Bluebeard's Castle at Auckland Town Hall

The Marilyn Manson lookalike image for Bluebeard's Castle pulled in some new faces in the audience.

Congratulations to Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for an evening as engrossing as last Thursday's Bluebeard's Castle.

The programme booklet essay by Antony Ernst, the APO's Artistic Administrator, forged telling connections between Liszt's Les Preludes, Strauss' "Salome's Dance" and the main bill Bartok; a brooding Marilyn Manson lookalike on the poster seemed to have new faces (and fashions) in the audience.

It's hard to resist a smile at Liszt's almost notorious symphonic poem, thanks to its being purloined for the campy space adventures of Flash Gordon. However, the composer is delving in issues of life and death stuff here, inspired by the French poet Lamartine. And conductor Stephen Barlow has the orchestra play it as such, with some particularly sumptuous string tone.

"Salome's Dance" opens with a frenetic swirl and then quickly sets about the business of musical seduction, pursued by Strauss with the single-mindedness of a minimalist before his time. It oozes decadence - which must be the ultimate test of success with this work - the players enjoy swooping around in voluptuous waltz-time.

After interval, the voice of Stuart Devenie warns us of the dark worlds to come in Bluebeard's Castle.

Margaret Medlyn, dazzling in a blue sequined gown, is Judith. Making the most of her mezzo past to do justice to Bartok's low tessitura, she still triumphs with her top C at the opening of the castle's fifth door.

But the role of Judith is more than just notes and coping with the all-surrounding orchestral magnificence; Medlyn catches the desperate vulnerability of the woman. We hear and see the terror when, early on, she searches for windows and doors in the mysterious castle; and more so when clouds throw their blood-red shadows.

Hungarian baritone Ferenc Cserhalmi is a fairly understated Bluebeard, more Magyar melancholic than Expressionist villain. His light-toned, clear bass is as effective contrast with Medlyn's more emotionally charged voice.

If stars are to be awarded, then Barlow and the orchestra also deserve theirs, and not only for the magnificent waves of sound that spill over the audience when the famous fifth door is opened to reveal the magnificence of Bluebeard's domain.

For just over an hour these musicians brought Bartok's world in all its magic and mystery to the town hall stage.