THE CAREER OF SOUTH AFRICAN SOPRANO NELLIE DU TOIT, BORN 1929 ALEXANDRA XENIA SABINA MOSSOLOW Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in the Faculty of Arts, at the University of Stellenbosch Stellenbosch Supervisor: April 2003 Acáma Fick DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature:……………………………… Date:………………………. ABSTRACT Who is Nellie du Toit and what is the extent of her career as singer and voice teacher? The void in South African historiography in respect to the life and work of South African performing artists gave rise to investigate the career of Nellie du Toit. Known as one of South Africa’s most illustrious opera singers of the 1960’s and 1970’s, who made her career exclusively in South Africa, she is regarded as one of the most sought after voice teachers. Her career as singer spanned almost three decades. As voice teacher her career of over forty years is still ongoing. This study traces her biographical details chronologically beginning with her youth years in a very musical family. Her full-time music studies took place at the South African College of Music in Cape Town, from 1950 to 1952. Here her singing teacher Madame Adelheid Armhold and Gregorio Fiasconaro, head of the Opera School, were influential in laying the foundations for her career. After a period of over a year in England Du Toit was one of several young South African singers to contribute to pioneering opera in South Africa, often sung in the vernacular. Du Toit sang in forty-five opera seasons for the Provincial Arts Councils in the seventeen years between 1963 and 1979, when her opera career ended. In 1986 she returned to the opera stage as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. This was also her final farewell as opera singer. The title role in Madama Butterfly can be regarded as her hallmark. Her stunning portrayal of Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor was regarded as a mile stone in South African opera history, as was her interpretation of Jenůfa. She was also hailed as a Mozart singer. Not only was she regarded as one of the world’s best “Butterflies” at the International Madame Butterfly Competition in Japan in 1970, but has she also been awarded three Nederburg Opera Prizes. Apart from opera, Du Toit gave numerous recitals of classical and light classical music, regularly sang in orchestral concerts and oratorio and was active as broadcasting artist. Her work as voice teacher always ran parallel to her singing activities. Her academic career at the Universities at Stellenbosch and Cape Town spanned fourteen years: from 1980 to 1993. Nellie du Toit’s achievements in music were laureated with the Medal of Honour from the Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1986 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stellenbosch in 1998. OPSOMMING Wie is Nellie du Toit en wat is die omvang van haar loopbaan as sangeres en sangpedagoog? Die leemte in Suid-Afrikaanse historiografie met betrekking tot die lewe en werk van Suid- Afrikaanse uitvoerende kunstenaars het aanleiding gegee tot hierdie ondersoek na die loopbaan van Nellie du Toit. Bekend as een van Suid Afrika se vermaarde operasangeresse van die 1960’s en 1970’s wat haar loopbaan eksklusief in Suid-Afrika gemaak het, word sy ook beskou as een van die mees gesogte sangpedagoë. Haar loopbaan as uitvoerende kunstenaar het oor byna drie dekades gestrek. Haar loopbaan as sangpedagoog, ná meer as veertig jaar, gaan steeds voort. Hierdie studie ondersoek haar lewe en loopbaan chronologies, beginnende met haar jeugjare in ʼn baie musikale gesin. Haar voltydse musiekstudies aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Musiekkollege in Kaapstad het van 1950 tot 1952 geduur. Hier het Madame Adelheid Armhold, haar sangpedagoog, en Gregorio Fiasconaro, hoof van die Operaskool, ʼn stewige fondament vir haar loopbaan gelê. Na ʼn tydperk van meer as ʼn jaar in Engeland, het Nellie du Toit een van die jong Suid-Afrikaanse sangers geword wat operabaanbrekerswerk in Suid-Afrika gedoen het. Du Toit het in vyf-en-veertig operaseisoene vir die Uitvoerende Kunsterade gesing in die sewentien jaar tussen 1963 en 1979, die jaar waarin haar operaloopbaan tot ʼn einde gekom het. In 1986 het sy na die operaverhoog teruggekeer in die rol van die Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier van Richard Strauss. Dit was ook haar finale vaarwel as operasangeres. Die titelrol in Madama Butterfly kan as Du Toit se kenteken beskou word. Haar merkwaardige uitbeelding van Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor is beskou as ʼn mylpaal in die Suid-Afrikaanse operageskiedenis. Dit geld ook vir haar vertolking van Jenůfa. Sy was ook hoog aangeskryf as Mozart-sangeres. Nellie du Toit is as een van die wêreld se beste “Butterflies” aangewys tydens die Internasionale Madame Butterfly Kompetisie in Japan in 1970. Daarbenewens het sy in Suid-Afrika drie Nederburg Operapryse ingepalm. Afgesien van opera het Nellie du Toit talryke uitvoerings van klassieke en ligte klassieke musiek gegee en gereeld in orkeskonserte, oratoria en as uitsaaikunstenaar opgetree. Naas haar loopbaan as uitvoerder het haar aktiwiteite as sangpedagoog byna ononderbroke voortgegaan. Haar akademiese loopbaan aan die Universiteite van Stellenbosch en Kaapstad het oor veertien jaar gestrek: van 1980 tot 1993. Nellie du Toit se prestasies in musiek is bekroon met die Erepenning van die Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns in 1986 en ʼn eredoktorsgraad van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch in 1998. DEDICATED TO NELLIE DU TOIT AND ALL SOUTH AFRICAN SINGERS OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Primarily my gratitude is due to my supervisor, Ms Acáma Fick, for inspiring the interesting topic and for her academic guidance and reseach suggestions. I also wish to thank the persons who were interviewed and who provided valuable information during the conducting of the research between 1999 and 2002. They have contributed greatly to the findings of the research project. I would also like to express my indebtedness to Dr Billy Trengove for reading the manuscript and Mrs Leona Amoraal, Mrs Madeleine McErlain, Ms Karen Valentine and Mr Joubert Potgieter for their technical assistance. A special word of thanks to Mr Antonio Moncada for the loan of his computer for the duration of my studies. Finally, I would like to thank my esteemed teacher, Dr Nellie du Toit, for making available a broad spectrum of source material, and for her invaluable co-operation in the course of this study. Stellenbosch April 2003 A.X.S. Mossolow ABBREVIATIONS ATKV Afrikaanse Taal-en Kultuurvereniging CAPAB Cape Performing Arts Board Ed(s). Editor(s) FAK Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurverenigings i.a. inter alia – amongst others jr junior NAPAC Natal Performing Arts Council PACOFS Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State PACT Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal RAM Royal Academy of Music s.a. sine anno – no date s.d. sine dato – no date s.l. sine loco – no place of publication s.n. sine nomine – no publisher s.p. sine pagina – no page/unpaginated SABC South African Broadcasting Corporation SACM South African College of Music SAME Suid Afrikaanse Musiekensiklopedie SWAPAC South West African Performing Arts Council UCT University of Cape Town UNISA University of South Africa TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION i CHAPTER 1 CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH: 1929–1949 1 CHAPTER 2 STUDIES IN CAPE TOWN: 1950–1952 5 2.1 First year at the South African College of Music: 1950 5 2.2 Second year at the South African College of Music: 1951 9 2.3 Third year at the South African College of Music: 1952 13 CHAPTER 3 EARLY PROFESSIONAL YEARS: 1953–1956 17 3.1 Tour of Rhodesia: 1953 17 3.2 Great Britain: 1953 – 1954 18 3.3 Back in South Africa: 1954 21 3.4 Marriage and Vienna: 1955 25 3.5 Pietermaritzburg: 1956 28 CHAPTER 4 SINGING ACTIVITIES, TEACHING AND DOMESTIC LIFE: 1957–1962 30 4.1 Opera in the Transvaal in the fifties 30 4.2 Operas sung by Nellie du Toit 32 4.3 Recitals 36 4.4 Soloist with orchestra 39 4.5 Soloist in oratorio and related genres 40 4.6 SABC recordings and broadcasts 42 4.7 Teaching activities 43 4.8 Domestic life 44 4.9 Summary 45 CHAPTER 5 PROFESSIONAL YEARS WITH THE PROVINCIAL ARTS COUNCILS: 1963–1969 47 5.1 The formation of the Provincial Arts Councils 47 5.2 The year 1963 48 5.3 The year 1964 49 5.4 The year 1965 49 5.5 The year 1966 50 5.6 The year 1967 51 5.7 The year 1968 53 5.8 The year 1969 55 5.9 Summary 58 CHAPTER 6 OTHER SINGING ACTIVITIES: 1963–1969 60 6.1 Recitals 60 6.2 Soloist with orchestra 65 6.3 Chamber music 68 6.4 Light music with Gé Korsten 69 6.5 Oratorio and related genres 71 6.6 SABC recordings and broadcasts 71 6.7 Teaching activities and domestic chores 72 6.8 Summary 72 CHAPTER 7 OPERAS SUNG FOR THE PROVINCIAL ARTS COUNCILS: 1971–1979 74 7.1 The year 1971 74 7.2 The year 1972 77 7.3 The year 1973 81 7.4 The year 1974 83 7.5 The year 1975 87 7.6 The year 1976 92 7.7 The year 1977 98 7.8 The year 1978 100 7.9 The year 1979 104 7.10 Nederburg Opera Prize 105 7.11 Summary 107 CHAPTER 8 OTHER SINGING ACTIVITIES: 1970–1979 109 8.1 Singing in Japan 109 8.2 Recitals 110 8.3 Ensemble recitals 118 8.4 Soloist with orchestra 119 8.5 Light music 122 8.6 Oratorio and related genres 123 8.7 SABC recordings and broadcasts 124 8.8 Summary 124 CHAPTER 9 CAREER: 1980–2002 127 9.1 Pedagogic activities 127 9.2 Opera come-back and farewell 133 9.3 Concert commitments 136 9.4 Radio recordings and appearances