R5 / Bluebeard's Castle ⬩ Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra

Robert Jindra, principal guest conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, will present Béla Bartók's one-act opera Bluebeard's Castle from 1911. German bass Günther Groissböck will play the role of Bluebeard, while Judith will be performed by Hungarian mezzo-soprano Szilvia Vörös.

Bartók's music is inspired by Hungarian folk melodies and the French impressionists, and the theme of the medieval legend of the knight Bluebeard offers many interpretations. Bluebeard had several wives in succession and no one knows what happened to them. Judith, who falls in love with him, opens more and more doors in his castle and tries to uncover the secrets behind them. Béla Balász, the opera's librettist, explains that the mysterious Bluebeard's Castle is actually a symbol of his soul. So what does Judith discover behind the last door?

The concert will be broadcast live on Czech Radio Vltava. A recording of the concert will also be broadcast on the Czech Radio D-dur programme every Wednesday.

We reserve the right to change the programme performers.