More magic at Maynardville
A glorious, guided journey through an enchanted forest of opera
Some notes from Julia and Inge, a couple of opera virgins who went to Cape Town Opera sings Shakespeare In The Park at Maynardville on Sunday February 9.
Cape Town Opera’s Shakespeare-inspired programme of opera highlights by Verdi, Mendelssohn, and others was a magical guided journey through an enchanted forest of opera. This carefully curated exploration of the stories and the music brilliantly mimics the arrival of nightfall in Maynardville’s magical forest setting.
The opening is all enchantment and light, with the trees holding the stage in their embrace and the guides holding the audience.
‘Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.’
– A Midsummer Night’s Dream
As night falls in Maynardville, magic gives way to murder. Crows circle above as the light begins to fail. It is as if the audience is being pulled deeper into the woods, encountering different characters along the way.
‘The sun has disappeared, now let night reign,
wicked and bloodstained.’
– Macbeth
The moon rises, the stars come out, bats circle above. The invisible hand of nature enhances the performances and adds to the tension. There was a moment when soprano Nonhlanhla Yende appeared to draw air from the wind powering through the trees. It is as if the artists and the elements are working together to create a feast of music and storytelling.
The full wardrobe, the silks and the velvets, the sequinned ballgowns provide a gravity and a layer of old-world glamour in this enchanted, rather modern and very accessible production.
The privilege of attending this sold-out performance was a powerful reminder of the depth of natural and cultural beauty we have in Cape Town.
This whirlwind tour of Shakespeare plays through opera featured Clint van der Linde, CTO House Soloists, Judith Neilson Young Artists, Chorus and Children’s Chorus.