Bluebeard's Castle

Bartok (Artist), Troyanos (Artist), Boulez (Artist), BBC Symphony (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 24, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002A2N
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,804 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #5 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Languages > Hungarian
  • #11 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Troyanos, Tatiana

Track Listings

1. Here We Are Now

2. IsThis Really Bluebeard's Castle

3. Ah, I See Seven Great Shut Doorways

4. The First Door: /Woe!/What Seest Thou?

5. The Second Door: What Seest Thou?

6. The Third Door: Mountains Of Gold

7. The Fourth Doorz: Ah! What Lovely Flowers!

8. The Fifth Door: Ah! Now Behold My Spacious Kingdom

9. The Sixth Door: I Can See A Sheet Of Water

10. Tell Me, Tell Me, Dearest Bluebeard

11. The Seventh Door: Hearts That I Have Loved And Cherished

12. The First I Found At Daybreak

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Siegmund Nimsgern and Tatiana Troyanos make a compelling pair of protagonists in Bartók's brooding one-act opera. Boulez clarifies the thick orchestration with cool efficiency, yet leaves out the urgency and dramatic impetus characteristic of his splendid Chicago remake. Full texts and translations included. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand reading conveying all the ambiguity of a masterpiece, December 12, 1999

By 

Emmanuel Voyiakis (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bluebeard's Castle (Audio CD)

Some recordings remind me of old wine:They not only stand the test of time, but also remind us what sound Boulez could draw from the BBC Symphony Orchestra a couple of decades back. His reading is characteristic of the "Ice-Man", not lingering over Bartok's sentimental pages, the grandest passages taken at a comfortable and essentially "right" speed. The orchestra respond perfectly to Bartok's textures, the brass prominent (try the great C major chord,fifth door, track 8) and the strings lean and mean. Both soloists give a totally satisfying account of the roles of Bluebeard and Judith. Troyannos makes you feel the ambivalence in Judith's character and Nimsgern provides a dark and tormented Bluebeard. Reservations? None. The Chicago remake does not add anything new to our perception of the work and should only be preferred by Norman fans. By the way, the DG sound is only marginally better than the CBS (Sony). I just whish that somebody for once recorded the spoken prologue, an essential introduction to the metaphors and sub-realities of this wonderful operatic masterpiece.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Music for the end of the millenium, November 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Bluebeard's Castle (Audio CD)

This recording is sorrowful and intense, Boulez giving Bartok's masterpiece the thoroughly 20th Century interpretation it deserves: majestically dark.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, September 3, 2006

By 

ippysnak (houston, tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bluebeard's Castle (Audio CD)

This recording is perfect. It is my favorite recording of A kékszakállú herceg vára...and I've listened to just about all of them.

It's delicious. You should totally get it.