Maestros Kazem Abdullah and Marvin Kernelle will lead the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at Cape Town Opera’s Maria Stuarda performances on September 26th and 29th. Bringing their diverse experience, fresh insights and unique perspectives to the production, they’ll ensure that the opera’s power is experienced by those familiar with the work and new audiences alike.
Maria Stuarda is something special for Kernelle: the depth of the opera’s themes make it a uniquely emotional experience for performers and audience. Many of the performers taking to the stage in this production have been Kernelle’s contemporaries at Cape Town Opera for some years, and he’s making use of this connection to ensure that his cast accesses the feelings, motives and desires embodied in each role. His and Maestro Abdullah’s work ensure that music and direction, instruments and orchestra combine to convey every layer of an intricate opera.
Having first encountered Maria Stuarda from the audience at the Metropolitan Opera House, Abdullah is eagerly anticipating the performance of his first work with Cape Town Opera. For him, the opera is fascinating for its exploration of how an individual’s history might affect their actions, and has encouraged all those involved to engage with the history informing the plot to understand and identify with the personal and political tensions that play out. Thoroughly impressed by the quality of South African singing talent, Abdullah works closely with the director to create a finely detailed production in which well-defined, complex characters make for a captivating experience.
MARIA STUARDA ON STAGE AT ARTSCAPE September 26 at 19:30 and 29 at 18:00.
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