Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra bring Hungary’s greatest opera, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, to the Royal Albert Hall, heard alongside Beethoven’s ebullient Symphony No. 7"
It's a straight, no-nonsense start to tonight's prom. One piece of music - a Beethoven symphony (namely No. 7 in A major) - starts gently, with a feeling of strolling through a sun-kissed meadow. Flows like any natural water feature would do. Yes, it is very pleasant on the ear from start to finish - Beethoven is a mainstream composer for good reason. It works up to a steady gallop, and finishes with aplomb. Very much looking forward to hearing his 9th, later in the season.
Image: Pixabay.com
During the interval I do the dishes (as standard), and during the second half I am preparing my meal plan for next week. I need to do this earlier than normal, because I won't be here at the weekend. I will, of course, be heading down to the Royal Albert Hall for my next installment of in-person promming!
The second half, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók, opens with a passage read in Hungarian. We have to imagine the castle and the sort of cold, leaking, tower. At one point there is a light spell of laughter from the audience, but I'm clueless as to what they found amusing. Then the woodwind main body of the music interjects and we're off and running. There's a story to be told, and I try my best to conjure the scenes in my imagination. No doubt it is a good story!
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