THERE is always a sense of anticipation when the Welsh National Opera brings its productions to the Bristol Hippodrome, and never more so than this autumn’s ‘Liberty or Death!’ series, comprising Carmen, William Tell and Moses in Egypt.

The opening night’s production of Carmen is undoubtedly a crowd pleaser, with its beautiful aria ‘The Habanera’ being one of the most recognisable in the world of opera.

It’s hard not to love Carmen, and those who buy tickets do so knowing that they will inevitably enjoy the full three hours of Bizet’s glorious score and the story of the dangerous gypsy girl who pays the ultimate price for her freedom from love’s shackles.

However, there is certainly nothing earth-shatteringly different about Caroline Cheney’s revival of the 1997 Patric Caurier and Moshe Leiser production; it’s just a very nice production of a very popular opera.

The minimalistic set can seem boring and the costumes a little drab, and despite the passion of the plot, it does seem to lack a little Spanish flair. However the singing, as always, was beautiful, and with the strong chorus it is easy to see why Carmen remains one of the world’s most popular operas.

The orchestra, conducted by Eric Nielsen, is brilliant, as it marches its way forward through the score, and Alessandra Volpe as Carmen and Peter Wedd as Don Jose are adequate leads. However, special mention must go to Jessica Muirhead, as Micaëla, whose aria is a highlight of Act 3 The Welsh national Opera is at The Bristol Hippodrome from Wednesday 12 until Saturday 15 November.