Page 103 - 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. 103
opera in ireland – a continuing struggle for acceptance
Opera in Ireland since 1922
After the troubles of the First World War, the War of Independence and
the subsequent Civil War, the new Irish Free State had little means to stage
operas; even its first (and to this day only) full-scale professional symphony
orchestra was not founded until 1948.22
While several of the British opera companies mentioned in section 1.2.
continued to visit Ireland until the beginning of the Second World War
there was thus little chance for Irish composers to have new works com-
missioned or performed in their own country. Hence not many compos-
ers would engage with the operatic genre, with only a few pieces by com-
posers such as Éamonn Ó Gallchobháir, Gerard Victory and James Wilson
forming exceptions from this rule. From the 1960s and 70s onwards, con-
temporary Irish composers emerged in larger numbers, engaging more and
more with modernist avant-garde styles (as opposed to the pastoral British
style preferred my many of their predecessors). Since the late 1980s and ear-
ly 1990s this also included operas written in a modernist style, as compos-
ers such as Gerald Barry and Kevin O’Connor (who are still active today)
started contributing to the genre.
Appendix 1 gives an overview of all operas performed in Ireland
(North and South) this season – that is, from September 2017 until August
2018. It lists 88 performances of 23 different productions (with Gluck’s Or-
feo ed Euridice presented in two different versions by North Dublin Op-
era and Irish National Opera). Seven of these operas (Orfeo ed Euridice, Le
nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, L’Italiana in Algeri, La Traviata, Eugene On-
egin and Tosca) are core parts of the canon; three (Front of House, Dublin-
ers, Ulysses: an Opera) were world premieres, another one (The Second Vi-
olinist) was a revival of a world premiere from the previous season and a
further two (Eithne and The Sleeping Queen) were revivals of long-forgotten
works. The latter six were all written by Irish composers. This represents a
comparatively low percentage of “canonic” operas (although in other years
there has been more Verdi or Puccini on offer), and a relatively high num-
ber of lesser known and contemporary operas (even outside of Wexford
were this is the norm).
22 This is the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra which is associated with Ireland's na-
tional broadcaster RTÉ. The station also runs a smaller professional orchestra, the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra (45 positions) while the Ulster Orchestra is another full-size
professional orchestra based in Northern Ireland. Members of the RTÉ Concert Or-
chestra are regularly involved in performances of smaller operas or travelling pro-
ductions accompanied by a reduced ensemble.
101
Opera in Ireland since 1922
After the troubles of the First World War, the War of Independence and
the subsequent Civil War, the new Irish Free State had little means to stage
operas; even its first (and to this day only) full-scale professional symphony
orchestra was not founded until 1948.22
While several of the British opera companies mentioned in section 1.2.
continued to visit Ireland until the beginning of the Second World War
there was thus little chance for Irish composers to have new works com-
missioned or performed in their own country. Hence not many compos-
ers would engage with the operatic genre, with only a few pieces by com-
posers such as Éamonn Ó Gallchobháir, Gerard Victory and James Wilson
forming exceptions from this rule. From the 1960s and 70s onwards, con-
temporary Irish composers emerged in larger numbers, engaging more and
more with modernist avant-garde styles (as opposed to the pastoral British
style preferred my many of their predecessors). Since the late 1980s and ear-
ly 1990s this also included operas written in a modernist style, as compos-
ers such as Gerald Barry and Kevin O’Connor (who are still active today)
started contributing to the genre.
Appendix 1 gives an overview of all operas performed in Ireland
(North and South) this season – that is, from September 2017 until August
2018. It lists 88 performances of 23 different productions (with Gluck’s Or-
feo ed Euridice presented in two different versions by North Dublin Op-
era and Irish National Opera). Seven of these operas (Orfeo ed Euridice, Le
nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, L’Italiana in Algeri, La Traviata, Eugene On-
egin and Tosca) are core parts of the canon; three (Front of House, Dublin-
ers, Ulysses: an Opera) were world premieres, another one (The Second Vi-
olinist) was a revival of a world premiere from the previous season and a
further two (Eithne and The Sleeping Queen) were revivals of long-forgotten
works. The latter six were all written by Irish composers. This represents a
comparatively low percentage of “canonic” operas (although in other years
there has been more Verdi or Puccini on offer), and a relatively high num-
ber of lesser known and contemporary operas (even outside of Wexford
were this is the norm).
22 This is the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra which is associated with Ireland's na-
tional broadcaster RTÉ. The station also runs a smaller professional orchestra, the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra (45 positions) while the Ulster Orchestra is another full-size
professional orchestra based in Northern Ireland. Members of the RTÉ Concert Or-
chestra are regularly involved in performances of smaller operas or travelling pro-
ductions accompanied by a reduced ensemble.
101
