Roland Wood as Simon Boccanegra and Vazgen Gazaryan as Jacopo Fiesco with the Orchestra of Opera North (Photo: James Glossop)

Over the years Opera North has presented several bigger works – most notably The Ring – in semi-stagings, some of which have toured widely.

The latest was Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra (the 1881 revised version) in a concert hall staging by P J Harris to designs by Anna Reid lit by Richard Moore.

Visually these suggested modern civic spaces populated by people of our own time – the denizens of contemporary corridors of power if you like – in a simple but highly effective manner.

The wider (rather than personal) conflict in the opera is between the Genoan Plebeians and Patricians, whose respective banners hung behind the platform while both principals and chorus wore either the red/yellow or purple/blue rosettes that marked their political allegiances.

Clear and economical, Harris’ staging explored the opera’s narrative -- often viewed as obscure in terms of plot -- with consistent dramatic skill.

After launching at St George’s Hall, Bradford (this year’s UK’s City of Culture), the staging went on to Nottingham, Gateshead, Liverpool, and Hull before finishing its tour at the Royal Festival Hall at London’s South Bank Centre (May 24).

Roland Wood as Simon Boccanegra, Sara Cortolezzis as Maria Boccanegra and Andrés Presno as Gabriele Adorno (Photo: James Glossop)

It proved to be a great operatic experience. If Harris’ production laid the firmest foundations for the piece, singing of superior quality and certainly on a suitably Verdian scale fleshed out its quality.

Roland Wood stated confidently his credentials for singing the echt-Verdi baritone title-role, his tone full, handsome, and varied, his acting at all times conveying the nobility of the 14^th-century Doge of Genoa – the composer’s portrayal of an ideal ruler.

Bass Vazgen Gazaryan delivered the notes and sepulchral manner of his implacable opponent Fiesco, with whom he is finally reconciled. Soprano Sara Cortolezzis gained in confidence as the show went on, her initially slender but lithe tone later achieving a roundness and fluency that perfectly suited Maria (alias Amelia) Grimaldi.

A little wild at times, tenor Andres Présno brought electricity to the role of Gabriele Adorno -- another of Boccanegra’s enemies -- and his top register in particular was thrilling. The duplicity and malice of Boccanegra’s one-time henchman Paolo was expertly conveyed by Mandla Mndebele, while fellow-baritone Richard Mosley-Evans made a notable Pietro.

Opera North’s substantial chorus was up to every challenge and its orchestra played magnificently. The company’s principal guest conductor Antony Hermus led an idiomatic performance that any opera company in the world would be proud of.