1st – 10th November.
Bluebeard’s Castle is a psychological thriller about the question of how much truth love can endure. The opera tells the story of Judith who marries the mysterious Bluebeard. In her desire to get to know him, she can’t contain her curiosity, and we enter her lover’s castle with Judith. There, she discovers seven locked doors. Despite warnings not to go any further, she insists on opening all the doors and revealing Bluebeard’s hidden rooms. Behind every door, she discovers terrifying secrets of Bluebeard and his past. Gradually, Judith discovers that getting to know your loved one also means showing parts of your inner self that you would have preferred to keep secret from the other person. Recognizable human themes are discussed, because how do you share your inner truth with your most intimate partner?
In the performance, which lasts more than an hour, the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók tells a rich psychological drama, both orchestrally and in terms of singing. In this opera, Philzuid, who is seated on stage, embodies Bluebeard’s unfathomably mysterious castle. In the overwhelming music, in which Bartók pulls out all the stops of the orchestra with a masterly hand, he masterfully combines elements of folk music with an enchantingly rich harmonic language. He uses the orchestra as a powerful tool to underline the emotional depth of the story.
The internationally acclaimed singers Thomas Oliemans and Deirdre Angenent make their debut at Opera Zuid as Duke Bluebeard and Judith.
Bluebeard’s Castle is a co-production of Opera Zuid and Philzuid. The performance lasts about 60 minutes and is sung in Hungarian, with Dutch and English surtitles.
*In addition to Bluebeard’s Castle, Kenza Koutchoukali is directing Leonard Evers’ children’s opera Goud! and Tom Johnson’s The Four Note Opera. Kenza is an exceptional talent with whom we share the motto ‘the fantastic dimension of reality’. That’s why we’re proud to place her at the heart of our programming.
