Susan Bullock and Lester Lynch (Bluebeard's Castle rehearsal) Photo: Jinki Cambronero
The subject matter of Béla Bartok’s opera Bluebeard’s Castle is already challenging – love, deception, violence, mortality – but an innovative production from Theatre of Sound (UK) adds another dimension: dementia.
In Bartok’s original, Bluebeard’s Castle is full of rooms behind closed doors. Doors which Bluebeard wants to keep shut despite the pleas of his bride, Judith.
Theatre of Sound’s production reimagines the work as a love story between a long-married couple: Judith has dementia and Bluebeard is her carer. The rooms behind the closed doors represent Judith’s memories.
English soprano Susan Bullock and US baritone Lester Lynch are giving two performances in New Zealand of this production of the work with the NZSO/New Zealand Opera.
Bryan Crump spoke with Susan and Lester about Bluebeard’s Castle and began by remarking that if listeners are after a bit of happy-ever-after escapism, this opera is probably not the right fit.
Susan and Lester agreed, but argue while there’s a lot of sadness in the opera, Bartok’s lush score is also full of romantic sentiment and hope.
For them, the re-setting of the story (which they sing in English) as a couple where one half is losing its memory, makes perfect sense.
“It’s such a human story about empathy, and through love and empathy there is great hope there for this couple,” says Lester.
“He loves her undyingly – he’s going to be with her until the end, and through all the stages of dementia, as we do for our loved ones.”
“I think the thing with this story is that it connects with the audience so quickly because so many of us have gone through this...It’s a very, very relevant story that needs to be told.”
BARTOK: Bluebeard’s Castle
Presented by New Zealand Opera and NZSO
Susan Bullock (soprano), Lester Lynch (baritone), New Zealand SO/Lawrence Renes
Thursday 10 August, 7.30pm, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington,
Saturday 12 August, 7.30pm, Christchurch Town Hall
Music excerpts in interview:
BARTOK: Second door, excerpt; Fourth door, excerpt, from Bluebeard’s Castle - Sally Burgess (mezzo-soprano), John Tomlinson (bass), Opera North Orchestra/Richard Farnes (Chandos CHAN 3133)
