Beautiful Music, Beautiful Venue, Great Weekend

Beautiful Music, Beautiful Venue, Great Weekend

Operatic music that describes nature at its finest will be performed in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.

Bay Of Many Coves, the five star lodge in the Marlborough Sounds, is again hosting three top New Zealand opera singers in a weekend of music from opera, operetta and musical theatre fromOctober 10-12.

The lodge was a finalist in a recent international competition to identify the most secluded and sought after resorts in the world and, in its special weekend entitled Opera At the Bay, it has requested music that describes the setting and surroundings.

The three outstanding singers, sopranos Morag McDowell and Emma Roxburgh and baritone, Jared Holt from Wellington, will sing a montage of famous arias, duets and trios but, at its centre, will be music that inspired its composers to describe the beauty of nature.

The famous Sull’aria duet for two sopranos from Mozart’s Marriage Of Figaro speaks of ‘soft breezes of the forest’ carrying messages of love while the glorious Lakme duet, also sung by Morag and Emma, describes flowers, jasmine, roses, singing birds, the river’s current and shining waves.

It’s no coincidence that the impressive native forest that provides a backdrop to Bay Of Many Coves is home to many singing birds in the idyllic setting of Queen Charlotte Sound. The lodge itself features superb local cuisine, fine New Zealand wines and luxury accommodation.

The Handel aria Ombra Mai Fu, sung by Jared Holt, pays tribute to a tree while the sentiments of the immortal Mozart trio, Soave sia il vento,
encourage the “wind to be gentle and the waves be calm.”

The programme also includes the most famous soprano aria of all time, O mio Babbino caro from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Deh vieni from Mozart’s Marriage Of Figaro, the dramatic baritone aria, Di Provenza il mar from La Traviata by Verdi and Rossini’s hugely entertaining Cat Duet.

The lighter selection features Love Unspoken from Franz Lehar’s Merry Widow, Lloyd Webber’s duet All I Ask Of You and Girl from 14G, which demands great vocal gymnastics from the soprano soloist.

The idea of beautiful music in a beautiful location comes from co-owner of Bay Of Many Coves, Murray McCaw. He has long seen the close affinity between celebration and singing.

“Food and wine play an integral part in many operas. That winning combination of the finest of Italian food and great arias will be a talking point of the weekend,” he says. “In addition we see an incredible synergy between the richly evocative music and our superb venue.”

To ensure guests enter the spirit of the weekend, the resort is providing the finest of European food. They’ll be welcomed by the artists and will enjoy a cocktail on their arrival. Friday night consists of a sumptuous dinner and Saturday promises Executive Chef, Hannes Bareiter’s special long Italian lunch with matching wines.

The meals will be punctuated by music from the masters sung by artists with an incredible operatic pedigree.

Murray McCaw intends Opera At the Bay from October 10-12 will appeal not just to opera buffs but to those who would love to be introduced to opera in the tranquil setting of the Bay Of Many Coves lodge and to turn back the clock to a time when food and wine were a crucial part of celebrating the latest Puccini or Verdi masterpiece.

Prices for Opera At the Bay start from $995 per person.

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