Bluebeard’s Castle

A musical volcano that erupts for 60 minutes of compressed tragedy,” as Zoltán Kodály dubbed it, this one-act opera from 1911—Bartók’s only foray into the genre—revolves around a psychological duel between a nervous bride and her notorious husband. Featuring a libretto by the distinguished writer Béla Balázs, Bluebeard’s Castle is considered the greatest Hungarian opera. For this new vocal-score edition, Stanley Appelbaum has provided an informative introduction and a full English synopsis based on the original Hungarian text.