The great hall of a Gothic castle surrounded by seven closed doors. Drawn away from her family by Bluebeard, Judith vows to bring light and joy into the world of this husband whom she loves, a world in which there seems to be nothing but darkness and misery. Despite all the warnings and increasingly disturbing revelations – which give beauty the colour of blood – she demands that the mysterious doors be opened one by one. But is Bluebeard really the monster we imagine him to be? What has become of his previous wives, and what fate awaits Judith behind the final door?
Alongside The Woman without a Shadow, its contemporary – which also depicts a journey of initiation in chiaroscuro – Klaus Mäkelä and the Orchestre de Paris will be presenting one of the greatest operatic masterpieces of the 20th century, with its constant dramatic tension and unparalleled musical expressiveness. Performing this timeless fable set in the theatre of the soul are Gerald Finley, making his grand return, and Irene Roberts, making her debut in a new role that promises great things to come.