Acclaimed director Peter Stein brings to life Elizabethan England's most famous glutton in Welsh National Opera's landmark production of Verdi's Falstaff, the keynote production for Spring 2008.
It's over ten years since Peter Stein directed Verdi's final masterwork for WNO, an historic production, which sees a very special revival in 2008. Stein returns to direct - and he will be reunited with Bryn Terfel, who sang the role of Ford in an earlier revival, after winning the Lieder Prize at the 1989 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.
Whilst Bryn Terfel's performances at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, and Venue Cymru, Llandudno, have already sold out, there are still some tickets available for performances at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Italian-born baritone Roberto de Candia sings the title role in Southampton, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Bristol and Swansea. Roberto is also building a reputation for his interpretation of the role, which he has studied with the great Italian bass Sesto Bruscantini. He has also sought inspiration from a slightly less obvious source - one Orson Welles in his iconic movie Chimes at Midnight, also drawn from Shakespeare's play.
Falstaff is a signature role for Bryn Terfel, one he has sung across the world, but in 2008 it will be the only opera role he sings - and the only performances will be with WNO in Cardiff, at WNO's home in Wales Millennium Centre, Birmingham and Llandudno. Carlo Rizzi returns to WNO as Guest Conductor to conduct the performances in WMC.
A strong ensemble cast includes Janice Watson, Christopher Purves, who created the role of General in WNO's world premiere of James MacMillan's The Sacrifice, Imelda Drumm, Claire Ormshaw and Rhys Meirion.
Bryn Terfel says: "Verdi was writing for his own pleasure, and really threw down the gauntlet when he said that he didn't think of it as a piece for singers - he wanted actors. There are so many ways to play the character. And Peter Stein has a true understanding of Shakespeare."
The past is also evoked in vivid detail in James Macdonald's enthralling production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Sharing the title role will be the impressive Russian born baritone Rodion Pogossov and British baritone Garry Magee, who has just sung Sharpless in Scottish Opera's Madama Butterfly. Nuccia Focile returns to WNO to sing the role Tatyana, the young woman whose fateful death is sealed when she falls in love with Onegin. Nuccia sang the role of Elisabeth de Valois in WNO's 2005 production of Don Carlos. Alexander Polianichko returns to WNO to conduct. Alexander conducted the Company's award winning production of Tchaikosky's Mazepa in 2006, which also formed part of the Russian Series.
The season is completed with a revival of Mozart's The Magic Flute, a visually inspired production with a cast headed by Welsh soprano Rebecca Evans. Dominic Cooke's production features fabulous designs by Julian Crouch of the multi-award winning Shock Headed Peter and Wolves in the Walls fame.
"All three productions demonstrate what WNO does best," says John Fisher, WNO's General Director. "Extraordinary singing, powerful ensemble performances, theatricality and strong visual impact. Peter Stein's Falstaff is a landmark production, which I'm delighted to see brought back into the repertoire with such a fine cast. Eugene Onegin launched our award-winning Russian Series back in 2004, whilst The Magic Flute is an enchanting spectacle featuring a cast of established singers such as Rebecca Evans as well as performances from Camilla Roberts and David Soar, two young singers WNO has firmly in its sightlines for the future." -- www.wno.org.uk
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