Welsh National Opera offers a bracing opening for Prague Spring

Tomáš Hanus conducts the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera

Czech President Petr Pavel and Eva Pavlová

Smetana Hall on opening night of Prague Spring

The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera

By Frank Kuznik, 15 May 2023

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“even for an audience deeply familiar with the piece it was an irresistible reading”

Reviewed at Municipal House: Smetana Hall, Prague on 12 May 2023

Smetana, Má vlast (My Fatherland)

Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Tomáš Hanus, Conductor

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.

*****

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

Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar revived by WNO for its 2023 tour

Mark Valencia, 9th September

Deborah Colker's production, seen last season at Scottish Opera, moves to the Wales Millennium Centre for an autumn tour.

****1

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Frank Kuznik

Frank Kuznik is the former Editor-in-Chief and Culture Editor of The Prague Post, Central Europe’s premier English-language weekly newspaper. He currently divides his time between Prague and his hometown in the US, Cleveland, where he covers northeast Ohio's dynamic classical music scene. In Prague he is an habitué of the Rudolfinum, National Theater, State Opera and other storied classical music venues, and an unabashed fan of Czech music.

Tomáš Hanus and Welsh National Opera offer a bracing opening for Prague Spring