Gauteng Opera presents Opera Scenes – Visiting Germany

These works are chosen especially for the artists of Gauteng Opera to showcase their talent as versatile singers and opera artists.

According to organisers, they are very honoured to have acclaimed producer/director/singer Magdalene Minnaar to direct the one-act Mozart opera, Bastien und Bastienne and the artistic director for Gauteng Opera, Phenye Modiane will direct the other two scenes – the opening scenes from Act1 of Die Zauberflöte and Act 2 of von Flotow’s Martha.  Special guest star Linelle Wimbles-Engelbrecht will sing the role of the Queen of the Night and Andrew Duncan will accompany the artists on piano.

Bastien und Bastienne – Wolfgang A Mozart

Mozart wrote this opera when he was just 12 years old.  Bastienne, a shepherdess, fears that her “dearest friend”, Bastien, has forsaken her for another pretty face. She runs into Colas, the village soothsayer and requests the help of his magical powers to help win back her Bastien. Colas comforts her with the knowledge that Bastien has not abandoned her and advise her to act coldly towards Bastien, which will make him come running back. Bastien approaches, so Bastienne hides herself. Bastien proclaims how much he loves Bastienne, but Colas informs him that Bastienne has a new lover. Shocked, he asks the magician for help. Colas recites a nonsense “spell” and declares the spell a success. Bastienne, however, decides to keep up the game a bit longer and spurns Bastien with great fervour. Bastien threatens suicide, which Bastienne merely shrugs off. Finally, the two decide that they have gone far enough and agree to reconcile. Colas joins them in a final happy trio.

Die Zauberflöte – Wolfgang A Mozart

Tamino, a handsome prince lost in a distant land, is pursued by a serpent and asks the gods to save him. Three ladies, attendants of the Queen of the Night, appear and kill the serpent. They find the unconscious prince extremely attractive. Tamino wakes up and is surprised to find himself still alive. Papageno enters and Tamino introduces himself to Papageno, thinking Papageno killed the serpent. Papageno happily takes the credit, but the three ladies suddenly reappear and reprimand him for telling lies. They give Tamino a portrait of the Queen of the Night’s daughter Pamina, with whom Tamino falls instantly in love. The Queen of the Night appears and promises Tamino that Pamina will be his if he rescues her from Sarastro. The ladies give Tamino a magic flute and Papageno magic bells for protection. In the next scene, we meet Pamina who has been harassed by Monostatos. Papageno, sent ahead by Tamino to help find Pamina, enters. Monostatos and Papageno are each terrified by the other’s strange appearance and both flee. Papageno returns and announces to Pamina that her mother has sent Tamino to save her. She offers sympathy and hope to Papageno, who longs for a wife. Together they reflect on the joys and sacred duties of marital love.

Martha – Friedrich von Flotow

This melodic opera is based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and started out as a ballet.

Lady Harriet Durham, a maid-of-honour to Queen Anne, is so tired of Court life, she retires to the country. There, she attends the fair at Richmond where girls hire themselves out as servants. For a laugh, she and her confidante Nancy masquerade as maidservants. Two young farmers, Lyonel and Plunkett, are looking for a couple of wenches to do their housework and, being struck by the beauty and charm of the two ladies in disguise, proceed to hire them. Lady Harriet gives her name as Martha. Quickly, both farmers fall for their new maidservants — Lyonel for Martha (Harriet) and Plunkett for Nancy. The new maids are totally inept at their tasks, which infuriates Plunkett. Finally, the new maids are told to go to bed, but escape through the window. The young farmers are distressed and angry at the loss of their maids, and Lyonel’s grief is so great that he falls into a melancholy state.

Performances of Opera Scenes – Visiting Germany will take place on Friday, November 16 at 7.30pm and Sunday, November 18 at 3pm.  Tickets are R150 throughout and a 10 per cent discount is available for block bookings of 10 people and more.  Tickets for reserved seating are available from the Gauteng Opera offices on 082 898 2748 or arnold@gautengopera.org

For more information and the theatre plan, log on to www.gautengopera.org, visit Gauteng Opera’s Facebook page or follow @GautengOpera on Twitter. For directions to Tin Town Theatre, please type in “Tin Town Theatre” on Google maps.

About Gauteng Opera

Gauteng Opera is an all-round performing arts and entertainment company focusing on opera related productions, concerts and events.  With the slogan “Opera for Everyone”, Gauteng Opera aims to expose opera to varied audiences with different opera offerings. Driven by excellence in vocal performance and theatre, Gauteng Opera prides itself in being one of the foremost nurturers of experts and proponents for quality vocal performance and theatre practitioners.