Burgerskap onder konstruksie : Aida en Rigoletto by die Suid-Afrikaanse Republiekfeesvieringe, 1971
Date
2021
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
LitNet
Abstract
Ter viering van die tienjarige bestaan van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika in Mei 1971, is twee
operas van Giuseppe Verdi, Aida en Rigoletto, vir Kaapse gehore op die planke gebring. Die
produksies was egter vir verskillende gehore bedoel – Aida, opgevoer in die splinternuwe
Nico Malan Skouburg (vandag Kunstekaap) in Kaapstad vir die wit publiek, en Rigoletto,
opgevoer in die Joseph Stone Ouditorium in Athlone vir die bruin publiek. Hierdie artikel
ondersoek hoe die 1971-Republiekfees ingespan is om burgerskap onder die jong nasie te
bevorder en hoe hierdie twee feesproduksies die ideologiese onderbou van apartheid bevestig
het. Mona Ozouf se teoretisering van openbare feeste word as lens gebruik om aan te dui hoe
die Republiekfeesvieringe daarop gemik was om ’n sosiale verbond tussen die staat en sy
mense te sluit, en hoe die feesvieringe die mag van die Suid-Afrikaanse staat moes illustreer.
Deelname aan die geleentheid het die individu as burger herdoop, waardeur hy sy regmatige
plek kon inneem as legitieme lid van die nasie. Spesiale fokus word gegee aan die opening van
die Nico Malan Skouburg wat die Republiekfeesvieringe afgeskop het en die protesaksies teen
die rassebeleid wat die openingsgeleentheid voorafgegaan het. Protesbriewe van skrywers soos
Uys Krige en Adam Small illustreer hoe die Eoan Groep kontrasterende openbare sentimente
soos simpatie en verwerping ontlont het. Tesame met ’n bespreking van die verskille tussen
die Nico Malan en die Joseph Stone, word die opvoeringe van elk van die operas in die
onderskeie ruimtes onder die loep geneem om te illustreer hoe die produksies uiteenlopende
aspekte van Suid-Afrikaanse kulturele aspirasies verteenwoordig het. KRUIK se Aida was ’n
toonbeeld van Afrikaner-eksepsionalisme terwyl Eoan se Rigoletto aanspraak gemaak het op
’n nagestrewe kulturele uitnemendheid.
During the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Republic of South Africa in May 1971, two operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Aida and Rigoletto, were offered to Cape Town audiences as part of the festival programme. However, these productions were not only staged at different venues, but they were intended for different audiences – Aida, produced in the brand-new Nico Malan Theatre (today called Artscape) in the city centre was for the white public, and Rigoletto, performed in the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone was for the coloured public. This article investigates how the 1971 Republic Festival was utilized to promote citizenship among the young South African nation and how these two festival productions undergirded the ideological foundations of apartheid. Mona Ozouf’s theoretical perspective on public festivals is employed to demonstrate how the Republic Festival aimed at creating a social pact between the state and its people and how the festivities were used to illustrate the power of the South African state. Participation in such an occasion renamed the individual as a citizen of the nation and enabled her/him to take up her/his rightful place as a legitimate member of the nation. The article also draws on the historical perspectives developed by Pieter Kapp in his work on white Afrikaner Festivals. Kapp states that the Republic Festival was not only a festival for the white Afrikaner, but also for the nation of South Africa. This was evidenced by the inclusion of some English-language and other European cultural productions in the festival programme, as well as the inclusion of the coloured community at some festival productions, despite the fact that their participation was separate from white festivities.
During the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Republic of South Africa in May 1971, two operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Aida and Rigoletto, were offered to Cape Town audiences as part of the festival programme. However, these productions were not only staged at different venues, but they were intended for different audiences – Aida, produced in the brand-new Nico Malan Theatre (today called Artscape) in the city centre was for the white public, and Rigoletto, performed in the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone was for the coloured public. This article investigates how the 1971 Republic Festival was utilized to promote citizenship among the young South African nation and how these two festival productions undergirded the ideological foundations of apartheid. Mona Ozouf’s theoretical perspective on public festivals is employed to demonstrate how the Republic Festival aimed at creating a social pact between the state and its people and how the festivities were used to illustrate the power of the South African state. Participation in such an occasion renamed the individual as a citizen of the nation and enabled her/him to take up her/his rightful place as a legitimate member of the nation. The article also draws on the historical perspectives developed by Pieter Kapp in his work on white Afrikaner Festivals. Kapp states that the Republic Festival was not only a festival for the white Afrikaner, but also for the nation of South Africa. This was evidenced by the inclusion of some English-language and other European cultural productions in the festival programme, as well as the inclusion of the coloured community at some festival productions, despite the fact that their participation was separate from white festivities.
Description
CITATION: Pistorius, J. M. & Roos, H. 2021. Burgerskap onder konstruksie : Aida en Rigoletto by die Suid-Afrikaanse Republiekfeesvieringe, 1971. LitNet Akademies, 18(2):102-131.
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
Keywords
Operas, Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901, Festivals -- South Africa
Citation
Pistorius, J. M. & Roos, H. 2021. Burgerskap onder konstruksie : Aida en Rigoletto by die Suid-Afrikaanse Republiekfeesvieringe, 1971. LitNet Akademies, 18(2):102-131.