A Powerful Relic from Post-war Germany: Welsh National Opera's Boulevard Solitude

By Peter Reynolds, 28 February 2014

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Reviewed at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 26 February 2014

Henze, Boulevard Solitude

Welsh National Opera

Lothar Koenigs, Conductor

Mariusz Treliński, Director

Boris Kudlička, Set Designer

Sarah Tynan, Manon Lescaut

Peter Wedd, Armand des Grieux

Adrian Thompson, Lilaque, père

Benjamin Bevan, Lescaut

Felice Ross, Lighting Designer

Bartek Macias, Video

Tomasz Wygoda, Choreography

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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Peter Reynolds

Peter Reynolds was a composer and writer on music living in Cardiff. He was a part-time member of staff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and, in 2009, published a history of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Very sadly he passed away on 11th October 2016.