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Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization

Thesis (PhD (Music)) -- Stellenbosch University, 2010.

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Main Author: Roos, Hilde
Other Authors: Muller, Stephanus
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University 2010
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access_status_str Open Access
author Roos, Hilde
author2 Muller, Stephanus
author_browse Muller, Stephanus
Roos, Hilde
author_facet Muller, Stephanus
Roos, Hilde
author_sort Roos, Hilde
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (PhD (Music)) -- Stellenbosch University, 2010.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5207
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:10.315Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2010
publishDateRange 2010
publishDateSort 2010
publisher Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5207 Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization Roos, Hilde Muller, Stephanus Huigen, Siegfried University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Music. South Africa -- Opera Music -- History -- Western Cape South Africa -- Apartheid Eoan Group South Africa -- Apartheid Hans Huyssen. Masque South Africa -- Apartheid Thesis (PhD (Music)) -- Stellenbosch University, 2010. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the past few decades fascinating opera productions have been staged by South African opera companies, using strong local casts and strikingly indigenous interpretations of standard works from the canon. It appears that opera in South Africa has survived the tumultuous recent history of this country and is invigorated by the creative possibilities unleashed by its contexts. This dissertation explores whether and how opera production in the Western Cape has reacted to societal influences specific to South Africa. It launches an exploration of if and how the genre has ‘indigenized’ to become what it is today. The following themes present themselves during the course of this dissertation: the process through which opera has rooted itself in the country historically, the forms in and through which opera manifested itself in the Western Cape, how the art form has developed, to what extent local culture has influenced the art form and if, how and why opera production in the Western Cape has diverged from original Western operatic ideals. This dissertation is comprised of two sections representing, broadly, the past and the present. Chapters 1 and 2 are historical studies, whilst Chapters 3 and 4 discuss contemporary perspectives. Chapter 1 is an attempt to construct a history of opera in South Africa and serves as a background or frame for the ensuing chapters. This chapter will show that indigenization in its most subtle form can be traced in local opera productions long before the issue of the reflection of indigenous cultures in opera became relevant. Chapter 2 is a first attempt to account for the history of the Eoan Group, a so-called Coloured opera company who performed during South Africa’s Apartheid years. It investigates the far-reaching implications of the drive to ‘Europeanize’ indigenous culture, as exemplified in the opera productions of this group. Chapter 3 discusses a new opera composition, Hans Huyssen’s Masque (composed in 2005), focusing on the use of voice as it engages with the indigenization of the aesthetic model of voice production. Chapter 4 is an investigation into the functioning of Cape Town Opera. It investigates how a local opera company – an institution promoting opera as a Western form of art – negotiates its way through the tumultuous changes of post-Apartheid South Africa. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Operageselskappe in Suid-Afrika het gedurende die afgelope dekades verskeie fassinerende produksies op die planke gebring, produksies wat aansienlik deur inheemse interpretasies beïnvloed is en dikwels van inheemse sangers gebruik maak. Dit wil voorkom of opera in Suid-Afrika nie slegs die politieke omwentelinge van die onlangse verlede te bowe gekom het nie, maar ook produktief put uit impulse wat uit plaaslike omstandighede voortvloei. Die gedagte wat in hierdie proefskrif ondersoek word, is of en hoe opera produksie in die Weskaap op spesifiek Suid-Afrikaanse omstandighede gereageer het. Die bestudering van opera in die Weskaap deur die lens van verinheemsing fokus op die manier waarop opera in die land wortel geskiet het, die wyses waarop dit in die verlede en in die hede tot uiting gekom het, hoe produksie van die genre ontwikkel het, tot watter mate inheemse kulture operaproduksie en komposisie beïnvloed het en hoe en waarom operaproduksie in die Weskaap afgewyk het van oorspronklike Westerse ideale. Hierdie proefskrif bestaan uit twee dele wat die verlede en die hede verteenwoordig. Hoofstukke 1 en 2 behandel historiese gevallestudies en Hoofstukke 3 en 4 kontemporêre operapraktyke. Hoofstuk 1 onderneem om ’n geskiedenis van opera in Suid-Afrika te skets en dien as ’n vertrekpunt of konteks vir die daaropvolgende hoofstukke. Die hoofstuk dui aan dat verinheemsing reeds in subtiele vorm plaasgevind het in operaproduksie lank voor die vraagstuk oor die weerspieëling van inheemse kulture in opera relevant geword het. Hoofstuk 2 is ’n eerste poging om die geskiedenis van die Eoan Groep, ’n sogenaamde Kleurling operageselskap wat gedurende die Apartheidsjare in Suid-Afrika opera geproduseer het, neer te pen. Die hoofstuk ondersoek die verreikende implikasies van die veldtog om inheemse kulture in Suid-Afrika te verwesters. Hoofstuk 3 bespreek ’n nuwe operakomposisie, Hans Huyssen se Masque (gekomponeer in 2005) en fokus op die gebruik van stem en die kwessie van die verinheemsing van die estetiese model van stemproduksie. Hoofstuk 4 het as onderwerp die plaaslike operageselskap, Kaapstad Opera, en ondersoek hoe hierdie organisasie wat opera as ’n Westerste kunsvorm beoefen en bevorder, sy weg vind deur die ingrypende veranderinge wat post-Apartheid Suid- Afrika kenmerk. Doctoral 2010-11-09T09:12:03Z 2010-12-15T10:21:37Z 2010-11-09T09:12:03Z 2010-12-15T10:21:37Z 2010-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5207 en_ZA University of Stellenbosch 261 leaves application/pdf Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle South Africa -- Opera
Music -- History -- Western Cape
South Africa -- Apartheid
Eoan Group
South Africa -- Apartheid
Hans Huyssen. Masque
South Africa -- Apartheid
Roos, Hilde
Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization
title Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization
title_full Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization
title_fullStr Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization
title_full_unstemmed Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization
title_short Opera production in the Western Cape : strategies in search of indigenization
title_sort opera production in the western cape strategies in search of indigenization
topic South Africa -- Opera
Music -- History -- Western Cape
South Africa -- Apartheid
Eoan Group
South Africa -- Apartheid
Hans Huyssen. Masque
South Africa -- Apartheid
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5207
work_keys_str_mv AT rooshilde operaproductioninthewesterncapestrategiesinsearchofindigenization