Strong performances in WNO's Marriage of Figaro

By Rohan Shotton, 22 February 2016

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Reviewed at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 20 February 2016

Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) (Sung in English)

Welsh National Opera

Lothar Koenigs, Conductor

Tobias Richter, Director

Ralph Koltai, Set Designer

Sue Blane, Costume Designer

David Stout, Figaro

Anna Devin, Susanna

Mark Stone, Count Almaviva

Elizabeth Watts, Countess Almaviva

Naomi O'Connell, Cherubino

Richard Wiegold, Doctor Bartolo

Susan Bickley, Marcellina

Michael Clifton-Thompson, Don Basilio, Don Curzio

Rhian Lois, Barbarina

Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Welsh National Opera Chorus

Welsh National Opera’s Dutchman docks in Birmingham

Rohan Shotton, 7th May

This bracing performance of The Flying Dutchman is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary musical standards which are at risk in the face of WNO’s subsidy cuts.

****1

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

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Rohan Shotton

Rohan has reviewed concerts and opera across the UK and Europe, but chiefly in Manchester, where he enjoys conducting and playing percussion and piano. He works as a hospital doctor, having studied in St Andrews and Manchester, and tweets as @RohanShotton.