By Clare Gabriel BBC News Online

The heady days of the early 1960s Kennedy era when the Cold War, political intrigue and excessive partying dominated the US elite would make an interesting setting for any modern day opera.

Indeed, themes of passion, revenge and mistaken identity could easily figure in any musical interpretation of the last fifty years of the American presidency.

The White House provides a modern backdrop

But how about Verdi's Rigoletto, transported by the Welsh National Opera from 16th century Italy to the seat of US power in the 1960s?

The beautiful work, revolving around the tragic story of the hunchback court jester and his daughter Gilda, travels oh so easily.

And all the time while we watch the musical tragedy unfold, its modern day parallels are kept firmly in the mind.

Scene one is the White House party, the guests masked and dress in back and white, but as in real life nothing is ever that clear cut.

The Duke (or is it Kennedy?) vows to get his woman and Rigoletto is cursed for ever.

The audience is taken to a set seemingly straight out West Side Story type set to meet Gilda and then back to the Oval Office for the powerful scenes when loving father Rigoletto realises the strength of the curse upon him.

Mighty performers

Then it is back to a rooftop shack - again reminiscent of West Side Story - where the Duke is seduced and the strength of Gilda�s love is given the ultimate test.

WNO's Rigoletto moves with ease across five centuries, steered by two mighty performers.

Baritone Chen Ye Yuan is masterful as the tormented jester and acts as well as sings the part. American Celena Shafer is his equal as Gilda.

Their duets - many performed prone - breath passion into an opera which is passionate to the extreme.

Gwyn Hughes Jones offers a sensual portrayal of the Duke and his chirpy rendition of the famous aria Questa O Quella provides a highlight of the final scene.

Special mention too for the chorus, central to the trickery involved in Rigoletto's downfall, and deserving I thought of a curtain call at the end along with the leading performers.

Tuesday's performance within the elegant and spacious Swansea Grand marked the end of a hugely successful run.

Now the WNO is looking forward to the autumn season. Strauss' Die Fledermaus opens at Cardiff's New Theatre on 14 September.