Beware of what you wish for: The Makropulos Affair at WNO

Ángeles Blancas Gulín (Emilia Marty)

Alan Oke (Hauk-Šendorf)

The Makropulos Case

Ángeles Blancas Gulín (Emilia Marty)

By David Karlin, 17 September 2022

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“The music is as unique as the dramatic structure which it matches”

Reviewed at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 16 September 2022

Janáček, The Makropulos Case (Věc Makropulos)

Welsh National Opera

Tomáš Hanus, Conductor

Olivia Fuchs, Director

Nicola Turner, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Robbie Butler, Lighting Designer

Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Welsh National Opera Chorus

Sam Sharples, Video

Ángeles Blancas Gulín, Emilia Marty / Elina Makropoulos

Nicky Spence, Albert Gregor

Gustáv Beláček, Dr Kolenatý

David Stout, Baron Jaroslav Prus

Mark Le Brocq, Vítek

Harriet Eyley, Kristina

Alexander Sprague, Janek

Alan Oke, Count Hauk-Šendorf

Monika Sawa, A Cleaning Woman

Julia Daramy-Williams, Chambermaid

Dafydd Allen, A Stage Technician

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...

David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.

Beware of what you wish for: The Makropulos Affair at Welsh National Opera