Thesis (M. Mus.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH 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. / AFRIKAANSE 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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16394 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Mossolow, Alexandra Xenia Sabina |
| Contributors | Fick, Acama, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Music. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | (various pagings) : ill., portraits |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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