French composer Jacques Offenbach’s most well-known opera, Les Contes d’Hoffman, or The Tales of Hoffmann, comes to the stage in Cape Town in a new production by Opera UCT.
The title role is shared by Cape Town favourites, Luvo Maranti and Makudu Senaoana. Opera UCT is joined by CPO, conducted by Jeremy Silver.
The production, directed by Steven Stead, features a cast of young singers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) Opera School, conducted by Jeremy Silver, Director of Opera UCT.
The Tales of Hoffmann, with a libretto based on three stories by German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822), is about a poet, Hoffmann, who relates the story of three women he loved: a mechanical doll, a young singer, and a courtesan.
Hoffmann is presented as a contemporary Fellini-esque filmmaker. After a rowdy party in which Hoffmann is persuaded to tell the story of his three failed love affairs, each of the three fantastical tales take place on a different film set.
The opera is be sung in French with English surtitles. There are alternating casts for this production, with the title role of Hoffmann shared by tenors Luvo Maranti and Makudu Senaoana. Silver conducts the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, with Marvin Kernelle as assistant conductor and chorus master.
