Bartok: Bluebeards Castle

Bela Bartok (1881-1945)
Bluebeard's Castle 63:07
Opera in one act
Libretto by Béla Balázs, English version by John Lloyd Davies, Prologue adapted for Opera North by Giles Havergal

Prologue
1 Minstrel: 'Bluebeard's castle, a myth, a legend' 2:19

Opening
2 Bluebeard: 'Will you enter? Look around you' 3:30
3 Judith: 'Here I am in Bluebeard's castle' 3:31
4 Bluebeard: 'Tell me why you came here, Judith' 2:14
5 Judith: 'Ah! I can see seven doorways' 2:11

First Door - The Torture Chamber
6 Judith: 'Oh, I heard your castle sighing' 2:40
7 Bluebeard: 'What's there? What's there?' 4:11

Second Door - The Armoury
8 Bluebeard: What's there?' 2:35
9 Bluebeard: 'Trembling seizes all my castle' 1:54

Third Door - The Treasury
10 Judith: 'Glittering gold!' 2:17

Fourth Door - The Secret Garden
11 Judith: 'Oh! Lovely flowers! Oh! Beautiful scents' 4:49

Fifth Door - Bluebeard's Kingdom
12 Judith: 'Ah!' 4:00
13 Bluebeard: 'Look! Brightness has filled my castle' 2:58

Sixth Door - Tears
14 Judith: 'Silent tranquil peaceful waters. . .' 5:27
15 Bluebeard: 'My last door will stay unopened' 1:39
16 Judith: 'Tell me truly, tell me Bluebeard' 2:37
17 Judith: 'I know what's behind it Bluebeard' 4:07

Seventh Door - Bluebeard's Former Wives
18 Bluebeard: 'Look upon the other women' 2:37
19 Bluebeard: 'Daybreak - when I found the first one' 2:05
20 Bluebeard: 'Midnight - when I found the fourth floor' 5:20

John Tomlinson bass - Duke Bluebeard/Minstrel
Sally Burgess mezzo-soprano - Judith
Opera North Orchestra
Richard Farnes
Recorded in:
Leeds Town Hall
5-6 June 2005
Producer(s)
Brian Couzens
Sound Engineer(s)
Ralph Couzens
Michael Common (Assistant)
Format: Digital CD 16Bit 44.1Khz
Originally recorded in: 24Bit 96Khz