a recording, no matter how good the sound system, there is nothing like experiencing that live. I didn't just hear it, I quite literally felt it, too.
The singers, Albert Dohmen and Anne Sofie von Otter, were very good. My only complaint was that they were occasionally overpowered by the orchestra. But I'm not sure whether or not that was entirely the singers' fault. Ors Kisfaludy, the actor who spoke the prologue, was wonderful. He gave the verses life and power such that the language barrier became nothing more than a speed bump.
It's such a shame that Bluebeard's Castle is so seldom performed. Sure, the music is a little bit modern and thorny, and the libretto is somewhat on the symbolic and abstract side. Yet the combination works wonders - it's a terribly effective piece. Plus, the fact that it's unusual could be turned into a tremendous selling point - it would get attention if nothing else. I also think it would be an excellent choice for a smaller opera company. The piece only requires two singers, plus one actor. At the end, the three previous wives make a brief appearance, but since they don't speak or sing, they could be played by almost anybody. No chorus, no large crowd scenes. The entire opera takes place in the castle, in front of a series of seven doors, so the stage set could be very simple. Only minimal props and scenery or lighting are necessary to convey what's behind the doors, especially since both the libretto and the music are adequately descriptive. And it's only an hour long - ideal for afternoon matinees and for pitching to people who might be intimidated by the average 2-3 hour length of most operas.
The second half of the concert was Brahms' First Symphony. I like the piece, and the BSO played it very well. But I have to admit that it's not what I was there to hear.
The BSO performance of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle last night was very good. As I expected, it was not staged, nor did they have supertitles (the libretto is in Hungarian). Unfortunately, that lead them to keep the house lights up a bit so that people could read along - I would have preferred the more standard concert hall lighting. In my opinion, the music is sufficiently illustrative.
The orchestra sounded terrific - they were lush and rich yet utterly clear and precise. I could hear every detail and shading. There are a lot of timbral nuances in the score that are so much clearer in a live performance than on a recording. The shimmery, sparkling music for the treasury door was particularly well brought out. And the climactic part at the fifth door was amazing. It's so much more powerful live - this wall of sound comes crashing outward from the stage to envelop you. No matter how loud you turn up the volume on a recording, no matter how good the sound system, there is nothing like experiencing that live. I didn't just hear it, I quite literally felt it, too.
The singers, Albert Dohmen and Anne Sofie von Otter, were very good. My only complaint was that they were occasionally overpowered by the orchestra. But I'm not sure whether or not that was entirely the singers' fault. Ors Kisfaludy, the actor who spoke the prologue, was wonderful. He gave the verses life and power such that the language barrier became nothing more than a speed bump.
It's such a shame that Bluebeard's Castle is so seldom performed. Sure, the music is a little bit modern and thorny, and the libretto is somewhat on the symbolic and abstract side. Yet the combination works wonders - it's a terribly effective piece. Plus, the fact that it's unusual could be turned into a tremendous selling point - it would get attention if nothing else. I also think it would be an excellent choice for a smaller opera company. The piece only requires two singers, plus one actor. At the end, the three previous wives make a brief appearance, but since they don't speak or sing, they could be played by almost anybody. No chorus, no large crowd scenes. The entire opera takes place in the castle, in front of a series of seven doors, so the stage set could be very simple. Only minimal props and scenery or lighting are necessary to convey what's behind the doors, especially since both the libretto and the music are adequately descriptive. And it's only an hour long - ideal for afternoon matinees and for pitching to people who might be intimidated by the average 2-3 hour length of most operas.
The second half of the concert was Brahms' First Symphony. I like the piece, and the BSO played it very well. But I have to admit that it's not what I was there to hear.