Bela Bartok's 1918 opera "Bluebeard's Castle" is a superbly concocted blend of symbolism and psychology.
Duke Bluebeard has murdered his three wives. And his new bride, Judith, willingly chooses death. But, has Bluebeard actually killed his wives, or is he only yearning to find a woman who is his emotional and intellectual equal? And when Bluebeard realizes that Judith is the one he has been searching for, is he ready to accept her? Is the opera reality or merely a dream?
The libretto is intentionally vague, and stage director Peter Webster plays on that ambiguity in his conceptualization. Whether he succeeds will be left to the audience to decide when the Utah Symphony and music director Keith Lockhart present Bartok's one-act opera next weekend in semi-staged performances in Abravanel Hall.
"I don't think it's about the man who kills his wife," Webster said. "It's about having the same dream over and over." He sees the deaths of Bluebeard's wives symbolically. "It's more than just a story of a husband killing his wife. We kill what we love and continually relive it. The work is a map of our humanity and our soul."
Bass Mark Schnaible, who will sing the role of Bluebeard, agrees with Webster. Schnaible sees his character as a complex individual who perhaps has yet to come to terms with who he is. "At first, he has very little to say in response to Judith's questions. But gradually he opens up more, and we get to see a little better who he is."
Uncovering the layers of Bluebeard's character and psyche is part of the story. The room with seven doors, into which Bluebeard brings Judith, and where the plot unfolds, can be viewed symbolically as the layers of Bluebeard's persona, Schnaible said. "I think the seven doors might represent Bluebeard's past life.
"The torture chamber behind the first door shows he had a brutal childhood. The armory behind the second door shows his maturation." As Judith opens each door in succession, the different facets of Bluebeard's personality open up.
The relationship between Bluebeard and Judith, the cornerstone of the story, taken in a symbolic context, is that of the complicated relationships in which men and women find themselves. And far from being Bluebeard's victim, Judith is the core of the powerful ending of this hourlong opera. "Judith is not a victim," Webster said. "She propels the piece to its dramatic conclusion. She is a woman who dares and brings everything to its conclusion."
Webster said the audience in Abravanel Hall will be able to experience this "Bluebeard's Castle" on several different levels. "People who want to hear singing and music will be happy. People who want to see the interplay between psychology and music will be happy. And people who want to see movement and expression will be happy."
No matter what the audience wants to get out of it, they'll get an electric jolt, Webster said. "It will leap into your lap and purr," he promised.
Mezzo-soprano Sally Burgess will sing the role of Judith.
"Bluebeard's Castle" will be sung in Hungarian, and the edition that the Utah Symphony will use has been newly restored by the composer's son Peter Bartok, who has corrected misprints and inaccuracies that have found their way into the score over the past 85 years.
Opening this weekend's concerts will be two works by Mozart, the overture to the Singspiel "The Abduction from the Seraglio" and the Violin Concerto No. 5 ("Turkish"). Concertmaster Ralph Matson will be the soloist in the concerto.
If you go. . .
What: Utah Symphony; Keith Lockhart, conductor
Where: Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple
When: Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.
How much: $12-$50
Phone: 355-2787 or 888-451-2787
Web: www.utahsymphonyopera.org
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com