Welsh National Opera (WNO) has launched its new season with a double bill featuring two challenging 20th-century works: Béla Bartók’s *Bluebeard’s Castle* and Igor Stravinsky’s *Oedipus Rex*. The performances, staged by Joe Hill-Gibbins and conducted by Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, underscore the company’s resilience amid recent financial and organizational hardships.
Following years of funding reductions and operational disruptions—including cancelled productions, lost jobs, and strike actions—WNO’s return to the stage with these demanding operas demonstrates a strong commitment to artistic excellence. The season opener reflects a focus on stripped-back staging, relying on minimal scenery and emphasizing the power of the orchestra, soloists, and chorus.
Stravinsky’s *Oedipus Rex*, an opera-oratorio with a Latin libretto by Jean Cocteau adapted from Sophocles, was presented with minimal movement as the composer intended. The production employed a stark red-and-black color palette, with designs by Milla Clarke, to create a mood of chilling detachment. The chorus formed a cohesive sound mass, surrounding the lead characters who moved among them in a controlled, formal manner.
Baritone Peter Hoare, in the title role, delivered a high, bright tenor sound that captured Oedipus’s journey from confident ruler to shattered tragic figure, consistent with the score’s neoclassical austerity. Mezzo-soprano Christine Rice portrayed Jocasta, with actor LJ Parkinson serving as the narrator, both providing strong support in a cast praised for its ensemble cohesion. The orchestra’s brass and tenor-bass chorus were noted for their powerful, precise contributions, enhancing the work’s imposing atmosphere.
The second part of the evening was Bartók’s one-act psychological drama, *Bluebeard’s Castle*, acquired from English National Opera’s 2024 production. The opera centers on Bluebeard and his new wife as they explore the sinister mysteries behind seven closed doors. Scenic elements remained minimal—a long, bare table, symbolic props such as wine bottles filled with blood and gold glitter discs—all designed by Clarke, based on Rosanna Vize’s original concept.
LJ Parkinson reprised the role of the enigmatic narrator, providing practical support to the unfolding action. Christine Rice, as Judith, brought an intense and commanding presence to the role, rejecting a pleading posture and instead insisting on uncovering the truth behind each door. Bass Nathan Berg portrayed Bluebeard with nuanced shifts in mood from affectionate to despairing, capturing the complex emotional terrain of the narrative.
Audiences experienced the haunting climax of Door Five, underscored by a resonant C major chord with organ, as well as the delicate sonic textures of Door Six’s “lake of tears,” featuring woodwind and harp passages that enhanced the opera’s layered score.
Preceding *Bluebeard*, the WNO chorus performed two medieval chants by Hildegard of Bingen, adding an atmospheric prelude thematically linked to the notions of blood and redemption.
Founded in 1946 by a diverse group including coal miners and teachers, Welsh National Opera developed from a passionate amateur ensemble into an acclaimed professional company with a broad regional reach. Despite the recent fiscal challenges and workforce reductions, WNO’s latest performance demonstrates its determination to maintain high artistic standards and a spirit of defiance, as articulated by co-general directors Sarah Crabtree and Adele Thomas in the season programme.
This season opener stands as a testament to Welsh National Opera’s enduring legacy and commitment to adventurous, extraordinary music-making in the face of adversity.