/ 26 November 2006

Oh, Romeo –

Opera, perhaps more than any other theatrical convention, is about transforming the truth or, at least, stretching it. That is certainly the case with the role of Romeo in Bellini’s opera I Capuleti e Montecchi (The Capulets and the Montagues).

Should one read a comment like ‘Romeo was sung by [fill in any female’s name], who, while she isn’t always the subtlest singer, is in such glorious voice that she arrests one’s attention at each of her appearances”, one should not shudder but fully accept and appreciate that Bellini wrote it for a mezzo-soprano voice.

This convention of having Romeo not sung by a hunk but by a female was Bellini’s wish. In another convention centuries earlier, Shakespeare had female parts played by men or boys. Juliet could have been a boy, after all …

Opera Africa’s production of the Bellini opera is not only a first staging for South Africa but also one that complies with the composer and his librettist Felice Romani’s wishes.

The composer’s own imperative to make audiences ‘weep, shudder and die through singing” can’t be too far-fetched when glancing over the cast Opera Africa has assembled. Especially the roles of Romeo and Juliet can be regarded as coups for the company.

Michelle Breedt, one of our most successful stars who regularly sings in the major opera houses of Europe and Japan, will perform the leading male role in this Romeo and Juliet. Among her regular singing partners on stage are Plácido Domingo and Thomas Hampson.

Her Juliet, Francesca Park, has been a sensation since winning the Fifth Unisa International Singing Competition only nine months ago. Immediate negotiations by Opera Africa secured her presence in this bel canto opera: vocally and stylistically her strongest trump card in this early stage of her career.

Bass Kaiser Nkosi, another South African who for the past decade has been singing overseas for longer stretches than locally, will be seen in the role of Lorenzo. Stefan Louw, arguably our most inspiring tenor, will sing the role of Tebaldo, while Capellio will be played by Rouel Beukes.

Commitments in Zürich, Switzerland, mean that Breedt will not sing Romeo in the last three performances on November 7, 10 and 12. The role will go to Bulgarian-born mezzo Violina Anguelov, who is well-known to Cape Town audiences.

I Capuleti e Montecchi is directed by British-born Laurence Dale, who is currently based in France and has been in demand internationally since he ended his illustrious tenor career in 2000. The conductor is Jeremy Silver, the set designer Dipu Gupta, who is from the United States, and the costume designer renowned Durban artist Andrew Verster.

This version of the story of Romeo and Juliet is compelling. Romani’s libretto digs deep into the original southern Italian story and is more authentic than the Bard who used a different Italian source. Opera fanatics will no doubt be fascinated by a different angle on this 13th-century story as well as its many bewitching musical innovations.

I Capuleti e Montecchi runs at the Opera of the State Theatre in Pretoria on October 29 and 31 and on November 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12. The Sunday matinees start at 3pm and the evening performances at 8pm. Book at Computicket