BELA BARTÓK

 

Bluebeard's Castle

 

Elena Zhidkova (Judith)

Sir Willard White (Bluebeard)

London Symphony Orchestra / Valery Gergiev

 

DSD recording, live at the Barbican January 2009

 

Sung in Hungarian (spoken prologue in English)

Text in Hungarian with English translation

 

Valery Gergiev is joined by two outstanding singers for this release of 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.

 

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 Reviews:

'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

 

'A performance of white-hot intensity ... Gergiev drew out all the myriad colours ... Elena Zhidkova who was nothing short of sensational.' Music OMH

 

LSO Live SACD LSO0685