Carmen in Cardiff: WNO's powerful new production is a triumph

By Mark Valencia, 30 September 2019

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“Her characterisation... has more in common with Sophie Marceau than Brigitte Bardot”

Reviewed at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 28 September 2019

Bizet, Carmen

Welsh National Opera

Tomáš Hanus, Conductor

Jo Davies, Director

Leslie Travers, Set Designer

Gabrielle Dalton, Costume Designer

Virginie Verrez, Carmen

Dimitri Pittas, Don José

Phillip Rhodes, Escamillo

Anita Watson, Micaëla

Henry Waddington, Zuniga

Ross Ramgobin, Moralès

Harriet Eyley, Frasquita

Angela Simkin, Mercédès

Benjamin Bevan, Le Dancaïre

Joe Roche, Le Remendado

Oliver Fenwick, Lighting Designer

Welsh National Opera Chorus

Welsh National Opera Orchestra

A magnificent Tosca from Welsh National Opera at the Mayflower

David Truslove, 3rd October

WNO imports Edward Dick’s exceptionally fine production, which benefits from from superb casting and outstanding performances led by Natalya Romaniw.

*****

Bancroft and BBCNOW at the Proms: a deeply satisfying Mahler 3

David Karlin, 11th August

Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide a Mahler 3 of exceptional clarity and forward momentum, with terrific posthorn solos from Corey Morris and Beth Taylor an outstanding soloist.

****1

A dark and disturbing Rigoletto from WNO at the Mayflower

David Truslove, 14th November

Fine performances in a punchy new production that coats this tragic opera in a large dollop of debauchery.

****1

WNO stages Death in Venice for the first time and it’s a triumph

Mark Valencia, 7th March

Olivia Fuchs solves the problems of Britten's thorny opera in a brilliant new production that hits the heights, featuring Mark Le Brocq as earthbound scholar, Gustav von Aschenbach.

*****

Musical performances keep WNO's new Così afloat

Mark Valencia, 6th March

Max Hoehn takes Così‘s subtitle, La scuola degli amanti (The School for Lovers), and connects it to Monty Python’s sex education sketch in The Meaning of Life. What larks, eh?

***11

Stacey Alleaume leads WNO's emotionally-charged Traviata

David Truslove, 24th November

Leading an international cast in a still-sumptuous revival in Southampton's Mayflower, Stacey Alleaume gives a sovereign performance as the ill-fated courtesan Violetta.

****1

More reviews...

Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.

Carmen in Cardiff: Welsh National Opera's powerful new production is a triumph