A White House Rigoletto with some impressive voices

By Robert Gainer, 08 November 2019

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“a sweet and perfectly tempered soprano voice that enchanted”

Reviewed at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham on 6 November 2019

Verdi, Rigoletto

Welsh National Opera

Alexander Joel, Conductor

James MacDonald, Director

Robert Innes Hopkins, Set Designer, Costume Designer

David Junghoon Kim, The Duke of Mantua

Mark S Doss, Rigoletto

Haegee Lee, Gilda

James Platt, Sparafucile

Emma Carrington, Maddalena

Sian Meinir, Giovanna

Eddie Wade, Monterone

Martin Lloyd, Count Ceprano

Paula Greenwood, Countess Ceprano

Simon Crosby Buttle, Borsa

Alastair Moore, Marullo

Francesca Saracino, Page

Caroline Chaney, Revival Director

Denni Sayers, Choreography

Welsh National Opera Chorus

Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Simon Mills, Lighting Designer

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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Robert Gainer

Robert Gainer has completed a BA in European Studies at the University of Warwick and an MSc in Criminology at the University of Leicester. He is currently completing further study in English and Cultural Studies, again at Warwick. He plays trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn and his musical background is in brass band and orchestra. In his spare time he enjoys writing fiction and poetry.

A White House Rigoletto with some impressive voices at Welsh National Opera