The two short operas Eine Florentinische Tragödie and Herzog Blaubarts Burg are linked by a central theme: the progressive recognition of the only seemingly familiar counterpart. In Zemlinsky's Eine Florentinische Tragödie, the murder of Bianca's lover by her jealous husband Simone leads to a dialog between the two spouses that surprisingly signals a new beginning of love. In Bartók's one-act opera, however, Judith's journey to the inner depths of her beloved Duke Bluebeard - symbolized by the opening of seven mysterious doors - ends in darkness and loneliness.

Eine florentinische Tragödie / Herzog Blaubarts Burg – Wiener Staatsoper (2026)

October 10, 2026 124 min

Drama

Director: Vasily Barkhatov  ·  Writers: Alexander von Zemlinsky, Béla Balázs

The two short operas Eine Florentinische Tragödie and Herzog Blaubarts Burg are linked by a central theme: the progressive recognition of the only seemingly familiar counterpart. In Zemlinsky's Eine Florentinische Tragödie, the murder of Bianca's lover by her jealous husband Simone leads to a dialog between the two spouses that surprisingly signals a new beginning of love. In Bartók's one-act opera, however, Judith's journey to the inner depths of her beloved Duke Bluebeard - symbolized by the opening of seven mysterious doors - ends in darkness and loneliness.

Director

Vasily Barkhatov

Cast

Dmitry Golovnin Guido Bardi Christopher Maltman Simone Asmik Grigorian Bianca / Judith Florian Boesch Bluebeard