Page 87 - FINAL_Theatre of Sound Coverage Book
P. 87
6 November 2021
Bluebeard’s Castle, at Stone Nest in Soho, London
BY JOHN GROVES
Bartok composed Bluebeard’s Castle, a 60-minute opera for two
performers, in the “expressionist” style in 1911 for a competition
which it did not win and had to wait until 1918 for its first
performance. It was not seen in the UK until 1957.
It is a darkly symbolic work with a rich, sensuous and superlatively
orchestrated score.
In the original staging, Bluebeard brings his new wife, Judith, home
to his castle which has seven doors and no windows. Wishing to
dispel the darkness, Judith asks for the keys to the doors,
discovering behind them a torture chamber, armoury, a rose garden
etc, all defiled with blood. Behind the seventh door, she finds
Bluebeard’s previous wives…
In Theatre of Sound’s production at Stone Nest the seven doors are
dispensed with, the director, Daisy Evans, opting instead for a large
chest which is opened once. This works less well than it should
because the English version by the director herself, and sung with
perfect clarity by Michael Mayes, keeps referring to ‘the doors’.
