First Knight:
Bryn Terfel breaks a sabbatical year to sing
at WNO (BK)
Bryn
Terfel makes his only opera appearance in 2008, with Welsh
National Opera in a revival of Peter Stein’s landmark
production of Verdi’s Falstaff. The Welsh bass-baritone
comes full circle in his career when he sings the role
at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Birmingham
Hippodrome and Venue Cymru, Llandudno, in Spring 2008.
Twelve years ago, fresh from winning the prestigious Lieder
prize in the Cardiff Singer of the World competition,
Bryn Terfel delighted critics and audiences with his performances
as the wealthy young landowner Ford in WNO’s production
of Falstaff, directed by Peter Stein. In 2008,
he returns to the Company where he began his opera career,
to take on the title role in the same production – which
will again be directed by Stein, the acclaimed European
theatre and opera director. Falstaff will be
conducted by Carlo Rizzi, Music Director of WNO.
While Bryn Terfel has sung the role to unanimous praise
in opera houses throughout the world, his return to his
native country to sing with WNO will hold a very special
resonance: he will be singing the role of Falstaff in
a special Gala Preview performance on Saturday March 1st
2008 - St David’s Day. There will be four more performances
of Falstaff in Cardiff on Monday 3 March, Wednesday
5th March, Friday 7th March and Sunday 9th March.
Additionally, Bryn will be singing the role in Birmingham
(Thursday 13th March & Saturday 15th March, 2008)
and in Llandudno, North Wales (Tuesday 18th March &
Thursday 20th March, 2008).
“This promises to be an extraordinary event: an artist
of Bryn’s calibre reunited with a director like Peter
Stein to present Verdi’s magnificent comedy,” says
John Fisher, WNO’s General Director. “Bryn has shown great
commitment to the Company where he began his amazing career,
returning this year to celebrate our 60th anniversary
with us by making his debut in the title role of The
Flying Dutchman. We are looking forward greatly to
Bryn singing Falstaff with the Company, particularly as
2008 was due to be a sabbatical year for him.”
“I so enjoyed Peter Stein’s production of this masterpiece
when I sang Ford in WNO’s 1994 revival – to return as
Falstaff is a dream come true,” Bryn Terfel says.
The cast will also include fellow Welshman Rhys Meirion,
who makes his debut with WNO singing the role of Fenton.
Rhys, a former head teacher, is widely acclaimed for his
interpretation of roles in operas by Puccini and Verdi
and he has also recorded a duet album with Bryn Terfel
on the Sain Record label. Baritone Christopher Purves
sings the role of Ford having made a huge impact at WNO
already in recent performances of the title roles in Don
Giovanni and the award-winning Wozzeck.
Soprano Janice Watson, a winner of the Kathleen Ferrier
Memorial Award, sings the role of Alicia Ford. Janice
last appeared with WNO in the Company’s production of
Ariadne Auf Naxos in 2004. Mezzo-soprano
Imelda Drumm sings Meg Page: she has also forged a strong
bond with WNO during her career, singing in Richard Jones’
acclaimed production of Hansel and Gretel and
appearing as the Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen.
She will also sing the title role in WNO’s Carmen
this coming summer.
Tickets for performances of Falstaff in Cardiff,
Birmingham and Llandudno go on sale as follows:
Cardiff and Llandudno: Public booking
for WNO Subscriptions opens on Monday 5 February, 2007.
Birmingham
Hippodrome Theatre: Public booking for WNO Subscriptions
opens in late May, 2007.
Bill Kenny
