A Florentine Tragedy / Bluebeard’s Castle — listed at the Vienna State Opera as Eine florentinische Tragödie / Herzog Blaubarts Burg — is performed in autumn 2026. This intense double bill brings together Zemlinsky’s dark, late-Romantic drama after Oscar Wilde and Bartók’s mysterious psychological opera, creating a gripping evening about desire, jealousy, intimacy and the hidden lives of those we think we know.
Performance details
- Venue: Vienna State Opera
- Language: German and Hungarian
- Subtitles: German and English
- Duration: approx. 2 hours 30 minutes, including one intermission
Ticket information
- Secure official tickets for the Vienna State Opera
- E-tickets sent by email after purchase
- Seats are together unless otherwise stated
A rare and intense double bill at the Vienna State Opera
Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle are very different works, yet they share a fascination with intimacy, danger and revelation. Both operas show relationships reaching a point where hidden truths can no longer remain concealed.
In A Florentine Tragedy, a husband, his wife and her lover are drawn into a tense confrontation in Renaissance Florence. In Bluebeard’s Castle, Judith enters the private world of Duke Bluebeard and opens the doors to his inner darkness. Together, the two works form a compact, psychologically charged opera evening — powerful, atmospheric and ideal for visitors seeking something beyond the standard repertoire.
- Conductor: Alain Altinoglu
- Production: Vasily Barkhatov
- Stage: Christian Schmidt
- Costumes: Stefanie Seitz
- Lighting: Alexander Sivaev
- Video: Roland Horvath
A Florentine Tragedy
- Guido Bardi, Prince of Florence: Dmitry Golovnin
- Simone, a merchant: Christopher Maltman
- Bianca, his wife: Asmik Grigorian
Bluebeard’s Castle
- Duke Bluebeard: Florian Boesch
- Judith: Asmik Grigorian
Cast may vary by performance date.
More dramatic opera performances in Vienna
Discover more performances at the Vienna State Opera, including twentieth-century opera, German-language opera and other highlights of the 2026–27 season.
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- Ariadne auf Naxos at the Vienna State Opera
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