Page 102 - 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. 102
vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju
posers. Another company worth mentioning is Lyric Opera, founded by
Vivian Coates in 1994. For a long time it staged concert or semi-staged per-
formances sung in English in Dublin; in recent years it has switched to
more fully staged productions in the original language and with surtitles.
All the opera companies named above have depended on state fund-
ing which is nowadays distributed by the Irish Arts Council. Since the Arts
Council does not award money years ahead, strategic planning has always
been very difficult. Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company and Lyric Op-
era have staged between one and three productions per year, depending on
the amount of funding they were awarded.
In the wake of the economic crash of 2008, the Irish state had to cut
all its expenditure severely; this also hit the arts sector. Opera Ireland and
Opera Theatre Company were abolished in 2010, to be succeeded by a new
“Irish National Opera Company”. However, at that time this venture did
not get off the ground, and a few months later Opera Theatre Company –
yet not Opera Ireland – was revived. This left Ireland without a company
devoted to full-scale orchestral productions. To fill this gap, in 2012 “Wide
Open Opera” was founded, opening with a production of Tristan und Isol-
de in Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, followed by Nixon in China in the
same venue. It thus emphasised its intention to dedicate itself to the can-
on as well as to new compositions – in fact, it has since organised the Irish
premiers of quite a few new operas by Irish composers. In 2010, “Northern
Ireland Opera” was founded as the first opera company based in North-
ern Ireland. Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, it has staged
about three operas per season, including commissions from Irish compos-
ers, with its productions travelling within Northern Ireland (mainly be-
tween Belfast and Derry) and occasionally further afield. Like other Irish
companies, many of its productions in recent years were collaborations
with one or more European opera houses or other Irish companies.
The latest twist in Irish institutional operatic history is that with effect
from 1 January 2018 both Wide Open Opera and Opera Theatre Company
were effectively merged to form an entity calling itself “Irish National Op-
era” (not to be confused with the above mentioned earlier Irish National
Opera that operated from 1965-84); this new company has announced sev-
en productions and altogether 34 performances for 2018 (four productions
and 17 performances of these fall into the 2017/18 season – since Irish Na-
tional Opera came into being in January 2018 it operates in calendar years
rather than seasons for the time being).
100
posers. Another company worth mentioning is Lyric Opera, founded by
Vivian Coates in 1994. For a long time it staged concert or semi-staged per-
formances sung in English in Dublin; in recent years it has switched to
more fully staged productions in the original language and with surtitles.
All the opera companies named above have depended on state fund-
ing which is nowadays distributed by the Irish Arts Council. Since the Arts
Council does not award money years ahead, strategic planning has always
been very difficult. Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company and Lyric Op-
era have staged between one and three productions per year, depending on
the amount of funding they were awarded.
In the wake of the economic crash of 2008, the Irish state had to cut
all its expenditure severely; this also hit the arts sector. Opera Ireland and
Opera Theatre Company were abolished in 2010, to be succeeded by a new
“Irish National Opera Company”. However, at that time this venture did
not get off the ground, and a few months later Opera Theatre Company –
yet not Opera Ireland – was revived. This left Ireland without a company
devoted to full-scale orchestral productions. To fill this gap, in 2012 “Wide
Open Opera” was founded, opening with a production of Tristan und Isol-
de in Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, followed by Nixon in China in the
same venue. It thus emphasised its intention to dedicate itself to the can-
on as well as to new compositions – in fact, it has since organised the Irish
premiers of quite a few new operas by Irish composers. In 2010, “Northern
Ireland Opera” was founded as the first opera company based in North-
ern Ireland. Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, it has staged
about three operas per season, including commissions from Irish compos-
ers, with its productions travelling within Northern Ireland (mainly be-
tween Belfast and Derry) and occasionally further afield. Like other Irish
companies, many of its productions in recent years were collaborations
with one or more European opera houses or other Irish companies.
The latest twist in Irish institutional operatic history is that with effect
from 1 January 2018 both Wide Open Opera and Opera Theatre Company
were effectively merged to form an entity calling itself “Irish National Op-
era” (not to be confused with the above mentioned earlier Irish National
Opera that operated from 1965-84); this new company has announced sev-
en productions and altogether 34 performances for 2018 (four productions
and 17 performances of these fall into the 2017/18 season – since Irish Na-
tional Opera came into being in January 2018 it operates in calendar years
rather than seasons for the time being).
100
