A tale of tragedy, doomed love, brave men and passionate women, swordfights and last minute rescue attempts, Il Trovatore is the ultimate Romantic opera, and the Welsh National Opera release its passion in torrents.

The three main characters, The Count di Luna, his rival, Manfredo, and the woman they both love, Leonora, alone make the opera worth going to see. David Rendall in particular is a world-class vocalist; his mellow Manfredo carried some of the most beautiful moments in the whole opera with ease. Yuri Nechaev, as Count Di Luna, provided a subtle portrait of a man tormented by an all-consuming jealousy which blinds him to the reality around him, and ultimately sweeps him along in the desire for revenge. And, despite a rather cold start, Elena Lasovaskaya too confirmed a fantastic carrying voice that soon took on delectable silvery tones, and did full justice to the vocal fireworks that the role of Leonora demands.

And what fireworks. In the true tradition of the Bel Canto opera, Verdi demands a combination of explosive runs, rapid trills and vertigo-inducing high notes from most of the main characters, and melting harmony, sonority and energy from the chorus and orchestra. The WNO fulfil these requirements with style.

The soloists' main rival for best performance of the night goes, unusually, to the orchestra, under the magic baton of Alberto Hold-Garrido. They were confident, dynamically sensitive and blended within an inch of their lives to a creamy, full-bodied, sound that added richness to the choruses and arias alike. They gave rise to some fantastic moments when, with the orchestra swelling under them, the singers' voices lifted up and soared, giving us true Romantic opera at its best.

So, what's the plot? The answer is: it doesn't matter. Il Trovatore is a fabulous tale of mistaken identity and dramatic passion that could only lose its colour and excitement in the telling. The best way to find out what happens is to go to tomorrow's performance and hear it for yourself; for those who don't happen to speak Italian, don't worry, the surtitles provide a continuous translation.

The Welsh National Opera have once again combined a handful of truly world-class soloists with their beautifully honed choir and orchestra to create a Belgian truffle of a performance; a warm, rich, melt-in-the-mouth sound that does full justice to the soaring lyricism of one of the last truly great Bel Canto operas. Not to be missed!

Isabel Owen, 23.10.03