Arts
Spectacular Odeion opera tells tale of tragic love affair─── 09:19 Tue, 22 Oct 2024
Yolanda Maartens speaks to Albertus Engelbrecht about what people can expect at this spectacular opera show.
Dido and Aeneas is a Baroque opera and one of the first by an English composer, Henry Purcell.
The opera tells the tale of the tragic love affair between Dido, the queen of Carthage (modern-day Tunisia), and Aeneas, a Trojan prince. Based on Greek mythology and Virgil’s Aeneid, it addresses issues with destiny, power, fate, and the struggle between good and evil.
Their staged production takes place on the Odeion stage in an intimate setting. It will be performed by the vocal students of the OSM, accompanied by the Odeion String Quartet and Hans Potgieter on harpsichord. Albertus Engelbrecht is the director who created a minimalistic yet very expressive set with colourful lighting and other stage elements.
Engelbrecht joins forces with renowned South African visual artist Liza Grobler, who created the stage elements to contribute to the director’s concept. They only have one performance, so ensure you do not miss out on this one. Entrance is free. For those who cannot make it on 8 November, they have decided to open the final dress rehearsal on 7 November at 17:30 to the public.
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