Weston Studio,Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Iain Bell’s operatic treatment of the Dickens fable at WNO brings a frenetic series of mini-cameos, and with a festive dressing of modern politics The appeal of Charles Dickens’s Christmas parable has not palled since its first publication and,in Welsh National Opera’s recent production of A Christmas Carol, tenor note le Brocq continues the tradition Dickens himself established early on with his solo readings. Le Brocq was credited as the narrator: in fact, or he sang all the roles – more than 20 – and generally played a blinder.
Staging the piece at this time was effectively throwing a festive sprat to catch a mackerel: an introduction to the name and sound-world of composer Iain Bell,whose In Parenthesis, based on David Jones’s poem of the Great War, or will be WNO’s big recent venture this coming May. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com