[ZIYANKOMO
& BRAVO; J. S. Mzilikazi Khumalo (b. 1932)]
The
South African Composer, Arranger & Choral Director J. S.Mzilikazi Khumalo is also a Professor
Emeritus of African Languages. He was born June 20, 1932 and is
profiled at AfriClassical.com:
March
14 2012
By Paul Boekkooi
OPERA: Ziyankomo and the Forbidden Fruit by Phelelani
Mnomiya (composer) and Themba Msimang (libretto)
DIRECTOR &
STAGE ADAPTATION: Themi Venturas
OPERATIC BOUQUET: Bravo
Opera Africa, conceived and directed by Angelo Gobbato
CONDUCTOR: Timothy
Myers
SET DESIGNS: Themi
Venturas (Ziyankomo) and Stan Knight (Bravo Opera Africa)
COSTUME &
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Andrew Verster
LIGHTING DESIGN:
Simon King
ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR/CHORUS MASTER: Hein de Villiers
PIANIST: Paul
Ferreira
ORCHESTRA:
Johannesburg Philharmonic
CHORUS: Opera Africa
CAST: Fikile
Mvinjelwa, Kelebogile Boikanyo, Given Nkosi, Aubrey Lodewyk,
Thembisile Twala, Goitsemang Lehobye, Caroline Modiba, Themba Maseko,
Thando Zwane a.o.
“This is the kind
of production you would have wished the whole world could experience,
and, if not, at least everyone in South Africa. It has often been
said before: we have per capita some of the greatest young singers in
the world.
“This staging in
two parts – the world premiere of Ziyankomo and the Forbidden
Fruit, a newly commissioned opera by Phelelani Mnomiya and Themba
Mnsimang, and the eight-part operatic bouquet Bravo Opera Africa
celebrating the company’s 18th birthday – is a brilliant showcase
of our post-apartheid, first generation opera singers. All of them
are riding the crest of their individual artistic waves.
“Ziyankomo, sung
in Zulu, is historic. It has the kind of universal values which will
stand the test of time. There are many interwoven themes in the text,
like pride, forgive- ness, the law, and that royalty (implying
government as well) must obey it, power which corrupts, and the
question: shouldn’t ingrained customs leading to tragic conse-
quences be constantly reconsidered and, if necessary, altered?
“This is a finely
chiselled ensemble opera with a basic love story and, at times, a
playful irony. There is a kind of tragic ending, but it never bogs
the listener down to the level where rituals take over. The masks
are intriguing. The singing, individually and in ensemble, is
inspiring.”
“From Mozart’s
Die Zauberflöte to Mzilikazi Khumalo’s Princess Magogo, the tour
through opera history also includes Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci,
Gounod’s Faust, Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s La Bohème and
Rigoletto and La Traviata by Verdi.” “At the Opera, SA State
Theatre, until Saturday. At the Joburg Theatre from March 23 to 31.”
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