Orchestral mastery

While the Grand Theatre in Leeds is being refurbished, Opera North is doing concert performances of operas, though in the case of Bartok’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle the semi-staging amounts to quite as much action as one needs in this work, while the purely visual side of things is best left to the imagination. Unfortunately, Opera North doesn’t quite do that: there’s a large screen hanging above the orchestra on which abstract shapes are projected, not very distracting but unnecessary, and not even lurid. The two soloists move around, Bluebeard mainly remaining seated at the front, and impressively clad; while Judith takes up positions in the orchestra, making a contrast, which may not be intended, between her apparent volatility and Bluebeard’s near immobility. Both roles are impressively delivered: John Tomlinson, who had become, deservedly, Sir John on the day I saw the performance in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, is a grand veteran in this role, and here the unremitting intensity which is his hallmark stands him in good stead.