Cape Town Opera to Present Rossini’s Stabat Mater

By Nicolas Quiroga

One of the most impressive and world-renowned works in honor of the Virgin Mary by the composer Gioachino Rossini will be presented by Cape Town Opera on April 8, 2023, at the Paarl Tower Church, with a special performance by the multi-award-winning Choir of the Cape Town Opera.

Rossini’s ability to compose arias is an exceptional combination of operatic with choral sections of haunting beauty, turning this work into one of the best contributions to classical sacred music, the life and pain of the Virgin Mary, and the crucifixion of her son Jesus Christ.

The Symphony Choir of Cape Town, under the direction of Marvin Kernelle, will shine alongside soprano Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi, mezzo-soprano Minette du Toit Pearce, tenor Lukhanyo Moyake and baritone Conroy Scott. Maestro Adam Szmidt will conduct the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

This work was written for choir, orchestra, and four voices. The piece comprises ten sections, and the work lasts approximately one hour. When Rossini composed it, he was 37 years old, and the work premiered on Good Friday in 1833 in a Madrid convent.

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