Saturday (4/28) on the South Beach Culture & Arts Examiner site, Charlotte Libov writes, “If you were fortunate enough to experience the U.S. premiere of Bluebeard’s Castle, a new production of the Bela Bartok opera performed this weekend by the New World Symphony, you witnessed a new type of entertainment that employed both music and technology to bring this chilling tale to life. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony succeeded in bringing to life the mysterious world of Bartok’s one-act opera, by using not only the full orchestra and the voices of opera stars Michelle De Young and Eric Halfvarson, but also surrounding the audience with images that made this dark tale come to life. … In this new production, developed by the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, both Bluebeard, sung by Halfvarson as Bluebeard and DeYoung as Judith, are on stage the entire time, following a prologue performed by local favorite George Shiavone. … But they were not the only main characters; the third character was the New World Center itself, which is ringed by large, curved acoustical ‘sails’ upon which images can be projected. … Some were foreboding, like the teardrops that appear when Judith sings of the castle walls ‘weeping.’ ”
Posted May 1, 2012
