Page 101 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2019. Vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju - The Role of National Opera Houses in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 3
P. 101
opera in ireland – a continuing struggle for acceptance
era House” – this, however, did little to increase the number of operatic
performances there.20
In 2010, the new multi-purpose “Grand Canal Theatre” (now known as
“Board Gáis Energy Theatre”) opened in Dublin’s redeveloped Docklands
district. Due to its position in the Dublin metropolitan region populated by
1.5 million people this Daniel Libeskind-designed 2,100-seat theatre is in far
more regular use and has become the venue of choice for many of Dublin’s
opera and ballet performances (particularly those by visiting companies).
The turn of the 19th century saw the emergence of the first Irish indig-
enous opera companies that were dedicated to the regular staging of op-
era. Among them were the Ulster Operatic Company (founded in 1909),
the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society (1913), the Cork Operatic Soci-
ety (1917) and the National Operatic Society (1945-6). Most successful were a
number of societies based in Dublin: the Dublin Operatic Society (1928-54),
the Dublin Grand Opera Society (1941-2001; from 1996-2010 succeeded by
“Opera Ireland”), and the Irish National Opera (1965-84, touring the coun-
try with reduced orchestra and minimal stage designs).21 In 1985 the Irish
National Opera was succeeded by Opera Theatre Company which contin-
ued to perform full operas with a reduced ensemble (consisting of a string
quartet and a handful of winds and brass; usually fewer than ten players al-
together) and a minimalist staging which allowed the production to tour
the island and perform in all sorts of local venues in smaller towns. Since
few of those venues were equipped to operate surtitles, and also because the
company targeted audiences not used to opera, all its productions were per-
formed in English. In contrast, Opera Ireland staged all its productions in
Dublin (usually in the Gaiety Theatre) with a full orchestra and in the orig-
inal language with surtitles. The creative input of its Swiss artistic director
Dieter Kaegi often made up for an acoustic a bit on the dry side. Opera The-
atre Company benefitted from a string of imaginative productions (many
by its long-time artistic director Annilese Miskimmon) which included,
among others, stagings of The Emperor of Atlantis and Fidelio in Dublin’s
Kilmainham Gaol (a former prison now serving as a museum). Opera The-
atre Company also occasionally commissioned new operas from Irish com-
20 Like in many other countries there exists a continuous tension between the metrop-
olis Dublin and the rest of the country where people almost automatically assume
that the Dubliners keep everything good and important to themselves. The decision
to build the Wexford Opera House was reached under a Minister of Culture from the
South-East region and may in part have been an attempt to ease that tension.
21 Klein, “Opera and music theatre”, 788.
99
era House” – this, however, did little to increase the number of operatic
performances there.20
In 2010, the new multi-purpose “Grand Canal Theatre” (now known as
“Board Gáis Energy Theatre”) opened in Dublin’s redeveloped Docklands
district. Due to its position in the Dublin metropolitan region populated by
1.5 million people this Daniel Libeskind-designed 2,100-seat theatre is in far
more regular use and has become the venue of choice for many of Dublin’s
opera and ballet performances (particularly those by visiting companies).
The turn of the 19th century saw the emergence of the first Irish indig-
enous opera companies that were dedicated to the regular staging of op-
era. Among them were the Ulster Operatic Company (founded in 1909),
the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society (1913), the Cork Operatic Soci-
ety (1917) and the National Operatic Society (1945-6). Most successful were a
number of societies based in Dublin: the Dublin Operatic Society (1928-54),
the Dublin Grand Opera Society (1941-2001; from 1996-2010 succeeded by
“Opera Ireland”), and the Irish National Opera (1965-84, touring the coun-
try with reduced orchestra and minimal stage designs).21 In 1985 the Irish
National Opera was succeeded by Opera Theatre Company which contin-
ued to perform full operas with a reduced ensemble (consisting of a string
quartet and a handful of winds and brass; usually fewer than ten players al-
together) and a minimalist staging which allowed the production to tour
the island and perform in all sorts of local venues in smaller towns. Since
few of those venues were equipped to operate surtitles, and also because the
company targeted audiences not used to opera, all its productions were per-
formed in English. In contrast, Opera Ireland staged all its productions in
Dublin (usually in the Gaiety Theatre) with a full orchestra and in the orig-
inal language with surtitles. The creative input of its Swiss artistic director
Dieter Kaegi often made up for an acoustic a bit on the dry side. Opera The-
atre Company benefitted from a string of imaginative productions (many
by its long-time artistic director Annilese Miskimmon) which included,
among others, stagings of The Emperor of Atlantis and Fidelio in Dublin’s
Kilmainham Gaol (a former prison now serving as a museum). Opera The-
atre Company also occasionally commissioned new operas from Irish com-
20 Like in many other countries there exists a continuous tension between the metrop-
olis Dublin and the rest of the country where people almost automatically assume
that the Dubliners keep everything good and important to themselves. The decision
to build the Wexford Opera House was reached under a Minister of Culture from the
South-East region and may in part have been an attempt to ease that tension.
21 Klein, “Opera and music theatre”, 788.
99
