English National Opera

The English National Opera (ENO) is a famous British opera company based in London. It performs at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two main opera companies in London, the other being The Royal Opera. The ENO is special because all its shows are sung in English, so more people can enjoy them.

The ENO began in the late 19th century thanks to a kind woman named Emma Cons. She put on shows at the Old Vic to help local people. Later, her niece Lilian Baylis took over and built up theatre and opera groups. These groups grew into the ENO, the Royal National Theatre, and The Royal Ballet.

Baylis bought and fixed up the Sadler's Wells theatre in north London. The ENO became a permanent group there in the 1930s. During World War II, the theatre closed, and the company traveled to different towns and cities in Britain. After the war, they returned to Sadler's Wells. By the 1960s, they needed a bigger place, so in 1968 they moved to the London Coliseum. They adopted their current name, English National Opera, in 1974.

Many talented people have worked with the ENO. Famous conductors include Colin Davis, Reginald Goodall, Charles Mackerras, Mark Elder, and Edward Gardner. Well-known directors such as David Pountney, Jonathan Miller, Nicholas Hytner, Phyllida Lloyd, and Calixto Bieito have also created shows for the ENO. Today, the artistic director is Annilese Miskimmon. The ENO performs many kinds of operas, from old works by Monteverdi to new pieces, operetta, and Broadway shows.

History

Foundations

In 1889, Emma Cons started performing short opera pieces at the Old Vic theatre in London. At that time, laws made full opera shows hard to do, so she showed shorter versions of famous operas, always sung in English. These shows became very popular. In 1898, she brought in her niece Lilian Baylis to help and appointed Charles Corri as the music leader. They all believed opera should be for everyone, not just rich people. They used amateur singers and a small orchestra.

Emma Cons died in 1912, leaving the Old Vic to Baylis. She wanted to turn the theatre into a “people’s opera house.” In 1914, Baylis got permission to perform full operas. After World War I, her Shakespeare plays got attention, but opera stayed her main focus.

Vic-Wells

By the 1920s, Baylis thought the Old Vic was too small for both theatre and opera. She saw the empty Sadler’s Wells theatre and decided to use it for opera. With help from donors, she bought Sadler’s Wells in 1925 and started fixing it up. By 1931, the new theatre could hold 1,640 people. The first opera performed there was Carmen.

Running the new theatre cost a lot, and early reviews were not all good. Baylis worked to make the opera performances better. In 1932, there was an idea to combine the opera company with another group, but Baylis said no, because she wanted to keep her audience happy. By 1934, the Old Vic focused on plays, while Sadler’s Wells hosted opera and ballet.

Sadler's Wells Opera

After Baylis died in 1937, others took over the theatre. During World War II, Sadler’s Wells was used as a shelter, and the opera company traveled with a smaller group of performers. After the war, the company had some problems but kept growing.

Coliseum

In 1968, the company moved to the London Coliseum, continuing to perform operas in English. The new place allowed for bigger shows and more chances to reach new audiences. Over the years, the company has introduced new works and brought opera to more people through different activities.

ENO

In the 1970s, the company changed its name to the English National Opera. Since then, it has kept making a mix of classic and new operas, working with directors from many places to create exciting shows. The company has also worked on making opera more accessible, like by offering free tickets to young people.

The ENO has had some money and management problems in recent years. In 2022, funding was cut, but it was later restored. The company plans to create a new home outside London while still performing at the London Coliseum.

Repertoire

The English National Opera performs classic operas, all sung in English. They have staged famous works by composers like Mozart, Wagner, Puccini, and Verdi. They aim to make opera feel like drama, not just singing.

Besides these famous operas, the ENO has created new works and brought operas from other countries to British audiences. They have also performed lighter shows, such as musicals and funny operas, including many by Gilbert and Sullivan. Over the years, they have tried different styles, including Broadway shows, though sometimes these have been hard to perform in their large theatre.

Recordings

The English National Opera has a long history of making recordings. Early recordings were made by Sadler's Wells singers when the company started. In 1972, an LP collection came out with these early recordings and a tribute to Lilian Baylis from 1936. Famous singers like Joan Cross, Heddle Nash, Edith Coates, Joan Hammond, Owen Brannigan, Peter Pears, Peter Glossop, and Charles Craig were in these recordings. Conductors included Lawrance Collingwood, Reginald Goodall, and Michael Mudie.

After World War II, the company recorded excerpts from the opera Simon Boccanegra in 1949 but did not make more recordings until the stereo LP era. In the 1950s and 1960s, they recorded many operas and operettas for EMI, all sung in English. These included Madame Butterfly, Il trovatore, Hansel and Gretel, Die Fledermaus, The Merry Widow, The Land of Smiles, La vie parisienne, Orpheus in the Underworld, Iolanthe, La belle Hélène, and The Gypsy Baron. A complete recording of The Mikado was also released in 1962.

Later, EMI recorded excerpts from Twilight of the Gods in both German and English. They also recorded the complete Ring cycle between 1973 and 1977. Chandos Records later reissued these on CD and released a live recording of The Mastersingers from 1968. In the CD era, Chandos Records released many operas sung in English, featuring past and present members of the ENO. Some of these included Lulu, The Makropoulos Affair, Werther, Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto, Ernani, Otello, and Falstaff, along with live recordings of The Ring and The Mastersingers. Conductors for these recordings included Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Mark Elder, and Paul Daniel.

Education

In 1966, a special course for theatre design began. It was started by Margaret Harris and later called the Motley Theatre Design Course. In 1985, the ENO Baylis program started. It helps new people enjoy opera and makes it better for fans. The program offers training for students and young professionals, with workshops, projects, discussions, and talks. Today, it is called ENO Engage.

Musical directors

The English National Opera has had many musical directors. Some of the conductors who led the opera company include Charles Corri, Lawrance Collingwood, James Robertson, Alexander Gibson, Colin Davis, Mario Bernardi, Bryan Balkwill, Charles Mackerras, and Sir Charles Groves. These directors helped shape the music and style of the shows.

Music directors

The English National Opera has had many music directors. Some of them are Mark Elder, who worked from 1979 to 1993, and Sian Edwards, who was director from 1993 to 1995. Others include Paul Daniel, Edward Gardner, Mark Wigglesworth, Martyn Brabbins, and the new director André de Ridder, who will start in autumn 2027.

Artistic directors

The English National Opera has had several artistic directors who help create and guide its performances. John Berry served from 2005 to 2015. After him, Daniel Kramer led from 2016 to 2020. Now, Annilese Miskimmon has been leading the opera since 2020.

Notes, references and sources

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