About the production
The two short operas Eine Florentinische Tragödie and Herzog Blaubarts Burg are linked by a central theme: the progressive recognition of the only seemingly familiar counterpart.
In Zemlinsky's Eine Florentinische Tragödie, the murder of Bianca's lover by her jealous husband Simone leads to a dialog between the two spouses that surprisingly signals a new beginning of love.
In Bartók's one-act opera, however, Judith's journey to the inner depths of her beloved Duke Bluebeard - symbolized by the opening of seven mysterious doors - ends in darkness and loneliness.
Although composed at almost the same time, the two pieces of the evening, A Florentine Tragedy and Bluebeard's Castle, offer completely different soundscapes, which gives this combination an additional appeal. In Bluebeard 's Castle, described as a mystery by the librettist Béla Balázs, one can hear the influence of the French Impressionists as well as Béla Bartók's preoccupation with Eastern European folk music. There is a particular focus on the orchestra, which takes on the actual leading role here and depicts the emotional ups and downs of the protagonists as well as the actual narrative of the drama. The two protagonists, Judith and the Duke, take on the role of a commenting declamation for long stretches.
In Alexander Zemlinsky's Eine Florentinische Tragödie, the audience is treated to an extraordinarily lush orchestral splendor inspired by Oscar Wilde's richly pictorial poem, which oscillates between late Romanticism and modernism and was clearly influenced by Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss.
A Florentine Tragedy and Bluebeard's Castle were each only produced once at the Vienna State Opera: Eine Florentinische Tragödie came to a single series of performances in 1917, the year of its premiere, and Bluebeard's Castle only achieved nine performances between 1985 and 1989. The new production thus brings both works back into the theater's repertoire after a long break. And with a cast of almost iconic singers from the world of opera. Asmik Grigorian will take on both female roles, creating an additional link between the two pieces. Florian Boesch returns as Duke Bluebeard, and Christopher Maltman will take on another role on this stage as Simone.
This production is sponsored by
