| Saturday 24 January 2026 | 19:30 |
| Boulanger, Lili (1893-1918) | D'un soir triste | |
| Kodály, Zoltán (1882-1967) | Dances of Galánta | |
| Bartók, Béla (1881-1945) | Duke Bluebeard's Castle | Libretto by Béla Balázs |
| Anja Bihlmaier | Conductor | |
| BBC Philharmonic Orchestra | ||
| Jennifer Johnston | Mezzo-soprano | Judith |
| Kostas Smoriginas | Bass-baritone | Bluebeard |
Seven doors, and behind each one, a crucial piece of a gruesome puzzle…
Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók sits somewhere between a gothic tale of horror and a psychological dissection of a twisted relationship. Alone in a castle, Judith follows a trail of ever more compelling and grisly clues to unlock the truth about her new husband, horror by horror, door by door.
Bartók’s rich orchestration creates a world of shifting colours – glowing warmth, chilling darkness, and eerie suspense. His music is hypnotic, drawing the listener into the unfolding mystery with pulsing rhythms and bold harmonies. More than just a horror story, Bluebeard’s Castle is a deeply human drama about love, trust, and the unknowable depths of another’s soul.
Before the drawbridge lowers, a foreshadowing. Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste was one of her last completed works before she died at the age of just 24.
