VFCO / SIMON RATTLE / MAGDALENA KOŽENÁ / GERALD FINLEY

The action is condensed into an hour, but there are a dozen different sets; a huge orchestra, but only two singers. ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’ is a UFO of musical creation, in which Bartók wields a most enlightened art of orchestration, and draws inspiration from the natural inflections of the text to compose. The action, too, avoids any impression of déjà-vu: Bluebeard gradually unveils the different rooms of his castle, in a psychoanalytical thrust reminiscent of Schoenberg’s Erwartung. Under the baton of the fabulous Simon Rattle, Gerald Finley – singing at Verbier for the first time – and Magdalena Kožená – renowned for her interpretations of Janáček and Mahler – are the ideal artists to convey the depth of this libretto, deeply rooted in its century.
A miracle of lyricism, Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 ‘Prague’ opens with Masonic pomp. After the slow, mysterious introduction, the work unfolds, sometimes with vivacity, sometimes with a tormented spirit reminiscent of Beethoven.