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Barbara Loots
Cape Town Opera's bite-sized opera festival, SHORTS, is in full swing at the Wave Theatre. Part of the line-up is a moving exploration of the different facets of love by the talented singers of Opera UCT.
One of the exceptional SHORTS offerings is a double bill presented by Opera UCT in celebration of Robert Schumann and Leoš Janáček. The production is directed by Christine Crouse with musical direction by Jeremy Silver.
Both performed pieces in this double bill have live piano accompaniment by Silver, which itself is a treat. He animatedly brings every note to life with deft fingers that clearly appreciates the nuances of every stroke of the keys to amplify the feelings explored by the performers onstage.
Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben gives audiences the opportunity to experience the exceptional talent of soprano Molly Dzangare. With a cycle of eight German songs, Dzangare sings you through various reflections on love, life, and loss. She allows the emotional undertones of every phase of a relationship the opportunity to hit you, letting that moment linger just long enough, without anything feeling forced or overly manipulative. When dealing with an emotional subject matter, it is so easy for artists to use music to manipulate an audience rather than doing the work and connecting with the audience authentically. But Dzangare doesn’t need any such manipulative trickery: Her respect for the story unfolding and the music through which it does so, paired with her talent is enough to move you naturally to experience everything, from the joy of new love to the anguish of the death of a beloved, along with her character.
The Diary of One Who Vanished features tenor Vuyisa Xipu and soprano Nica Reinke. They combine their talents to share Janáček’s story of a naive young farmer’s son who falls desperately in love with a wild gypsy girl. Torn between the life he knows (characterised by his family's expectations for his future) and his lust turned love for a fiery woman, Xipu artfully gives the audience a glimpse into the inner turmoil of his character oscillating between regret (of lost virtue) verging on madness and love bordering on obsession. Reinke is absorbing and enigmatic in her performance. Even when she is not singing, she still has presence and gives a very well-rounded performance, balancing acting and vocals with a clear vision of the mysterious gypsy girl she embodies.
She not only seduces Xipu’s character, but also the audience. Special mention must also be made of the hidden chorus who adds a mystical tone to the piece, and hints to the seductive lure of love.
The Opera UCT double bill (with a performance still on 16 March 2025) is well worth an outing to the charming Wave Theatre, which was previously home to the historic Space Theatre. One of many pocket offerings to choose from, you can book tickets online through Webtickets.