Mid Wales Opera

Mid Wales Opera are back on tour with the sixth of their critically acclaimed SmallStages productions.

This time it’s Berlioz’s uproarious “Beatrice and Benedict”, a delightful adaptation of Shakespeare’s beloved “Much Ado About Nothing”.

Beatrice and Benedict are staunchly committed to the single life. Beatrice, a woman with an aversion to men, especially Benedict, and Benedict, who can’t tolerate women, particularly Beatrice, both pledge allegiance to their solitude. However, fate intervenes as their well-meaning friends conspire to unite them.Through a series of orchestrated whispers, they ‘accidentally’ overhear each other’s unspoken affections, igniting a passionate love story fuelled by gossip, which swiftly evolves into an inferno of emotions.

Berlioz’s final opera masterfully captures the irrational whirlwind of falling in love, infusing Shakespeare’s narrative with a rich tapestry of innovation that few composers have matched. Berlioz’s profound admiration for Shakespeare resonates throughout his miraculous score, aglow with love and brimming with vitality. Notably, it features the mesmerising central nocturne duet, perhaps the most beautiful thing Berlioz ever wrote.

MWO’s production features a brilliant ensemble of six singers and four musicians. Amanda Holden’s English singing translation and Richard Studer’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s original texts breathe new life into this classic. Jonathan Lyness’s fresh chamber arrangement adds a joyful and intimate twist to this timeless tale of love and laughter.

Article supplied by Mid Wales Opera