A change of venue and a sold-out show brought us Love & Loss by the Welsh National Opera orchestra.
Originally having been set in St. David’s Hall in Cardiff city centre, the show was relocated to the BBC Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.
Due to the temporary closure of St. David’s Hall, the Millennium Centre has become a staple venue for performances to take place.
“The harmonious sound of the orchestra playing was bliss for the listener.”
Playing three pieces and a running time of approximately 2 hours, the orchestra strum, trumpet and sung their way through the concert.
The harmonious sound of the orchestra playing was bliss for the listener. There wasn’t a note out of place.
With the intensity of the pieces, the double bass and percussion brought that across fantastically and made you feel like a battle was being fought out through song.
The dramatic change in pace and tone brought in by the wind instruments and strings brought lightness and harmony to the hall.
“An ode to life”
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s tragic play of Romeo and Juliet, the WNO Orchestra and WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus, navigate the turbulent relationship between the Montagues and the Capulets.
They painted a vivid image of doomed love, fate and sacrifice in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.
An ode to life in all its intensities, Strauss’ Four Last Songs is a sublime swan song and fond farewell to the world.
This collection of songs saw soprano Chen Reiss make her first appearance with the company accompanying them with her gracious singing alongside the orchestra.
Hitting the high notes with ease, Reiss brought an emotional performance and accurately portrayed what it’s like to have love and lose it again. It was beautifully sung.
Completing the programme was Brahms’ Symphony No.1 which combines the intracity of a Bach fugue with the energy of a Beethovenian masterpiece.
The drama sure brought the concert to a close with intense playing from all musicians on the stage and brought the audience to the world of love and loss through the beauty of music.
“This concert led me on a journey of my own,”
I have never been interested in classical music, but after watching this performance, I have grown a lot more respect for musicians.
The difficulty of not only performing the songs but having to navigate the music and the act of page turning, takes real skill and commitment.
This concert led me on a journey of my own though my interest into this genre and the passion that each musician on that stage had for the pieces inspired me to explore different music.
It was a joy to watch and a joy to listen to and would recommend to anyone who has the ear for classical.
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