English National Opera is one of the two principal opera companies in London. The company’s origins were in the late 19th century, when the philanthropist Emma Cons, later assisted by her niece Lilian Baylis, presented theatrical and operatic performances at the Old Vic. In 1968, the company moved to the London Coliseum and adopted its present name.
About English National Opera in brief
English National Opera is one of the two principal opera companies in London. The company’s origins were in the late 19th century, when the philanthropist Emma Cons, later assisted by her niece Lilian Baylis, presented theatrical and operatic performances at the Old Vic. Baylis subsequently built up both the opera and the theatre companies, and later added a ballet company; these evolved into ENO, the Royal National Theatre and The Royal Ballet. In 1968, the company moved to the London Coliseum and adopted its present name in 1974. Noted directors who have staged productions at ENO have included David Pountney, Jonathan Miller, Nicholas Hytner, Phyllida Lloyd and Calixto Bieito. Among the conductors associated with the company have been Colin Davis, Reginald Goodall, Charles Mackerras, Mark Elder and Edward Gardner. The current music director of ENO is Martyn Brabbins. ENO’s current artistic director is Daniel Kramer. In addition to the core operatic repertoire,. the company has presented a wide range of works, from early operas by Monteverdi to new commissions, operetta and Broadway shows. In the 1914–1915 season, Baylis staged 16 operas and 16 plays. In the years after the First World War,. Baylis’s Shakespeare productions, which featured some of the leading actors from London’s West End, attracted national attention, as her shoe-string opera productions did not. In 1932, the first opera-Well’s run from 6 January was Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Eighteen operas were staged during the first season of the first ENO season. The first opera, Carmen, given on 20 January, was Carmen. The opera company grew there into a permanent ensemble in the 1930s. During the Second World War, the theatre was closed and the company toured British towns and cities. By the 1960s, a larger theatre was needed. The new 1,640-seat theatre was ready for occupation in 1926. The theatre was more expensive to run than the old Old Vic, as a larger orchestra and box office receipts were needed, and more singers were needed. It was a completely new theatre, and the first production there was a fortnight’s run in January 1931, when a production of Carmen was staged. The Old Vic was a working-class theatre in the working- class area of London, but the new theatre was a more expensive theatre to run as a new opera house. It is now the home of The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, one of London’s leading opera companies, along with The Royal Theatre, London. It opened its doors to the public for the first time in the summer of 1966. The Royal National Theater, London, opened in the spring of 1968. The London Coliseum, in St Martin’s Lane, is the current home of the ENO company. It has been home to the Royal Opera since 1968, and opened its first opera season in September 1968.
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This page is based on the article English National Opera published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 05, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
