Going dark: ‘Duke Bluebeard’s Castle’, English National Opera, London

Just two performances at the Coliseum for this new ‘semi-staged concert performance’ of Bartók’s only opera. A masterpiece in miniature – two main characters, their entwined fates settled in a mere hour – its enigmatic spell both terrifies and enthrals. A horror story on the surface with layers of murky psychodrama underneath: whatever one’s interpretation,…