happenings

Tales of Hoffman opera starting today

For the first time ever, a full Maltese cast is taking all the major and subsidiary roles of an opera. This will make the performance at St. James Cavalier unique in many respects


The firsts are that the opera will have an all Maltese cast; the first opera in the round in Malta; the first major production at St. James Cavalier which will show the round theatre in a manner quite different to usual theatre performances. The audience is drawn into the performance in a very intimate manner.
Brian Cefai, the well known Maltese tenor is the hero Hoffman. Gillian Zammit, his beautiful three loves a coloratura soprano in the first act while in act two she plays the part of a courtesan and in act three the part of an ailing young girl. Johnathan Mobnani base-baritone appears throughout the opera as the devil who's character becomes more sinister with each act. Marita Bezzina normally a stunning dramatic soprano, here plays the role of Nicklausse, a trouser-role.
The cast includes David Caruana, Sandra Farrugia, Yan Ovenby Mortenson, Charles Vella, Charles Vincenti, Harm Wildeboer, Kristine Azzopardi, Rosabelle Bianchi, Norma Camilleri., Anna Conti, Graziella Debattista, Susan Knox, Adrian Sammut, Colette Scicluna and Therese Pullicino.
Since the round theatre cannot accommodate a full orchestra, a very careful selection of musicians have been made to compliment the singers in this production. These include Yvette Galea on the piano, Ann-Marie Camilleri, harpist; Angelica Camilleri Young and Elisabeth Conrad on the cello; Alfred Fenech and Ian Borg, oboists; Robert Calleja will play the flute and the piccolo and Godfrey Mifsud and Michael Pirotta as clarinettists.
Producer and Director Alice Horne, well known in Malta as a singing teacher, has forty years experience as a performer, ten years of which were also spent as a producer-director with The Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham a large repertory which mounts even to this day twelve major productions a year.
Alice teaches for the British Kodaly Institute, Cheltenham, during the Summer. Last year she was the first foreign judge to be invited to Moscow for the Bella Voce International Voice Competition, where she represented the UK. Her visit was so successful that she will be returning this year. Conductor Alan Chircop runs his own Music Institute after studying at the Leipzig Conservatory.
Performances are on 19, 20, 23, 24, 26 January at 7.30pm and there will also be a matinee show on Sunday 21 January at 2.30pm.
Tickets are on sale at St. James Cavalier at Lm6 and Lm4, while tickets for the first night are at Lm8 and Lm6. Bookings can also be taken on tel: 223216.