Gustáv Belácek (bass)
Andrea Meláth (mezzo-soprano)
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor


A modern version of the old European folk-tale about the cruel, blue-bearded prince and his many disappearing wives, Bartók’s opera Bluebeard’s Castle is a metaphor for the impossibility of complete love between a man and a woman.

A vast orchestra, one of Bartók’s largest, supports the vocal lines, moving deftly from moments of chamber-music- like delicacy to massive thunderheads of sound that underline the characters’ inner agony.


“…this Bluebeard is more than good enough to introduce a great and compelling work but if pressured to choose while ignoring of the price-tag I would opt for John Tomlinson's Bluebeard under Bernard Haitink.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2008

“…the performance is greatly helped by fine playing from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and Alsop's sweepingly dramatic view of the score. The vocal contributions, however, are less distinguished.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2008 ***

“Alsop and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra prove worthy interpreters of Bartók’s psyco-drama. Alsop bathes the score in an impressionist glow, dark and glistening. She gives her excellent soloists… ample room to define the drama, while tightening the screws where appropriate, making for a suitably chilling climax.” Financial Times