By Martin Brisland.
Think you might enjoy an opera but nervous about giving it a go? Then this concert of favourite opera pieces is an ideal introduction for you.
This was a collection of opera’s most loved and famous works plus a few lesser-known pieces that delighted both newcomers and long-term opera lovers.
This charming concert brought together a collection of opera’s most loved and famous works from the world’s greatest composers including Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Bizet, and Tchaikovsky.
The evening included the heartbreakingly beautiful Un bel di (One Fine Day) from Madam Butterfly exquisitely sung by Giselle Allen, the spellbinding Witches’ Chorus from Macbeth, the wonderful Song to the Moon by Dvorak, and Nessum Dorma sung superbly by Adam Gilbert to rival Pavarotti’s famous rendition.
From soaring arias to dramatic ensembles, each piece transported the audience into the heart of opera’s rich, emotional world. In a full opera surtitles are used above the stage to give the translation. In this concert they just set the scene with background information.
Even if some did not understand the lyric this allowed you to appreciate the full power and emotion of the singing.
The two guest soloist were outstanding. The experienced Northern Ireland soprano Giselle Allen has the acting skills to enhance her vocal abilities and lives the emotion of her songs. Tenor Adam Gilbert gave a commanding performance. The two singing together were a total joy.
Mayflower Theatre, which opened as the Empire in 1928, is such a great venue for this type of grand musical performance. In fact, award winning star conductor Finnegan Downie Dear especially praised it as it was his first visit there.
The WNO Orchestra is on the stage, offering a concert-like experience that allows for full visibility of the musicians. Somehow you forget they are there when the performers are on stage.
It felt like an acoustic style performance where everything is stripped back. The voices have nowhere to hide and yet the lack of costumes and staging gives them a chance to shine more brightly.
An unexpected highlight was the encore ensemble number Gwahoddiad (Invitation). A beloved hymn in the Welsh choral tradition often used to close concerts and events. When all the chorus are on stage, it was a wall of sound that stirred the soul. C’est magnifique!
A Night at the Opera was a great performance especially if you are new to opera. Highly recommended.
Tickets for the WNO performances of Candide and Tosca are on sale at mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811.
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