Press
Articles and Commentary
South African Songbird
Zanne Stapelberg had me in tears this week. I, and a good few hundred Durbanites, watched her performance in an act from the opera La Bohéme at the Playhouse, and I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the audience. She was exquisite.
“La Bohéme is my favourite,” she told me later, sipping a lime and soda at the Royal Coffee Shop. And Durban, I suspect, has become another of her favourites since Bravo! Night at The Opera opened in town last week.
“The audiences here have been unbelievable!” she enthused. “And so mixed. Black, white, Indian, old yount…never before on an opening night, anywhere, have I played to such an incredible, mixed audience. It was wonderful. And Durban people are so friendly, so open…”
This tall, glamorous, immensely likeable Capetonian didn’t just feature in La Bohéme. The show comprises an act each from four of the world’s most popular operas, and she was equally impressive in Act II of Die Fledermaus, as Rosalinde, in the famous Clock Duet and as Micaela in Carmen.
“Opera is such an all-encompassing art form,” she says. “Singing, acting, wonderful sets, larger than life stuff, and there’s no other art form quite like it. And then there’s the opera voice, which takes us to a place no other art form takes you to. I want to do this for the rest of my life.”
And you’ve absolutely no doubt she will.
As one of only a handful of professional opera singer in the country – she makes a living from it – the 27 year old has garnered an outstanding reputation in the field.
She is highly sought after on the Soutn African opera circuit, and has sung prima donna roles in Handel’s Alcina, Mozart’s idomeneo, Goounod’s Faust and Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi and La Bohéme.Her concert performances have included Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’t Gloria, and Mozar’t Dixit Dominus, among others, while she also appeared as Carla with the Sontonga Quartet in William Kentridge’s European tour of his performance art piece, Confessions of Zeno, composed by Kevin Volans.
She starred in Aqua Opera at the V&A Waterfront, and sang in the South African premier of Hendrik Hofmeyr’s award winning work, Byzantioum for Soprano & Orchestra, as well as his song cycle, Die Stil Aontuur, a moving tribute to the doyenne of South African poets, Elizabeth Eybers. So she’s no wet-behind-the-ears novice, this girl!
Why opera?
“Actually, I always knew I’d land up singing, but didn’t think it would be opera. I thought it would be jazz – I love jazz. My mother studied drama, my dad always hoped I’d take over the family pharmacy business, and I can just see myself in the dispensary singing arias…”
The catalyst for her decision to go into opera was when she was in standard 9, when she watched a Greek soprano in La Traviata. “I knew straight away that I wanted to do that.”
At university, she did a BA Music. “English literature and singing, and my other instrument was tenor saxophone!” and has been soaring ever since.
“This show in Durban has been quite incredible,” she said.
“It’s so wonderful that Steven Stead (director) is making opera fashionable again. He has a very rare gift of being able to not only understand the essence of the stories, but also the people performing them, and marrying the two together. He’s exceptional. And than there’s Terrence (Bray, the costume designer). Terence is Terrence, and his outfits are outstanding…and did you see the sets? By Greg king? They’re exquisite – he’s such a talented man.”
The pooling of young, exciting talent – of cast and crew – had blended beautifully, she went on. “As for the orchestra…when last did the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra play opera? Years and years ago. Yet they performed effortlessly, and are the most brilliant musicians – and people.
A final sip of her drink. “Am I babbling on a bit about Durban? I think I am, but you have to understand, we’ve all just loved this show so much, and had such a fantastic experience doing it.”
Before she goes, I ask what she and her husband of three years do in their leisure time.
“We hike. We climb Table Mountain every single Saturday…and I have to tog myself up for it. I do the red lipstick, the glitter, the whole number, and tourists on the mountain actually stop and photograph this mad chick hiking along looking like this!” She laughs from the belly, and you really can’t help laughing too.
Peta Lee
The Independent, Arts&Pleasure, Reviews
Ms. Stapelberg is one of the leading soprano’s in South Africa at present and sings with great success in such varied genres as cabaret, opera and art song recitals. Since she made her debut at a young age at the Guild in 2002, she developed into a sought-after singer of artistic integrity with a beautiful voice and radiant stage presence. In her concerts for the Songmaker’Gild, she presented a wide range of compositions and composers, always highly professional, well-prepared and never book bound, even in the most modern compositions. During the past seven years she sang songs by compsers such as Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Granados, Pedrell, Loszt, Rodrigo, Toldra, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and the contemproary composer, Hendrik Hofmeyr, at the Guild. She also sang the world premiere of “The Death of Cleopatra” by Hofmeyr.
Newspaper critics praised her for captivating interpretations, the sweet, yet dramatic quality of her voice, the wide range of her voice, ability to master all teh requirements of modern music: from “sprechgesang” to dramatic outbursts. At the end of 2008, “Die Burger”, one of the leading newspapers in Cape Town, selected the concert where she sang Spanish songs at the Songmakers’ Guild as musical highlight of the past year.
Margaretha Deysel
Songmaker’s Guild
‘Is ek nie gelukkig dat ek ‘n bestaan kan maak uit fantasie nie?’
Daar is ‘n kas, guitige swart-wit kostuums, ‘n klavier.
En dan is daar Zanne.
En soos Coco Chanel glo sy: As ‘n mens uniek wil wees, moet jy anders wees.
Haar opera-kabaret Zanne is vir seker uniek.
En Zanne slaag daarin om anders te wees, sonder dat sy hard hoef te probeer.
Haar gunsteling-parfuum, Givenchy se Amarige, verdamp soel-soet uit haar romerige cleavage, sy span haar rooibruin hare as rekwisiet in. Dit tuimel die wêreld vol. “Dis so báie,” sê sy en gooi stapels daarvan oor haar skouers.
“Is ek nie gelukkig dat ek ‘n bestaan kan maak uit fantasie nie?” is een van haar eerste sinne aan die gehoor.
Jy kom sommer vroeg agter sy is dol oor magic, fluweel, kant, sy en glansstof.
En om op te tree.
Sy’s 28 met ‘n gul, rooi mond, báie seksuele aantreklikheid en gek oor die hoë E bokant middel C, maar dan kan sy ook toor met jou binneste as sy in die aardse lae registers die D onder middel C tref.
“Soos ‘n jong Callas,” sug my metgesel, wat soos ‘n besetene hande klap en haar staande toejuig (soos menige ander).
Ek dink aan een van my vriende op universiteit wat altyd gepraat het van eargasms…
Opera-kabaret is ‘n genre uniek aan Zanne.
Sy verduidelik: Dit bestaan uit vier dele wat soos ‘n mini-opera is. Die praatgedeeltes (”resitatiewe”) is in kabaretformaat in Afrikaans. Elke deel het sy eie identiteit - opera, lieder , Spaans en jazz.
Sy sê onder meer: “Ek is ‘n totale musikale skisofreen en om vir my te sê ek moet kies tussen die twee wêrelde van opera en jazz, is soos om vir ‘n Afrikaanse boeremeisie te sê sy mag nooit weer haar lippe om ‘n koeksister vou nie.”
Sjarmant verwissel sy van kostuums óp die verhoog (en beveel begeleier Stefan Lombard en haar assistent, Terry Lyle, om te help met die hoepels-, kant-en-netkonstruksies.)
Sy glimlag koketterig, pruil en sê soos ‘n femme fatale: “Ek hóú daarvan as hulle luister!”
‘n Opgewonde rilling gaan deur die gehoor, want waar Zanne is, is ‘n oormaat feromone, endorfiene en adrenalien…Die meer besadigde Lieder-seksie is salf vir die moeë siele. Jou hart bloei vir Leipoldt se Mali, die Slaaf. Die uitdagende “Et Incarnatus Est” uit Mozart se Mis in C mineur laat jou ekstaties.
En in die Spaanse seksie sê sy so ewe: “Behalwe my ouma se melktert, is daar bitter min goed wat my so opgewonde maak soos Spaanse en Suid-Amerikaanse musiek, kuns en literatuur.”
In dié afdeling kook haar lyftaal. Sy is ‘n onvergeetlike Carmen, en sy sing jou voete en hart vuurwarm.
En dán die Jazz-aanslag. Cole Porter en Gershwin. En “At Last” van Cindy Lauper.
“In ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ uit die Wizard of Oz is die wonderlikste klankgetuienis dat énigiets waaroor jy droom, moontlik is,” sug sy gelukkig.
Sy speel saxofoon met haar hele lyf en gebruik vernuftig jazz-sangtegnieke. Jy kan jou verbeel dis iemand wat in een van Havana, Kuba, se rokerige jazz-klubs ‘n oudisie doen vir die groep Buena Vista Social Club.
Die einde is ewe verrassend. Zanne sluit af met ‘n prettige, meesterlike verwerking (en plek-plek improvisasie) van die tweede beweging van Mozart se “Rondo alla Turka”.
Sy noem haar verwerking “Turkish Delight”.
“Ek het die hele kabaret binne twee weke geskryf. Goeie musiek is soos goeie parfuum. Dis eintlik ‘n lang, gekompliseerde proses, maar ek hou al konsert vandat ek klein is. Eintlik wou ek jazz sing en saxofoon speel, maar toe ‘ontdek’ hulle ek het ‘n operastem…
“Dit het my tien jaar geneem om my operategniek op peil te kry. As ‘n mens goeie parfuum aanspuit, kan jy dit twee dae ná die tyd nog aan jou klere ruik.
“Goeie musiek vergeet ‘n mens ook nooit. Ander mense het drank of dwelms nodig. Gelukkig word en high op note en ander kreatiewe mense. Ek klim in hul koppe en voed op hul en my eie skeppende gedagtes. Goeie musiek moet iets agterlaat om die sinne te voed. Dit gaan oor gehalte. Die regte bestandele. As die musiek goed is, maak dit nie saak of mense die woorde kan verstaan nie. Dán hef dit alle grense op.”
Sy en Stefan, haar begeleier, het ‘n aanvoeling vir mekaar.
Sy het ook groot respek vir Matthew Wild, die regisseur. “Aanvanklik wou ek al die kostuurms kleurryk hê. Toe besluit die produksie-ontwerper Angela Nemov, ons hou die kostuums swart en wit. Soos ‘n inkleurboek se buitelyne. Ons ‘kleur die produksie in’ met die musiek. Dit werk.
“Die kas is simbolies. Ek klim uit die kas met al my personas. Dikwels is ek nie heeltemal in pas met die wêreld nie en wil ek my eie ding doen. In dié produksie kom al my alter ego’s as’t ware bymekaar uit.”
Zanne se e-posse (en selfs haar selfoon-stempos) word altyd interessant afgesluit: Zaza Galore, La La Lippezaner, Xanadu, die Diva van distrik 6, Zanuschka von Singeling oftewel Tingeling…
Sy is nie iemand wat haar deur konvensie laat bind nie.
Nie deur opera-kabaret of in haar lewe nie.
“Ek sukkel met dissipline. Die aktrise Katherine Hepburn het immers gesê: ‘As jy ál die reëls gehoorsam mis jy al die pret…’”
Seker dié dat die mans ná die tyd op haar man afpyl.
“Jy’s ‘n gelukkige man,” sê meer as een.
‘n Ander een: “Callas is nie dood nie, sy leef in Distrik Ses!”
Haar man, Jomar de Lange, lyk soos die akteur Sean Penn en verwys grappenderwys na homself as “Mnr. Stapelberg”.
Hy glimlag net en sê sag dankie.
Marguerite van Wyk
Onderhoud
Sarie
2007