Paul Dukas

Ariane et Barbe-Bleue: Act III, Introduction

Ariane et Barbe-bleue: Act III, Introduction forms part of Paul Dukas' (1865-1935) only completed opera, composed between 1899 and 1906, and premiered on May 10, 1907, at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Dukas based the opera on Maurice Maeterlinck's Symbolist drama, reimagining the familiar Bluebeard legend as a psychological and philosophical exploration of freedom, truth, and self-determination. The Introduction to Act III sets a tense and luminous atmosphere as Ariane leads the liberated wives toward the light, exemplifying Dukas' masterful orchestration, chromatic harmony, and Wagnerian sense of dramatic continuity while maintaining a distinctly French clarity and restraint. Although Ariane et Barbe-bleue is staged less frequently than The Sorcerer's ApprenticeE is performed in the concert hall, orchestral excerpts such as this Introduction are admired for their refinement and dramatic power, and they continue to appear in concert programs as representative of early 20th-century French operatic modernism. Instrumentation: 3.2+1(EH).2+1(BCl).3+1(CBsn): 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(1): Hp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition.