Dr. Freud goes to the opera

Like the novel, opera takes on all subjects. Already this season Seattle Opera has moved from Ancient Greece, to a candy-box idea of Ceylon, and now comes turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna.

The program features two one-act operas: "Bluebeard's Castle," by Bartok, and "Erwartung," by Schoenberg. Practically speaking, the double bill is a great solution for hard times, as one opera ("Bluebeard") has only two main characters, and "Erwartung" has only one.

All the singers are talented and experienced, more than able to keep up to the spiky music. "Erwartung" is a tour-de-force for the soprano, who makes the difficult music swirl and soar.

Both operas grew out of the ferment of all things new in their time, to the point that the libretto for "Erwartung" was written for Schoenberg by a woman who was deeply engaged by Freud's work. Bartok's interpretation of the Bluebeard legend was heavily influenced by Nietzsche.

The wide gold frame surrounding the stage immediately sets the mood - the dark side of one of Klimt's glowing canvases.

All that said, these operas felt like the longest one-act events I've ever sat through. I'm glad to have seen the production, but wish I had ordered a glass of wine during intermission!