Bartók Bluebeard's Castle

“In wars outside the blood runs red / Here is something far more deadly, ladies and gentlemen”. Duke Bluebeard’s castle has seven doors, and his new wife Judith is determined to open them all. But some questions are best left unanswered, and in Bartók’s gripping psychological thriller even the darkest secrets possess a terrible beauty.

In this performance, soprano Dorottya Láng and baritone Gábor Bretz are the heroine and hero of this sinister fairytale – two world-class singers with an unrivalled sense of theatre, supported by guest conductor Elim Chan and all the glittering colours of the full BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Add Britten’s storm-swept portrait of the North Sea, and Shostakovich’s delightfully irreverent encounter with Shakespeare, and this is a pulse-raising concert packed with drama.

Presented by Kate Molleson and recorded at Glasgow's City Halls on 16 April 2026.

Britten: Four Sea Interludes from ‘Peter Grimes’
Shostakovich: Hamlet Suite Op. 116/116a

interval

Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle

Dorottya Láng, mezzo soprano
Gábor Bretz, baritone
Elim Chan, conductor
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

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