This Summer, Welsh National Opera Orchestra will be touring our favourite music that pulls on the heartstrings with our summer concert tour, Music From The Heart. We caught up with soloist, Nadine Benjamin, who told us more about the music she’ll perform and why it keeps a special place in her heart.
‘Isn’t it amazing the way music touches our hearts? It’s the universal language of life. When a performance begins, we all become connected in a circular exchange of emotions of the heart – from the conductors to the musicians, the musicians to the singers, from the singers to the audience, and back it comes to the performers. Our hearts are open fully in those moments.’
È strano – Sempre Libera from La traviata
This piece, sung by Violetta, comes from Act I of Verdi’s beloved classic, La traviata. It gives an insight into Violetta’s feelings after having met a new, charming man, Alfredo:
‘At this moment, Violetta is finding her life confusing (singing È strano – How Strange) - she knows she isn’t well but isn’t quite sure what exactly is wrong with her. She is so used to not being in love that suddenly falling in love with another and having them love her back is an overwhelming feeling. Violetta is drawn in by Alfredo’s voice, but she realises that she needs to prioritise joy (Sempre libera – Always free) – she is full of life and is ready to play, as she tries to suppress her consuming feelings of love.’
Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin
A tale full of hope, loss and heartache, coupled with luscious, romantic orchestral music, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is full of Music from the Heart. The great letter scene at the opera’s beginning is the perfect encapsulation of Tatyana’s burning love for Onegin:
‘Tatyana is madly in love with Eugene Onegin, but she can’t express it or let it be known to him. Instead, she writes to him a letter in secret, her message from the heart poured out in writing.’
Vissi d’arte from Tosca
Vissi d'arte(I lived for my art) is a great soprano aria from Puccini’s opera, Tosca. It’s the title character’s outpouring of grief for her heartbreak in losing her future and her love.
‘Tosca is told by Baron Scarpia that if she doesn’t give herself over to him, he will kill her true love, Cavaradossi. Tosca thinks, why? I’m a woman of the church, I praise the Madonna, I give flowers, why is this happening to me? It is a moment between her and God – she says to Him, I live for everything, please live for me in this moment.’
‘I’m so excited to share my heart with the audiences and I’m really looking forward to being on tour with WNO Orchestra, meeting new people and visiting new cities.’
Nadine Benjamin joins Trystan Llŷr Griffiths for WNO Orchestra’s Summer tour, visiting Barnstaple, Torquay, Newport, Wolverhampton, Bangor and Southampton from 27 June to 20 July.