OPERA IN CAPE TOWN, the critic's voice

193pp., illus., paperback, Stellenbosch, 2023

"The writings of art critics voicing their opinions on opera in newspaper reviews have charted a unique performance history of opera in Cape Town. In post-apartheid South Africa, these critical voices have particularly engaged in public discourse around the transformation of opera as an art form amidst a myriad of socio-political shifts in the country. This book traces the trajectory of these discourses and initiates a conversation on the development of a distinctly South African operatic expression and aesthetic in the 21st century. These published perspectives of art critics, who reviewed opera for the local daily newspapers Cape Times and Die Burger from the 1980s until now, portray the transformational power of opera in a country burdened by a history of colonialism and apartheid but determined to showcase a democratic 'rainbow nation' on stage."

"Cape Town has been at the forefront of opera in South Africa and is representative of current developments in the art form. This book will certainly be on interest to anyone who wants to gain insight into the background of many young South African opera stars now gracing the stages of the world's greatest theatres. The author, a newspaper reviewer, has seen many of these performances and is very well placed to give an entertaining and informative overview of the vibrant operatic scene in Cape Town." Professor Michael Halliwell, Associated Professor: Vocal Studies and Opera, University of Sydney