鈥淚n wars outside the blood runs red / Here is something far more deadly, ladies and gentlemen鈥�. Duke Bluebeard鈥檚 castle has seven doors, and his new wife Judith is determined to open them all. But some questions are best left unanswered, and in Bart贸k鈥檚 gripping psychological thriller even the darkest secrets possess a terrible beauty.

Today, soprano Alice Coote and baritone G谩bor Bretz are the heroine and hero of this sinister fairytale 鈥� two world-class singers with an unrivalled sense of theatre, supported by guest conductor Elim Chan and all the glittering colours of the full 麻豆官网首页入口 SSO. Add Britten鈥檚 storm-swept portrait of the North Sea, and Shostakovich鈥檚 delightfully irreverent encounter with Shakespeare, and this is a pulse-raising concert packed with drama.