THE NEW ZEALAND OPERA SOCIETY

Canterbury’s Suor Angelica looks as if it might be the first fully professional production of the work in New Zealand. How about the 1998 production by Opera Waikato? But there were various earlier non- or semi-professional productions. The first we have a record of seems to be in Auckland in 1987 by Operacorp.

Neil Jenkins remembers it: “...It was held in the Town Hall Concert Chamber and was mounted mainly as a vehicle for Jillian Anderton (she and Frances Wilson were friends and working together at that time). Frances was pianist (no orchestra) – it was what I would call semi-staged – no scenery – just furniture with black tabs – it was musically very accurate due to Frances Wilson’s involvement, but Jillian Anderton’s voice, although quite promising, was too light for the title role. The most outstanding singer was the mezzo-soprano who, I think, was Suzanne Blackburn. I think there were only two or possibly three performances.”

It was produced very attractively in 1988 by Victoria University, in a double bill with David Farquhar’s Shadow, marking the first use of surtitles in New Zealand.