Chandos
Opera In English - Bartok: Bluebeard's Castle
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Details
- Composer
- BARTOK, BELA
- Artist
- Burgess, Farnes
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Chandos
- Released
- May 01, 2006
- Catalog #
- CHAN 3133
- UPC
- 095115313329
About
This opera, so dependent on the wedding of text and music, is a natural candidate for Opera-in-English (I believe one of the first recordings of the work, with Jerome Hines and Rosalind Elias, was in English). The argument that Bartók carefully composed it to match the rises and falls of Hungarian remains valid, but understanding the text is just as important to listeners. The diction of both John Tomlinson and Sally Burgess is impeccable without being too stilted (read: British); of course the bass and mezzo-soprano voices are easier to understand than the higher ranges.
Both singers are superb here. If Tomlinson is sounding a bit old, he's certainly not sounding weak, and the pitch-darkness of his tone is just right for this enigma of a man. "Forbidding" is the word that comes to mind. (He also speaks the Prologue, and sounds properly dour.) Burgess does almost everything right (she drops the high-C at the fifth door too quickly for it to have the resounding effect it ought to) and she can sound genuinely frightened without overstating or exaggerating. Her performance is all-of-a-piece; she's thoroughly believable.
The score is a study in brightness and grief, chiaroscurically speaking, and the clarity of the recording, the elegance and excellence of the playing of Opera North's Orchestra, and the leadership of Richard Farnes lets us experience most of the contrasts. It's not as vivid as renditions by Solti or Kertesz, but it's fine nonetheless. After the Kertesz (with Ludwig and Berry), this set is a fine choice if the English language doesn't get in your way--or if it's exactly what you need.
--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com
Both singers are superb here. If Tomlinson is sounding a bit old, he's certainly not sounding weak, and the pitch-darkness of his tone is just right for this enigma of a man. "Forbidding" is the word that comes to mind. (He also speaks the Prologue, and sounds properly dour.) Burgess does almost everything right (she drops the high-C at the fifth door too quickly for it to have the resounding effect it ought to) and she can sound genuinely frightened without overstating or exaggerating. Her performance is all-of-a-piece; she's thoroughly believable.
The score is a study in brightness and grief, chiaroscurically speaking, and the clarity of the recording, the elegance and excellence of the playing of Opera North's Orchestra, and the leadership of Richard Farnes lets us experience most of the contrasts. It's not as vivid as renditions by Solti or Kertesz, but it's fine nonetheless. After the Kertesz (with Ludwig and Berry), this set is a fine choice if the English language doesn't get in your way--or if it's exactly what you need.
--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com
Tracklist 20 tracks
-
1 Prologue: Bluebeard's castle, a myth, a legend (Minstrel) 02:19
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Prologue: Bluebeard's castle, a myth, a legend (Minstrel)
- Duration
- 02:19
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
2 Opening: Will you enter? Look around you (Bluebeard) 03:30
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Opening: Will you enter? Look around you (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 03:30
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
3 Opening: Here I am in Bluebeard's castle (Judith) 03:31
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Opening: Here I am in Bluebeard's castle (Judith)
- Duration
- 03:31
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
4 Opening: Tell me why you came here, Judith (Bluebeard) 02:14
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Opening: Tell me why you came here, Judith (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 02:14
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
5 Opening: Ah! I can see 7 doorways (Judith) 02:11
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Opening: Ah! I can see 7 doorways (Judith)
- Duration
- 02:11
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
6 First Door: The Torture Chamber: Oh, I heard your castle sighing (Judith) 02:40
- Track
- 6
- Title
- First Door: The Torture Chamber: Oh, I heard your castle sighing (Judith)
- Duration
- 02:40
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
7 First Door: The Torture Chamber: What's there? What's there? (Bluebeard) 04:11
- Track
- 7
- Title
- First Door: The Torture Chamber: What's there? What's there? (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 04:11
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
8 Second Door: The Armoury: What's there? (Bluebeard) 02:35
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Second Door: The Armoury: What's there? (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 02:35
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
9 Second Door: The Armoury: Trembling seizes all my castle (Bluebeard) 01:54
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Second Door: The Armoury: Trembling seizes all my castle (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 01:54
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
10 Third Door: The Treasury: Glittering gold! (Judith) 02:17
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Third Door: The Treasury: Glittering gold! (Judith)
- Duration
- 02:17
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
11 Fourth Door: The Secret Garden: Oh! Lovely flowers! Oh! Beautiful scents (Judith) 04:49
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Fourth Door: The Secret Garden: Oh! Lovely flowers! Oh! Beautiful scents (Judith)
- Duration
- 04:49
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
12 Fifth Door: Bluebeard's Kingdom: Ah! (Judith) 04:00
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Fifth Door: Bluebeard's Kingdom: Ah! (Judith)
- Duration
- 04:00
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
13 Fifth Door: Bluebeard's Kingdom: Look! Brightness has filled my castle (Bluebeard) 02:58
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Fifth Door: Bluebeard's Kingdom: Look! Brightness has filled my castle (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 02:58
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
14 Sixth Door: Tears: Silent tranquil peaceful waters … (Judith) 05:27
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Sixth Door: Tears: Silent tranquil peaceful waters … (Judith)
- Duration
- 05:27
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
15 Sixth Door: Tears: My last door will stay unopened (Bluebeard) 01:39
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Sixth Door: Tears: My last door will stay unopened (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 01:39
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
16 Sixth Door: Tears: Tell me truly, tell me Bluebeard (Judith) 02:37
- Track
- 16
- Title
- Sixth Door: Tears: Tell me truly, tell me Bluebeard (Judith)
- Duration
- 02:37
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
17 Sixth Door: Tears: I know what's behind it Bluebeard (Judith) 04:07
- Track
- 17
- Title
- Sixth Door: Tears: I know what's behind it Bluebeard (Judith)
- Duration
- 04:07
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- Sally Burgess
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
18 Seventh Door: Bluebeard's Former Wives: Look upon the other women (Bluebeard) 02:37
- Track
- 18
- Title
- Seventh Door: Bluebeard's Former Wives: Look upon the other women (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 02:37
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
19 Seventh Door: Bluebeard's Former Wives: Daybreak - when I found the first one (Bluebeard) 02:05
- Track
- 19
- Title
- Seventh Door: Bluebeard's Former Wives: Daybreak - when I found the first one (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 02:05
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes
-
20 Seventh Door: Bluebeard's Former Wives: Midnight - when I found the fourth floor (Bluebeard) 05:20
- Track
- 20
- Title
- Seventh Door: Bluebeard's Former Wives: Midnight - when I found the fourth floor (Bluebeard)
- Duration
- 05:20
- Composer
- Béla Bartók
- Performer
- John Tomlinson
- Ensemble
- Orchestra of Opera North
- Conductor
- Richard Farnes