Natalya Romaniw an imperious Tatyana

By Mark Pullinger, 19 October 2017

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“This young Welsh soprano is on the cusp of a major operatic career”

Reviewed at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on 18 October 2017

Tchaikovsky, Eugene Onegin

Welsh National Opera

Ainārs Rubiķis, Conductor

James MacDonald, Director

Tobias Hoheisel, Set Designer

Nicholas Lester, Eugene Onegin

Natalya Romaniw, Tatyana

Claudia Huckle, Olga

Jason Bridges, Lensky

Miklós Sebestyén, Prince Gremin

Liubov Sokolova, Filippyevna

Camilla Roberts, Madame Larina

Joe Roche, Monsieur Triquet

Laurence Cole, Captain

Alastair Moore, Zaretsky

Caroline Chaney, Revival Director

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

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Natalya Romaniw an imperious Tatyana as Tchaikovsky is unleashed from the Mayflower pit