Described as “the perfect operatic entertainment for audiences of all ages” Mid Wales Opera’s The Bartered Bride will be its most ambitious and spectacular touring production ever. Smetana’s sparkling opera has never ceased to fill theatres throughout the world. The rich range of emotions and humour of its colourful characters is set to music of great charm and boundless energy, including its ever-popular Overture, dances and circus music.Regularly performed by Welsh National Opera and the other major British opera companies, Mid-Wales audiences will have the opportunity to see the first fully professional performance of The Bartered Bride in the region. Ever since their first productions 20 years ago, Mid Wales Opera have always aimed to strike a balance between performing the most popular works and introducing operas that might be less familiar. Thus between their Carmen in 2005 and La Boheme in 2007 both opera-lovers and theatre-lovers will be able to enjoy one of the most delightful operas in the repertoire. The story of The Bartered Bride is very different to the blood-and-thunder dramas of some of MWO’s recent productions. Young love emerges triumphant in the end, but only after a series of adventures involving a crooked solicitor, a wicked stepmother and her simple-minded son, an extrovert ringmaster, a beautiful can-can dancer, a performing bear, and two whip-cracking and knife-throwing circus performers. Like all great operas it is full of contrasts of mood, with a feeling of tragedy never far away, and with some deeply moving arias and ensembles amid the humour and vitality. True to their reputation for innovative productions MWO have taken the adventurous step of bringing the opera closer to Theatr Hafren by setting it entirely in Wales! All the vitality and colour of a Czech village Festival will be transported to a rural Welsh community as it prepares for its annual Eisteddfod. To assist in this transition, MWO have commissioned a completely new translation from Amanda Holden, Britain’s best-known opera translator. The company is also deeply indebted to the Welsh Arts Council for additional Lottery funding towards this particular project. A fascinating array of colourful characters performed by a lively team of singers from the major opera companies, with dancers and circus performers: a heart-warming story-line full of variety and human touches brought to life by the imagination of an award-winning director: all this is set to glorious music with a never-ending flow of melody accompanied by Mid Wales Opera’s own chamber orchestra. This promises to be one of the company’s most memorable and original productions, in a fantastic night out which will delight the whole family! |
| Mid Wales Opera web site: www.midwalesopera.co.uk |
| Barbara McGuire e-mail: admin@midwalesopera.co.uk |
Sunday, September 3, 2006 |
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