Latest News from Bartók Records Online.

posted 03.12.07

Blues over a Castle

Béla Bartók wrote three works for the theater, making use of stories by two different librettists. The themes for each of the three works appear to be carefully chosen, not just random entertainment. The symbolic story titled Bluebeard's Castle, opera (1911) is no less than the story of a person's life, his interactions with others, the benefits we are blessed with that result from each encounter and the suffering we cause others (perhaps inadvertently), each valid in both directions. We are, however, inevitably left alone in the end where it is very dark. The Wooden Prince (1918), a dancing play, concentrates on the theme of truthfulness: the imitation will never be as satisfactory as the genuine article. Both of these libretti are by Béla Balázs.

The third stage work, The Miraculous Mandarin (1919), is a pantomime to a story originally written by Menyhért Lengyel and its subject is the overpowering force nature endowed all animal creatures to insure procreation. In the story the Mandarin is attacked, attempts are made to end his life, all unsuccessful until he obtains satisfaction of his desire.   Each of the three scores contains precise stage directions to enable presentation of the story according to the authors' concept.

In the time since the composer died his legacy has suffered from considerable adverse popularity. Someone claimed ownership of his manuscripts; when that failed, someone else tried to order the manuscripts sold. More recently his copyrights have been under attack. The stage works received their share of insults.

In the year 2000 a Hungarian film, titled A Miraculous Mandarin, made a mockery of the work of similar title, including most of the music (with 30 bars left out), some of the stage action, with a great deal of sex play added, that was not in the script, ruining the message of the story.

In 2007 a performance, purporting to be Bluebeard's Castle, was recorded in the Opéra de Paris. This ultimate offense ridiculed Béla Bartók's opera by presenting the music and the singing, but omitting virtually all of the prescribed stage sets. While Judith describes the scenes she is supposed to notice when each of the seven doors (not on the stage) should be opened, she can only stare into empty space. While, according to the text, she should view the lake of tears , she is seen in bed with her partner, having sex. Neither the beds, nor the sex act, are in the libretto. The producers apparently were unable to read the stage directions in the score.

The misrepresentation here makes an audience believe they have witnessed a performanc e of a work that is really not given to them; they are presented instead a substitute. While it is not possible to legislate bad taste out of existence, we take this opportunity to advise those planning to view this unauthorized production that what they would see is not the work by Béla Bartók and Béla Balázs actually titled Bluebeard's Castle. Both the producer and publisher of the work are so advised in the following open letter.

Peter Bartók

Homosassa , Florida ,12 March 2007

Open Letter (English) Open Letter (French)

Now Available

Books

Andor Foldes: Seventy Years on Music's Magic Carpet

The Miraculous Mandarin
of Lengyel and Bartók, by Ferenc Bónis

My Father,
By Peter Bartók

Turkish Folk Music from Asia Minor
By Béla Bartók, Unedited Edition

The Hungarian Folk Song
By Béla Bartók, Revised Edition

Published by
Bartók Records

Sheet Music

Concerto for Orchestra
The composer's piano reduction; edited for publication by György Sándor

Improvisations, Op. 20
for piano, Revised Edition

Contrasts
for clarinet, violin and piano, Revised Edition

CD's

Béla Bartók: The Wooden Prince

Beethoven: Quartets
op.14 no.1, op.59 no.3

Bartók- Serly: Mikrokosmos' Suite
also Bartók's: Miraculous Mandarin Suite
& Dance Suite

Bartók: Sonata for Violin and Piano no.1;
Sonata for Violin and Piano no.2

Béla Bartók: Cantata Profana; Viola Concerto; Four Slovakian Peasant Songs; 8 Choruses

Available Soon

Sheet Music

The Wooden Prince
Revised complete score, Orchestra Suite and piano reduction

more