Photo credit: Kirsten McTernan
Welsh National Opera’s (WNO) Autumn Season comes to Mayflower Theatre from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 November 2024, and includes Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi, Rigoletto, and Opera Favourites.
Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi
Following its WNO premiere in June 2024, Puccini’s triptych of one-act operas Il trittico returned to Cardiff before taking two of the operas, Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi on tour as a double bill alongside Rigoletto. This time the operas are conducted by Alexander Joel who returns after conducting La traviata in Autumn 2023.
New to the Autumn cast will be soprano Natalya Romaniw who returns to WNO’s main stage for the first time since her performance in Eugene Onegin (2017) to sing Sister Angelica (Suor Angelica). Making his WNO debut is baritone Dario Solari joins the Autumn cast. Dario will sing the title role in Gianni Schicchi. Also making her Company debut is mezzo-soprano Yvonne Howard, who will sing La Suora Infermiera (Suor Angelica). Welsh tenor Trystan Llŷr Griffiths returns to WNO to sing Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi). Mark Le Brocq also returns to WNO as Gherarado (Gianni Schicchi) after his critically acclaimed performance as Aschenbach in Death in Venice. Also new to the cast for the performances in the Autumn are Anne Mason and Linda Richardson. Haegee Lee, Sioned Gwen Davies, Benjamin Bevan, James Cleverton and Wojtek Gierlach all reprise their roles from the summer performances.
Photos: Craig Fuller
Rigoletto
Port Talbot-born opera and music theatre director Adele Thomas makes her WNO directorial debut in a new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, with Pietro Rizzo returning to conduct.
Verdi’s decadent tale of debauchery and deceit which will open the Autumn Season is set in the ruthless court of the Duke of Mantua. This heart-wrenching tale explores the web of love, betrayal and the consequences of power. Verdi wrote that Rigoletto was his best opera, and this new production showcases a tapestry of emotions and unforgettable melodies, including The Duke’s aria La donna è mobile and one of opera’s most famous quartets Bella figlia dell’amore.
Designs for the production are created by European Opera Prize winner Annemarie Woods.
The cast includes Daniel Luis de Vicente who will sing the title role, with Raffaele Abete singing The Duke. Also returning to WNO is Soraya Mafi who will sing Gilda. The cast also includes Paul Carey Jones as Monterone, Nathanaël Tavernier as Sparafucile, Alyona Abramova who makes her WNO debut as Maddalena, and Zwkele Tshabalala as Borsa.
Photo: Richard Hubert Smith
Opera Favourites
WNO Orchestra and Chorus will again take centre-stage with the return of WNO’s Opera Favourites concert, Opera at the Movies. This time the concert features a new programme of popular arias and songs that feature in films including Pretty Woman, The Shawshank Redemption and Quantum of Solace.
Outreach and Engagement
WNO’s regular Programmes and Engagement activity, including Wellness with WNO, Cradle Choir and Teach, will continue throughout the year. There will also be Schools Concerts at Mayflower Theatre 15 November.
Tickets for WNO (Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi (13 November 2024, Rigoletto (14 and 16 November 2024), and Opera Favourites (15 November 2024) are on sale at mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811.
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