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

Two short operas—Zemlinsky’s Eine Florentinische Tragödie and Bartók’s Herzog Blaubarts Burg—share a gripping thread: the slow, unsettling discovery of a partner who only seemed familiar. In Zemlinsky’s work, jealous husband Simone kills Bianca’s lover, and the ensuing confrontation between the couple unexpectedly opens the door to a renewed love. Bartók’s one-act opera takes a darker path: Judith descends into the hidden world of her beloved Duke Bluebeard, symbolized by seven mysterious doors, only to find herself alone in darkness.