Hitting a new high
One might think that performing an opera in a foreign language would be a daunting challenge for student artists.
But for those studying music and drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (APA), it's proving to be well within their capabilities.
The APA in Wan Chai will present two operatic versions of a simple love story - one by 18th century author Jean-Jacques Rousseau and another by a 12-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - for the first time in the SAR tomorrow and on Friday evening.
With a Chinese cast of five, Rousseau's original Le Devin du Village will be performed in French while Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne will be in German. Both have dialogues (the commentary between songs) in English.
Students at the APA take European language classes as part of their performing arts courses.
'Their English, French and German are very good, and chorus master Timmy Tsang prepared them very well before I arrived,' says Robert Aldwinkle, a British harpsichord soloist who has been invited to Hong Kong to be the conductor of the two operas.
When asked if his cast understands exactly what they are singing about, director of the two operas, Bastian Tai Chun-bun, says: 'If they don't, they better get their dictionaries out.'
During pre-rehearsal meetings to plan the production, the group considered doing the dialogues in Cantonese.
Aldwinkle, 59, says: 'We thought about it, but it would have been impossible because the reflections [tones] of the language make it impossible to sing the notes the right way. That's why in the end we decided to do this mixture of languages.'
Aside from the language challenge, the costumes and sets also required a lot of attention.
'For the Mozart piece there will be more dramatic lighting and special sound effects like thunder and lightning,' says Tai, 33.
'We want to show the imagination of the 12-year-old genius who wrote it. Some colourful costumes have been produced by the APA wardrobe department.'
The cast has been rehearsing the operas for three months and say they are ready for their two big nights.
'We rehearse frequently with the orchestra now and are adding the final touches,' says Marcus Choy Man-tsan, a counter-tenor who will be singing falsetto as the young boy Colin in the Rousseau version.
'I can't wait to go on stage and am looking forward to it,' adds Choy, 22, who will be making his opera debut tomorrow.
Soprano Wei Lan will play Bastienne in the Mozart version. 'It's my second full opera and my first in a leading role. It's a challenge to sing in German, but I'm ready,' says
Wei, 24.
Aldwinkle, who has performed with orchestras throughout Europe, the United States and Asia, is impressed with the cast's efforts.
'I'm very pleased to be working with them. They are enthusiastic and positive, and are tackling it very well,' he says.
