Ariadne and Bluebeard

opera by Dukas

Also known as: “Ariane et Barbe-Bleue”

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June 18, 2026

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The opera Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (Ariadne and Bluebeard) was composed by Paul Dukas and premiered in 1907. It is based on a play by Maurice Maeterlinck, who also wrote the play for Claude Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande. Dukas's opera is noted for its atmosphere and musical texture, though it is sometimes described as lacking dramatic impact. The story draws inspiration from the myth of Ariadne, who is known for her role in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Dukas was a French composer whose fame largely rests on his orchestral work The Sorcerer's Apprentice.123

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Paul Dukas
…scoring; and, in his opera Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907), on the play of Maurice Maeterlinck, the atmosphere and musical texture make up for the lack of dramatic impact.
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…scoring; and, in his opera Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907), on the play of Maurice Maeterlinck, the atmosphere and musical texture make up for the lack of dramatic impact.
Read More

opera
Later opera in France
…Dukas’s Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907; Ariadne and Bluebeard)—like Pelléas, an almost verbatim setting of a Maeterlinck play.
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…Dukas’s Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907; Ariadne and Bluebeard)—like Pelléas, an almost verbatim setting of a Maeterlinck play.
Read More