Welsh National Opera - Cardiff
28 March 2024

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Death in Venice
Così fan tutte
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Ainadamar
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Performance reviews

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Death in Venice

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 7

Britten’s yearning swansong blazes and beguiles in Welsh National Opera’s new production
17 Mar 24 / The Observer
‘Death in Venice’ comes alive in Cardiff
13 Mar 24 / The Article
WNO’s bold and innovative Death in Venice explores its ambiguous depths (and heights)
11 Mar 24 / Seen and Heard
Welsh National Opera stages Death in Venice for the first time... and it's a triumph
10 Mar 24 / Bachtrack
Britten’s final opera soars in WNO’s captivating staging
9 Mar 24 / The Guardian
Mark Le Brocq was vocally splendid and sympathetic to the role Gustav von Aschenbach
9 Mar 24 / South Wales Argus
Ideal melding of different art forms
9 Mar 24 / The Stage
Behind the scenes at Welsh National Opera’s Death in Venice
Britten’s atmospheric, strange and beautiful opera, the last he wrote, comes to life in this new production from Welsh National Opera in a collaboration with No Fit State Circus.
Così fan tutte

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Musical performances keep Welsh National Opera's new Così fan tutte afloat
12 Mar 24 / Bachtrack
Operatic misfire
28 Feb 24 / The Star
WNO’s staging left lots to be desired, though in musical terms Così fan tutte was largely pleasurable
27 Feb 24 / Seen and Heard
Relevance reduced to irrelevance
27 Feb 24 / The Arts Desk
Beautifully sung hard lessons in the cash-strapped school of love
26 Feb 24 / The Guardian
La Traviata

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 6

Stacey Alleaume leads Welsh National Opera's emotionally-charged Traviata
29 Nov 23 / Bachtrack
Welsh National Opera’s La Traviata is a triumph at Milton Keynes Theatre
21 Nov 23 / Milton Keynes Citizen
Along with her vocals being technically brilliant, Alleaume gives Violetta an intelligent and relatable quality
5 Nov 23 / The Reviews Hub
Passions fail to ignite
27 Sep 23 / Morning Star
Stacey Alleaume brings an expertise to the central and demanding role of Violetta
24 Sep 23 / The Reviews Hub
Memorable revival, unforgettable lead
23 Sep 23 / The Arts Desk
Ainadamar

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Overall, a visually and musically arresting evening if dramatically uneven
26 Nov 23 / Opera Today
A stunning, captivating and unique spectacle
22 Nov 23 / Milton Keynes Citizen
Ainadamar is a tour de force by director Deborah Colker
15 Sep 23 / Morning Star
Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar revived by Welsh National Opera for its 2023 tour
12 Sep 23 / Bachtrack
A defiant and impassioned defence of freedom
11 Sep 23 / The Guardian
Candide

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 3

Visually arresting Candide from Welsh National Opera
29 Jun 23 / Opera Today
Candide camera
29 Jun 23 / Morning Star
WNO go for broke with picaresque, Pythonesque craziness
25 Jun 23 / The Guardian
Die Zauberflöte

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 9

WNO sinks an unsinkable opera
11 May 23 / The Spectator
Confused and plodding adaptation of classic opera
5 May 23 / I am Birmingham
WNO’s abstract Magic Flute proves more contemporary than cohesive
5 May 23 / Bachtrack
The new translation, direction and overall artistic vision fall short of what WNO can and should be delivering
23 Apr 23 / The Reviews Hub
Go to WNO’s ‘Magic Flute', but only for the music
22 Mar 23 / The Article
WNO’s radical Magic Flute misfires
12 Mar 23 / Opera Today
Rewrite of Mozart’s philosophical comedy achieves greater musical than dramatic success
8 Mar 23 / The Stage
WNO’s hectic new version is a lightsaber too far
7 Mar 23 / The Guardian
Mozart remodelled and remuddled
7 Mar 23 / The Arts Desk
Blaze of Glory!

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Sparkling entertainment up the valleys
13 Mar 23 / The Arts Desk
‘Emphatically Welsh’ opera is perfectly pitched
3 Mar 23 / The Week
Utterly thrilling
27 Feb 23 / The Stage
WNO’s warm-hearted community opera hits all the right notes
25 Feb 23 / The Guardian
La bohème

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Elin Pritchard sings Mimì with admirably crisp clarity
7 Dec 22 / Classical Source
Elin Pritchard was a lovely Mimì
12 Nov 22 / Opera Today
A beautiful presentation of an iconic piece
11 Nov 22 / West End Best Friend
Anush Hovhannisyan is a beautifully sung Mimi
2 Oct 22 / South Wales Argus
Vec Makropulos

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 10

Tomáš Hanus’s conducting of the WNO Orchestra keeps up the urgent, dramatic pace of the production
7 Dec 22 / Classical Source
Angeles Blancas Gulin is mesmerising as Emilia Marty
28 Nov 22 / Planet Hugill
Mortality and meaning
11 Nov 22 / Opera Today
Welsh National Opera kicked off its autumn season with a distinctly underwhelming production of Leos Janacek’s The Makropulos Affair
27 Sep 22 / The Star
Janáček’s knotty study of immortality soars at Welsh National Opera
25 Sep 22 / The Observer
A refreshingly ungimmicky telling of the strange tale
22 Sep 22 / South Wales Argus
A magnificent achievement
21 Sep 22 / Opera Today
Janáček’s operatic elixir of life
21 Sep 22 / The Article
Fast-flowing and flamboyant
19 Sep 22 / The Guardian
Beware of what you wish for
18 Sep 22 / Bachtrack
Moskva, Cheremushki

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 3

Shostakovich didn’t think much of his only operetta Cherry Town, Moscow
15 Oct 22 / Classical Source
Bravo, WNO Youth Opera
13 Oct 22 / The Star
Shostakovich’s operetta becomes a zany romp but outstays its welcome
11 Oct 22 / The Guardian
Migrations

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 5

A modern Gesamtkunstwerk
13 Jul 22 / OperaWire
One step forward two steps back
7 Jul 22 / The Star
WNO’s multi-stranded new opera exploring human migration is a joy
3 Jul 22 / The Observer
Ambitious and timely new opera examines freedom
1 Jul 22 / The Guardian
Shows WNO at its best
1 Jul 22 / The Stage
Madama Butterfly

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 7

WNO's first Madame Butterfly in over 40 years is a masterclass in how to make classical opera relevant to a 21st Century audience
10 Apr 22 / The Reviews Hub
A musically powerful Madama Butterfly
30 Oct 21 / Bachtrack
Madam Butterfly’s overall production was thoroughly enjoyable to watch
22 Oct 21 / Redbrick
Hits you where it hurts
7 Oct 21 / The Spectator
Everything is as squeaky clean as a too-bright washing-powder advertisement, and a long way from Titipu
5 Oct 21 / The Critics' Circle
Musical beauty from Joyce El-Khoury, Carlo Rizzi and WNO orchestra in an interesting, though not fully satisfying, Madam Butterfly
1 Oct 21 / Seen and Heard
Brutal realities edge out the romance in stark new WNO staging
28 Sep 21 / The Guardian
Small in Japan
Die Welsh National Opera bietet eine neue Inszenierung von Giacomo Puccinis “Madama Butterfly“. Dazu gehört eine Vortragsreihe im Zuge der aktuell herrschenden “Wokeness“. Doch wie passend ist das Thema wirklich?
Jenufa

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 3

A Czech conductor in Cardiff
23 Mar 22 / The Article
An excellent revival
8 Mar 22 / The Critics' Circle
An achingly sad and powerful tale of infanticide
7 Mar 22 / The Guardian
Don Giovanni

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 2

A perfect revival of a perfect opera
9 Mar 22 / The Article
Strong cast ensure WNO’s revival stands the test of time
22 Feb 22 / The Guardian
Il barbiere di Siviglia

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 6

Nico Darmanian and Heather Lowe shine in riotous meta-narrative production
18 Nov 21 / OperaWire
The Barber of Seville was full of fun and light-heartedness
23 Oct 21 / Redbrick
Vintage WNO production of The Barber of Seville stills works well, a timely affirmation of the comic vision
3 Oct 21 / Seen and Heard
Rossini gets Welsh National Opera’s belated 75th birthday party off to a triumphant start
14 Sep 21 / Bachtrack
Creaky WNO production heralds welcome return
11 Sep 21 / The Guardian
Some excellent singing struggling with a weary production and an unhelpful translation
11 Sep 21 / The Arts Desk
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 1

Welsh National Opera return with slick and zany family show
30 Jun 21 / The Guardian
Les vêpres siciliennes

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 14

Carlo Rizzi’s conducting and WNO’s chorus make Les vêpres siciliennes a worthwhile experience
13 Mar 20 / Seen and Heard
A passion for patriarchy
16 Feb 20 / The Observer
Director David Poultney, never afraid to take risks, pulls out all the stops this time
16 Feb 20 / The Reviews Hub
An uneven production that ranges from dreary to inspired
14 Feb 20 / South Wales Argus
Episode II des Vêpres siciliennes de Verdi (en français) : Cardiff!
14 Feb 20 / Opera Online (French)
Valiant attempt but WNO’s new Les vȇpres siciliennes can’t quite persuade one of its merits
13 Feb 20 / Seen and Heard
David Pountney offers adventurous staging of laborious Verdi grand opera
12 Feb 20 / OperaWire
Verdi takes on the French at Cardiff
11 Feb 20 / The Article
Theatricality and spectacle in Verdi's grand opera
11 Feb 20 / The Guardian
Disappointing final instalment of David Pountney’s Verdi trilogy
11 Feb 20 / The Stage
Welsh National Opera tackles Les Vêpres siciliennes but the vocal fireworks fail to ignite
11 Feb 20 / Bachtrack
A visual triumph
11 Feb 20 / The Critics' Circle
Spectacle and a lusty chorus fail to salvage this Verdi dud
10 Feb 20 / Telegraph
Welsh National Opera tackles Les Vêpres siciliennes but the vocal fireworks fail to ignite
10 Feb 20 / Bachtrack
Verdi opera: Conductor stops performance over 'phone miscreants'
A conductor has twice stopped an opera in Cardiff after mobile phones rang in the audience.
Carmen

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 11

WNO revival of Carmen in Cardiff
4 Mar 20 / Opera Today
Audiences will be divided on this modern day treatment
27 Nov 19 / Southern Daily Echo
Carmen is a thrilling watch for an opera first-timer as much as it is for a connoisseur
24 Nov 19 / Oxford Mail
Virginie Verrez captivates in WNO's Carmen at the Birmingham Hippodrome
9 Nov 19 / Opera Today
Tomáš Hanus’s conducting is a highlight of WNO’s new Carmen in Llandudno
5 Nov 19 / Seen and Heard
A new production of Bizet’s iconic operatic sizzler Carmen rightly arouses much interest
13 Oct 19 / The Reviews Hub
Welsh National Opera's powerful new production is a triumph
1 Oct 19 / Bachtrack
Carmen becomes a gun-toting revolutionary gun runner
30 Sep 19 / South Wales Argus
Welsh National Opera delivers a Carmen for our times — riveting and emotional
25 Sep 19 / The Article
Can't tie me down
24 Sep 19 / The Critics' Circle
WNO unleashes free spirit on Brazil's favelas
23 Sep 19 / The Guardian
Le nozze di Figaro

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 1

WNO’s Figaro revival crackles with humour and exudes joie de vivre
20 Feb 20 / Bachtrack
The Cunning Little Vixen

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 5

David Pountney's nearly 40-year=old production polishes up magnificently
3 Dec 19 / Oxford Mail
In the pit, Tomas Hanus shows flair and mastery in Janáček’s distinctive idiom
10 Nov 19 / The Reviews Hub
Sizeable Llandudno audience rewarded with memorable performance of WNO’s Cunning Little Vixen
6 Nov 19 / Seen and Heard
Welsh National Opera revive glorious Cunning Little Vixen
11 Oct 19 / Opera Today
Everything falls into place in WNO’s superb revival of The Cunning Little Vixen
9 Oct 19 / Seen and Heard
Rigoletto

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 7

Welsh National Opera's stunning modern take on Rigoletto
29 Nov 19 / Oxford Mail
Predatory power and privilege in WNO's Rigoletto
11 Nov 19 / Opera Today
A White House Rigoletto with some impressive voices at Welsh National Opera
9 Nov 19 / Bachtrack
Verdi meets #MeToo in steamy story of sex, love and revenge
7 Nov 19 / The Star
Fine singing but Verdi’s seminal musical masterpiece deserves better than this WNO Rigoletto
5 Nov 19 / Seen and Heard
Wonderfully sung and politically astute
10 Oct 19 / The Stage
WNO’s Rigoletto production now feels pointless and distracting, but is saved by its musical virtues
2 Oct 19 / Seen and Heard
War and Peace

Welsh National Opera


No. of reviews: 23

A work ranging from the intensity of personal emotion to the grit of national determination
5 Aug 19 / Planet Hugill
The cast are in beautiful sound and the set is dynamic enough to hold attention
2 Aug 19 / A Younger Theatre
David Pountney’s farewell flourish, War and Peace, held up well in its transfer to Covent Garden
1 Aug 19 / The Spectator
For all the faults of Prokofiev's huge opera, this performance was a superb company achievement
29 Jul 19 / Planet Hugill
Pountney feeds musical and visual values into the staging very successfully
25 Jul 19 / Classical Source
Welsh National Opera’s spectacularly successful War and Peace comes to Covent Garden
25 Jul 19 / Seen and Heard
A stirring War and Peace by WNO at Covent Garden
25 Jul 19 / Opera Today
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Performance schedule
Mozart
24 Feb to 4 May 2024
Britten
7 Mar to 1 May 2024
Puccini
15 to 22 Jun 2024
Verdi
21 Sep 2024 to 22 Feb 2025
Puccini
25 Oct 2024
Mozart
6 Feb to 6 Jun 2025
Various
1 Mar to 8 Jun 2025
Britten
5 Apr to 7 Jun 2025

News & Articles

Behind the scenes at Welsh National Opera’s Death in Venice
Britten’s atmospheric, strange and beautiful opera, the last he wrote, comes to life in this new production from Welsh National Opera in a collaboration with No Fit State Circus.
8 Mar 2024 / The Guardian
Welsh National Opera announces 2024-25 season
The details announced include revival of Puccini’s Il trittico, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, two new productions, Verdi’s Rigoletto and Britten’s Peter Grimes and a new bilingual production to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of WNO Youth Opera.
7 Feb 2024 / OperaWire
Donald Maxwell joins board of Welsh National Opera
Maxwell has been a professional opera singer for more than 45 years. He made his debut with WNO in 1982, and over the next 35 years, he has given over 500 performances with the Company in 30 different roles.
19 Jan 2024 / OperaWire
Welsh National Opera announces Interim General Director
The Welsh National Opera has announced the appointment of Christopher Barron as Interim General Director. Barron will take over the role in January 2024.
6 Dec 2023 / OperaWire
Welsh National Opera’s General Director to step down
The Welsh National Opera (WNO) has announced that General Director Aidan Lang is set to step down at the end of the year.
27 Sep 2023 / OperaWire